Commitments and Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

12. Commitments and Contingencies

Contingent Commitments—We had commitments to make investments, primarily capital contributions to investment funds, inclusive of related party commitments discussed previously, of $5,848 million and $4,793 million as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. We expect most of our current commitments will be invested over the next five years; however, these commitments could become due any time upon counterparty request.

Funding Agreements—We are a member of the FHLB and, through membership, we have issued funding agreements to the FHLB in exchange for cash advances. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, we had $2,101 million and $1,226 million, respectively, of FHLB funding agreements outstanding. We are required to provide collateral in excess of the funding agreement amounts outstanding, considering any discounts to the securities posted and prepayment penalties.

We have a funding agreement backed notes (FABN) program, which allows Athene Global Funding, a special-purpose, unaffiliated statutory trust, to offer its senior secured medium-term notes. Athene Global Funding uses the net proceeds from each sale to purchase one or more funding agreements from us. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, we had $6,523 million and $3,700 million, respectively, of FABN funding agreements outstanding. We had $2,392 million of FABN capacity remaining as of September 30, 2020.

During the third quarter of 2020, we established a secured funding agreement backed repurchase agreement (FABR) program, in which a special-purpose, unaffiliated entity entered into repurchase agreements with a bank and the proceeds of the repurchase agreements were used by the special purpose entity to purchase funding agreements from us. As of September 30, 2020, we had $1,000 million of FABR funding agreements outstanding.

Pledged Assets and Funds in Trust (Restricted Assets)—The total restricted assets included on the condensed consolidated balance sheets are as follows:

(In millions)	September 30, 2020		December 31, 2019
AFS securities	$	9,928	$	9,369
Trading securities	54		45
Equity securities	24		22
Mortgage loans	4,715		2,535
Investment funds	55		84
Derivative assets	95		105
Short-term investments	5		92
Other investments	104		88
Restricted cash	1,226		402
Total restricted assets	$	16,206	$	12,742

The restricted assets are primarily related to reinsurance trusts established in accordance with coinsurance agreements and the FHLB and FABR funding agreements described above.

Letters of Credit—We have undrawn letters of credit totaling $1,413 million as of September 30, 2020. These letters of credit were issued for our reinsurance program and expire between December 10, 2020 and June 19, 2023.

Litigation, Claims and Assessments

Corporate-owned Life Insurance (COLI) Matter – In 2000 and 2001, two insurance companies, which were subsequently merged into Athene Annuity and Life Company (AAIA), purchased broad based variable COLI policies from American General Life Insurance Company (American General) that, as of September 30, 2020, had an asset value of $401 million, and is included in other assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. In January 2012, the COLI policy administrator delivered to AAIA a supplement to the existing COLI policies and advised that American General and ZC Resource Investment Trust (ZC Trust) had unilaterally implemented changes set forth in the supplement that, if effective, would: (1) potentially negatively impact the crediting rate for the policies and (2) change the exit and surrender protocols set forth in the policies. In March 2013, AAIA filed suit against American General, ZC Trust, and ZC Resource LLC in Chancery Court in Delaware, seeking, among other relief, a declaration that the changes set forth in the supplement were ineffectual and in breach of the parties’ agreement. The parties filed cross motions for judgment as a matter of law, and the court granted defendants’ motion and dismissed without prejudice on ripeness grounds. The issue that negatively impacts the crediting rate for one of the COLI policies has subsequently been triggered and, on April 3, 2018, we filed suit against the same defendants in Chancery Court in Delaware seeking substantially similar relief. Defendants moved to dismiss and the court heard oral arguments on February 13, 2019. The court issued an opinion on July 31, 2019 that did not address the merits, but found that the Chancery Court did not have jurisdiction over our claims and directed us to either amend our complaint or transfer the matter to Delaware Superior Court. The matter has been transferred to the Delaware Superior Court. Defendants renewed their motion to dismiss and the Superior Court heard oral arguments on December 18, 2019. The Superior Court issued an opinion on May 18, 2020 in which it granted in part and denied in part defendants’ motion. The Superior Court denied defendants’ motion with respect to the issue that negatively impacts the crediting rate for one of the COLI policies, which issue will proceed to discovery. The Superior Court granted defendants’ motion and dismissed without prejudice on ripeness grounds claims related to the exit and surrender protocols set forth in the policies, and dismissed defendant ZC Resource LLC. If the supplement is ultimately deemed to be effective, the purported changes to the policies could impair AAIA’s ability to access the value of guarantees associated with the policies. The parties have served initial document requests and interrogatories and are currently in early stage discovery. An initial scheduling conference is set for November 10, 2020. The value of the guarantees included within the asset value reflected above is $196 million as of September 30, 2020.

Regulatory Matters – Beginning in 2015, our US insurance subsidiaries have experienced increased complaints related to the conversion and administration of the block of life insurance business acquired in connection with our acquisition of Aviva USA and reinsured to affiliates of Global Atlantic. The life insurance policies included in this block have been and are currently being administered by AllianceOne Inc. (AllianceOne), a subsidiary of DXC Technology Company, which was retained by such Global Atlantic affiliates to provide third party administration services on such policies. AllianceOne also administers a small block of annuity policies that were on Aviva USA’s legacy policy administration systems that were also converted in connection with the acquisition of Aviva USA and have experienced some similar service and administration issues, but to a lesser degree.

As a result of the difficulties experienced with respect to the administration of such policies, we have received notifications from several state regulators, including but not limited to New York State Department of Financial Services (NYSDFS), the California Department of Insurance (CDI) and the Texas Department of Insurance, indicating, in each case, that the respective regulator planned to undertake a market conduct examination or enforcement proceeding of the applicable US insurance subsidiary relating to the treatment of policyholders subject to our reinsurance agreements with affiliates of Global Atlantic and the conversion of the life and annuity policies, including the administration of such blocks by AllianceOne. We have entered into consent orders with several states, including the NYSDFS and the CDI, to resolve underlying matters in those states. All fines and costs, including those associated with remediation plans, paid in connection with the consent orders are subject to indemnification by Global Atlantic or affiliates of Global Atlantic.

In addition to the examinations and proceedings initiated to date, it is possible that other regulators may pursue similar formal examinations, inquiries or enforcement proceedings and that any examinations, inquiries and/or enforcement proceedings may result in fines, administrative penalties and payments to policyholders. While we do not expect the amount of any such fines, penalties or payments arising from these matters to be material to our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows, it is possible that such amounts could be material.

Pursuant to the terms of the reinsurance agreements between us and the relevant affiliates of Global Atlantic, the applicable affiliates of Global Atlantic have financial responsibility for the ceded life block and are subject to significant administrative service requirements, including compliance with applicable law. The agreements also provide for indemnification to us, including for administration issues.

On January 23, 2019, we received a letter from the NYSDFS, with respect to a pension risk transfer (PRT) transaction, which expressed concerns with our interpretation and reliance upon certain exemptions from licensing in New York in connection with certain activities performed by employees in our PRT channel, including specific activities performed within New York. On April 13, 2020, we entered into a consent order with the NYSDFS to resolve this matter. Pursuant to the consent order, the NYSDFS imposed a fine of $45 million, which was accrued in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2019, and paid during the second quarter of 2020.

Caldera Matters – On May 3, 2018, AHL filed a writ commencing litigation in the Supreme Court of Bermuda against a former officer of AHL, a former director of AHL (who is also considered a former officer pursuant to Bermuda law), and Caldera Holdings, Ltd. (Caldera). AHL alleges in the writ, among other things, that the defendants breached various duties owed to AHL under Bermuda law by using AHL’s confidential information in their attempted acquisition of a company referred to in the litigation as Company A. AHL is seeking injunctive relief and damages. Athene amended its writ on October 16, 2018. The trial court denied two separate motions to dismiss made by defendant Caldera on June 28, 2018 and by the former officer and former director defendants on January 14, 2019. On September 20, 2019, the Bermuda Court of Appeal affirmed both trial court rulings and dismissed the defendants’ appeal. Defendants have not further pursued an appeal of this decision to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the court of final appeal for matters litigated in Bermuda. On March 17, 2020, we filed an application for leave to amend the complaint to more broadly assert defendants’ breaches of duties and that motion was approved by Order dated September 20, 2020.

On May 3, 2018, following AHL’s filing of the writ in Bermuda described above, Caldera, Caldera Life Reinsurance Company, and Caldera Shareholder, L.P., commenced an action in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, by filing a Summons with Notice against AHL, Apollo, certain affiliates of Apollo and Leon Black, a founder of Apollo. On July 12, 2018, plaintiffs filed a complaint alleging claims for tortious interference with prospective business relations, defamation, and unfair competition related to plaintiffs’ attempt to purchase Company A and seeking alleged damages of “no less than $1.5 billion.” AHL has moved to dismiss the complaint. On January 21, 2019, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint, which revised certain allegations about jurisdiction, venue and the merits of the plaintiffs’ claims. We have renewed our motion to dismiss and, on December 20, 2019, the court granted our motion to dismiss. Plaintiffs have filed an appeal, but failed to timely effectuate the appeal. Unless plaintiffs belatedly try to perfect their appeal, or to extend their time to do so, and are successful in such efforts, we believe that this litigation is concluded.