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Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs")
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Variable Interest Entity [Abstract]  
Variable Interest Entities (VIEs)
Note 16 - Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs")
Consolidated VIEs
Freight Holding
In July 2018, the Company exercised an option to acquire all of the membership interests of a previously consolidated VIE and amended the governing agreements of the entity. Under an amended agreement, and upon satisfaction of certain closing conditions associated with exercising its option, the Company created a new majority-owned subsidiary, Uber Freight Holding Corporation (“Freight Holding”). The Freight Holding stock held by the Company was determined to be a variable interest. Freight Holding is also considered
to be a VIE because it lacks sufficient equity to finance activities without future subordinated support. Given that the Company has the power to direct activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of Freight Holding, the Company is the primary beneficiary of Freight Holding. As a result, the Company consolidates Freight Holding’s assets and liabilities. As of September 30, 2019, Uber continues to own the majority of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Freight Holding and reports non-controlling interests as further described in Note 17 - Non-Controlling Interests.
Apparate USA LLC
In April 2019, the Company contributed certain of its subsidiaries and all assets and liabilities related to its autonomous vehicle technologies (excluding liabilities arising from certain indemnification obligations related to the Levandowski arbitration and any remediation costs associated with certain obligations that may arise as a result of the Waymo settlement) to Apparate USA LLC (“Apparate”) in exchange for common units representing 100% ownership interest in Apparate. Subsequent to the formation of Apparate in April 2019, Apparate entered into a Class A Preferred Unit Purchase Agreement (“Preferred Unit Purchase Agreement”) with SVF Yellow (USA) Corporation (“SoftBank”), Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (“Toyota”), and DENSO International America, Inc. (“DENSO”). Preferred units were issued in July 2019 to SoftBank, Toyota, and DENSO and provided the investors with an aggregate 13.8% ownership interest in Apparate on an as-converted basis. The common units held by the Company in Apparate were determined to be a variable interest. The Company has determined that Apparate is a VIE as it lacks sufficient equity to finance its activities without future subordinated support. The Company has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of Apparate, and as a result the Company is the primary beneficiary of Apparate, consolidates Apparate’s assets and liabilities and reports non-controlling interests as further described in Note 17 - Non-Controlling Interests.
Total assets included on the condensed consolidated balance sheets for these VIEs as of December 31, 2018 and September 30, 2019 were $115 million and $1.3 billion, respectively. Total liabilities included on the condensed consolidated balance sheet for VIEs as of December 31, 2018 were not material. Total liabilities included on the condensed consolidated balance sheet for VIEs as of September 30, 2019 were $173 million.
Unconsolidated VIE
Mission Bay 3 & 4
The Mission Bay 3 & 4 JV refers to Event Center Office Partners, LLC (“ECOP”), a joint venture entity established in March 2018, by Uber and two companies (“LLC Partners”) to manage the operation of two office buildings owned by two ECOP wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company contributed $136 million cash in exchange for a 45% interest in ECOP. Each of the two LLC Partners owns 45% and 10%, respectively. The amount of contributed cash was recorded as an investment for $136 million as of September 30, 2019. The remaining construction costs will be funded through a construction loan obtained by ECOP where the Company together with the two LLC Partners guarantee payments and performance of the loan when it becomes due and any payment of costs incurred by the lender under limited situations. The maximum collective guarantee liability is up to $50 million.
The Company evaluated the nature of its investment in ECOP and determined that ECOP is a VIE during the construction period; however, the Company is not the primary beneficiary as decisions are made jointly between parties and therefore does not have the power to direct activities that most significantly impact the VIE. The Company will reevaluate if ECOP meets the definition of a VIE upon specific reconsideration events, including completion of construction.
The maximum exposure to loss represents the potential loss recognized by the Company relating to these unconsolidated entities. The Company believes that its maximum exposure to loss is limited because it is a member of the limited liability company. The Company’s maximum exposure to loss differs from the carrying value of the variable interests. The maximum exposure to loss is dependent on the nature of the variable interests in the VIE and is limited to the investment balances and notional amounts of guarantees. As of December 31, 2018 and September 30, 2019, the carrying amount of assets and liabilities recognized on the condensed consolidated balance sheets related to the Company’s interests in unconsolidated VIEs and the Company’s maximum exposure to loss relating to unconsolidated VIEs was as follows (in millions):
 
 
As of
 
 
December 31, 2018
 
September 30, 2019
Investment
 
$
78

 
$
136

Additional cash contribution
 
58

 

Limited guarantee
 
50

 
50

Maximum exposure to loss
 
$
186

 
$
186


Uber has significant influence over ECOP and accounts for its investment in ECOP under the equity method. No equity earnings have been recognized as of September 30, 2019, since the sole activity of the ECOP consists of construction of the assets and costs incurred are capitalized. Once construction is complete, at each reporting period and a quarter in arrears, the Company will adjust the carrying value of its investment to reflect its proportionate share of ECOP’s income or loss, and any impairments, with a corresponding
credit or debit, respectively, to loss from equity method investment, net of tax in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. As of September 30, 2019, the Company determined that no impairment of its equity method investments existed.