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Variable Interest Entities
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Variable Interest Entities VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES
Upsilon RFO
Upsilon RFO is a managed joint venture and a Bermuda domiciled SPI that was formed by the Company primarily to provide additional capacity to the worldwide aggregate and per-occurrence retrocessional property catastrophe excess of loss market.
The shareholders (other than the Class A shareholder) participate in substantially all of the profits or losses of Upsilon RFO while their shares remain outstanding. The shareholders (other than the Class A shareholder) indemnify Upsilon RFO against losses relating to insurance risk and therefore these shares have been accounted for as prospective reinsurance under FASB ASC Topic Financial Services - Insurance.
Upsilon RFO is considered a VIE as it has insufficient equity capital to finance its activities without additional financial support. The Company is the primary beneficiary of Upsilon RFO as it has the power over the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of Upsilon RFO and has the obligation to absorb expected losses and the right to receive expected benefits that could be significant to Upsilon RFO, in accordance with the accounting guidance. As a result, the Company consolidates Upsilon RFO and all significant inter-company transactions have been eliminated. Other than its equity investment in Upsilon RFO, the Company has not provided financial or other support to Upsilon RFO that it was not contractually required to provide.
2018
During 2018, $856.7 million of Upsilon RFO non-voting preference shares were issued to existing investors, including $109.8 million to the Company. At December 31, 2018, the Company’s participation in the risks assumed by Upsilon RFO was 14.0%.
Payments for certain of the shares issued during 2018 were received by the Company prior to January 1, 2018 were included in other liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2017, and in other operating cash flows on the Company’s consolidated statements of cash flows for 2017. During 2018, in connection with the issuance of the non-voting preference shares of Upsilon RFO, other liabilities were reduced by this amount, and reinsurance balances payable were increased by an offsetting amount, with corresponding impacts to other operating cash flows and the change in reinsurance balances payable on the Company consolidated statements of cash flows for 2018.
2019
During the three months ended March 31, 2019, $502.8 million of Upsilon RFO non-voting preference shares were issued to existing investors, including $100.0 million to the Company. At March 31, 2019, the Company’s participation in the risks assumed by Upsilon RFO was 16.7%.
At March 31, 2019, the Company’s consolidated balance sheet included total assets and total liabilities of Upsilon RFO of $2.7 billion and $2.7 billion, respectively (December 31, 2018 - $2.2 billion and $2.2 billion, respectively).
Fibonacci Re
Fibonacci Re, a Bermuda-domiciled SPI, was formed to provide collateralized capacity to Renaissance Reinsurance and its affiliates.
Upon issuance of a series of notes by Fibonacci Re, all of the proceeds from the issuance are deposited into collateral accounts, separated by series, to fund any potential obligation under the reinsurance agreements entered into with Renaissance Reinsurance underlying such series of notes. The outstanding principal amount of each series of notes generally is expected to be returned to holders of such notes upon the expiration of the risk period underlying such notes, unless an event occurs which causes a loss under the applicable series of notes, in which case the amount returned is expected to be reduced by such noteholder’s pro rata share of such loss, as specified in the applicable governing documents of such notes. In addition, holders of such notes are generally entitled to interest payments, payable quarterly, as
determined by the applicable governing documents of each series of notes. RUM receives an origination and structuring fee in connection with the formation and operation of Fibonacci Re.
The Company concluded that Fibonacci Re meets the definition of a VIE as it does not have sufficient equity capital to finance its activities. The Company evaluated its relationship with Fibonacci Re and concluded it is not the primary beneficiary of Fibonacci Re as it does not have power over the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of Fibonacci Re. As a result, the Company does not consolidate the financial position or results of operations of Fibonacci Re.
The only transactions related to Fibonacci Re that will be recorded in the Company’s consolidated financial statements will be the ceded reinsurance agreements entered into by Renaissance Reinsurance that are accounted for as prospective reinsurance under FASB ASC Topic Financial Services - Insurance, and the fair value of the participating notes owned by the Company. Other than its investment in the participating notes of Fibonacci Re, the Company has not provided financial or other support to Fibonacci Re that it was not contractually required to provide.
The fair value of the Company’s investment in the participating notes of Fibonacci Re is included in other investments. Net of third-party investors, the fair value of the Company’s investment in Fibonacci Re was $1.4 million at March 31, 2019 (December 31, 2018 - $6.0 million).
Renaissance Reinsurance entered into ceded reinsurance contracts with Fibonacci Re with ceded premiums of $6 thousand and ceded premiums earned of $6 thousand during the three months ended March 31, 2019 (2018 - $4.1 million and $1.2 million, respectively). During the three months ended March 31, 2019, Renaissance Reinsurance ceded $5.6 million of net claims and claim expenses to Fibonacci Re and as of March 31, 2019 had a net reinsurance recoverable of $5.6 million from Fibonacci Re.
Langhorne
The Company and Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated formed Langhorne, an initiative to source third party capital to support reinsurers targeting large in-force life and annuity blocks. In connection with Langhorne, as of March 31, 2019 the Company has invested $1.6 million in Langhorne Holdings (December 31, 2018 - $1.3 million), a company that owns and manages certain reinsurance entities within Langhorne. In addition, as of March 31, 2019 the Company has invested $0.1 million in Langhorne Partners (December 31, 2018 - $0.1 million), the general partner for Langhorne and the entity which manages the third-party investors investing into Langhorne Holdings.
The Company concluded that Langhorne Holdings meets the definition of a VIE as the voting rights are not proportional with the obligations to absorb losses and rights to receive residual returns. The Company evaluated its relationship with Langhorne Holdings and concluded it is not the primary beneficiary of Langhorne Holdings, as it does not have power over the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of Langhorne Holdings. As a result, the Company does not consolidate the financial position or results of operations of Langhorne Holdings. The Company separately evaluated Langhorne Partners and concluded that it was not a VIE. The Company accounts for its investments in Langhorne Holdings and Langhorne Partners under the equity method of accounting, one quarter in arrears.
The Company anticipates that its absolute investment in Langhorne will increase, perhaps materially, as in-force life and annuity blocks of businesses are written. The Company expects its absolute and relative ownership in Langhorne Partners to remain stable. Other than its current and committed future equity investment in Langhorne, the Company has not provided financial or other support to Langhorne that it was not contractually required to provide.
Vermeer
Vermeer is an exempted Bermuda reinsurer that provides capacity focused on risk remote layers in the U.S. property catastrophe market. Vermeer is considered a VIE as it has voting rights that are not proportional to its participating rights. The Company is the primary beneficiary of Vermeer as it has the power over the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of Vermeer and has the obligation to absorb expected losses and the right to receive expected benefits that could be significant to Vermeer, in accordance with the accounting guidance. The portion of Vermeer’s earnings owned by third parties is recorded in the consolidated statements of operations as net income attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interests. See “Note 9. Noncontrolling Interests” for additional information regarding Vermeer.
Other than the Company’s minimal equity investment, it has not provided any financial or other support to Vermeer that it was not contractually required to provide.
At March 31, 2019, the Company’s consolidated balance sheet included total assets and total liabilities of Vermeer of $668.8 million and $63.6 million, respectively (December 31, 2018 - $600.4 million and $0.4 million, respectively). In addition, the Company’s consolidated balance sheet included redeemable noncontrolling interests associated with Vermeer of $605.2 million at March 31, 2019 (December 31, 2018 - $600.0 million).
Shima Re
Shima Re was acquired on March 22, 2019 in connection with the acquisition of the TMR Group Entities. See “Note 3. Acquisition of Tokio Millennium Re” for additional information related to the acquisition of the TMR Group Entities. Shima Re is a Bermuda domiciled Class 3 insurer registered as a segregated accounts company formed to establish segregated accounts for the purpose of underwriting specified insurance and reinsurance agreements. The obligations of each segregated account are funded through the issuance of non-voting preference shares or principal-at-risk notes to third-party investors. Shima Re writes reinsurance business in areas that include all natural perils, property catastrophe, marine and energy. The maximum exposure of each segregated account is fully collateralized and is funded by cash and term deposits or investments as prescribed by the participant thereto.
Shima Re is considered a VIE as it has voting rights that are not proportional to its participating rights. The Company owns the voting shares in the general account of Shima Re and has power over the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of such general account. As a result, the Company consolidates the financial position and results of operations of the general account. The Company also evaluated its relationship with the segregated accounts of Shima Re and concluded it is not the primary beneficiary of such segregated accounts, as it does not have the obligation to absorb losses of the segregated accounts of Shima Re that could potentially be significant to the segregated assets of Shima Re. As a result, the Company does not consolidate the financial position or results of operations of the segregated accounts. Other than the Company’s investment in the general account of Shima Re, it has not provided any financial or other support to Shima Re that it was not contractually required to provide.
Norwood Re
Norwood Re was acquired on March 22, 2019 in connection with the acquisition of the TMR Group Entities. See “Note 3. Acquisition of Tokio Millennium Re” for additional information related to the acquisition of the TMR Group Entities. Norwood Re is a Bermuda domiciled SPI registered as a segregated accounts company formed to provide solutions for reinsurance-linked asset investors. Norwood Re is wholly owned by the Norwood Re Purpose Trust. Risks assumed by the segregated accounts of Norwood Re are fronted by or ceded from only one cedant - RenaissanceRe Europe AG and/or its insurance affiliates. The obligations of each segregated account are funded through the issuance of non-voting preference shares to third-party investors. Norwood Re is authorized to write property catastrophe, aviation, crop, terrorism and marine reinsurance. Norwood Re may also write natural catastrophe derivatives. The maximum exposure of each segregated account is fully collateralized and is funded by cash and term deposits or investments as prescribed by the participant thereto.
Norwood Re is considered a VIE as it has voting rights that are not proportional to its participating rights. The Company evaluated its relationship with Norwood Re and concluded it is not the primary beneficiary of Norwood Re and its segregated accounts, as it does not have power over the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of Norwood Re and its segregated accounts. As a result, the Company does not consolidate the financial position or results of operations of Norwood Re and its segregated accounts. The Company has not provided any financial or other support to Norwood Re that it was not contractually required to provide.