Note 11 – Equity Incentive Plans

2018 CEO Performance Award

In March 2018, our stockholders approved the Board of Directors’ grant of 304.0 million stock option awards, as adjusted to give effect to the five-for-one stock split effected in the form of a stock dividend in August 2020 (the “2020 Stock Split”) and the 2022 Stock Split, to our CEO (the “2018 CEO Performance Award”). The 2018 CEO Performance Award consists of 12 vesting tranches with a vesting schedule based entirely on the attainment of both operational milestones (performance conditions) and market conditions, assuming continued employment either as the CEO or as both Executive Chairman and Chief Product Officer and service through each vesting date. Each of the 12 vesting tranches of the 2018 CEO Performance Award will vest upon certification by the Board of Directors that both (i) the market capitalization milestone for such tranche, which begins at $100.0 billion for the first tranche and increases by increments of $50.0 billion thereafter (based on both a six calendar month trailing average and a 30 calendar day trailing average, counting only trading days), has been achieved, and (ii) any one of the following eight operational milestones focused on total revenue or any one of the eight operational milestones focused on Adjusted EBITDA have been achieved for the four consecutive fiscal quarters on an annualized basis and subsequently reported by us in our consolidated financial statements filed with our Forms 10-Q and/or 10-K. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders before interest expense, provision (benefit) for income taxes, depreciation and amortization and stock-based compensation. Upon vesting and exercise, including the payment of the exercise price of $23.34 per share as adjusted to give effect to the 2020 Stock Split and the 2022 Stock Split, our CEO must hold shares that he acquires for five years post-exercise, other than a cashless exercise where shares are simultaneously sold to pay for the exercise price and any required tax withholding.

Stock-based compensation under the 2018 CEO Performance Award represents a non-cash expense and is recorded as a Selling, general, and administrative operating expense in our consolidated statements of operations. In each quarter since the grant of the 2018 CEO Performance Award, we have recognized expense, generally on a pro-rated basis, for only the number of tranches (up to the maximum of 12 tranches) that corresponds to the number of operational milestones that have been achieved or have been determined probable of being achieved in the future, in accordance with the following principles.

On the grant date, a Monte Carlo simulation was used to determine for each tranche (i) a fixed amount of expense for such tranche and (ii) the future time when the market capitalization milestone for such tranche was expected to be achieved, or its “expected market capitalization milestone achievement time.” Separately, based on a subjective assessment of our future financial performance, each quarter we determine whether it is probable that we will achieve each operational milestone that has not previously been achieved or deemed probable of achievement and if so, the future time when we expect to achieve that operational milestone, or its “expected operational milestone achievement time.” When we first determine that an operational milestone has become probable of being achieved, we allocate the entire expense for the related tranche over the number of quarters between the grant date and the then-applicable “expected full achievement time.” The “expected full achievement time” at any given time is the later of (i) the expected operational milestone achievement time (if the related operational milestone has not yet been achieved) and (ii) the expected market capitalization milestone achievement time (if the related market capitalization milestone had not yet been achieved). We immediately recognize a catch-up expense for all accumulated expense for the quarters from the grant date through the quarter in which the operational milestone was first deemed probable of being achieved. Each quarter thereafter, we recognize the prorated portion of the then-remaining expense for the tranche based on the number of quarters between such quarter and the then-applicable expected full achievement time, except that upon the achievement of both a market capitalization milestone and operational milestone with respect to a tranche, all remaining expense for that tranche is immediately recognized.

As a result, we have experienced significant catch-up expenses in quarters when one or more operational milestones were first determined to be probable of achievement. Historically, the expected market capitalization achievement times were generally later than the related expected operational milestone achievement times. Therefore, when market capitalization milestones were achieved earlier than originally forecasted due to periods of rapid stock price appreciation, we had higher catch-up expenses and the remaining expenses were being recognized over shorter periods of time at a higher per-quarter rate. All market capitalization milestones were achieved as of the second quarter of 2021.

During the first quarter of 2022, three operational milestones were achieved and consequently, we recognized an aggregate catch-up expense of $11 million.

As of September 30, 2022, we had $4 million of total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense remaining, all of which will be recognized over a weighted-average period of 0.3 years. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, we recorded stock-based compensation expense of $5 million and $62 million, respectively, related to the 2018 CEO Performance Award, and $190 million and $665 million, respectively, for the same periods in 2021.

Other Performance-Based Grants

2021 Performance-Based Stock Option & Restricted Stock Unit (“RSU”) Awards

During the fourth quarter of 2021, the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors granted to certain employees RSUs and stock options to purchase an aggregate 2.2 million shares of our common stock, as adjusted to give effect to the 2022 Stock Split, to create incentives for continued long-term success and to closely align compensation with our stockholders’ interests in the achievement of certain performance milestones by our company.

We begin recording stock-based compensation expense when the performance milestones become probable of achievement. Following achievement, vesting occurs over a two-year period with continued employment. During the first quarter of 2022, the performance milestones related to this grant became probable of achievement and consequently, we recognized an aggregate catch-up expense of $30 million. As of September 30, 2022, we had unrecognized stock-based compensation expense of $236 million, which will be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.7 years. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, we recorded $31 million and $134 million, respectively, of stock-based compensation expense related to this grant, net of forfeitures.

Summary Stock-Based Compensation Information

Our income tax benefits recognized from stock-based compensation arrangements in each of the periods presented were immaterial due to cumulative losses and valuation allowances.