洛杉磯2023年1月18日 /美通社/ -- 由創(chuàng)始股東和Faraday Future("FF","FFIE","公司")前任和現(xiàn)任核心管理層組成的合伙人公司FF Global Partners LLC("FFGP")今天宣布,在2023年1月13日,F(xiàn)F Top LLC("FF Top",由FFGP控制和管理的實(shí)體)與公司簽署了經(jīng)修訂和重述的股東協(xié)議(the "Shareholder Agreement",或"股東協(xié)議")。FFGP希望該股東協(xié)議將為公司提供急需的穩(wěn)定性和前瞻性的、以股東為中心的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力。此外,F(xiàn)FGP對(duì)公司與中國(guó)黃岡市政府("City of Huanggang",或"黃岡市")達(dá)成不具約束力的合作框架協(xié)議("Framework Agreement",或"框架協(xié)議")以促進(jìn)公司的中美兩國(guó)市場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)略的消息感到高興和滿意。
FFGP將有權(quán)提名FFIE董事會(huì)七名董事中的四名
根據(jù)FF Top的要求,新簽署的股東協(xié)議要求公司向股東提交具有約束力的提案以修改公司的章程。在獲股東批準(zhǔn)的前提下,F(xiàn)F Top將擁有1:10的超級(jí)投票權(quán)。此外,在獲股東批準(zhǔn)的前提下,當(dāng)FF的市值達(dá)到30億美元時(shí),F(xiàn)F Top將擁有1:20的超級(jí)投票權(quán)。
股東協(xié)議還規(guī)定,F(xiàn)F Top將有權(quán)(但無(wú)義務(wù))向公司的七人董事會(huì)(the "Board",或"董事會(huì)")提名四名董事("FF Top Designees",或"FF Top指定人"),直到FF Top不再連續(xù)至少365天實(shí)際擁有21,333,530股FFIE普通股。在FF Top指定的四名董事中,其中兩名董事應(yīng)為獨(dú)立董事。此后,F(xiàn)F Top將有權(quán)提名與其持股比例相當(dāng)?shù)亩氯藬?shù)。如果FF Top指定人未能在FFIE的股東會(huì)議上當(dāng)選,那么在FF Top的書面要求下,公司應(yīng)立即擴(kuò)大董事會(huì)的規(guī)模,增加與未當(dāng)選的FF Top指定人數(shù)量相等的席位,且FF Top擁有填補(bǔ)因董事會(huì)規(guī)模擴(kuò)大而產(chǎn)生的董事會(huì)空缺的專屬權(quán)利(填補(bǔ)該空缺的個(gè)人不得是未能當(dāng)選的同一FF Top指定人)。
董事會(huì)提名和公司治理委員會(huì)將根據(jù)經(jīng)修訂的股東協(xié)議中的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)核實(shí)和/或批準(zhǔn)任何FF Top受讓人的任命或選舉提名(2023年股東大會(huì)的受讓人除外,這些受頂部協(xié)議和經(jīng)修訂的股東協(xié)議管轄)。根據(jù)經(jīng)修訂的股東協(xié)議,F(xiàn)FGP和FF高層可能被視為公司實(shí)際控制人。
FFIE上市以來(lái)的治理亂象終獲解決
在FFGP和FF Top代表股東介入之前,公司多次未能實(shí)現(xiàn)其運(yùn)營(yíng)目標(biāo),且沒有很好地分配其資源和注意力(包括在現(xiàn)已解決的管理層爭(zhēng)端方面),導(dǎo)致公司核心業(yè)務(wù)停滯不前,財(cái)務(wù)狀況惡化,以至于公司面臨退市甚至潛在破產(chǎn)的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。
在過去的一年里,F(xiàn)FGP以犧牲自身經(jīng)濟(jì)利益和其他權(quán)益為代價(jià),為穩(wěn)定FF公司運(yùn)營(yíng)而成功介紹和吸引投資人,并以股東最佳利益和公司未來(lái)為基礎(chǔ)尋求董事任命和高管聘用。
FFGP 認(rèn)為,之前 FFIE 董事會(huì)進(jìn)行的特別委員會(huì)調(diào)查,包括調(diào)查結(jié)果和整改計(jì)劃是不充分的、具有誤導(dǎo)性的和不準(zhǔn)確的。該調(diào)查沒有為 FFIE 股東利益服務(wù),而是在沒有事實(shí)依據(jù)的情況下被用來(lái)?yè)p害 FFGP 和與 FFGP 相關(guān)的個(gè)人。自公司上市以來(lái),調(diào)查及由此產(chǎn)生的補(bǔ)救計(jì)劃和公司決策已對(duì) FFIE 的業(yè)務(wù)造成干擾。
股東協(xié)議的簽署不僅標(biāo)志著一場(chǎng)曠日持久、代價(jià)高昂且不必要的糾紛的結(jié)束,也標(biāo)志著公司開始了一個(gè)充滿希望的新階段。FFGP相信,通過確保FFGP作為創(chuàng)始成員和核心管理層持續(xù)參與公司運(yùn)營(yíng)并為公司做出貢獻(xiàn),將使公司在最近取得的良好發(fā)展的基礎(chǔ)上繼續(xù)前進(jìn),包括重組董事會(huì)、任命新的管理團(tuán)隊(duì)、在FFGP的協(xié)助下獲得關(guān)鍵的融資,以及公司在中美兩地的業(yè)務(wù)發(fā)展取得進(jìn)展等。這使FFGP堅(jiān)信FF的各項(xiàng)業(yè)務(wù)有了積極的發(fā)展軌跡,也結(jié)束了FFIE上市以來(lái)的管理層動(dòng)蕩。FFGP認(rèn)為,F(xiàn)FGP和包括公司的現(xiàn)任和前任核心高管在內(nèi)的合伙人對(duì)公司有著高水平的了解和長(zhǎng)期的承諾,并將在幫助公司實(shí)現(xiàn)其短期、中期和長(zhǎng)期目標(biāo)的同時(shí)提供重要的支持和指導(dǎo)。
股東協(xié)議對(duì)FFIE的全球業(yè)務(wù)發(fā)展和未來(lái)融資大有裨益
股東協(xié)議和治理結(jié)構(gòu)的變化在FF全球業(yè)務(wù)戰(zhàn)略的實(shí)施過程中也發(fā)揮了重要作用。根據(jù)FFIE與黃岡市簽訂的框架協(xié)議,雙方將在投資、科技創(chuàng)新、產(chǎn)業(yè)轉(zhuǎn)型、區(qū)位、政策等方面貢獻(xiàn)各自的優(yōu)勢(shì),實(shí)現(xiàn)優(yōu)勢(shì)互補(bǔ)、互惠互利、共同發(fā)展。黃岡市政府將積極協(xié)助FF在黃岡市進(jìn)行產(chǎn)業(yè)布局,調(diào)配相關(guān)資源,同時(shí)為FF在黃岡市的創(chuàng)業(yè)項(xiàng)目提供包括但不限于資金和政策方面的支持。Faraday Future 擬將其FF中國(guó)總部遷至黃岡市,同時(shí)保留其位于加州洛杉磯的全球總部。FF中國(guó)總部預(yù)計(jì)將由黃岡市政府引導(dǎo)基金、相關(guān)產(chǎn)業(yè)基金和FF共同出資建設(shè)。
FFGP認(rèn)為,股東協(xié)議中反映的治理模式與行業(yè)最佳實(shí)踐相一致,如阿里巴巴的合伙人模式,并將最大化FFIE股東、投資人、全球員工、供應(yīng)商和外部合作伙伴的利益。這一發(fā)展也得到了FFIE主要股東、投資人以及FFIE潛在新投資者的認(rèn)可。FFGP同樣相信這一模式也將加速FFIE的融資進(jìn)度,并有助于FF 91 Futurist電動(dòng)車的生產(chǎn)。
"我們很高興看到FFIE完成治理結(jié)構(gòu)的調(diào)整。這讓我們對(duì)公司的穩(wěn)定、FF 91 Futurist的大規(guī)模生產(chǎn)和FF的長(zhǎng)期成功充滿信心FF 91 Futurist的按時(shí)量產(chǎn)和FF的長(zhǎng)期成功充滿信心,"FFGP總裁王佳偉表示。
FF Global Partners是由來(lái)自人工智能、互聯(lián)網(wǎng)、IT、汽車等不同專業(yè)領(lǐng)域的數(shù)十名FF核心管理層成員組成的"未來(lái)主義者聯(lián)盟",他們擁有共同愿景和價(jià)值觀。我們的治理架構(gòu)很大程度上參考了阿里巴巴模式 -- 所有合伙人共同創(chuàng)業(yè)、共同擁有、共享風(fēng)險(xiǎn)、共同治理,共同對(duì)FF行使頂層控制權(quán),最終實(shí)現(xiàn)共同的夢(mèng)想和使命。這是行之有效的行業(yè)最佳實(shí)踐,在公司文化、治理結(jié)構(gòu)和人才體系等方面為FF提供了獨(dú)特的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)優(yōu)勢(shì)和成功基石。所有合伙人都代表公司的真正利益。
NO OFFER OR SOLICITATION
This communication shall neither constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This communication is not a solicitation of proxies in connection with any matter to be voted upon by stockholders.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release includes "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "estimates," "projected," "expects," "anticipates," "forecasts," "plans," "intends," "believes," "seeks," "may," "will," "should," ""future," "propose", "potential" and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the control of FF Top, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include the Company's ability to satisfy the conditions precedent and close on the various financings referred to in this press release, the failure of any which could result in the Company seeking protection under the Bankruptcy Code; the failure of the conditions to the full implementation of FF Top's governance agreement with the Company to be satisfied and other factors. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and FF Top does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.