As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 23, 2024
File No. 024-12098
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 1-A
(Post-Qualification Amendment No. 10)
REGULATION A OFFERING CIRCULAR
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
MASTERWORKS VAULT 1, LLC
(Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)
Delaware
(State of other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
225 Liberty Street, 29th Floor
New York, New York 10281
Phone: (203) 518-5172
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code of issuer’s principal executive office)
Joshua B. Goldstein
General Counsel and Secretary
Masterworks Vault 1, LLC
225 Liberty Street, 29th Floor
New York, New York 10281
Phone: (203) 518-5172
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of agent for service)
Copy to:
Laura Anthony, Esq.
Craig D. Linder, Esq.
Anthony L.G., PLLC
625 N. Flagler Drive, Suite 600
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
Phone: (561) 514-0936
Fax: (561) 514-0832
| 7380 | 92-1162722 | |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This is a post qualification amendment to an offering statement on Form 1-A originally filed by Masterworks Vault 1, LLC (the “Company”) on December 13, 2022, and originally qualified by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on May 19, 2023. The purpose of this post-qualification amendment is to add to the offering circular contained within the offering statement the offering of additional series of the Company and update certain other information in the offering circular.
An offering statement pursuant to Regulation A relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Information contained in this preliminary offering circular is subject to completion or amendment. To the extent not already qualified under Regulation A, these securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted before the offering statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is qualified. This preliminary offering circular shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor may there be any sales of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful before registration or qualification under the laws of any such state. We may elect to satisfy our obligation to deliver a final offering circular by sending you a notice within two business days after the completion of our sale to you that contains the URL where the final offering circular or the offering statement in which such final offering circular was filed may be obtained.
MASTERWORKS VAULT 1, LLC
Preliminary Offering Circular
January 23, 2024
Subject to Completion

Offering of Series Class A ordinary shares
Representing Series Class A Limited Liability Company Interests
Masterworks Vault 1, LLC, which we refer to as “we,” “us,” “our,” “Masterworks Vault 1” or the “Company,” is a newly organized Delaware protected series limited liability company that has been formed to facilitate investment in individual works of art (“Artworks”) that will be owned by individual series of the Company. Each individual series will hold title to the specific Artwork that it acquires in a segregated portfolio of a Cayman Islands segregated portfolio company. We are offering Class A shares representing Class A limited liability company interests of each of the series of the Company in the “Series Offering Table” beginning on page 1 of this Offering Circular. There is no minimum number of Class A shares or dollar amount that needs to be sold of a series as a condition of any closing of the offering of a series. If any of the Class A shares offered by a series remain unsold as of the final closing of the offering of such series, such unsold Class A shares of such series shall be issued to Masterworks, in full satisfaction of its advance and the Expense Allocation as described in this Offering Circular. Subscriptions, once received, are irrevocable by investors.
We believe that the Class A shares of a series represent an effective means for investors to gain economic exposure to the Artwork held by that series and an investment in multiple series can provide exposure to the broader Post-War and Contemporary collecting categories of the art market. Artwork will be held for an indefinite period and may be sold at any time following the final closing of the offering of such series.
Our series offerings are conducted as a continuous offering pursuant to Rule 251(d)(3) of Regulation A, meaning that while the offering of a particular series is continuous, active sales of series Class A shares may happen sporadically over the term of the offering.
There will be a separate closing, or closings, with respect to each series offering. An initial closing and each subsequent closing of a series offering will take place on the date subscriptions for the maximum number of series Class A shares have been accepted or an earlier date or dates determined by us in our sole discretion. The offering period for any series will not exceed 24 months from the qualification date of the offering statement that includes such series. We reserve the right to terminate a series offering for any reason at any time prior to the initial closing of such series offering. No securities are being offered by existing security-holders.
Each series offering is being conducted pursuant to Regulation A of Section 3(6) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), for Tier 2 offerings.
Our affiliate Masterworks, LLC owns an online investment platform located at https://www.masterworks.com/ (the “Masterworks Platform”) that allows investors to acquire ownership of an interest in special purpose companies such as the Company that invest in distinct Artworks or a collection of Artworks. Once an investor establishes a user profile on the Masterworks Platform, they can browse and screen potential artwork investments, view details of an investment and sign contractual documents online.
There is currently no public trading market for the Class A shares of any series, there is currently no secondary trading of Class A shares of any series on an alternative trading system, and an active market for the Class A shares may not develop or be sustained. We do not intend to list the Class A shares of any series for trading on a national securities exchange, but shares of other Masterworks issuers are currently listed for trading on an alternative trading system operated by an SEC-registered broker-dealer, referred to as the “ATS,” and we intend to facilitate secondary sales of Class A shares of each series on the ATS commencing on or after the three-month anniversary of the date the series offering is fully subscribed, which may, subject to certain restrictions, provide a liquidity option for certain U.S. investors and investors in certain non U.S. jurisdictions. No assurance can be given that the ATS will provide an effective means of selling your Class A shares of a series or that the price at which any Class A shares of a series are sold through the ATS is reflective of the fair value of the Class A shares of that series or the Artwork of that series.
No sales of Class A shares of any series will be made prior to the qualification of the Offering Statement by the SEC or the qualification by the SEC of any post-qualification amendment to the Offering Statement which contains a description of such series. All Class A shares will be offered in all jurisdictions at the same price that is set forth in this offering circular.
| Series | Number of Class A Shares | Price to Public | Underwriter Discounts and Commissions(1) | Proceeds, Before Expenses, to Issuer(2) | ||||||||||||
| Series 417 | ||||||||||||||||
| Per Class A share | 1 | $ | 20.00 | $ | 0.00 | $ | 20.00 | |||||||||
| Total Minimum |
|
N/A |
|
N/A |
|
N/A |
|
N/A | ||||||||
| Total Maximum |
|
49,950 | $ |
999,000 | $ |
0.00 | $ |
999,000 | ||||||||
| (1) | The Company has not engaged underwriters in connection with any series offering. The Company intends to distribute the series offerings through the Masterworks Platform. See the section entitled “Plan of Distribution” of this offering circular for additional information. |
| (2) | This amount does not include estimated offering expenses, all of which will be paid by Masterworks rather than from the net proceeds of the series offerings. |
The Class A shares of each series are to be offered primarily through the Masterworks Platform. Neither Masterworks, LLC nor any other affiliated entity involved in the offer and sale of the Class A shares of a series is currently a member firm of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and no person associated with us will be deemed to be a broker solely by reason of his or her participation in the sale of the Class A shares of a series.
To invest in any series offering you must represent to us that the aggregate purchase price you pay for your investment is not more than 10% of the greater of your annual income or net worth. Different rules apply to accredited investors and non-natural persons. Before making any representation that your investment does not exceed applicable thresholds, we encourage you to review Rule 251(d)(2)(i)(C) of Regulation A. For general information on investing, we encourage you to refer to www.investor.gov. We retain complete discretion to determine that subscribers are “qualified purchasers” (as defined in Regulation A under the Securities Act) in reliance on the information and representations provided to us regarding their financial situation.
An investment in the Class A shares of a series is subject to certain risks and should be made only by persons or entities able to bear the risk of and to withstand the total loss of their investment. Prospective investors should carefully consider and review the information under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page 11.
The SEC does not pass upon the merits of or give its approval to any securities offered or the terms of any offering, nor does it pass upon the accuracy or completeness of any offering circular or other solicitation materials. These securities are offered pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”); however, the SEC has not made an independent determination that the securities offered are exempt from registration.
Periodically, we will provide an amendment or supplement to the offering circular that may add, update or change information contained in this offering circular. Any statement that we make in this offering circular will be modified or superseded by any inconsistent statement made by us in a subsequent amendment or supplement to the offering circular. The offering statement we filed with the SEC includes exhibits that provide more detailed descriptions of the matters discussed in this offering circular. You should read this offering circular and the related exhibits filed with the SEC and any amendment or supplement to the offering circular, together with additional information contained in our annual reports, semi-annual reports and other reports and information statements that we will file periodically with the SEC. See the section entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” below for more details.
Our principal office is located at 225 Liberty Street, 29th Floor, New York, New York 10281 and our phone number is (203) 518-5172. Our corporate website address is located at www.masterworks.com. Information contained on, or accessible through, the website is not a part of, and is not incorporated by reference into, this offering circular.
This offering circular is following the offering circular format described in Part II (a)(1)(i) of Form 1-A.
The date of this offering circular is ______, 2023.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
We have not authorized anyone to provide any information other than that contained or incorporated by reference in this offering circular prepared by us or to which we have referred you. We do not take responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This offering circular is an offer to sell only the Class A shares of each series offered hereby but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this offering circular is current only as of its date, regardless of the time of delivery of this offering circular or any sale of Class A shares of a series.
For investors outside the United States: We have not done anything that would permit each series offering or possession or distribution of this offering circular in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than the United States. You are required to inform yourselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to each series offering and the distribution of this offering circular.
| i |
Certain data included in this offering circular is derived from information provided by third-parties that we believe to be reliable. The discussions contained in this offering circular relating to the Artwork, the artist, the art market and the art industry are taken from third-party sources that the Company believes to be reliable and reasonable, and that the factual information is fair and accurate. Certain data is also based on our good faith estimates which are derived from management’s knowledge of the industry and independent sources. Industry publications, surveys and forecasts generally state that the information contained therein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but there can be no assurance as to the accuracy or completeness of included information. We have not independently verified such third-party information, nor have we ascertained the underlying economic assumptions relied upon therein. The statistical data relating to the art market is difficult to obtain, may be incomplete, out-of-date, or inconsistent and you should not place undue reliance on any statistical or general information related to the art market included in this offering circular. The art market data used in this offering circular involves a number of assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to such data. While we are not aware of any material misstatements regarding any market, industry or similar data presented herein, such data was derived from third party sources and reliance on such data involves risks and uncertainties.
We own or have applied for rights to trademarks or trade names that we use in connection with the operation of our business, including our corporate names, logos and website names. In addition, we own or have the rights to copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary rights that protect our business. We do not own the copyright to the Artwork, as such term is defined below, acquired by a series. This offering circular may also contain trademarks, service marks and trade names of other companies, which are the property of their respective owners. Our use or display of third parties’ trademarks, service marks, trade names or products in this offering circular is not intended to, and should not be read to, imply a relationship with or endorsement or sponsorship of us. Solely for convenience, some of the copyrights, trade names and trademarks referred to in this offering circular are listed without their ©, ® and ™ symbols, but we will assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights to our copyrights, trade names and trademarks. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This offering circular contains certain forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “potential,” “plan,” “intend,” “expect,” “outlook,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “approximately,” “believe,” “could,” “project,” “predict,” or other similar words or expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions, discuss future expectations, describe future plans and strategies, or state other forward-looking information. Our ability to predict future events, actions, plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, actual outcomes could differ materially from those set forth or anticipated in our forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause our forward-looking statements to differ from actual outcomes include, but are not limited to, those described under the heading “Risk Factors.” Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements, which reflect our views as of the date of this offering circular. Furthermore, except as required by law, we are under no duty to, and do not intend to, update any of our forward-looking statements after the date of this offering circular, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
| ii |
STATE LAW EXEMPTION AND PURCHASE RESTRICTIONS
The Class A shares of each series are being offered and sold only to “qualified purchasers” (as defined in Regulation A under the Securities Act). As Tier 2 offerings pursuant to Regulation A under the Securities Act, the series offerings are exempt from state law “Blue Sky” review, subject to meeting certain state filing requirements and complying with certain anti-fraud provisions, to the extent that the Class A shares of each series offered hereby are offered and sold only to “qualified purchasers”. “Qualified purchasers” include: (i) “accredited investors” under Rule 501(a) of Regulation D and (ii) all other investors so long as their investment in any of the interests of the Company (in connection with any series offered under Regulation A) does not represent more than 10% of the greater of their annual income or net worth (for natural persons), or 10% of the greater of annual revenue or net assets at fiscal year-end (for non-natural persons). Accordingly, we reserve the right to reject any investor’s subscription in whole or in part for any reason, including if we determine in our sole and absolute discretion that such investor is not a “qualified purchaser” for purposes of Regulation A.
To determine whether a potential investor is an “accredited investor” for purposes of satisfying one of the tests in the “qualified purchaser” definition, the investor must be a natural person who:
| 1. | has a net worth, or joint net worth with the person’s spouse or spousal equivalent, that exceeds $1,000,000 at the time of the purchase, excluding the value of the primary residence of such person; or | |
| 2. | had earned income exceeding $200,000 in each of the two most recent years or joint income with a spouse or spousal equivalent exceeding $300,000 for those years and has a reasonable expectation of reaching the same income level in the current year; or | |
| 3. | is holding in good standing one or more professional certifications or designations or credentials from an accredited educational institution that the SEC has designated as qualifying an individual for accredited investor status; or | |
| 4. | is a “family client,” as defined by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, of a family office meeting the requirements in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D and whose prospective investment in the issuer is directed by such family office pursuant to Rule 501(a) of Regulation D. |
For purposes of determining whether a potential investor is a “qualified purchaser,” annual income and net worth should be calculated as provided in the “accredited investor” definition under Rule 501 of Regulation D. In particular, net worth in all cases should be calculated excluding the value of an investor’s home, home furnishings and automobiles.
USE OF CERTAIN TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
In this offering circular, certain capitalized terms are used in the context of a particular series or offering and the same capitalized terms may be used in another context to refer generically to all series or offerings conducted by the Company. Accordingly, it is important to consider the context in which such capitalized terms are used. Unless the context indicates otherwise, the following terms have the following meaning:
| ● | “Artwork” or “Artworks” refers to any painting, sculpture or other artistic object owned by a series or generically to all such artistic objects owned by the Company. | |
| ● | “Board of Managers” refers to the board of managers of the Company. | |
| ● | “Class A share” or “Class A shares” refers to a Class A ordinary share or Class A ordinary shares collectively, representing membership interests of one or all series in the Company. | |
| ● | “Class B share” or “Class B shares” refers to a Class B ordinary share or Class B ordinary shares collectively, representing profits interests in one or all series of the Company. | |
| ● | “Class C share” refers to a Class C ordinary share, representing a special class of membership interests of one or all series in the Company, which have no economic rights or obligations and have no voting rights, but solely represents so-called “kick-out” rights, which means that the holder of a Class C share has the right to reconstitute, remove and or replace the Board of Managers of the Company pursuant to the Company’s operating agreement. | |
| ● | “Company” refers to Masterworks Vault 1, LLC, a Delaware series limited liability company. | |
| ● | “Masterworks” refers to Masterworks, LLC, and or its wholly owned subsidiaries, but does not include Masterworks Vault 1, LLC or Masterworks Advisers, LLC (“Masterworks Advisers”). | |
| ● | “Masterworks Cayman” refers to a Cayman Islands segregated portfolio company that will hold title to the Artwork acquired by each series in a segregated portfolio. | |
| ● | “Masterworks Platform” refers to the first online art investment platform located at https://www.masterworks.com/. The Masterworks Platform gives eligible investors the ability to: |
| ○ | Browse art investment offerings of each series in the Company; | |
| ○ | Transact entirely online, including review and execution of legal documentation, funds transfer and ownership recordation; | |
| ○ | Execute trades in shares issued by Masterworks issuers via the ATS; and | |
| ○ | Manage and track investments easily through an online portfolio management tool. |
| ● | “offering” or “offerings” refers to the offering of Class A shares of one or more series of the Company. | |
| ● | “series” refers to the series of the Company, individually and collectively. | |
| ● | “Shares” refers generically to the Class A shares and Class B shares of a series or all series collectively, of the Company. | |
| ● | “SPC Ordinary share” or “SPC Ordinary shares” refers to an ordinary share or ordinary shares collectively, representing ordinary equity interests in each segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman, which are issued by each segregated portfolio to each series upon acquisition of the Artwork. | |
| ● | “SPC Preferred share” or “SPC Preferred shares” refers to a preferred share or preferred shares collectively, representing preferred equity interests in each segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman, which are issued by each segregated portfolio to Masterworks in respect of management and administration services. | |
| ● | “SPC shares” refers generically to SPC Ordinary shares and SPC Preferred shares, collectively. | |
| ● | “we,” “our,” “ours,” or “us,” refer to Masterworks Vault 1, LLC, a Delaware series limited liability company, all series of the Company and the segregated portfolios of Masterworks Cayman that will hold title to the Artwork of each series, individually or collectively, as the context requires. |
Dollar amounts throughout this offering circular have been rounded to the nearest whole dollar and information such as auction sale prices, that were originally denominated in a currency other than the U.S. dollar have been converted into U.S. dollars at the prevailing exchange rate on the applicable date of such sale transaction per publicly available data.
| iii |
The table below shows key information related to the offering of each series that is either “Not Yet Open”, “Open” or “Closed”. When an offering has the status “Not Yet Open” the offering circular that describes the offering has not yet been qualified by the SEC. When an offering has the status “Open”, the offering circular that describes the offering has been qualified by the SEC and Class A shares in respect of such offering are available for investment. When an offering has the status “Closed”, all funds have been received by investors, all subscriptions have been accepted and all Class A shares offered have been issued. The offering price per Class A share of each series will be $20.00.
| Series Name | Artist | Artwork | Offering Size | Class A shares | Opening Date | Status | ||||||||||
| Series 300 | Helen Frankenthaler | xOxvxexrx xaxnxdx xAxbxoxvxex | $ | 1,560,000 | 78,000 | 5/19/23 | Closed | |||||||||
| Series 309 | George Condo | xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx x(Pxaxixnxtxixnxg xDxrxaxwxixnxgx x6x)x | $ | 2,003,000 | 100,150 | 6/22/23 | Open | |||||||||
| Series 315 | Laura Owens | xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx | $ | 634,000 | 31,700 | 6/22/23 | Closed | |||||||||
| Series 316 | Hernan Bas | xPxaxnxnxixnxgx xixnx xtxhxex xRxexexdxsx | $ | 944,000 | 47,200 | 7/28/23 | Closed | |||||||||
| Series 318 | Elizabeth Peyton | xHxaxixrxcxuxtx x(xBxexnx x&x xSxpxexnxcxexrx)x | $ | 501,000 | 25,050 | 6/22/23 | Open | |||||||||
| Series 319 | Hernan Bas | xSxexcxrxextx xHxixdxexoxuxtx xoxfx xtxhxex xFxlxaxmxixnxgxox xGxaxnxgx x(xAxbxaxnxdxoxnxexdx xPxaxdxdxlxex xBxoxaxtxsx)x |
$ | 626,000 | 31,300 | 6/22/23 | Closed | |||||||||
| Series 320 | Carmen Herrera | xRxaxrxax xAxvxixsx | $ | 405,000 | 20,250 | 8/10/23 | Open | |||||||||
| Series 322 | Ernie Barnes |
xLxaxyx xUxpx |
$ |
477,000 |
23,850 |
8/24/23 |
Closed | |||||||||
| Series 323 | Hernan Bas | xHxixsx xnxaxmxex xwxaxsx xBxexnx,x xbxuxtx xhxex xpxrxexfxexrxrxexdx xBxexnxjxaxmxixnx x(xtxhxex xdxrxixfxtxwxoxoxdx xsxcxuxlxpxtxoxrx) | $ | 458,000 | 22,900 | 7/28/23 | Open | |||||||||
| Series 329 | Günther Förg | xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx | $ | 561,000 | 28,050 | 7/28/23 | Open | |||||||||
| Series 336 | Ayako Rokkaku | xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx | $ | 391,000 | 19,550 | 8/10/23 | Closed | |||||||||
| Series 338 | Gunther Forg | xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx | $ | 894,000 | 44,700 | 8/10/23 | Open | |||||||||
| Series 339 | Adrian Ghenie | xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx | $ | 1,780,000 | 89,000 | 7/28/23 | Closed | |||||||||
| Series 340 | Kerry James Marshall | xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx x(xWxoxmxaxnx xLxoxoxkxixnxgx xLxexfxtx)x | $ | 4,331,000 | 216,550 | 7/28/23 | Open | |||||||||
| Series 343 | Ayako Rokkaku | xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx | $ | 522,000 | 26,100 | 8/10/23 | Closed | |||||||||
| Series 344 | Ernie Barnes | xAxfxtxexrx xSxcxhxoxoxlx | $ | 488,000 | 24,400 | 8/10/23 | Closed | |||||||||
| Series 345 | Barkley L. Hendricks |
xTxrxixpxlxex xPxoxrxtxrxaxixtx xfxrxoxmx xtxhxex xYxaxrxdx |
$ |
2,220,000 |
111,000 |
8/24/23 |
Closed | |||||||||
| Series 346 | Ayako Rokkaku | xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx | $ | 541,000 | 27,050 | 8/10/23 | Closed | |||||||||
| Series 348 | Alex Katz | xRxaxixnxcxoxaxtx xTxrxixpxtxyxcxhx | $ | 1,804,000 | 90,200 | 8/10/23 | Open | |||||||||
| Series 370 | Ayako Rokkaku | xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx | $ | 555,000 | 27,750 | 8/10/23 | Closed | |||||||||
| Series 372 | Park Seo-Bo | xExcxrxixtxuxrxex xNxox.x x4x6x-x7x5x | $ | 622,000 | 31,100 | 8/10/23 | Closed | |||||||||
| Series 374 | Shara Hughes | xIxtx’xsx xAxlxlx xOxrxgxaxnxixcx | $ | 666,000 | 33,300 | 8/10/23 | Closed | |||||||||
| Series 377 | Christine Ay Tjoe |
xUxnxtxixtxlxexd |
$ | 272,000 |
13,600 |
8/24/23 |
Closed | |||||||||
| Series 386 | Gerhard Richter | xAxbxsxtxrxaxkxtxexsx xBxixlxdx (x5x5x7x-x3x) x | $ | 2,553,000 | 127,650 | 11/29/23 | Open | |||||||||
| Series 411 | Kazuo Shiraga | xKxexnxjxux |
$ | 882,000 | 44,100 | 11/13/23 | Open | |||||||||
| Series 415 | Zao Wou-Ki | x0x4x. x1x0x. x6x9x |
$ | 504,000 | 25,200 | 11/13/23 | Open | |||||||||
| Series 417 | Yoshitomo Nara | xDxoxgx xixnx xtxhxex xNxixgxhxtx |
$ | 999,000 | 49,950 | [*/*/24] | (1) | Not Yet Open | ||||||||
| Series 420 | Alighiero Boetti | xExmxbxrxoxixdxexrxexdx xFxaxbxrxixcx |
$ | 611,000 | 30,550 | 11/29/23 | Open | |||||||||
| Series 423 | Lynne Mapp Drexler | xDxexlxixgxhxtxexdx xSxexax | $ | 368,000 | 18,400 | 11/29/23 | Open | |||||||||
| (1) | We expect that the approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public is promptly following qualification by the SEC of the Offering Statement which contains a description of this series, including information relating to the artist and artwork held by the series. |
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
This Offering Circular is part of the Offering Statement on Form 1-A (File No. 024-12098) that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We hereby incorporate by reference into this Offering Circular all of the information contained in the following filings by Masterworks Vault 1, LLC with the Securities and Exchange Commission, to the extent not otherwise modified or replaced by a subsequent filing:
| 1. | The sections bulleted below of Post-Qualification Amendment No. 3. | ||
| ● | Masterworks Vault 1, LLC and its Series Financial Statements for the Period November 9, 2022 (inception) through December 31, 2022 | ||
| 2. | The sections bulleted below of Post-Qualification Amendment No. 6. | ||
| ● | Summary | ||
| ● | Use of Proceeds to Issuer | ||
| ● | Description of Business | ||
| 3. | The sections bulleted below of the Company’s Semiannual Report on Form 1-SA for the fiscal semiannual period ended June 30, 2023. | ||
| ● | Combined Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal semiannual period ended June 30, 2023 | ||
| ● | Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations | ||
| 4. | The sections bulleted below of Post-Qualification Amendment No. 8. | ||
| ● | Summary | ||
| ● | Use of Proceeds to Issuer | ||
| ● | Description of Business | ||
| 5. | The sections bulleted below of Post-Qualification Amendment No. 9. | ||
| ● | Summary | ||
| ● | Use of Proceeds to Issuer | ||
| ● | Description of Business | ||
To the extent any financial statements are incorporated by reference, we will provide an electronic copy of such financial statements to any holder of securities, including any beneficial owner, upon written or oral request to support@masterworks.com or (203) 518-5172 at no cost. Additionally, such financial statements can be found at masterworks.com/about/disclosure.
This summary highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this offering circular. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in the Class A shares of a series. You should read this entire offering circular carefully, especially the risks of investing in the Class A shares of a series discussed under “Risk Factors,” before making an investment decision.
Overview
We were formed as a Delaware series limited liability company on November 9, 2022, to facilitate investment in one or multiple distinct Artworks. Masterworks will act as our agent to source Artworks and will manage all maintenance and entity-level administrative services relating to the Artwork of each series and the Company. We will not conduct any business activities except for activities relating to an investment in, maintenance, promotion and the eventual sale of the Artworks. Our strategy will be to hold Artworks for capital appreciation. We may display and promote the Artworks to enhance their value and broaden their exposure to the art-viewing public.
Masterworks seeks to acquire Artwork for each series of the Company at public auction or in a privately negotiated transaction from a gallery, private collector, private sales division of an auction house or through an art advisor acting as agent on behalf of a private collector. No closing of any series offering will occur prior to the acquisition by such series of the relevant Artwork.
We do not expect to generate any material amount of revenues or cash flow from the Artwork held by any series unless and until the Artwork of such series is sold and no profits will be realized by investors unless they are able to sell their Class A shares of the series or the Artwork of the series is sold. We will be totally reliant on Masterworks for administrative and asset management services and the payment of all ordinary and routine operating costs, including those relating to each series, our Company as a whole and the Artwork of each series.
Our Series LLC Structure
Each Artwork that we acquire will be owned by a separate series of the Company. Each series will hold title to the specific Artwork that it acquires in a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman SPC, or “Masterworks Cayman”, a Cayman Islands segregated portfolio company. We expect that each series will be regarded as a separate partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
As a Delaware series limited liability company, the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular series of the Company are segregated and enforceable only against the assets of such series under Delaware law. Similarly, as a Cayman Islands segregated portfolio company, the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing of a particular segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman are segregated and enforceable only against the assets of such segregated portfolio under Cayman Islands law. This means that a creditor of the Company or Masterworks Cayman would only be entitled to recover against assets attributed and credited to the specific series of the Company or segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman, as applicable, to which the obligation is attributed.
The Class A shares represent an investment solely in a particular series and, thus, indirectly in the Artwork beneficially owned by that series. The Class A shares do not represent a general investment in our Company or in Masterworks. We do not anticipate that any series of the Company or any segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman will beneficially own any material assets other than the single Artwork associated with such series or have any indebtedness or commercial obligations following the final closing of a series offering other than obligations arising pursuant to a management services agreement with Masterworks and potential contractual obligations associated with an eventual sale of the Artwork.
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The Art Market
The global art market is comprised of a network of auction houses, dealers, galleries, advisors, agents, individual collectors, museums, public institutions, and various experts and service providers engaged in the purchase and sale of unique and collectible works of art. Over the past decade, total estimated annual art sales have ranged from $50.1 billion to $68.2 billion.
In general, the global art market is influenced by the overall strength and stability of the global economy, geopolitical conditions, capital markets and world events, all of which may affect the willingness of potential buyers and sellers to purchase and sell art. While the global art market is large, its exact size is unknown and statistical data is inconsistent. Much of the uncertainty stems from differing estimates of the size of the private dealer and gallery market, which is based on survey data, but disparities also exist in reported auction sales.
The following are general observations based on a repeat-sales index of historical art market prices computed based on a value weighted-basis and focused on the Post-War & Contemporary Art category, as developed by Masterworks:
| ● | The Post-War & Contemporary Art category showed price appreciation at an estimated annualized rate of 12.1% from the year ended December 31, 1995 to June 30, 2023, versus 9.5% for the S&P 500 Index (includes dividends reinvested) for the same period. | |
| ● | Correlation factor of (0.01) between Post-War & Contemporary Art and the S&P 500 Index based on annual price performance from the year ended December 31, 1995 to June 30, 2023. | |
| ● | Resilience of art market transaction volume through periods of financial stress (e.g., 2001-2, 2008-9, 2020). | |
| ● | We believe these above characteristics present the investment case for art as a possible risk diversifier. |
Artwork and Artist Metrics
Masterworks compiles historical data from public auctions to produce metrics that we believe can be helpful in measuring and analyzing historical trends in artist markets and the historical price appreciation of specific artworks. Metrics we present in our discussion of the Artwork for a particular series may include some or all of the following:
| ● | History of Selected Similar Sales - provides an estimate of the historical appreciation rate of the specific artwork by looking at a set of similar works by the artist that have sold at public auction. |
| ● | “Sharpe Ratio” - indicates how well the artist’s market has performed historically in comparison to the rate of return on a risk-free investment, such as U.S. government treasury bonds or bills, by measuring the volatility of appreciation over time. |
| ● | Record Price Appreciation - reflects the annualized growth rate of an artists’ new record hammer price achieved by the artist at auction which indicates the artist’s market momentum and growth rate. |
| ● | Median Repeat Sale Pair Appreciation - reflects the median annualized price appreciation rate of all artworks by an artist that have sold at least twice at public auction, known as “repeat sales,” which indicates the progression of prices in a particular artist’s market over time. |
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Series 309
The Artwork held by Series 309, entitled xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx x(xPxaxixnxtxixnxgx xDxrxaxwxixnxgx x6x)x (2011), is a single work of art by George Condo. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 72 inches by 60 inches, at Christie’s Post-War & Contemporary Art Day Sale in New York for $1,804,500 on May 12, 2023.
Series 318
The Artwork held by Series 318, entitled xHxaxixrxcxuxtx x(xBxexnx x&x xSxpxexnxcxexrx)x (2002), is a single work of art by Elizabeth Peyton. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Painting, which measures at 12 inches by 9 inches, at Christie’s, 21st Century Art Day Sale in Hong Kong on May 19, 2023 for HKD 3,528,000 or $451,101 based on the effective exchange rate provided by Deutsche Börse AG.
Series 320
The Artwork held by Series 320 entitled xRxaxrxax xAxvxixsx (2006), is a single work of art by Carmen Herrera. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 36 inches by 36 inches, in a privately negotiated transaction from a private gallery for $365,000 on July 27, 2023.
Series 323
The Artwork held by Series 323, entitled xHxixsx xnxaxmxex xwxaxsx xBxexnx,x xbxuxtx xhxex xpxrxexfxexrxrxexdx xBxexnxjxaxmxixnx x(xtxhxex xdxrxixfxtxwxoxoxdx xsxcxuxlxpxtxoxrx)x (2022), is a single work of art by Hernan Bas. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 72 inches by 60 inches, in a privately negotiated transaction from a private collector for $412,500 on June 15, 2023.
Series 329
The Artwork held by Series 329, entitled xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx (2006), is a single work of art by Günther Förg. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 79 inches by 99 inches, in a privately negotiated transaction from a private gallery for $505,000 on June 26, 2023.
Series 338
The Artwork held by Series 338 entitled xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx (2007), is a single work of art by Günther Förg. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 98 inches by 165 inches, in a privately negotiated transaction from a private gallery for $805,000 on July 20, 2023.
Series 340
The Artwork held by Series 340, entitled xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx x(xWxoxmxaxnx xLxoxoxkxixnxgx xLxexfxtx)x (2016), is a single work of art by Kerry James Marshall. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 25 inches by 22 inches, at Sotheby’s Modern and Contemporary Evening Auction, featuring Face to Face: A Celebration of Portraiture in London on June 27, 2023 for £3,073,000 or $ 3,901,911 based on the effective exchange rate provided by J.P Morgan Chase Bank.
Series 348
The Artwork held by Series 348 entitled xRxaxixnxcxoxaxtx xTxrxixpxtxyxcxhx (1982), is a single work of art by Alex Katz. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 78 inches by 180 inches, in a privately negotiated transaction from an auction house for $1,625,000 on July 25, 2023.
Series 386
The Artwork held by Series 386 entitled xAxbxsxtxrxaxkxtxexsx xBxixlxdx (557-3) (1984), is a single work of art by Gerhard Richter. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 41 inches by 39 inches, at Phillips 20th Century & Contemporary Art, Evening Sale Part II in New York for $2,299,900 (including shipping costs) on November 14, 2023.
Series 411
The Artwork held by Series 411 entitled xKxexnxjxux (1991), is a single work of art by Kazuo Shiraga. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 46 inches by 36 inches, at Sotheby’s Modernités in Paris on October 19, 2023, for €736,600 or $794,845 (including shipping costs) based on the effective exchange rate provided by JP Morgan Chase.
Series 415
The Artwork held by Series 415 entitled x0x4x.x1x0x.x6x9x (1969), is a single work of art by Zao Wou-Ki. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 18 inches by 20 inches, at Christie’s Avant-Garde(s) Including Thinking Italian in Paris on October 20, 2023 for €427,540 or $453,774 (including shipping costs) based on the effective exchange rate provided by Christie’s.
Series 417
The Artwork held by Series 417 entitled xDxoxgx xixnx xtxhxex xNxixgxhxtx (1995), is a single work of art by Yoshitomo Nara. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 24 inches by 18 inches, in a privately negotiated transaction from a private collector for $900,000 on January 19, 2024.
Series 420
The Artwork held by Series 420 entitled xExmxbxrxoxixdxexrxexdx xFxaxbxrxixcx (1989), is a single work of art by Alighiero Boetti. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 40 inches by 44 inches, in a privately negotiated transaction from a private collector for $550,000 on November 15, 2023.
Series 423
The Artwork held by Series 423 entitled xDxexlxixgxhxtxexdx xSxexax (1963), is a single work of art by Lynne Mapp Drexler. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 38 inches by 56 inches, at Sotheby’s Contemporary Day Auction in New York for $331,800 (including shipping costs) on November 16, 2023.
Management Services
Management services are provided pursuant to a management services agreement among us and Masterworks, to be entered into prior to the initial closing of the initial series offerings, which incorporates a “unitary” fee structure. This means that unlike a typical investment entity in which, in addition to paying management fees, investors indirectly bear all operating costs and expenses which are charged to the investment entity, in our structure, the Administrator will pay all of our ordinary ongoing operating costs and expenses and manage all management services relating to our business, each series and the Artwork of each series in exchange for preferred equity interests in Masterworks Cayman issued at a rate of 1.5% of the total equity interests of each segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman outstanding, per annum, commencing on the earliest closing date on which the applicable series offering is fully subscribed and at least 95% of the subscription proceeds for such offering have been received by the Company and continuing until the sale of the Artwork of a series. These issuances by Masterworks Cayman will effectively dilute the ownership interest of Class A shareholders in the Artwork at a rate of 1.5% per annum. Moreover, the fact that Masterworks will receive preferred equity interests means that Masterworks management and administrative fees and costs will be paid in preference to distributions to holders of Class A shares. There is no overall limit to the amount of preferred equity interests in Masterworks Cayman that may be issued to pay these fees and costs. Each series of the Company or segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman, as applicable, will remain obligated to reimburse the Administrator for any extraordinary or non-routine costs, payments and expenses, if any, in cash from the proceeds of a sale of the Artwork of such series, and Masterworks may also charge additional transactional fees upon a private sale of Artwork in certain circumstances.
Acquisitions and Sales of Artwork
Artwork is sourced through Masterworks dedicated acquisitions team, composed of individuals with significant expertise in the art market, valuation and execution of art transactions. This team is supported by Masterworks research, analytics and an extensive art market database. Artwork we acquire for each series offering will be described in the section of this offering circular entitled “The Series Artwork.”
Our acquisition of title to Artwork and physical possession of Artwork for each series will occur contemporaneously with or before the initial closing of the applicable series offering. We intend to use a portion of the proceeds from the initial closing of the series offerings to acquire the Artworks, and if and to the extent such proceeds are less than the purchase price, Masterworks will advance any additional funds required to consummate the acquisitions. The remaining net proceeds of the series offerings, together with any unsold Class A shares of such series, if any, will be used to repay the Masterworks advance and pay Masterworks the Expense Allocation as described in the section “Management Compensation.” No interest will accrue on the Masterworks advance.
We determine to sell Artwork based on a number of factors, including our perception of the fair value of the Artwork relative to its proposed selling price, our perspective on the current state and future direction of the applicable artist market and the art market more generally, the absolute net returns we can deliver to shareholders, the length of our holding period and other factors. Although we expect our holding period will typically be for three- to ten-years, we may elect to hold the Artwork of a series for a longer period or sell the Artwork of a series at any time due to certain circumstances.
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Organizational and Capital Structure
The following diagram reflects Masterworks organizational structure and the material commercial relationships between us and Masterworks that will exist following a series offering:

*All entities are Delaware limited liability companies, except the Company, which is a Delaware series limited liability company and Masterworks Cayman, SPC, which is a Cayman Islands segregated portfolio company.
| (1) | “Masterworks” refers to the Masterworks parent company which owns the Masterworks Platform. Scott W. Lynn, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Masterworks, LLC, has effective control over Masterworks. |
| (2) | “Masterworks Foundry” forms Masterworks issuer entities, including the Company, and performs services relating to the formation of series and the securitization of Artwork for each series. Masterworks Foundry owns 100% of the membership interests, represented by Class B shares, of each series prior to giving effect to the series offerings. Masterworks Foundry may also advance us funds to acquire Artwork, though it has no obligation to do so. |
| (3) | “Masterworks Investor Services” conducts investor relations services and pays all fees and expenses of any registered investment adviser dedicated to advising with respect to Masterworks financial products. Masterworks Investor Services is not a registered investment advisor under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, a registered broker-dealer under the Exchange Act, or licensed under any state securities laws. Masterworks Investor Services acts as an agent of Masterworks Administrative Services, LLC and all services performed by Masterworks Investor Services and costs associated therewith are covered by the management services agreement. Masterworks Investor Services receives no compensation or reimbursement from the Company or investors. Masterworks Advisers, LLC is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser and investment advisor representatives of Masterworks Advisers, LLC provide advisory services in connection with offerings sponsored by Masterworks, including the series offerings. See the section entitled “Advisory Services” of this offering circular for additional information. |
| (4) | “Masterworks Administrative Services” or the “Administrator” will operate the Masterworks Platform and will perform administrative and management services for us pursuant to the management services agreement. |
| (5) | “Masterworks Gallery” and its subsidiaries perform gallery services, including Artwork acquisitions, sales and museum loans. Masterworks Gallery and its subsidiaries act as agents for each series of the Company in connection with Artwork transactions and provide financial guarantees to counterparties.
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| (6) | The Company intends to facilitate investment in Artwork by creating separate series, each of which will issue Class A shares in a series offering to facilitate investment in a single Artwork.
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| (7) | Masterworks Cayman SPC is a Cayman Islands segregated portfolio company (“Masterworks Cayman”). The Artwork beneficially owned by each series will be the only asset of a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman. A segregated portfolio company registered under the Cayman Islands Companies Law is a single legal entity which may establish internal segregated portfolios. Each portfolio’s assets and liabilities are legally separated from the assets and liabilities of the Masterworks Cayman ordinary account and are also separate from assets and liabilities attributed to Masterworks Cayman’s other segregated portfolios. This means that a creditor of Masterworks Cayman will only be entitled to recover against assets attributed and credited to the specific segregated portfolio to which the contract is also attributed. The segregated portfolios of Masterworks Cayman holding title to the Artwork of each series do not intend to enter into any contracts or incur any liabilities, except for the management services agreement and as may be necessary in connection with a sale of Artworks. |
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The following diagram reflects the capital structure that will exist following a series offering:

| (1) | Each series will issue Class A shares representing ordinary membership interests in such series upon each closing of the series offering. Immediately following the consummation of the series offering, investors participating in such series offering will own 100% of the outstanding Class A shares issued by such series. |
| (2) | Upon formation of a series, Masterworks will be issued 1,000 Class B shares, which represent the right to receive 20% of the positive difference, if any, between the amount available for distribution to Class A shareholders in connection with a liquidation after a sale of the Artwork and $20.00. Class B shares can be converted into Class A shares based on the relative fair market values of the Class B shares and the Class A shares. Masterworks has also agreed to lock-up provisions in our operating agreement, that will prohibit it from selling any Class B shares prior to the one-year anniversary of the relevant offering, though it is permitted to pledge all of its shares to unaffiliated third-party lenders and such lenders shall not be subject to the lock-up if they obtain ownership of the profits interest in connection with a default by Masterworks on its indebtedness.
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| (3) | Class C shares have no economic or voting rights, other than so-called “kick-out” rights, meaning the holder has the right to remove, replace or reconstitute the Company’s Board of Managers. The Class C shares can only be issued to, transferred to, or, held by, a Masterworks affiliate and there can only be one holder of Class C shares of all series of the Company at any point in time. |
| (4) | When a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman acquires title to an Artwork, the segregated portfolio will issue the applicable series the same number of SPC Ordinary shares in the segregated portfolio as the number of Class A shares offered to investors in the series offering, and such SPC Ordinary shares shall initially represent 100% of the outstanding equity interests in such segregated portfolio. In the event any additional Class A shares are issued following the closing of a series offering upon a conversion of Class B shares or exchange of SPC Preferred shares, additional SPC Ordinary shares will be issued to the applicable series, such that at all relevant times the number of outstanding SPC Ordinary shares held by a series shall equal the number of outstanding Class A shares for such series. |
| (5) | Masterworks will earn SPC Preferred shares of each applicable segregated portfolio pursuant to the management services agreement at a rate of 1.5% of the total SPC Shares (i.e. SPC Ordinary shares and SPC Preferred shares) offered, after giving effect to such issuance, per annum, commencing on the earliest closing date on which the applicable series offering is fully subscribed and at least 95% of the subscription proceeds for such offering have been received by the Company. There is no overall limit to the number of SPC Preferred shares that may be issued to pay these fees. SPC Preferred shares have no voting rights, but have a $20.00 per share liquidation preference over SPC Ordinary shares which are held by each series. This preference means that Masterworks management fees will be paid in priority to any payments made to Class A shareholders. Once earned, SPC Preferred shares can be exchanged for Class A shares of the applicable series. For any series established before September 20, 2023, SPC Preferred shares can only be issued to, transferred to, or, held by, a Masterworks affiliate. |
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The following table further describes the economic rights of each share class of a series and segregated portfolio company following the completion of each series offering:
| Share Class | Summary of Economic Rights | |
| Series of the Company | ||
| Class A shares | The Class A shares of each series being offered in each series offering will represent in the aggregate 100% of our members’ capital accounts of each such series and an 80% interest in the profits we recognize upon any sale of the Artwork of such series, after deduction of all management fees and other expenses. | |
| Class B shares | The Class B shares of each series initially held by Masterworks Foundry are profits interests that will represent 0% of our members’ capital accounts in such series and a 20% interest in the profits we recognize upon any sale of the Artwork of such series, after deduction of all management fees and other expenses. | |
| Class C share | The Class C share of each series represents a special class of membership interests, which has no economic rights or obligations. | |
| Cayman Segregated Portfolio | ||
| SPC Ordinary shares | 100% of the SPC Ordinary shares are held by the applicable series and at all relevant times the number of outstanding SPC Ordinary shares held by a series shall equal the number of outstanding Class A shares for such series. The SPC Ordinary shares represent a 100% residual economic ownership interest in the applicable segregated portfolio that owns the Artwork, after deduction of amounts payable in respect of the SPC Preferred shares, if any.
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| SPC Preferred shares | The SPC Preferred shares have $20.00 per share liquidation preference over SPC Ordinary shares and are “non-participating”, meaning they do not entitle the holder to receive more than $20 per SPC Preferred share. The SPC Preferred shares entitle the holder to receive cash upon any sale of the Artwork held by the issuing segregated portfolio in an amount up to $20 per share before any payment is made in respect of the SPC Ordinary shares. The SPC Preferred shares are exchangeable into Class A shares of the series of which the segregated portfolio holds the Artwork at an exchange rate of 1 for 1. If there is a sale of Artwork resulting in a net loss (i.e. holders of Class A shares in a series on a fully-diluted basis would receive a liquidating distribution of less than $20 per Class A share), Masterworks, as the holder of the SPC Preferred shares, would effectively receive up to $20 per SPC Preferred share in preference to any distribution made to Class A shareholders. If the Artwork sale results in a net profit (i.e. holders of Class A shares in a series on a fully-diluted basis would receive a liquidating distribution of more than $20 per Class A share), Masterworks would convert its SPC Preferred shares into Class A shares prior to the liquidating distribution and would receive the same economics per Class A share as other Class A shareholders. | |
Summary of Risks
An investment in the Class A shares of any series includes a number of risks and uncertainties which are described in the “Risk Factors” section of this offering circular, including the following:
| ● | Risks Related to Our Business Model. We do not plan to generate any material amount of revenues. Our expectation is for a series to own the Artwork for an indefinite period of time and sell it at a profit, but no assurance can be given that we will be able to sell the Artwork of any series at a profit or as to the timing of any such sale. Our business is highly dependent on conditions prevailing in the art market and the market for specific artists and therefore our ability to execute a profitable sale will hinge, to a large extent, on factors that are beyond our control. |
| ● | Risks Associated with an Investment in Art. Artwork may decline in value or may not appreciate sufficiently to exceed management fees and expenses. Artists often go through periods of rising and shrinking popularity, which can result in material changes in the value and marketability of their work. There are a variety of other risks to art investing, including, without limitation, the risk of claims that the artwork is not authentic, physical damage and market risks for any particular artist or work. |
| ● | Risks Relating to Our Relationship with Masterworks and Conflicts of Interest. We are totally reliant on Masterworks to administer our Company and the Artwork held by each series. If Masterworks were to cease operations for any reason we would likely be required to sell the Artwork of each series and dissolve the Company. In addition, Masterworks may have economic interests that diverge from your interests. Representatives of an affiliate of Masterworks provide investment advisory services to persons interested in investing in the series offerings and therefore such representatives have inherent conflicts of interest. In addition, Masterworks will perform internal appraisals of the fair market value of each Artwork and such appraisals may not reflect the same values as appraisals performed by an independent third party. Also, since Masterworks has significant discretion to operate our business and sell Artwork, a majority of our Board of Managers are Masterworks officers and Masterworks has the right to remove and replace our Board of Managers, conflicts of interest may not be resolved in favor of our Class A investors. |
| ● | Risks Related to Illiquidity. Artwork can be highly illiquid and there is no set time period within which Masterworks is obligated to sell the Artwork. Although we intend to facilitate secondary sales of Class A shares of each series on the ATS, the ATS will have significant limitations, including that it may be unavailable to investors from certain countries and trading volume may be insufficient to sell your shares at a reasonable price or at all. For these reasons, investors must be prepared to hold their investment for an extended period of time and an investment in Class A shares is not appropriate for investors who may need a liquidity event in a prescribed time frame. |
Company Information
We are a manager-managed series limited liability company, managed by the Board of Managers. Our principal office is located at 225 Liberty Street, 29th Floor, New York, New York 10281 and our phone number is (203) 518-5172. Our corporate website address is the website address of Masterworks at www.masterworks.com. Information contained on, or accessible through, the website is not a part of, and is not incorporated by reference into, this offering circular.
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| Securities being Offered: | We are offering the maximum number of Class A shares of each series referenced in the “Series Offering Table” at a price per Class A share of each series of $20.00.
Each series is intended to be a separate series of the Company for purposes of accounting for assets and liabilities and tax reporting. See “Description of Shares” for further details. The Class A shares of each series will be non-voting except with respect to certain matters set forth in our operating agreement. The purchase of Class A shares in a particular series is an investment only in that series and not an investment in the Company as a whole or Masterworks. | |
| Offering Price per Class A Share of a series: | $20.00. | |
| Number of Shares Outstanding Before the Offering | Prior to giving effect to each series offering, 100% of the membership interests of each series are held by Masterworks in the form of 1,000 Class B shares of such series. | |
| Amended and Restated Operating Agreement | Our amended and restated operating agreement, referred to herein as the “operating agreement,” created three classes of membership interests for each series in the form of Class A shares of a series, Class B shares of a series, as well as a Class C share of a series. By participating in the series offerings, investors will become party to the operating agreement. | |
| Number of Shares Outstanding After the Series Offerings | The number of Class A shares of each series is set forth in the “Series Offering Table” section in the forepart of this Offering Circular, excluding Class A shares of series that have been previously offered and such offerings are either closed or fully subscribed. No additional Class A shares will be outstanding immediately after the closing of the series offering, but Masterworks will earn preferred equity interests in each segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman at the rate of 1.5% per annum in respect of management and administrative services and costs and such preferred equity interests will be exchangeable by Masterworks for Class A shares of the applicable series at an exchange rate of 1 for 1.
1,000 Class B shares of each series (100% held by Masterworks) that will entitle Masterworks to a 20% profits interest upon a sale of the Artwork of each series and will be convertible into Class A shares of each respective series based on a formula that will result in the issuance of a number of Class A shares of each series to Masterworks equal to the quotient of (a) 20% of the aggregate increase in value of the issued and outstanding Class A and Class B shares of each series, divided by (b) the value of the Class A shares of each series at the time of conversion. For a detailed description of the Class B share conversion formula and an example of how it operates, see “Dilution” and “Description of Shares.”
One Class C share of each series that has no economic rights or obligations and has no voting rights, but has so-called “kick-out” rights, which represents the right to remove and or replace all or any members of the Board of Managers of the Company and reconstitute the Board without “cause” for any reason. The Class C shares can only be issued to, transferred to, or, held by, a Masterworks affiliate and there can only be one holder of Class C shares of all series of the Company at any point in time. | |
| Minimum and Maximum Investment Amount | The maximum investment amount per investor in any series is $250,000 (12,500 Class A shares) and the minimum investment amount per investor in any series is $15,000 (750 Class A shares) for investors that have not previously invested in offerings via the Masterworks Platform and $500 (25 Class A shares) for investors that have previously invested in other offerings on the Masterworks Platform. We reserve the right to reject any subscription, waive or increase the maximum purchase restriction or waive or decrease the minimum purchase restriction in our sole and absolute discretion and we routinely grant such waivers, increases or reductions for categories of investors or on a case-by-case basis. Accordingly, investors should not assume that the stated minimum investment restriction will be applied uniformly to all investors. Subscriptions, once received, are irrevocable by the investors. Further, pursuant to the terms of the Company’s operating agreement, an investor, other than an affiliate of Masterworks, generally cannot own, or be deemed to beneficially own, as “beneficial ownership” is determined pursuant to Section 13(d) and 13(g) of the Securities Act, more than 24.99% of the total number of Class A shares of a series outstanding, provided that we may waive such limit on a case-by-case basis in our sole discretion. |
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| Subscribing Online | Investors can subscribe for Class A shares via the Masterworks Platform located at https://www.masterworks.com/, as well as browse and screen potential artwork investments, view details of an investment and sign contractual documents online. After the qualification by the SEC of the offering statement of which this Offering Circular is a part or a post-qualification amendment to such Offering Statement, the relevant series offerings will be conducted through the Masterworks Platform, whereby investors will receive, review, execute and deliver subscription agreements electronically. For additional information, see “Plan of Distribution – Procedures for Subscribing.” |
| Payment for Class A Shares of a series | After the qualification by the SEC of the Offering Statement of which this Offering Circular is a part, investors can make payment of the purchase price in the form of ACH debit transfer or wire transfer into a non-interest bearing segregated sub-account of the applicable series of the Company with Goldman Sachs Bank USA, or a similar institution, until the applicable closing date. We may also permit payment to be made by credit cards. Investors contemplating using their credit card to invest are urged to carefully review “Risk Factors – Risks of investing using a credit card.” Credit card subscription shall not exceed the lesser of $30,000 or the amount permitted by applicable law, per subscriber, per series offering.
On each closing date, the funds in the series sub account will be released and used in accordance with the use of proceeds set forth below and the Class A shares will be issued to investors. If there is no closing of such series offering, the funds deposited in the segregated sub-account will be returned to subscribers in U.S. dollars, without interest. | |
| Investment Amount Restrictions | To invest in any series offering, you must represent to us that the aggregate purchase price you pay for your investment is not more than 10% of the greater of your annual income or net worth. Different rules apply to accredited investors and non-natural persons. Before making any representation that your investment does not exceed applicable thresholds, you are encouraged to review Rule 251(d)(2)(i)(c) of Regulation A. For general information on investing, you are encouraged to refer to www.investor.gov. | |
| Worldwide | Class A shares of each series will be offered worldwide at the same U.S. dollar price that is set forth in this offering circular, provided that we may elect not to sell shares in particular jurisdictions for regulatory or other reasons. No sales of Class A shares of a series will be made anywhere in the world prior to the qualification of the offering circular by the SEC in the United States. | |
| Voting Rights |
The Class A shares of each series have no voting rights other than to vote together as a single class on certain matters that disproportionately and adversely affect such series in relation to any other series and to vote together with holders of all voting Class A shares outstanding of all series together as a single class to remove and replace the Administrator, to remove a member of the Board of Managers for “cause” and to approve certain acts as described in our operating agreement, including certain proposed amendments to the operating agreement or the management services agreement.
The Class C share of each series, which will only be issued or transferred to a Masterworks affiliate, if any, will have the right to remove and or replace all or any members of the Board of Managers and reconstitute the Board without “cause” for any reason.
Any member that beneficially owns 5% or more of the Class A shares of a series (excluding shares beneficially owned by Masterworks) may irrevocably limit or eliminate its voting rights pursuant to our operating agreement. Class A shares held by Masterworks, if any, are non-voting. |
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| Risk Factors | Investing in the Class A shares of any series involves risks. See the section entitled “Risk Factors” for a discussion of factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in the Class A shares of any series. | |
| Use of Proceeds | We expect to receive gross proceeds from each series offering as set forth in the “Use of Proceeds to Issuer” section of this Offering Circular. Masterworks will pay all expenses of the series offerings, including fees and expenses associated with qualification of the series offerings under Regulation A. Therefore, the gross proceeds from the series offerings will equal the net proceeds from the series offerings. We intend to use a portion of the proceeds from the initial closing of the series offerings to contribute to segregated portfolios of Masterworks Cayman to acquire the Artworks, and if and to the extent such proceeds are less than the purchase price, Masterworks will advance to the segregated portfolios of Masterworks Cayman that will acquire the Artworks any additional funds required to consummate the acquisitions. The remaining net proceeds of the series offerings, together with any unsold Class A shares of the series, if any, will be contributed to the segregated portfolios of Masterworks Cayman that will acquire the Artworks and will be used to repay the Masterworks advance and pay Masterworks the Expense Allocation as described in the section entitled “Management Compensation.” |
| Offering Period | The series offerings are being conducted as a continuous offering pursuant to Rule 251(d)(3) of Regulation A, meaning that while the offering of a particular series is continuous, active sales of series interests may take place sporadically over the term of the series offering.
There will be a separate closing, or closings, with respect to each series offering. An initial closing and each subsequent closing of a series offering will take place on the date subscriptions for the maximum number of series Class A shares have been accepted or an earlier date or dates determined by us in our sole discretion. The offering period for any series will not exceed 24 months from the qualification date of the offering statement that includes such series. We reserve the right to terminate a series offering for any reason at any time prior to the initial closing of such series offering. | |
| Closings | The Company may close an entire series offering at one time or may have multiple closings. Throughout this Offering Circular, we have assumed multiple closings and refer to the “initial closing” as the first such closing and the “final closing” as the last such closing. The Artwork held by a series will be acquired by the Company on or prior to the initial closing of the respective series offering. Subscriptions will be accepted on a rolling basis. If any of the Class A shares offered for such series remain unsold as of the final closing, such Class A shares shall be issued to Masterworks in full satisfaction of its advance and the Expense Allocation as described under the caption “Management Compensation.” | |
| Termination of the Offering | We reserve the right to terminate any series offering for any reason at any time prior to the initial closing. |
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| Transfer Restrictions | The Class A shares of a series may only be transferred by operation of law or with the consent of the Company: |
| ● | To an immediate family member or an affiliate of the owner of the Class A shares of a series, | |
| ● | To a trust or other entity for estate or tax planning purposes, | |
| ● | As a charitable gift, | |
| ● | On a trading platform approved by Masterworks, such as the ATS, or | |
| ● | In a transaction otherwise approved by Masterworks. |
Transfer Agent and Registrar |
The transfer agent and registrar for the Class A shares of any series is Equity Stock Transfer, LLC. The transfer agent’s address is 237 West 37th Street, Suite 602, New York, New York 10018. The transfer agent’s telephone number is (212) 575-5757. | |
| Distributions | None, unless and until there is a sale of the Artwork of a series, at which point we plan to pay a distribution to the shareholders of such series. There can be no assurance as to the timing of a distribution or that we will pay a distribution at all. |
DETERMINATION OF OFFERING PRICE
The offering size of a series equals the sum of (a) the estimated purchase price that Masterworks anticipates paying for the Artwork plus (b) approximately 11% of such amount (approximately 10% of the maximum aggregate offering amount), as an upfront payment, or “Expense Allocation” payable to Masterworks. The initial offering price of $20.00 per Class A share of each series was randomly determined by Masterworks.
We believe that based on the arms-length ultimate purchase price of each Artwork of a series, historical appreciation rates of similar artworks by the same artist of such Artwork and other factors, the per share offering price of each series will constitute a reasonable estimate of the fair value of the Class A shares of such series as of the date such series is added to the Offering Circular.
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As of January 23, 2024, no series has made distributions on the Class A shares of such series since our formation and we do not anticipate making distributions in the foreseeable future on any Class A shares, unless and until the Artwork held by such series is sold, at which point we will pay any expenses for which we are responsible and make a distribution to the holders of the Class A shares of such series in accordance with our operating agreement. There can be no assurance as to the timing of a distribution or that we will pay a distribution at all. There are no contractual restrictions on the ability of a series to make distributions.
The purchase of the Class A shares of a series offered hereby involves risk. Each prospective investor should consult his, her or its own counsel, accountant and other advisors as to legal, tax, business, financial and related aspects of an investment in the securities offered hereby. Prospective investors should carefully consider the following specific risk factors, in addition to the other information set forth in this offering circular, before purchasing the securities offered hereby.
Risks Related to our Business Model
Each series will invest in a unique artwork and whether or not a series will deliver capital appreciation to investors is largely dependent on the art market, which we cannot control.
We cannot make any assurance that our business model will be successful. Our operations will be dedicated to acquiring and maintaining Artworks held by our series and facilitating the ultimate sale of Artworks. The ability of any series to deliver capital appreciation will depend to a large extent on economic conditions, the art market in general and the market for works produced by the specific artist, which are factors that are beyond our control. The value of an Artwork may decline after a series purchases it.
An investment in a series offering constitutes only an investment in that series and not in our Company or directly in any Artwork.
An investor in a series offering will acquire an ownership interest in the series related to that offering and not, for the avoidance of doubt, in (i) our Company, (ii) any other series, (iii) Masterworks, or (iv) directly in an Artwork associated with the series or any Artwork owned by any other series. This results in limited voting rights of the investor, including rights solely related to a particular series, and are further limited by the operating agreement, described further herein. Investors will have voting rights only with respect to certain matters, primarily relating to amendments to the operating agreement that would adversely change the rights of the interest holders and removal of a member of the Board of Managers of the Company for “cause.” Masterworks thus retains significant control over the management of the Company, each series and the Artworks. Furthermore, because the interests in a series do not constitute an investment in the Company as a whole, holders of the interests in a series are not expected to receive any economic benefit from the assets of any other series. In addition, the economic interest of a holder of Class A shares in a series reflects an investment in an Artwork, but also an interest in our corporate and governance structure and our management arrangement with Masterworks. Accordingly, ownership of Class A shares is not identical to owning a direct undivided interest in an Artwork.
Each of our company’s series will hold an interest in a single Artwork, a non-diversified investment.
Each of our series will own a single Artwork and not invest in any other artwork or assets or conduct any other operations that could generate income. Such lack of diversification creates a concentration risk that may make an investment in the Class A shares of a single series riskier than an investment in the Class A shares of multiple series or a diversified pool of assets or a business with more varied operations. Aggregate returns realized by investors are expected to correlate to the change in value of the Artwork, which may not correlate to changes in the overall art market or any segment of the art market.
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We do not expect any series to generate any material amount of revenues and rely on the Administrator to fund our operations.
We do not expect any series to generate any material amount of revenues or cash flow unless and until an Artwork held by a series is sold. No profits can be realized by the series’ investors unless the Artwork is sold for more than the series acquires it and there are sufficient funds to effectuate a distribution to the shareholders of such series after paying the applicable costs, fees and expenses, or the investors are able to sell their Class A shares of the series. Accordingly, we will be completely reliant on Masterworks to fund our operations.
The Artwork of a series may be sold at a loss or at a price that results in a distribution that is below the purchase price of the Class A shares of such series, or no distribution at all.
Any sale of the Artwork of a series could be effected at an inopportune time, at a loss and or at a price that would result in a distribution of cash that is less than the price paid by investors to purchase the Class A shares of such series. We intend to hold the Artwork of each series for an extended period of time and may choose to sell the Artwork of a series opportunistically if market conditions are favorable, which we believe is necessary to achieve optimal returns. In the future, we may sell an Artwork at a loss if we believe that such a transaction would reduce future losses or if it would be necessary to satisfy our fiduciary obligations to our shareholders. Lastly, circumstances may arise that may compel us to sell the Artwork of a series at an inopportune time and potentially at a loss, such as if we face litigation, regulatory challenges or if Masterworks ceases to exist. There can be no assurance that the Class A shares of such series can ever be resold or that the Artwork of a series can ever be sold or that any sale would occur at a price that would result in a distribution of more than $20.00 per Class A share of a series.
The timing and potential price of a sale of the Artwork of a series are impossible to predict, so investors need to be prepared to own the Class A shares of such series for an uncertain or even indefinite period of time.
We intend to hold the Artwork of a series for an indefinite period, although the Artwork of such series will be perpetually available for sale following the series offering and we will evaluate any reasonable third party offers to acquire the Artwork of such series. In addition, the occurrence of certain events may compel us to sell the Artwork of a series. Accordingly, a risk of investing in the Class A shares of a series is the unpredictability of the timing of a sale of the Artwork of such series and the unpredictability of funds being available for cash distribution and investors should be prepared for both the possibility that they will not receive a cash distribution for many years, if ever, and the contrary possibility that they may receive a cash distribution at any time following the completion of the series offering. An investment in the Class A shares of a series is unsuitable for investors that are not prepared to hold their Class A shares of such series for an indefinite period of time, as there can be no assurance that the Class A shares of such series can ever be resold or that the Artwork of such series can be sold within any specific timeframe or at all.
Our business model involves certain costs, some of which are to be paid for through the issuance of equity which will have a dilutive effect on the holders of the Class A shares.
There are various services required to administer our business and maintain the Artwork of a series. Pursuant to a management services agreement among us, Masterworks Cayman and the Administrator to be entered into prior to the initial closing of the initial series offerings, the Administrator will manage all entity-level and asset management services relating to our business and the maintenance of the Artwork of each series. The Administrator will pay all ordinary and necessary costs and expenses associated with the administration of our business and maintenance of the Artwork of each series. Because we do not expect to maintain cash reserves or generate any cash flow, we will be completely reliant on the Administrator to fund our operations. In exchange for these services and incurring these costs and expenses, the Administrator will receive SPC Preferred shares of a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman issued at a rate of 1.5% of the total SPC shares of such segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman outstanding which holds the Artwork of an applicable series, after giving effect to such issuance, per annum. These SPC Preferred shares have no voting rights, but have a $20.00 per share liquidation preference over SPC Ordinary shares which are held by each series, which means Masterworks’ management fees will be paid in priority to distributions to Class A shareholders. This preference means that Masterworks management fees will be paid in priority to any payments made to Class A shareholders. There is no overall limit to the number of SPC Preferred shares that may be issued to pay these fees. In the Administrator’s sole discretion, each Masterworks SPC Preferred share may be exchanged for one Class A share of the series of which the segregated portfolio holds the Artwork. Accordingly, Masterworks management fees will dilute your economic interest in the Artwork at a rate of 1.5% per annum.
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In the event we are able to sell the Artwork of a series, your potential investment returns will be lower than the actual appreciation in value of the Artwork of such series due to applicable management fees and expenses.
In the event the Artwork of a series is sold, your distribution of cash proceeds will be reduced by commissions, fees and expenses incurred as a result of administering, marketing and selling the Artwork of such series, as well as dilution resulting from management fees paid to Masterworks in the form of SPC Preferred shares. Transaction costs incurred as part of the sale of the Artwork of a series will differ depending on whether we choose or are able to sell the Artwork of a series privately or through a public auction. In a public auction, the principal transaction costs are a seller’s commission and buyer’s premium (a form of selling commission, based on a graduated scale set by each auction house), both of which reduce the net proceeds received by a seller from what a buyer ultimately pays. The final reported sales price includes the hammer price (i.e. the price at which the auctioneer declared the winning bid), and the buyer’s premium. The buyer may also separately incur additional fees or royalties. A seller typically receives the hammer price less the seller’s commission, if any. The economic terms negotiated between the seller and the auction house can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including the value and importance of the specific work, whether the work is sold as an individual piece or part of a larger collection, anticipated demand levels, and other factors. In addition, the proceeds receivable by a seller are less favorable if the work is subject to a pre-auction guarantee. If we sell the Artwork of a series in a private transaction, there may be costs or expenses incurred by the series in connection with such sale and Masterworks shall be entitled to recoup its costs of marketing and selling the Artwork by seeking reimbursement from the applicable series or by charging the buyer a sales commission in connection with such sale. While we believe we may be able to substantially reduce the transaction costs of selling the Artwork of a series, they will not be entirely eliminated.
In addition, in connection with a distribution following a sale of an Artwork, Masterworks will be entitled to its 20% profits interest in respect of its ownership of Class B shares of such series, plus payments in respect of its SPC Preferred shares in an amount equal to the greater of (i) $20.00 per share or (ii) the amount payable per Class A share for each SPC Preferred share earned by it pursuant to the management services agreement. Accordingly, your investment returns upon a sale of the Artwork of a series, if such a sale can occur and if such sale can generate sufficient funds for a distribution after accounting for applicable fees and expenses, may be significantly lower than the actual rate of appreciation of the Artwork of such series.
Risks Associated with an Investment in the Artwork
There is no assurance of appreciation of the Artwork of a series or sufficient cash distributions resulting from the ultimate sale of the Artwork of a series.
There is no assurance that the Artwork of a series will appreciate, maintain its present value, or be sold at a profit. The marketability and value of the Artwork of a series will depend upon many factors beyond our control. There can be no assurance that there will be a ready market for the Artwork of a series, since investment in artwork is generally illiquid, nor is there any assurance that sufficient cash will be generated from the sale of the Artwork of a series to compensate investors for their investment. Even if the Artwork of a series does appreciate in value, the rate of appreciation may be insufficient to cover our management costs and expenses.
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The value of the Artwork is subjective.
For non-cash generating assets, such as art, valuation is heavily reliant on an analysis of sales history of similar artwork. Experts often differ on which historical sales are comparable and the degree of comparability. The attempt to discern value from historical sales data is extremely challenging for a variety of reasons, including, without limitation:
| ● | Qualitative Factors. Differences in perceived quality or condition between the subject work and the so-called “comparable” sale. Perceived differences in the physical quality and condition of the respective works require subjective judgements as to the valuation impact attributable to such differences. |
| ● | Lack of Reliable Data. Data may be stale or unavailable and sale prices may be incorrectly reported due to credits for guarantees entered into with buyers (though under current rules in certain jurisdictions, these are required to be deducted from the reported sale price), or other credits provided to potential buyers. | |
| ● | Timing Differences. Historical transactions must be viewed in light of market conditions at the time compared to current conditions. Overall market conditions are difficult to track in recent periods and extremely difficult to discern for historical periods. Harder still, is the ability to track the relative popularity of specific works, artists and genres over historical periods. | |
| ● | Market Depth. Sale prices only reflect the price a single buyer was willing to pay for a work, so it is very difficult to determine the depth of demand, as defined by the number of potential buyers that are ready, willing and able to purchase an artwork at or below a given price level. |
Accordingly, due to the inherent challenges involved in estimating the realizable value of the Artwork, any appraisal or estimate of realizable value may prove, with the benefit of hindsight, to be different than the amount ultimately realized upon sale.
Since the valuation of high-end artwork relies in large part on an analysis of historical auction sales, it is more difficult to accurately determine fair value of artwork by artists that have fewer auction sales.
Certain artists such as Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso have a relatively large global collector base and a well-established track record of auction sales over a lengthy period. These artists were also extremely prolific during their careers, so their artwork is frequently bought and sold at auction. This relatively large volume of data makes estimates of historical pricing trends and fair value ranges for artwork produced by these artists more reliable. By contrast, valuation of works by other artists who have a smaller collector base and or a shorter track record of auction sales is comparatively more difficult and such assessments are generally prone to wider margins of error. When assessing the historical auction performance of artwork by a particular artist, investors are urged to consider the volume of public auction data available. As a general matter, historical pricing trends and fair value estimates are more likely to be more meaningful and predictive for artists with higher volumes of prior auction sales than pricing trends and estimates for artists that have fewer historical auction sales. Accordingly, there is a higher risk that we may overpay for, or misprice, artwork by artists with fewer auction sales than those with higher volumes of prior auction sales.
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Our appraisal of the fair value of the Artwork of a series may not be reflective of the value of the Class A shares of such series or the realizable value of the Artwork.
We, together with Masterworks, will estimate the fair value of the Artwork of a series on a quarterly basis, including for purposes of preparing our annual and semi-annual financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. For the reasons set forth elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section, any such valuation is inherently subjective and may not represent the actual realizable value of the Artwork. In addition, because an investment in the Company represents not just the physical Artwork, but also our administrative, cost, tax and governance structure, coupled with the fact that the timing of a sale of the Artwork of a series is unknown, the value of the Class A shares of such series will be significantly different than the proportionate indirect ownership of the Artwork that they represent. In addition, our Board of Managers will consider a variety of factors in making any determination to sell the Artwork of a series and the appraised value of the Artwork of a series may not be indicative of the price at which our Board of Managers would determine to sell the Artwork of a series.
Our appraisal of the fair market value of an Artwork may differ from the appraisal that would be issued by an independent third-party and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any appraisal issued by Masterworks.
Masterworks performs appraisals of artwork in conformity with the 2024-2025 Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) developed by the Appraisal Standards Board of the Appraisal Foundation, although conflicts of interest may call into question standards related to appraiser independence. Appraisals are performed by employees of the Administrator and, therefore, Masterworks has conflicts of interest in performing appraisals. Accordingly, our appraisal of the fair market value of an Artwork may differ from the appraisal that would be issued by an independent third party and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any appraisal issued by Masterworks.
An investment in the Artwork of a series is subject to various risks, any of which could materially impair the value of the Artwork and the market value of the Class A shares of such series.
Investing in the Artwork of a series is subject to the following risks:
| ● | Authenticity. Claims with respect to the authenticity of a work may result from incorrect attribution, uncertain attribution, lack of certification proving the authenticity of the artwork, forgery of a work of art, or falsification of the artist’s signature. We generally obtain representations of authenticity from sellers, but these representations may not effectively eliminate the risk. |
| ● | Provenance. Claims related to provenance, or history of ownership, are relatively common and allege that an artwork has an uncertain or false origin. Buyers may also negatively perceive some elements of the prior ownership history, or whether the work is considered to have sold too often in the past. With respect to the Artwork, buyers may negatively perceive our ownership in the Artwork when considering a purchase. |
| ● | Condition. The physical condition of an artwork over time is dependent on technical aspects of artistic workmanship, including the materials used, the manner and skill of application, handling and storage and other factors. | |
| ● | Physical Risks. Artwork is subject to potential damage, destruction, devastation, vandalism or loss as a result of natural disasters (flood, fire, hurricane), crime, theft, illegal exportation abroad, etc. | |
| ● | Legal and Title Risks. Artwork ownership is prone to a variety of legal challenges, including challenges to title, nationalization, purchase of work of art from an unauthorized person, risk of cheating, money laundering, violation of legal regulations and restitution issues. Purchasing from major auction houses and reputable galleries can reduce, but not eliminate, these risks. | |
| ● | Market Risks. The art market is prone to change due to a variety of factors, including changes in transaction costs, substantial changes in fees, tax law changes, export licenses etc., changes in legal regulations, changes in attitudes toward art as an investment, changes in tastes, trends (fashion) and changes in supply, such as the liquidation of a major collection. These risks can be specific to certain geographies. | |
| ● | Economic Risks. Art values and demand are affected by economic confidence among ultra-high-net-worth individuals. | |
| ● | Informational Risk. The art market is unregulated, opaque and available information is often limited to transactions that occur in public auctions, which excludes private transactions that represent a majority of the overall market. |
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Although, acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks seeks to acquire the Artwork of each series and will conduct due diligence in connection with its purchase of the Artwork, no amount of due diligence can completely insulate a buyer against these risks and if any of these risks materialize, the value of the Artwork of such series may decline, and the value of the Class A shares of such series would be adversely affected.
If the Artwork is eventually exhibited publicly, it could be damaged, and insurance may not cover all of the damages, or even if insurance does cover the damages, it may cause the Artwork to be unsaleable.
It is planned that the Artwork will be permanently stored and displayed in the United States, though it might be displayed internationally. We plan to obtain and maintain insurance coverage for the Artwork. However, the Artwork may be damaged while being displayed and our insurance may not be able to cover all of the damages resulting therefrom, and even if insurance does cover such damages, the damages may result in the Artwork being unsaleable. Accordingly, damage or destruction of the Artwork of a series will have a material adverse impact on the value of the Artwork and, consequently, the value of the Class A shares of such series.
We may not be able to find a buyer for the Artwork at a reasonable price.
Art is a highly illiquid asset and a significant percentage of objects go unsold when sent to auction. Even in the event that we attempt to sell the Artwork of a series, we cannot guarantee that there will be a buyer at any reasonable price.
Temporary popularity of some artworks or categories of art may result in short-term value increases that prove unsustainable as collector tastes shift.
Temporary consumer popularity or “fads” among collectors may lead to short-term or temporary price increases, followed by decreases in value. The demand for specific categories of art and artists is influenced by changing trends in the art market as to which collecting categories and artists are most sought after and by the collecting preferences of individual collectors. These conditions and trends are difficult to predict and may adversely impact our ability to sell the Artwork of a series for a profit. These risks of changes in popularity may be greater for a living or emerging artist, as compared to other categories which may have a proven valuation track record over a longer period of time. These trends could result in reduced profitability or a loss upon the sale of the Artwork of a series.
We could be exposed to losses in the event of title or authenticity claims.
The buying and selling of artwork can involve potential claims regarding title, provenance and or authenticity of the artwork. Authenticity risk related to works of art may result from incorrect attribution, uncertain attribution, lack of certificate proving the authenticity of the artwork, purchase of a non-authentic artwork, or forgery. In the event of a title or authenticity claim against us by a buyer of the Artwork of a series from us, we would seek recourse against the seller of the Artwork of such series pursuant to authenticity and title representations obtained at the time of purchase, but a claim could nevertheless expose us to losses. Further, although we maintain authenticity and title insurance coverage, such coverage may not be sufficient against potential claims. In addition, we do not maintain liquid assets to defend or settle any such legal claims and would be reliant on the Administrator to outlay the cost of such defense or settlement.
The Artwork of a series could be subject to damage, theft or deterioration in condition, which could have a material adverse effect on the value of the Artwork of a series.
We plan to store the Artwork of a series in a protected environment with security measures, but no amount of security can fully protect an artwork from damage or theft. The damage or theft of valuable property, despite these security measures, could have a material adverse impact on the value of the Artwork and, consequently, the value of the Class A shares of such series. The Company maintains insurance, but there is no guarantee that such coverage would be adequate to mitigate all of such losses.
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Changes in opinions by experts in the artwork regarding authenticity could damage or eliminate the value of the Artwork.
Authenticity is often completed by art world experts, and opinions often matter more than scientific data. If a well-respected art expert were to opine negatively on the authenticity of the Artwork of a series, it could reduce or eliminate the value of the Artwork of a series.
Insurance coverage for the Artwork of a series may not cover all possible contingencies, exposing us to losses resulting from the damage or loss of the Artwork.
We plan to maintain insurance coverage for the Artwork of a series against damage or loss of the Artwork, although it may expressly exclude damage caused by war, losses caused by chemical or biological contamination and certain other potential loss scenarios. Our insurance coverage does cover title and authenticity claims, subject to certain limitations and conditions, although such coverage may not be sufficient to cover losses. In addition, in the event of a successful claim that we do not have valid title and ownership to the Artwork or that the Artwork is not authentic, representations obtained from the seller to compensate us for such losses may prove to be inadequate. In addition, uncovered damage or destruction of the Artwork that is not fully covered by insurance could have a material adverse impact on the value of Class A shares of a series.
Risks Related to our Reliance on Masterworks
We are totally reliant on the Administrator to maintain and sell Artwork and manage our administrative services.
We do not plan to have employees or intend to maintain or generate any cash flow prior to the sale of the Artwork of a series. Accordingly, we are totally reliant on the performance of the Administrator under the management services agreement to effectuate the decisions of our Board of Managers. We plan to rely on the Administrator to perform or administer all necessary services to maintain the Artwork of each series, including obtaining insurance and ensuring appropriate storage. The Administrator is also responsible for all management services required to maintain our Company, including professional services, regulatory filings, SEC reporting, tax filings and other matters. If the Administrator were to default on its obligations under the management services agreement, it would be extremely difficult for us to replace the Administrator or internally manage these functions given our lack of cash flow and lack of employees. Accordingly, in the event of a material default by the Administrator under the management services agreement, we would likely be forced to sell the Artwork of each series. We cannot provide assurance that the timing and or terms of any such sale would be favorable. Further, Masterworks can withdraw for any reason from its position as our Administrator, subject to certain conditions.
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We are totally reliant on the Administrator to maintain sufficient capital resources to pay our fees, costs and expenses.
Although we believe the Administrator has sufficient capital resources and sources of liquidity to perform its obligations under the management services agreement for the foreseeable future, there can be no assurance that the Administrator will be able to maintain sufficient capital to satisfy its obligations in future periods. The Administrator’s capital resources and sources of liquidity will be relied upon by our auditors in determining our likely ability to continue as a going concern. Pursuant to and in accordance with the management services agreement, the Administrator is required to maintain cash reserves on hand for so long as the Class A shares of any series remain outstanding sufficient to pay at least one year of estimated expenses to satisfy its obligations under the management services agreement. However, there can be no assurance that the Administrator will be able to maintain such cash reserves. If the Administrator’s liquid capital resources and sources of liquidity are insufficient to satisfy its operational requirements, including the management of our Company, for at least one year, our Company may receive qualified audit reports that would likely have a material adverse effect on the value of the Class A shares of a series.
The Board of Managers will have complete authority to administer our business consistent with the terms and conditions of our operating agreement, other than certain amendments to the operating agreement and the management services agreement.
The Board of Managers will have sole voting power over all matters, including: mergers, consolidations, acquisitions, winding up and dissolution; except, the Board of Managers shall not have the authority to do any of the following without first obtaining the prior approval or consent of the holders of a majority of the voting shares of any series affected, except as otherwise set forth therein:
| ● | Amend, waive or fail to comply with any material provision of the operating agreement that disproportionately and adversely affects the Class A shareholders of such series; | |
| ● | Acquire additional material assets other than the Artwork of each series, incur debt for borrowed money or engage in business activities that are unrelated to the ownership, maintenance, promotion and sale of the Artwork of a series; or | |
| ● | Issue additional shares other than pursuant to the agreements and instruments described herein. |
Additionally, we, in our sole and absolute discretion, may decide to sell the Artwork of a series at any time and in any manner.
The series will own the Artwork for an indefinite period and may sell the Artwork at any time following the final closing of the series offering. There is no guarantee that any sale of the Artwork of a series will be successful, or if successful, that the net proceeds realized by shareholders from such transaction will be reflective of the estimated fair market value of the shares at such time.
This concentration of control in the Board of Managers may delay, deter or prevent acts that would be favored by holders of the Class A shares of a series. The interests of the Board of Managers or the Administrator may not always coincide with our interests or the interests of the holders of the Class A shares of a series. As a result, the market price of the Class A shares of a series could decline, or holders of the Class A shares of a series might not receive a premium over the then-current market price of the Class A shares of a series upon a change in control.
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Holders of the Class A shares of a series do not elect or vote on the Board of Managers and have limited ability to influence decisions regarding our business.
Our operating agreement provides that our assets, affairs and business will be managed under the direction of the Board of Managers. Holders of the Class A shares of a series do not elect or vote on the Board of Managers and, except for kick-out rights granted to Masterworks, members of the Board of Managers can only be removed by (i) a majority of the existing Board of Managers, or (ii) by the affirmative vote of holders of two-thirds (2/3) of the voting Class A shares outstanding of all series together as a single class and only for “cause”, as defined in the operating agreement. Accordingly, unlike the holders of common stock in a corporation, holders of Class A shares of a series have only limited voting rights on matters affecting our business, and therefore limited ability to influence decisions regarding our business.
As a non-listed company conducting an exempt offering pursuant to Regulation A, we are not subject to a number of corporate governance requirements, including the requirements for a board of directors or independent board committees.
We do not intend to list the Class A shares of any series on a national securities exchange. As a non-listed company conducting an exempt offering pursuant to Regulation A, we are not subject to a number of corporate governance requirements that an issuer listing on a national stock exchange would be. The Board of Managers is made up of Nigel Glenday, Joshua B. Goldstein, and Eli D. Broverman. One of the members of the Board of Managers, Eli D. Broverman, serves as the Independent Manager on the Board of Managers (the “Independent Manager”). The Independent Manager serves to protect the interests of the holders of the Class A shares of all series and is tasked with reviewing and approving all related party transactions of our Company with our affiliates and address all conflicts of interest that may arise between us and the holders of the Class A shares of any series and our affiliates. If the Independent Manager resigns from such position on the Board of Managers at any time, the remaining members of the Board of Managers shall appoint a replacement that meets the standards of an independent director pursuant to the standards set forth in NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 4200(a)(15). Accordingly, we do not have, nor are we required to have (i) a board of directors of which a majority consists of “independent” directors under the listing standards of a national stock exchange, (ii) an audit committee composed entirely of independent directors and a written audit committee charter meeting a national stock exchange’s requirements, (iii) a nominating/corporate governance committee composed entirely of independent directors and a written nominating/corporate governance committee charter meeting a national stock exchange’s requirements, (iv) a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors and a written compensation committee charter meeting the requirements of a national stock exchange, and (v) independent audits of our internal controls. Accordingly, you may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of a company listed on a national stock exchange.
Risk of non-compliance with regulations, including a risk of Masterworks being deemed to be operating as an unregistered broker-dealer.
The Company has not engaged underwriters in connection with any series offering, but Masterworks will have an arrangement with Masterworks Advisers whereby investment adviser representatives of Masterworks Advisers will be dedicated to providing advisory services to persons who have expressed an interest in investing in Masterworks offerings, including each series offering. In light of Masterworks’ arrangement with Masterworks Advisers, if the SEC were to determine that Masterworks, which is not a registered broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or any state securities laws, has engaged in brokerage activities that require registration, including initial sale of the Class A shares of each series on the Masterworks Platform and permitting a registered broker-dealer to facilitate resales or other liquidity of the Class A shares, Masterworks may need to discontinue or suspend certain operations, which would likely be harmful to its business and reputation. In addition, if Masterworks is found to have operated as a ‘broker-dealer’ without being properly registered, there is a risk that Class A shares offered and sold while Masterworks was not registered may be subject to a right of rescission, which may result in the early termination of the offerings. An unregistered broker-dealer may also face sanctions, penalties and enforcement actions by regulatory authorities. Since the Company is reliant on Masterworks to administer its operations and the Artworks, any regulatory development that is damaging to Masterworks may have a material adverse effect on the Company and Class A shareholders.
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Further, if Masterworks Investor Services or another Masterworks affiliated entity were required to register as a broker and/or dealer, Masterworks would be subject to higher compliance costs and periodic examinations and, as a result, Masterworks would likely be required to change aspects of its business processes, fee structure and communications.
Our operating agreement designates the federal district courts of the United States of America as the exclusive forum for disputes between us and our shareholders involving claims under the Securities Act, which, if enforced by the courts, will restrict our shareholders’ ability to choose the judicial forum for Securities Act disputes.
Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all Securities Act actions. Accordingly, both state and federal courts have jurisdiction to entertain such claims. To prevent having to litigate claims in multiple jurisdictions and the threat of inconsistent or contrary rulings by different courts, among other considerations, our operating agreement provides that the federal district courts of the United States of America will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. There is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provision, and the enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ constitutive documents has been challenged in legal proceedings. While the Delaware courts have determined that such choice of forum provisions are facially valid, a shareholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions. In such instance, we would expect to vigorously assert the validity and enforceability of the exclusive forum provisions of our operating agreement. This may require significant additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions and there can be no assurance that the provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions.
This choice of forum provision may limit a shareholder’s ability to bring a Securities Act claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees. If a court were to find the exclusive-forum provision in our operating agreement to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions, which could seriously harm our financial condition.
Risks Relating to Potential Conflicts of Interest
Masterworks financial arrangements may result in misalignment between its interests and the interests of Class A shareholders of a series.
Masterworks and its affiliates will have substantially complete discretion to determine when and if to sell the Artwork of a series. Since Masterworks earns its management fees in equity, it is aligned with investors to maximize the price per share over time. However, Masterworks may have cash requirements or other economic incentives or disincentives relating to when to sell the Artwork of a series that are misaligned with the interests of shareholders of such series. Accordingly, there is a risk that Masterworks and its affiliates will have conflicts of interest and no assurance can be given that any such conflicts will be resolved in a manner that is in the best interests of shareholders of a series.
Although Masterworks will own 1,000 Class B shares of each series representing a 20% profits interest in such series, and will beneficially own Class A shares of each series following the offering of such series, Masterworks may eventually sell its shares.
Masterworks currently owns and will own 1,000 Class B shares of each series representing a 20% profits interest in such series following the offering of such series and will own Class A shares of such series if and to the extent the offering of such series is undersubscribed, as well as SPC Preferred shares of a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman issuable to Masterworks pursuant to the management services agreement which will be exchangeable for Class A shares of the series of which the segregated portfolio holds the Artwork at an exchange rate of 1 for 1. Masterworks has also agreed to lock-up provisions in our operating agreement, that will prohibit it from selling any Class B shares prior to the one-year anniversary of the offering, though it is permitted to pledge all of its shares to unaffiliated third-party lenders and such lenders shall not be subject to the lock-up if they obtain ownership of the profits interest in connection with a default by Masterworks on its indebtedness. Masterworks will have no restrictions on the disposition of any of its Class B shares after the one-year anniversary of each series offering and no restrictions on the disposition of its Class A shares it would receive by exchanging the SPC Preferred shares of a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman or otherwise acquired, other than restrictions imposed by the management services agreement and applicable securities laws. These shares held by our affiliates, shall be “restricted securities” as defined in Rule 144 of the Securities Act. In general, our affiliates must either sell their restricted shares in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, in which case the buyer would own restricted securities that could not trade freely with the Class A shares sold in a series offering for at least one year from the time of such sale, or they could sell their shares in accordance with Rule 144. We are unable to estimate the number of Class A shares of a series that will be sold under Rule 144 or pursuant to one or more future qualified offerings or the timing of such sales, since this will depend on the market price for the Class A shares of a series, the personal circumstances of the sellers and other factors. However, the availability for sale of substantial amounts of Class A shares of a series in the open market may adversely affect the market price of the Class A shares of such series offered by this offering circular.
Accordingly, the alignment that will exist upon the final closing of a series offering between Masterworks and our other shareholders of such series offering may not exist in the future. If Masterworks were to sell a significant portion of its shares, the interests of Masterworks may differ significantly from those of investors in the series offering and subsequent holders of the Class A shares of such series. As a result, we cannot assure investors that Masterworks will execute a discretionary sale of the Artwork of a series at a time that is in the best interests of holders of the Class A shares of such series.
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Masterworks or another holder of a large block of shares of a particular series may seek to sell its shares on the ATS which could result in downward pressure on the share price.
In the event any person or entity, which may include an affiliate of Masterworks, acquires a significant percentage of the Class A shares of a series, such shareholder may elect to sell its interest in the Class A shares on the ATS or other trading platform which could result in downward pressure on the share price and depress the price you would realize upon sale.
Masterworks and Members of the Board of Managers and executive officers will have other business interests and obligations to other entities, including interests and obligations relating to the art industry.
Masterworks expects to engage in other business activities, including other activities relating to the art industry. Masterworks may buy and sell other works of art, enter into pre-auction guarantees, operate a gallery (for viewing purposes), establish other entities similar to us and other activities. In addition, neither the Administrator nor its executive officers nor the Board of Managers will be required to manage us as their sole and exclusive function and they will have other business interests and will engage in other activities in addition to those relating to us. We are dependent on the Administrator and its officers and employees to successfully operate us. Their other business interests and activities could divert time and attention from operating our business.
We are party to agreements that exculpate the Board of Managers, the Administrator and its affiliates, and certain other persons engaged on behalf of the Administrator from liabilities with respect to certain actions taken, even if such actions are negligent, which also reduces the remedies available to investors for certain acts by such persons.
Our operating agreement limits the liability of the Board of Managers, any of our members, any person who is an officer of ours and any person who serves at the request of the Board of Managers on behalf of us as an officer, director, members of the Board of Managers, Independent Manager, partner, member, stockholder or employee of such person. The management services agreement limits the liability of the Administrator, its affiliates, managers, officers and members. None of the foregoing persons shall be liable to us or the Administrator or any other member of us for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it or by other person with respect to us, including any negligent act or failure to act, except in the case of a liability resulting from any of the foregoing person’s own actual fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct, bad faith, breach of fiduciary duties that have not been waived, reckless disregard of duty or any intentional and material breach of the operating agreement or conduct that is subject of a criminal proceeding (where such person has reasonable cause to believe that such conduct was unlawful). With the prior consent of the Board of Managers, any of the foregoing persons may consult with legal counsel and accountants with respect to our affairs (including interpretations of the operating agreement) and shall be fully protected and justified in any action or inaction which is taken or omitted in good faith, in reliance upon and in accordance with the opinion or advice of such counsel or accountants. In determining whether any of the foregoing persons acted with the requisite degree of care, such person shall be entitled to rely on written or oral reports, opinions, certificates and other statements of the members of the Board of Managers, officers, employees, consultants, attorneys, accountants and professional advisors of us selected with reasonable care; provided, that no such person may rely upon such statements if it believed that such statements were materially false. The foregoing limitations on liability reduce the remedies available to the holders of the Class A shares of any series for actions taken which may negatively affect us.
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Representatives of registered investment advisers introduced to you through the Masterworks website are dedicated to advising on Masterworks securities and have conflicts of interest.
Certain investment adviser representatives of Masterworks Advisers, LLC, or “Masterworks Advisers,” are exclusively dedicated to providing advisory services with respect to Masterworks financial products. Masterworks, directly or indirectly, pays the compensation of these individuals and Masterworks Advisers is a wholly owned subsidiary of Masterworks so the representatives have conflicts of interest and lack the independence of other investment professionals who may provide more generalized investment advice. While these individuals have regulatory duties to investors, including fiduciary duties, such individuals are exclusively dedicated to the provision of advisory services of Masterworks financial products. Accordingly, such individuals will not provide you with recommendations or advice on investing in other traditional or alternative asset classes.
Risks Relating to Ownership of the Class A shares of a series and the Offering of a series
The Class A shareholders of a series will have very limited voting rights and we will have the ability to sell the Artwork of a series without shareholder approval.
Our operating agreement provides that the assets, affairs and business of our Company will be managed under the direction of our Board of Managers. Our Board of Managers, in their sole and absolute discretion, will have the ability to sell the Artwork of a series at any time and in any manner. Our shareholders do not elect or vote on our Board of Managers. The Class A shares of each series have no voting rights other than to vote together a single class on certain matters that disproportionately and adversely affect such series in relation to any other series and to vote together with holders of all voting Class A shares outstanding of all series together as a single class to remove and replace the Administrator, to remove a member of the Board of Managers for “cause” and to approve certain acts as described in our operating agreement, including certain proposed amendments to the operating agreement or the management services agreement.
Each outstanding Class A share of a series entitles the holder to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders of such series, provided, that Class A shares of a series beneficially owned by Masterworks, if any, and shares of a series held by certain shareholders of such series that irrevocably elect to limit or eliminate their voting rights, if any, shall not vote. Generally, matters to be voted on by our shareholders must be approved by a majority of the votes cast by all Class A shares of an affected series or of all the series of our Company as one group, as applicable, present in person or represented by proxy, although the vote to remove a member of the Board of Managers for “cause” or to remove and replace the Administrator requires a two-thirds vote of the voting shares of all of the series then existing as a single class. If any vote occurs, you will be bound by the majority or supermajority vote, as applicable, even if you did not vote with the majority or supermajority.
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Selling your Class A shares may be difficult, or even impossible.
We do not plan to list the Class A shares of any series for trading on a national securities exchange, but we intend to facilitate secondary sales of Class A shares of each series on an alternative trading system operated by an SEC-registered broker-dealer, referred to as the “ATS,” commencing on or after the three-month anniversary of the date the series offering is fully subscribed. No assurance can be given that the ATS will provide an effective means of selling your Class A shares of a series or that the price at which any Class A shares of a series are sold through the ATS is reflective of the fair value of the Class A shares of that series or the Artwork of that series. We do not know the extent to which investor interest will lead to the development and maintenance of a liquid market. In light of a variety of factors, including, without limitation, the relatively small market capitalization of each series of the Company, we cannot guarantee the ATS will provide a reliable or effective means of price discovery. Any posted offer prices or historical transaction information reflected on the ATS should not be construed as being representative of the fair value of the Class A shares of such series or of the Artwork of such series. The ATS will not be available to, or provide only limited functionality to, certain non-U.S. citizens or those who invest through a self-directed IRA. For a list of countries that are enabled on the ATS, see the trading section of the Masterworks Platform. Investors should be prepared to hold their Class A shares of such series for an indefinite period of time, as there can be no assurance that the Class A shares of such series will ever be saleable through the ATS or an alternative platform.
You may not be able to sell your Class A shares of a series at or above the offering price or at all.
The initial public offering price for the Class A shares of a series is above their net tangible asset value due to the payment of the Expense Allocation to Masterworks. In addition, Masterworks will own 1,000 Class B shares of a series representing a 20% profits interest in such series. Prior to these series offerings, no public market exists for the Class A shares of such series. You may not be able to sell your Class A shares of a series at or above the initial offering price, or ever. Investors should be prepared to hold their Class A shares of such series for an indefinite period, as there can be no assurance that the Class A shares of such series can ever be tradable or sold.
We will be required to publicly report on an ongoing basis under the reporting rules set forth in Regulation A for Tier 2 issuers. Therefore, we will be subject to ongoing public reporting requirements that are less rigorous than Exchange Act rules for companies that are not “emerging growth companies,” and our investors could receive less information than they might expect to receive from exchange traded public companies.
We will be required to publicly report on an ongoing basis under the reporting rules set forth in Regulation A for Tier 2 issuers. The ongoing reporting requirements under Regulation A are more relaxed than for “emerging growth companies” under the Exchange Act. The differences include, but are not limited to, being required to file only annual and semiannual reports, rather than annual and quarterly reports. Annual reports are due within 120 calendar days after the end of the issuer’s fiscal year, and semiannual reports are due within 90 calendar days after the end of the first six months of the issuer’s fiscal year. Therefore, our investors could receive less information than they might expect to receive from exchange traded public companies.
Foreign Holders of the Class A shares of a series may face significant restrictions on the resale of the Class A shares of a series due to rules restricting participation by foreign citizens.
The ATS or certain features of the ATS will not be available to residents of certain foreign countries. For a list of countries that are enabled on the ATS, see the trading section of the Masterworks Platform. Accordingly, if you reside outside of the United States you should consider the resale market for the Class A shares of a series to be limited, as you may be unable to resell your Class A shares of such series on the ATS, or at all.
A Concentration of ownership of the Class A shares of a series may reduce liquidity or adversely affect the price of the Class A shares of such series on the ATS or any other trading venue on which the Class A shares of such series may be traded.
Our operating agreement contains a 24.99% beneficial ownership limit, but we can waive such limit in our discretion on a case-by-case basis. Certain Class A shareholders of a series may beneficially own a large percentage of the outstanding Class A shares of such series. A concentration of ownership in one or a small group of shareholders may diminish liquidity on the ATS, particularly if any such shareholder is deemed to be an “affiliate” of the Company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act, which would include any affiliate of Masterworks and would make it more difficult for such shareholder to sell its shares pursuant to applicable Federal securities laws. Conversely, concentrated ownership could also create an “overhang” risk, which is a risk that such shareholder or shareholders seek to liquidate their positions in a short time frame, which could significantly increase the supply of Class A shares of a series available for sale without a corresponding increase in demand, thereby driving the trading price of the Class A shares of such series downward.
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Our capital structure may create situations in which the interests of Masterworks are not completely aligned with the interests of other shareholders.
The Class B shares of a series have the right to 20% of the profits upon a sale of the Artwork of such series and can be converted into Class A shares of such series pursuant to a formula in our operating agreement. The Class C share of a series can be issued or transferred to an affiliate of Masterworks and would provide such Masterworks affiliate with the exclusive right to remove, replace or reconstitute our Board of Managers without “cause” for any reason, which may adversely affect the interests of another series of the Company. The SPC Preferred Shares contain a $20 per share liquidation preference. Accordingly, there could be situations in which the interests of Masterworks are not completely aligned with the interests of our Class A shareholders. The ability of a Masterworks affiliate to replace our Board increases the chances that those situations might not be resolved in favor of the Class A shareholders. We and Masterworks intend to take reasonable steps to address potential situations in which Masterworks may have differing economic interests from those of other shareholders, such as in connection with an eventual sale of the Artwork of a series, including by forming a special committee comprised solely of Managers that are independent of management and Masterworks to approve any such sale, but there can be no assurance that these steps will adequately protect the interests of Class A shareholders of a series.
If we face litigation related to a series offering, we may elect to auction the Artwork of such series and the proceeds of any sale at such auction may be insufficient to provide an adequate remedy. Further, if investors successfully seek rescission, we would face severe financial demands that we may not be able to meet.
The Class A shares of a series have not been registered under the Securities Act and are being offered in reliance upon the exemption provided by Section 3(b) of the Securities Act, including Regulation A promulgated thereunder. We represent that this Offering Circular does not contain any untrue statements of material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of all the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading. However, if this representation is inaccurate with respect to a material fact, if a series offering fails to qualify for exemption from registration under the federal securities laws pursuant to Regulation A, or if we fail to register the Class A shares of the series or find an exemption under the securities laws of each state in which we offer the Class A shares of such series, each investor may have the right to rescind his, her or its purchase of the Class A shares of such series and to receive back from us his, her or its purchase price with interest. Such investors, however, may be unable to collect on any judgment, and the cost of obtaining such judgment may outweigh the benefits. If investors successfully seek rescission, we may elect to sell the Artwork of a series and there can be no assurance that the proceeds of any such sale would be an adequate remedy for our investors and we would face severe financial demands we may not be able to meet and it may adversely affect any non-rescinding investors.
If we face litigation, unless such litigation is proven to involve fraud or intentional misconduct on the part of the Administrator or our other affiliates, we may seek to sell the Artwork of a series and the Administrator will be entitled to recoup its expenses in connection with defending and or settling such litigation.
Our operating agreement indemnifies the Board of Managers and the management services agreement indemnifies the Administrator in all instances not involving fraud or intentional misconduct. In addition, while the Administrator is responsible for all ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection with maintaining the Artwork of a series and managing our Company, there is an exception for costs incurred in connection with litigation. Accordingly, if there is any litigation involving our Company which does not involve fraud or intentional misconduct, the costs relating to such litigation will be deducted from the funds to be disbursed to holders of Class A shares of such series upon our sale of the Artwork of such series.
Because we do not have an audit committee, holders of the Class A shares of a series will have to rely on our Board of Managers and the Independent Manager to perform these functions.
We do not have an audit committee. The Board of Managers, made up of Nigel Glenday, Joshua B. Goldstein and Eli D. Broverman will perform the duties normally performed by an audit committee for an entity such as ours. One of the members of the Board of Managers, Eli D. Broverman, serves as the Independent Manager on the Board of Managers. The Independent Manager serves to protect the interests of the holders of the Class A shares of each series and is tasked with reviewing and approving all related party transactions between us and our affiliates and address all conflicts of interest that may arise between us and the holders of the Class A shares of each series and our affiliates. If the Independent Manager resigns from such position on the Board of Managers at any time, the remaining members of the Board of Managers shall appoint a replacement that meets the standards of an independent director pursuant to the standards set forth on NASDAQ pursuant to NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 4200(a)(15).
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Purchasers in the series offerings and in the aftermarket will experience dilution in the book value of their investment over time.
The initial offering price per Class A share of each series will be approximately $1.98 above the pro forma net tangible book value per Class A share of such series immediately following the series offerings as a result of the Expense Allocation amount payable to Masterworks. The Administrator will earn a management fee in the form of SPC Preferred shares of a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman, which will be exchangeable for Class A shares of the series of which the segregated portfolio holds the Artwork. If exchanged, these fees will, when issued, effectively further reduce the tangible book value per Class A share of the series over time. Additionally, if the value of the Class A shares of a series increases over time, the number of Class A shares of such series to be issued upon conversion of the Class B shares of such series will also increase over time resulting in additional dilution to holders of the Class A shares of such series.
Risks of investing using a credit card.
We may accept credit cards for subscriptions, provided that any such credit card subscription shall not exceed the lesser of $30,000 or the amount permitted by applicable law, per subscriber, per series offering. An investment in the Class A shares of any series is a long-term and highly illiquid investment. Payment by credit card may be appropriate for some investors as a temporary funding convenience, but should not be used as a long term means to finance an investment in the Class A shares of any series. Investors contemplating using their credit card to invest are urged to review the SEC’s Investor Alert dated February 14, 2018 entitled: Credit Cards and Investments – A Risky Combination, which is available at https://www.sec.gov/oiea/investor-alerts-and-bulletins/ia_riskycombination. Credit card investment will result in incurrence of third-party fees and charges (often ranging from 1.5% - 3.0%), interest obligations which will lower your expected investment returns, and could exceed your actual returns. In addition, if you cannot meet your minimum payment obligation, you may damage your credit profile which would make it more difficult and more expensive to borrow in the future.
Provisions of our Certificate of Formation and our Operating Agreement may delay or prevent a take-over which may not be in the best interests of holders of the Class A shares of a series.
Provisions of our Certificate of Formation and the operating agreement may be deemed to have anti-takeover effects, which include, among others, the Board of Managers having sole and exclusive control of the operations of us with the exclusion of the holders of the Class A shares of a series being able to vote upon certain limited circumstances, and may delay, defer or prevent a takeover attempt.
We do not intend to pay distributions in the foreseeable future and may only make a distribution to the holders of the Class A shares of a series if the Artwork of such series can be sold at a profit to the price we paid and after the costs and expenses associated with the sale there are sufficient funds to effect a distribution.
We do not maintain any cash balances and do not intend to pay any distributions in the foreseeable future and may only make a distribution to the holders of the Class A shares of a series if the Artwork of such series can be sold at a profit to the price paid by us and other costs and expenses associated with the sale there are sufficient funds to effect a distribution. Investors should be prepared to never receive a distribution in connection with their ownership of the Class A shares of such series.
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The tax treatment of an investment in the series of the Company is uncertain and subject to change.
We currently expect each series to be taxed as a partnership, which means we do not expect to pay entity-level Federal income taxes and we expect each Cayman segregated portfolio to be treated for tax as a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) and/or a controlled foreign corporation (“CFC”). Any income or loss arising from a sale of the Artwork of a series by Masterworks Cayman would be allocated to our shareholders and result in PFIC/Subpart F income for our shareholders. We expect each series to elect protectively to treat each PFIC as a qualified electing fund (“QEF”). In the event our Board of Managers determines that there is a material risk that our partnership status may not be respected by the IRS due to the potential existence of secondary market liquidity for the Class A shares of a series or for other reasons, our Board of Managers may restructure our operations to avoid or minimize entity-level Federal income taxes. Any such restructuring could, among other consequences, cause any gain resulting from a sale of the Artwork of a series being taxed at higher rates applicable to capital gains on collectibles. Shareholders are urged to consult their advisors with respect to the tax consequences of an investment in the Company in light of their particular circumstances. In addition, the Board of Managers has sole discretion to change the tax election such that the Company and each series would be taxed as a corporation for U.S. Federal income purposes, which would mean that the Company and each series would be required to pay entity level U.S. Federal income taxes on gains, if any, from the sale of the Artwork of a series. Any such change could adversely impact the net amount of funds you receive, after taxes, from a sale of the Artwork of a series.
Tax risk to investors seeking to invest using their individual retirement accounts, including traditional and self-directed IRAs and 401(k)s.
Section 408(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States treats the acquisition of any collectible, including any work of art, as a distribution from the retirement account. Distributions are taxable to the holder of the account and may be subject to early withdrawal penalties of 10% of such amount if the investor is not at least 59-1/2 years of age. The Internal Revenue Service could take the position that an investment in the Class A shares of a series is tantamount to the acquisition of artwork and therefore should be treated as a taxable distribution. We urge those investors seeking to use their individual retirement accounts to invest in Class A shares of a series to consult with a competent professional tax professional prior to making an investment decision.
By purchasing shares in the series offerings, you are bound by the provisions contained in our subscription agreement which provide for mandatory arbitration and a waiver of rights to a jury trial which limits your ability to bring class action lawsuits, seek remedies on a class basis or have a jury decide the factual merits of your claim.
By purchasing shares in the series offerings, investors agree to be bound by the arbitration provisions contained in our subscription agreement which provide that arbitration is the exclusive means for resolving disputes relating to or arising out of the subscription agreement, the shares, the Masterworks Platform, and/or the activities or relationships that involve, lead to, or result from any of the foregoing. In addition, by signing the subscription agreement, you waive your rights to a jury trial in any such dispute. Please note that neither the mandatory arbitration provision nor the waiver of your rights to a jury trial apply to claims made under the federal securities laws or any dispute you may have with Masterworks Advisers. Arbitration awards are generally final and binding. A party’s ability to have a court reverse or modify an arbitration award is very limited. Purchasers of shares in a secondary transaction would also be subject to the same arbitration provisions and jury waiver that are currently in our subscription agreement. Such arbitration provision limits the ability of investors to bring class action lawsuits or similarly seek remedies on a class basis for claims subject to the provision. If invoked, the arbitration is required to be conducted in New York, NY in accordance with New York law. The subscription agreement allows for either the Company or an investor to elect to enter into binding arbitration in the event of any covered claim in which the Company and the investor are adverse parties. While not mandatory, in the event that the Company were to invoke the arbitration clause, the rights of the adverse shareholder to seek redress in court would be severely limited. These restrictions on the ability to bring a class action lawsuit and the waiver of a jury trial may result in increased costs and/or reduced remedies, to individual investors who wish to pursue claims against the Company, except in the case of claims made under the federal securities laws.
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Prior to giving effect to each series offering, 100% of the membership interests of each series of the Company for which we are conducting a series offering are held by Masterworks.
Investors in the series offerings will suffer immediate dilution in the net tangible book value per share $1.98 as a result of the Expense Allocation to be paid to Masterworks as part of our cost of utilizing the Masterworks Platform and acquiring the Artwork of each series. We estimate that the net tangible book value per share upon the final closing of a series offering after giving effect to the intended use of proceeds from such offering will be $18.02.
The Class B shares of a series may also have a dilutive effect following the final closing of the offering of a series. The formula for the conversion of the Class B shares of a series into the Class A shares of a series is as follows:
| Class A shares of a series issuable upon conversion | = | (A) Value Increase, multiplied by | |
| (B) Conversion Percentage, multiplied by | |||
| (C) 20%, divided by | |||
| (D) Class A share Value of a series. |
Definitions for conversion calculation:
| “Value Increase” | means, the aggregate value of Class A shares of the applicable series outstanding at such time on a fully diluted basis (including any shares issuable upon exchange of SPC Preferred shares (“Exchange Shares”)), minus the product of (i) the number of Class A shares of such series outstanding at such time on a fully diluted basis (including Exchange Shares) and (ii) $20.00, if such difference is positive. | |
| “Conversion Percentage” | means, (A) the number of Class B shares of a series being converted, divided by (B) the number of Class B shares of a series outstanding. | |
| “Class A share Value” | means, as of the close of business on the day preceding the conversion date, the volume weighted average trading price (“VWAP”) of the Class A shares of a series on all trading platforms or trading systems on which the Class A shares of a series are being traded over the forty-five (45) trading days then ended, provided, that if the total aggregate trading volume over such 45-trading-day period is less than 5% of the public float, such period shall be extended to the ninety (90) trading days then ended, provided, further, if the total aggregate trading volume over such 90-trading-day period is less than 5% of the public float, the holder of the Class B shares of a series shall request that the Administrator obtain an appraisal of the Class A share Value of a series from one or more independent nationally-recognized third party appraisal companies and such appraisal shall constitute the Class A share Value of a series.* |
* The hypothetical Class A share values of a series represent the assumed VWAP, or in the absence of a trading market, the appraised fair value of the Class A shares of a series, which, in either case, is assumed to be the amount that a Class A share of a series would receive upon sale of the Artwork of such series (i.e. the appraised value of the Artwork of such series divided by the fully diluted number of Class A shares of such series outstanding).
Examples of conversion calculation
The following table illustrates the number and percentage of Class A shares of a series (rounded to nearest whole share) that would be issued to Masterworks upon conversion of all of its Class B shares of a series based on hypothetical changes in the trading price or value of the Class A shares of a series, assuming that 83,250 Class A shares are sold in such series offering:
| Hypothetical Class A share Value of a series | $ | 20.00 | $ | 30.00 | $ | 40.00 | $ | 50.00 | $ | 60.00 | ||||||||||
| No. of Class A shares of a series Masterworks would receive upon conversion of 100% of its Class B shares of a series | 0 | 6,938 | 10,406 | 12,488 | 13,875 | |||||||||||||||
| Percentage of total outstanding Class A shares of a series Masterworks would receive upon conversion of 100% of its Class B shares of a series | 0 | % | 7.69 | % | 11.11 | % | 13.04 | % | 14.29 | % |
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Pursuant to the foregoing formula, Class A shares of a series will only be issuable upon a conversion of Class B shares of a series if the value of the Class A shares of a series is higher than $20.00 per share. Upon the final closing of each series offering, the value of the Class A shares of a series will be $20.00 per share based on the offering price and therefore, no shares will be issuable upon a conversion of Class B shares of a series into Class A shares of a series at such time.
Nominal consideration was paid for the membership interests represented by Class B shares of a series. The aggregate cash cost to Masterworks for the Class B shares of a series will be $100.00 (representing the cash payment made in consideration of the issuance of membership interests represented by Class B shares of a series) or less than $0.01 per share. If in the future the value of the Class A shares of a series increases to where there is a gain in value, based on the above formula, there will be additional dilution.
For example, if the value of the Class A shares of a series is $30 per share, based on the foregoing conversion formula, the Class B shares of a series will be convertible into 6,938 Class A shares of a series if Masterworks decides to convert all of the Class B shares of a series they hold. The new investors ownership interest would be diluted as follows assuming that 83,250 Class A shares of a series are sold in such series offering:
| Dilution Based on Hypothetical Conversion | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares Purchased | Total Consideration | Average Price | ||||||||||||||||||
| Number | Percent | Amount | Percent | per Share | ||||||||||||||||
| Existing shareholders as of January 23, 2024 | 0 | 0.0 | % | $ | 0 | 0.0 | % | $ | 0.00 | |||||||||||
| Assumed issuance of Class A shares for Class B shares | 6,938 | 7.69 | % | $ | 100 | 0.0 | % | $ | 0.01 | |||||||||||
| New investors (a series offering) | 83,250 | 92.31 | % | $ | 1,665,000 | 100.0 | % | $ | 20.00 | |||||||||||
| Total | 90,188 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,665,100 | 100.0 | % | $ | 20.01 | |||||||||||
In addition, as additional SPC Preferred shares are issued to the Administrator as payment for its entity-level and asset management services, the corresponding series will suffer dilution.
Further, the SPC Preferred shares will be exchangeable for Class A shares of the series of which the segregated portfolio holds the Artwork at an exchange rate of 1 for 1. Once SPC Preferred shares are exchanged for Class A shares of a series, there will be dilution to the holders of the Class A shares of such series.
The Company is selling the Class A shares through the Masterworks Platform and is not selling the Class A shares or soliciting investors through commissioned sales agents or underwriters. Representatives of an SEC registered investment adviser may provide advisory services to prospective investors. For additional information about these advisory services, please see “Advisory Services.” Subscriptions will be made only through the Masterworks Platform and payment will be made directly to a series of the Company. The subscription funds paid by investors as part of the subscription process will be held in a noninterest-bearing sub account of the Company with Goldman Sachs Bank USA, or a similar institution, and will not be commingled with the account of any other series or the Company, until, if and when there is a closing with respect to that series. All fees and expenses of the offerings will be paid by Masterworks and the Company shall have no responsibility for any such amounts payable. Accordingly, the gross proceeds from each series offering shall be the same as the net proceeds from such series offering. Each series offering will not exceed 24 months from the date of commencement in accordance with Rule 251(d)(3) of Regulation A.
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Online Subscriptions
Our affiliate Masterworks, LLC and its principals own and operate the Masterworks Platform located at https://www.masterworks.com/ that allows investors to acquire interests in special purpose companies that invest in artworks. Through the Masterworks Platform, investors can, once they establish a profile, browse and screen potential artwork investments, view details of an investment and sign contractual documents online.
After the qualification by the SEC of the offering statement of which this Offering Circular is a part, the series offerings will be conducted through the Masterworks Platform, whereby investors will receive, review, execute and deliver subscription agreements electronically as well as make payment of the purchase price in the form of ACH debit, credit card, or wire transfer into non-interest bearing segregated sub account of the Company with Goldman Sachs Bank USA, or a similar institution and will not be commingled with the account of any other series or the Company, until, if and when there is a closing with respect to that series. Credit card subscription shall not exceed the lesser of $30,000 or the amount permitted by applicable law, per series offering, per subscriber. Investors contemplating using their credit card to invest are urged to carefully review “Risk Factors – Risks of investing using a credit card.” Credit card investment will result in incurrence of third-party fees and charges, interest obligations which will lower your expected investment returns and could exceed your actual returns. In addition, if you cannot meet your minimum payment obligation, you may damage your credit profile which would make it more difficult and more expensive to borrow in the future. On any relevant closing date, the funds in the account will be released to the applicable series and the associated Class A shares of a series will be issued to the investors in the offering of a series. If there are no closings of the offering of a series, the funds deposited in the segregated sub account will be promptly returned to subscribers, without deduction and generally without interest.
Upon each closing of a series offering under the terms as set out in this offering circular, funds will be immediately transferred to us (where the funds will be available for use in the operations of the Company’s business in a manner consistent with the “Use of Proceeds” in this offering circular).
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for the Class A shares of each series is Equity Stock Transfer, LLC. The transfer agent’s address is 237 West 37th Street, Suite 602, New York, New York 10018. The transfer agent’s telephone number is 212-575-5757. We intend to avoid registration of the Class A shares of each series under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and may avail ourselves of the conditional limitation on shares “held of record” contained in Rule 12g5-1(a)(7) of the Exchange Act. In connection with any shareholder distributions upon a sale of an Artwork of a series, we may also engage Equity Stock Transfer, LLP as paying agent in accordance with the terms of our operating agreement.
Book-Entry Records of Class A shares
Ownership of the Class A shares of a series will be represented in “book-entry” only form directly in the name of the respective owner of the Class A shares of a series and shall be recorded by the Company and that no physical certificates shall be issued, nor received, by the Company or any other person. The Company or Masterworks shall send out email confirmations of positions and notifications of changes “from” us upon each and every event affecting any person’s ownership interest.
Investment Amount Limitations
The maximum investment amount per investor in any series is $250,000 (12,500 Class A shares) and the minimum investment amount per investor in any series is $15,000 (750 Class A shares) for investors that have not previously invested in offerings via the Masterworks Platform and $500 (25 Class A shares) for investors that have previously invested in other offerings on the Masterworks Platform. We reserve the right to reject any subscription, waive or increase the maximum purchase restriction or waive or decrease the minimum purchase restriction in our sole and absolute discretion and we routinely grant such waivers, increases or reductions for categories of investors or on a case-by-case basis. Accordingly, investors should not assume that the stated minimum investment restriction will be applied uniformly to all investors.
Subscriptions, once received, are irrevocable by the investors. Further, pursuant to the terms of the Company’s operating agreement, an investor, other than an affiliate of Masterworks, generally cannot own, or be deemed to beneficially own, as “beneficial ownership” is determined pursuant to Section 13(d) and 13(g) of the Securities Act, more than 24.99% of the total number of Class A shares of a series outstanding. We may waive such limit on a case-by-case basis in our sole discretion.
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Generally, no sale may be made to you in the offering of a series if the aggregate purchase price you pay for your investment in any of the interests of our company (in connection with any series offered under Regulation A) is more than 10% of the greater of your annual income or net worth. Different rules apply to accredited investors and non-natural persons. Before making any representation that your investment does not exceed applicable thresholds, we encourage you to review Rule 251(d)(2)(i)(C) of Regulation A. For general information on investing, you are encouraged to refer to www.investor.gov.
As a Tier 2, Regulation A offering, investors must comply with the 10% limitation to investment. The only investor in the offering of a series exempt from this limitation is an accredited investor, an “Accredited Investor,” as defined under Rule 501 of Regulation D. If you meet one of the following tests you should qualify as an Accredited Investor:
| (i) | You are a natural person who has had individual income in excess of $200,000 in each of the two most recent years, or joint income with your spouse or spousal equivalent in excess of $300,000 in each of these years, and have a reasonable expectation of reaching the same income level in the current year; |
| (ii) | You are a natural person and your individual net worth, or joint net worth with your spouse or spousal equivalent, exceeds $1,000,000 at the time you purchase Class A shares (please see below on how to calculate your net worth); |
| (iii) | You are a director, executive officer or general partner of the issuer or a director, executive officer, or general partner of the general partner of the issuer; |
| (iv) | You are an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, a corporation, a Massachusetts or similar business trust or a partnership, or limited liability company, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the Class A shares, with total assets in excess of $5,000,000; |
| (v) | You are a bank or a savings and loan association or other institution as defined in the Securities Act, a broker or dealer registered pursuant to Section 15 of the Exchange Act, an investment advisor registered pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 or registered pursuant to the laws of a state, an investment advisor relying on the exemption of registering with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, an insurance company as defined by the Securities Act, an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, or a business development company as defined in that act, any Small Business Investment Company licensed by the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, or a Rural Business Investment Company as defined in the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, or a private business development company as defined in the Investment Advisers Act of 1940; |
| (vi) | You are an entity (including an Individual Retirement Account trust) in which each equity owner is an accredited investor; |
| (vii) | You are a trust with total assets in excess of $5,000,000, your purchase of Class A shares is directed by a person who either alone or with his purchaser representative(s) (as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act) has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that he is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment, and you were not formed for the specific purpose of investing in the Class A shares; or |
| (viii) | You are a plan established and maintained by a state, its political subdivisions, or any agency or instrumentality of a state or its political subdivisions, for the benefit of its employees, if such plan has assets in excess of $5,000,000; an employee benefit plan within the meaning of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 if the investment decision is made by a plan fiduciary, as defined in such act, which is either a bank, savings and loan association, insurance company, or registered investment adviser, or if the employee benefit plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000 or, if a self-directed plan, with investment decisions made solely by persons that are accredited investors; |
| (ix) | You are an entity, of a type not listed in the above paragraphs (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), or (viii), not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the Class A shares, owning investments in excess of $5,000,000; |
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| (x) | You are a natural person holding in good standing one or more professional certifications or designations or credentials from an accredited educational institution that the SEC has designated as qualifying an individual for accredited investor status; |
| (xi) | You are a “family office,” as defined by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, with assets under management in excess of $5,000,000, and is not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the Class A shares, and your prospective investment is directed by a person who has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that such family office is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment; |
| (xii) | You are a “family client,” as defined under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, of a family office meeting the requirements in the above paragraph (xi), and your prospective investment in the issuer is directed by such family office pursuant to the above paragraph (xi). |
Offering Period and Expiration Date
The series offerings are being conducted as a continuous offering pursuant to Rule 251(d)(3) of Regulation A, meaning that while the offering of a particular series is continuous, active sales of series interests may take place sporadically over the term of the series offering. There will be a separate closing, or multiple closings, with respect to each series offering. An initial closing of a series offering will take place on the earliest to occur of (i) the date subscriptions for the maximum number of series Class A shares have been accepted, (ii) a date determined by us in our sole discretion and (iii) the date that is 24 months following the qualification date of the offering statement. Notwithstanding, we reserve the right to terminate a series offering for any reason at any time prior to the initial closing of such series offering. Additionally, any subsequent series closing following such initial closing will take place on the earliest to occur of (i) the date subscriptions for the maximum number of series Class A shares have been accepted, (ii) a date determined by us in our sole discretion and (iii) the date that is 24 months following the qualification date of the offering statement. If an initial closing has not occurred, a series offering will be terminated upon the earliest to occur of (i) the date that is 24 months following the qualification date of the offering statement and (ii) any date on which we elect to terminate the offering for a particular series in our sole discretion. No securities are being offered by existing security-holders.
Masterworks Platform
We plan to use the Masterworks Platform website at https://www.masterworks.com/ to provide notification of the anticipated series offerings. Prior to the qualification of a series offering by the SEC, we may post information about the anticipated series offering on the Masterworks Platform website, including prior auction sales of art created by the artist. This offering circular as well as amendments to this offering circular after it has been publicly filed and prior to qualification by the SEC will be furnished to prospective investors for their review via download 24 hours per day, 7 days per week on the website as well.
Procedures for Subscribing
After the qualification by the SEC of the offering statement of which this offering circular is a part, if you decide to subscribe for any Class A shares in any series offering, you should visit the Masterworks Platform website at https://www.masterworks.com/, and follow the links and procedures described on the website. The website will direct you to receive (upon your acknowledgement that you have had the opportunity to review this offering circular), review, execute and deliver the subscription agreement electronically. The Masterworks Platform provides a secure portal to enable you to subscribe as follows:
| 1. | You will be required to provide basic identifying information, including your name, email address, phone number, and to establish a password, after which you will be prompted to continue to the next screen. After that, Masterworks sends you an email requesting you to click a link that verifies your email address and confirms that you created your profile with Masterworks. |
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| 2. | If applicable, based on your identifying information, you may be prompted to schedule a call with a Masterworks Advisers adviser representative, at which time you will also review and sign an Investment Advisory Agreement, a form of which is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to the offering statement of which this offering circular is an integral part. | |
| 3. | Once you complete a call with a Masterworks Advisers adviser representative, if applicable, and once a series offering has been qualified by the SEC, you can initiate the subscription process by clicking a “Invest Now” link adjacent to a reference to the particular offering. | |
| 4. | You will then be presented with a link to the Offering Circular (and any post qualification supplements or amendments, if applicable) and basic information about the series offering, including an image of the relevant artwork, the maximum aggregate offering amount and the minimum investment amount. | |
| 5. | You will be requested to input and confirm the dollar amount of your proposed subscription. | |
| 6. | You will then be prompted to select whether you are investing yourself or through an entity, trust or joint account. | |
| 7. | After a prompt to continue, you will be requested to select a payment method, including: (i) linking a bank account to facilitate payment through the Automated Clearing House, or ACH, (ii) federal funds wire transfer, (iii) credit card, (iv) transfer from an IRA account, or (v) your Masterworks wallet as follows:
(a) ACH. If you choose to link your bank account, you will be requested to select your bank among a directory of banks and you will be prompted to provide your bank user name and password and to select the particular account. You may also confirm your bank account by confirming micro deposits in lieu of using your user name and password. |
(b) Wire Transfer. If you choose to pay by wire transfer, you will be provided with the issuer’s bank account number, routing number and bank address, along with a unique identifying code that will enable us to match the incoming wire transfer with your subscription.
(c) Credit Card. If you choose to pay by credit card, you will be prompted to provide your credit card information and will be presented with a screen that reflects the amount of your subscription, the amount of fees that would be charged by the credit card issuer for the transaction and the total amount payable. | ||
| 8. | After payment is complete, you will be directed to review and execute a copy of the subscription agreement, which contains an active hyper-link to the operating agreement for the issuer and is self-populated with your name, address, telephone number, subscription amount and method of payment. | |
| 9. | Next, you will be requested to complete certain special reporting obligations questions. Then, you must verify your identity and you will be presented with an active hyperlink to a Customer ID Program Notice which describes the identification information you need to provide. You will be prompted to provide us with your address, date of birth and your social security or tax identification number. You will also be asked: (i) whether you are an accredited investor (with appropriate definitions provided) and if not, you will be asked to confirm that your investment will be less than 10% of your net worth or annual gross income, (ii) whether you or anyone in your household are associated with a FINRA member, securities exchange, self-regulatory organization or the SEC and (iii) whether you or anyone in your household or immediate family is a 10% shareholder, officer, or member of the board of directors of a publicly traded company. | |
| 10. | After your identity is cleared against certain governmental terrorist watch lists and lists designed to prevent or deter money-laundering, you will be presented with a confirmation of your accepted subscription. Investors selecting ACH or wire transfer will receive an email that payment has been initiated and a follow-up email indicating that the payment has been received by the issuer. | |
| 11. | You will receive an email confirmation indicating the amount of your subscription, along with a fully executed copy of the subscription agreement, which will be time and date stamped, for your records. |
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| 12. | You will then be presented with a screen requesting certain tax exemption status information that will be used, along with other information previously provided, to populate a Form W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification) or W-8 (International), as applicable. | |
| 13. | Lastly, you will be directed to a “My Account” screen that summarizes the status of your subscription, order history, whether or not shares have been issued, profile information, tax documents and active hyperlinks to the subscription agreement and operating agreement. |
Any potential investor will have ample time to review the Subscription Agreement, along with their counsel, prior to making any final investment decision. We will not accept any money until the SEC declares this offering circular qualified.
The subscription funds advanced by prospective investors as part of the subscription process will be held in a non-interest bearing segregated sub account of the Company with Goldman Sachs Bank USA, or a similar institution and will not be commingled with the account of any other series or the Company, until, if and when there is a closing with respect to that series. The funds in the account will be released to us on each closing date. We intend to complete multiple closings of each series offering and, until a closing date of a series offering, the proceeds for the series offering will be kept in the segregated bank account. At the closing of each series offering, the proceeds will be distributed to us and the associated Class A shares of the applicable series will be issued to the investors in this series offering. If any series offering is terminated without a closing, or if a prospective investor’s subscription is not accepted or is cut back due to oversubscription or otherwise, such amounts placed into a segregated account will be returned promptly without interest. Any costs and expenses associated with a terminated series offering will be borne by Masterworks.
You will be required to represent and warrant in your subscription agreement that you are an accredited investor as defined under Rule 501 of Regulation D or that your investment in any of the interests of the Company (in connection with any series offered under Regulation A) does not exceed 10% of your net worth or annual income, whichever is greater, if you are a natural person, or 10% of your revenues or net assets, whichever is greater, calculated as of your most recent fiscal year if you are a non-natural person. By completing and executing your subscription agreement you will also acknowledge and represent that you have received a copy of this offering circular, you are purchasing the Class A shares of a series for your own account and that your rights and responsibilities regarding your Class A shares of a series will be governed by our operating agreement and Certificate of Formation, each filed as an exhibit to the offering statement of which this offering circular forms an integral part. Purchasers of the Class A shares of a series in the offering of a series and subsequent purchasers will be deemed to become party to the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC operating agreement, a form of which is filed as Exhibit 2.3 to the offering statement of which this offering circular forms an integral part.
| ● | Right to Reject Subscriptions. After we receive your complete, executed subscription agreement and the funds required under the subscription agreement have been transferred to the noninterest-bearing sub account, we have the right to review and accept or reject your subscription in whole or in part, for any reason or for no reason. We will return all monies from rejected subscriptions immediately to you, without interest or deduction. | |
| ● | Acceptance of Subscriptions. Upon our acceptance of a subscription agreement, we will countersign the subscription agreement and issue the Class A shares of the series subscribed at the applicable closing. Once you submit the subscription agreement and it is accepted, you may not revoke or change your subscription or request your subscription funds. All accepted subscription agreements are irrevocable. |
Under Rule 251 of Regulation A, non-accredited, non-natural investors are subject to the investment limitation and may only invest funds which do not exceed 10% of the greater of the purchaser’s revenue or net assets (as of the purchaser’s most recent fiscal year end). A non-accredited, natural person may only invest funds which do not exceed 10% of the greater of the purchaser’s annual income or net worth (please see below on how to calculate your net worth).
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For the purposes of calculating your Net Worth, it is defined as the difference between total assets and total liabilities. This calculation must exclude the value of your primary residence and may exclude any indebtedness secured by your primary residence (up to an amount equal to the value of your primary residence). In the case of fiduciary accounts, net worth and/or income suitability requirements may be satisfied by the beneficiary of the account or by the fiduciary, if the fiduciary directly or indirectly provides funds for the purchase of the Class A shares of a series.
In order to purchase Class A shares of a series and prior to the acceptance of any funds from an investor, an investor will be required to represent, to our satisfaction, that he or she is either an accredited investor or is in compliance with the 10% of net worth or annual income limitation on investment in the offering of the series.
Non-U.S. investors may participate in the offering of a series by depositing their funds in the non-interest-bearing segregated account. Any such funds that are received shall be held on deposit until the applicable closing under the offering of the series or returned if there is no closing.
Selling Restrictions
Notice to prospective investors in Canada
The offering of the Class A shares of a series in Canada is being made on a private placement basis in reliance on exemptions from the prospectus requirements under the securities laws of each applicable Canadian province and territory where the Class A shares of a series may be offered and sold, and therein may only be made with investors that are purchasing as principal and that qualify as both an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus and Registration Exemptions and as a “permitted client” as such term is defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligation. Any offer and sale of the Class A shares of a series in any province or territory of Canada may only be made through a dealer that is properly registered under the securities legislation of the applicable province or territory wherein the Class A shares of a series are offered and/or sold or, alternatively, by a dealer that qualifies under and is relying upon an exemption from the registration requirements therein.
Any resale of the Class A shares of a series by an investor resident in Canada must be made in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws, which may require resales to be made in accordance with prospectus and registration requirements, statutory exemptions from the prospectus and registration requirements or under a discretionary exemption from the prospectus and registration requirements granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. These resale restrictions may under certain circumstances apply to resales of the Class A shares of a series outside of Canada.
Upon receipt of this document, each Canadian investor hereby confirms that it has expressly requested that all documents evidencing or relating in any way to the sale of the securities described herein (including for greater certainty any purchase confirmation or any notice) be drawn up in the English language only. Par la réception de ce document, chaque investisseur canadien confirme par les présentes qu’il a expressément exigé que tous les documents faisant foi ou se rapportant de quelque manière que ce soit à la vente des valeurs mobilières décrites aux présentes (incluant, pour plus de certitude, toute confirmation d’achat ou tout avis) soient rédigés en anglais seulement.
Notice to prospective investors in the European Economic Area
In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area (each, a “Relevant Member State”), no offer of Class A shares of a series may be made to the public in that Relevant Member State other than:
| ● | To any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive; | |
| ● | To fewer than 100 or, if the Relevant Member State has implemented the relevant provision of the 2010 PD Amending Directive, 150, natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive), as permitted under the Prospectus Directive, subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representatives; or | |
| ● | In any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive, |
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provided that no such offer of Class A shares of a series shall require us or the representatives to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 16 of the Prospectus Directive.
Each person in a Relevant Member State who initially acquires any Class A shares of a series or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed that it is a “qualified investor” within the meaning of the law in that Relevant Member State implementing Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive. In the case of any Class A shares of a series being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive, each such financial intermediary will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed that the Class A shares of a series acquired by it in the offer have not been acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in circumstances which may give rise to an offer of any Class A shares of a series to the public other than their offer or resale in a Relevant Member State to qualified investors as so defined or in circumstances in which the prior consent of the representatives has been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale.
We, the representatives and their affiliates will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representations, acknowledgements and agreements.
This offering circular has been prepared on the basis that any offer of Class A shares of a series in any Relevant Member State will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Directive from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of Class A shares of a series. Accordingly, any person making or intending to make an offer in that Relevant Member State of Class A shares of a series which are the subject of the offering contemplated in this offering circular may only do so in circumstances in which no obligation arises for us to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive in relation to such offer. We have not authorized, nor do we authorize, the making of any offer of Class A shares of a series in circumstances in which an obligation arises for us to publish a prospectus for such offer.
For the purpose of the above provisions, the expression “an offer to the public” in relation to any Class A shares of a series in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the Class A shares of a series to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the Class A shares of a series, as the same may be varied in the Relevant Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in the Relevant Member State and the expression “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC (including the 2010 PD Amending Directive, to the extent implemented in the Relevant Member States) and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State and the expression “2010 PD Amending Directive” means Directive 2010/73/EU.
Notice to prospective investors in the United Kingdom
In addition, in the United Kingdom, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, and any offer subsequently made may only be directed at persons who are “qualified investors” (as defined in the Prospectus Directive) (i) who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19 (5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “Order”) and/or (ii) who are high net worth companies (or persons to whom it may otherwise be lawfully communicated) falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”).
Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on the information included in this document or use it as basis for taking any action. In the United Kingdom, any investment or investment activity that this document relates to may be made or taken exclusively by relevant persons. Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.
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Notice to Prospective Investors in Switzerland
The Class A shares of a series may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, or SIX, or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the Class A shares of a series or the offering of a series may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.
Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering of a series, our Company, the Class A shares of a series have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of Class A shares of a series will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA (FINMA), and the offer of Class A shares of a series has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes, or CISA. The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of Class A shares of a series.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the Dubai International Financial Centre
This offering circular relates to an Exempt Offer in accordance with the Offered Securities Rules of the Dubai Financial Services Authority, or DFSA. This Offering circular is intended for distribution only to persons of a type specified in the Offered Securities Rules of the DFSA. It must not be delivered to, or relied on by, any other person. The DFSA has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with Exempt Offers. The DFSA has not approved this offering circular nor taken steps to verify the information set forth herein and has no responsibility for the offering circular. The Class A shares of a series to which this offering circular relates may be illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on their resale. Prospective purchasers of the Class A shares of a series offered should conduct their own due diligence on the Class A shares of a series. If you do not understand the contents of this offering circular you should consult an authorized financial advisor.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Australia
No placement document, prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document has been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, or ASIC, in relation to the offering of a series. This offering circular does not constitute a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act 2001, or the Corporations Act, and does not purport to include the information required for a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act.
Any offer in Australia of the Class A shares of a series may only be made to persons, or the Exempt Investors, who are “sophisticated investors” (within the meaning of section 708(8) of the Corporations Act), “professional investors” (within the meaning of section 708(11) of the Corporations Act) or otherwise pursuant to one or more exemptions contained in section 708 of the Corporations Act so that it is lawful to offer the Class A shares of a series without disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act.
The Class A shares of a series applied for by Exempt Investors in Australia must not be offered for sale in Australia in the period of 12 months after the date of allotment under a series offering, except in circumstances where disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act would not be required pursuant to an exemption under section 708 of the Corporations Act or otherwise or where the offer is pursuant to a disclosure document which complies with Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act. Any person acquiring Class A shares of a series must observe such Australian on-sale restrictions.
This offering circular contains general information only and does not take account of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. It does not contain any securities recommendations or financial product advice. Before making an investment decision, investors need to consider whether the information in this offering circular is appropriate to their needs, objectives and circumstances, and, if necessary, seek expert advice on those matters.
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Notice to prospective investors in China
This offering circular does not constitute a public offer of the Class A shares of a series, whether by sale or subscription, in the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”). The Class A shares of a series are not being offered or sold directly or indirectly in the PRC to or for the benefit of, legal or natural persons of the PRC.
Further, no legal or natural persons of the PRC may directly or indirectly purchase any of the Class A shares of a series or any beneficial interest therein without obtaining all prior PRC’s governmental approvals that are required, whether statutorily or otherwise. Persons who come into possession of this document are required by the issuer and its representatives to observe these restrictions.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong
The Class A shares of a series have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than (a) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance; or (b) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of that Ordinance. No advertisement, invitation or document relating to the Class A shares of a series has been or may be issued or has been or may be in the possession of any person for the purposes of issue, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere, which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public of Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to Class A shares of a series which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made under that Ordinance.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Japan
The Class A shares of a series have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948, as amended) and, accordingly, will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan, or for the benefit of any Japanese Person or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to any Japanese Person, except in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines promulgated by relevant Japanese governmental or regulatory authorities in effect at the relevant time. For the purposes of this paragraph, “Japanese Person” shall mean any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Singapore
This offering circular has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this offering circular and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of Class A shares of a series may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the Class A shares of a series be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore, or the SFA, (ii) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275, of the SFA, or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.
Where the Class A shares of a series are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:
(a) A corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire Class A share capital of a series of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or
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(b) A trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor, securities (as defined in Section 239(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the Class A shares of a series pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:
(i) To an institutional investor or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person arising from an offer referred to in Section 275(1A) or Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA;
(ii) Where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer;
(iii) Where the transfer is by operation of law;
(iv) As specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA; or
(v) As specified in Regulation 32 of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Class A shares of a series) Regulations 2005 of Singapore.
Investment adviser representatives of Masterworks Advisers, LLC (“Masterworks Advisers”), a SEC registered investment adviser, will provide investment advisory services to persons who have indicated an interest in investing in the Class A shares of each series offered pursuant to this offering circular and other offerings sponsored by Masterworks. These advisory services will be provided by a dedicated team of investment adviser representatives who are employees of Masterworks and associated persons of Masterworks Advisers. Any investor that speaks to an adviser representative will be requested to enter into an Investment Advisory Agreement with Masterworks Advisers, a form of which is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to the offering statement of which this offering circular is an integral part. The adviser representatives receive fixed compensation from Masterworks and Masterworks Advisers, and may also receive discretionary non-transaction-based incentive compensation from Masterworks Advisers and Masterworks affiliates. All funds necessary for the services provided by Masterworks Advisers and the dedicated advisor representatives are paid by Masterworks and no separate fees will be charged to investors in the series offerings in respect of such services.
In addition, Masterworks Advisers may be deemed to be a statutory underwriter in connection with the distribution of the series offerings and or other offerings sponsored by Masterworks. The adviser representatives dedicated to providing investment advisory services to persons interested in investing in Masterworks securities offerings will not provide recommendations or advice on any alternative investments or other asset classes. In light of the exclusive nature of the arrangement between dedicated adviser representatives and Masterworks Advisers and Masterworks, coupled with the fact that Masterworks Advisers is a wholly owned subsidiary of Masterworks and all funds used to compensate the dedicated adviser representatives are paid by Masterworks, Masterworks Advisers and these adviser representatives have conflicts of interest and lack the independence of other investment professionals who may provide more generalized investment advice.
Masterworks will pay all expenses of the series offerings, including fees and expenses associated with qualification of the series offerings under Regulation A. Therefore, the gross proceeds from the series offerings will equal the net proceeds from the series offerings. We intend to use a portion of the proceeds from the initial closing of the series offerings to contribute to segregated portfolios of Masterworks Cayman to acquire the Artworks of the series, and if and to the extent such proceeds are less than the purchase price, pursuant to a financing, license and sourcing agreement, the form of which is filed as Exhibit 6.4 to the offering statement of which this Offering Circular forms an integral part, Masterworks will advance to the segregated portfolios of Masterworks Cayman that will acquire the Artworks of a series any additional funds required to consummate the acquisitions. The remaining net proceeds of the series offerings, together with any unsold Class A shares of the series, if any, will be contributed to the segregated portfolios of Masterworks Cayman that will acquire the Artworks and will be used to repay the Masterworks advance and pay Masterworks the Expense Allocation. Accordingly, in any circumstance in which an initial closing of a series offering occurs, at the time of the final closing of such series offering, all Class A shares of such series will be issued and outstanding, the purchase price of the Artwork of such series and the Expense Allocation will be fully paid, each series will own its respective Artwork and the Company will have no indebtedness.
The gross proceeds of each series offering will be used for the following:
Series 309
| Uses | Amount | Approximate Percentage of Gross Proceeds | ||||||
| Acquisition of Artwork(1) | $ | 1,804,500 | 90.09 | % | ||||
| Expense Allocation Payment(2) | $ | 198,500 | 9.91 | % | ||||
| Total Proceeds | $ | 2,003,000 | 100 | % | ||||
Series 318
| Uses | Amount | Approximate Percentage of Gross Proceeds | ||||||
| Acquisition of Artwork(1) | $ | 451,101 | 90.04 | % | ||||
| Expense Allocation Payment(2) | $ | 49,899 | 9.96 | % | ||||
| Total Proceeds | $ | 501,000 | 100 | % | ||||
Series 320
| Uses | Amount |
Approximate Percentage of Gross Proceeds | ||||||
| Acquisition of Artwork(1) | $ | 365,000 | 90.12 | % | ||||
| Expense Allocation Payment(2) | $ | 40,000 | 9.88 | % | ||||
| Total Proceeds | $ | 405,000 | 100 | % | ||||
Series 323
| Uses | Amount |
Approximate Percentage of Gross Proceeds | ||||||
| Acquisition of Artwork(1) | $ | 412,500 | 90.07 | % | ||||
| Expense Allocation Payment(2) | $ | 45,500 | 9.93 | % | ||||
| Total Proceeds | $ | 458,000 | 100 | % | ||||
Series 329
| Uses | Amount | Approximate Percentage of Gross Proceeds | ||||||
| Acquisition of Artwork(1) | $ | 505,000 | 90.02 | % | ||||
| Expense Allocation Payment(2) | $ | 56,000 | 9.98 | % | ||||
| Total Proceeds | $ | 561,000 | 100 | % | ||||
Series 338
| Uses | Amount | Approximate Percentage of Gross Proceeds | ||||||
| Acquisition of Artwork(1) | $ | 805,000 | 90.04 | % | ||||
| Expense Allocation Payment(2) | $ | 89,000 | 9.96 | % | ||||
| Total Proceeds | $ | 894,000 | 100 | % | ||||
Series 340
| Uses | Amount | Approximate Percentage of Gross Proceeds | ||||||
| Acquisition of Artwork(1) | $ | 3,901,911 | 90.09 | % | ||||
| Expense Allocation Payment(2) | $ | 429,089 | 9.91 | % | ||||
| Total Proceeds | $ | 4,331,000 | 100 | % | ||||
Series 348
| Uses | Amount | Approximate Percentage of Gross Proceeds | ||||||
| Acquisition of Artwork(1) | $ | 1,625,000 | 90.08 | % | ||||
| Expense Allocation Payment(2) | $ | 179,000 | 9.92 | % | ||||
| Total Proceeds | $ | 1,804,000 | 100 | % | ||||
Series 386
| Uses | Amount | Approximate
Percentage of Gross Proceeds | ||||||
| Acquisition of Artwork(1) | $ | 2,299,900 | 90.09 | % | ||||
| Expense Allocation Payment(2) | $ | 253,100 | 9.91 | % | ||||
| Total Proceeds | $ | 2,553,000 | 100 | % | ||||
Series 411
| Uses | Amount |
Approximate Percentage of Gross Proceeds |
||||||
| Acquisition of Artwork(1) | $ | 794,845 | 90.12 | % | ||||
| Expense Allocation Payment(2) | $ | 87,155 | 9.88 | % | ||||
| Total Proceeds | $ | 882,000 | 100 | % | ||||
Series 415
| Uses | Amount | Approximate Percentage of Gross Proceeds | ||||||
| Acquisition of Artwork(1) | $ | 453,774 | 90.03 | % | ||||
| Expense Allocation Payment(2) | $ | 50,226 | 9.97 | % | ||||
| Total Proceeds | $ | 504,000 | 100 | % | ||||
Series 417
| Uses | Amount | Approximate Percentage of Gross Proceeds | ||||||
| Acquisition of Artwork(1) | $ | 900,000 | 90.09 | % | ||||
| Expense Allocation Payment(2) | $ | 99,000 | 9.91 | % | ||||
| Total Proceeds | $ | 999,000 | 100 | % | ||||
Series 420
| Uses | Amount | Approximate Percentage of Gross Proceeds | ||||||
| Acquisition of Artwork(1) | $ | 550,000 | 90.02 | % | ||||
| Expense Allocation Payment(2) | $ | 61,000 | 9.98 | % | ||||
| Total Proceeds | $ | 611,000 | 100 | % | ||||
Series 423
| Uses | Amount | Approximate Percentage of Gross Proceeds | ||||||
| Acquisition of Artwork(1) | $ | 331,800 | 90.16 | % | ||||
| Expense Allocation Payment(2) | $ | 36,200 | 9.84 | % | ||||
| Total Proceeds | $ | 368,000 | 100 | % | ||||
| (1) | The “Acquisition of Artwork” refers to the purchase price of the Artwork plus shipping costs, if applicable. |
| (2) | Masterworks will receive an upfront payment, or “Expense Allocation” which is intended to be a fixed non-recurring expense allocation for (i) financing commitments, (ii) Masterworks’ sourcing the Artwork of a series, (iii) all research, data analysis, condition reports, appraisal, due diligence, travel, currency conversion and legal services to acquire the Artwork of a series and (iv) the use of the Masterworks Platform and Masterworks intellectual property. No other expenses associated with the organization of the Company, any series offering or the purchase and securitization of the Artwork will be paid, directly or indirectly, by the Company, any series or investors in any series offering. |
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The discussions contained in this offering circular relating to the artist applicable to each series, the Artwork of each series and the art industry are taken from third-party sources that the Company believes to be reliable and the Company believes that the information from such sources contained herein regarding the artist applicable to each series, the Artwork of each series and the art industry is reasonable, and that the factual information therein is fair and accurate.
Overview
We were formed as a Delaware series limited liability company on November 9, 2022, by Masterworks to facilitate investment in specific Artworks. We are a manager-managed limited liability company managed by a Board of Managers. Upon our formation, Masterworks was issued membership interests of the initial series of the Company representing 100% of our membership interests of each such series and will thereafter own 100% of the membership interests of each series prior to the initial closing of the offering conducted by such series. Masterworks adopted our amended and restated operating agreement and Masterworks will hold 1,000 Class B shares of each series that offers Class A shares. On or prior to the initial closing of the initial series offerings, we will enter into the management services agreement with our Administrator pursuant to which the Administrator will agree to maintain the Artwork of each series and manage our business. Our Administrator can withdraw for any reason from its position as our Administrator, subject to certain conditions.
Masterworks, acting as agent for the Company, is seeking to acquire a specific Artwork for each series of the Company at public auction or in a privately negotiated transaction from a private seller. No closing of any series offering will occur prior to the acquisition by such series of the relevant Artwork.
We intend to use a portion of the proceeds from the initial closing of each series offering to, indirectly through a segregated portfolio company of Masterworks Cayman, acquire the Artwork of a series, and if and to the extent such proceeds are less than the purchase price, Masterworks will advance such segregated portfolio any additional funds required to consummate the acquisition. The remaining net proceeds of a series offering, together with any unsold Class A shares in a series, if any, will be contributed to the segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman that will acquire the Artwork for such series and will be used to repay the Masterworks advance and pay Masterworks the Expense Allocation. The Masterworks advance does not incur interest. Following the initial closing of a series offering, title to the Artwork of a series will be held in such segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman. The Artwork of a series will be the only asset of a segregated portfolio and neither the series nor the segregated portfolio will have any indebtedness.
We do not expect to generate any material amount of revenues or cash flow from the Artwork of any series unless and until the Artwork of such series is sold and no profits will be realized by investors unless the Artwork of such series is sold for more than we acquire it for, plus the Expense Allocation amount and we have sufficient funds after payment of all associated costs and fees in connection with the sale of the Artwork of such series, or the investors are able sell their Class A shares of such series for a price higher than they purchased them for. We will be 100% reliant on the Administrator to maintain the Artwork of each series and manage our business.
Pursuant to a management services agreement among Masterworks, Masterworks Cayman and us to be entered into prior to the initial closing of the initial series offerings, Masterworks will manage all of our Company-specific administrative services and will maintain the Artwork of each series. In exchange for these services and paying all ordinary and necessary operating costs and expenses, Masterworks will receive SPC Preferred shares of a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman, referred to as “SPC Preferred shares,” at a rate of 1.5% of the total SPC shares of such segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman outstanding which holds the Artwork of an applicable series, after giving effect to such issuance, per annum. Such issuances shall commence on the earliest closing date on which the offering is fully subscribed and at least 95% of the subscription proceeds for such offering have been received by the Company. There is no overall limit to the number of SPC Preferred shares that may be issued to pay these fees. SPC Preferred shares have no voting rights, but have a $20.00 per share liquidation preference over SPC Ordinary shares which are held by each series. This preference means that Masterworks management fees will be paid in priority to any payments made to Class A shareholders. Once earned, the SPC Preferred shares will be exchangeable for Class A shares of the series of which the segregated portfolio holds the Artwork at an exchange rate of 1 for 1 in the Administrator’s sole discretion. Once SPC Preferred shares are exchanged for Class A shares of a series, there will be dilution to the holders of the Class A shares of such series. For any series established before September 20, 2023, SPC Preferred shares can only be issued to, transferred to, or, held by, a Masterworks affiliate. The Administrator will also manage any extraordinary or non-routine services which may be required, from time-to-time, including, without limitation, litigation or services in connection with a sale of the Artwork of a series or any sale, merger, third-party tender offer or other similar transaction involving us. Any third-party costs incurred by the Administrator or payments made by the Administrator in connection with litigation or major transactions will be accrued as a liability of the applicable series and reimbursed upon the sale of the Artwork of a series or our Company, as applicable. Masterworks may determine to sell the Artwork of a series without engaging a third-party intermediary, in which event, Masterworks would be entitled to recoup its costs of marketing and selling the Artwork by seeking reimbursement from the applicable series or by charging the buyer a sales commission in connection with such sale. For more information regarding the management services agreement, see “Management.” We will not conduct any business activities except for activities relating to the ownership, maintenance, promotion and the eventual sale of the Artwork of a series. Our strategy will be to display and promote the Artwork of a series in a manner designed to enhance its provenance and increase its exposure and its value.
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Our Series LLC and Offering Structure
Each Artwork that we acquire will be owned by a separate series of the Company that we will establish to acquire that Artwork. Each series will hold title to the specific Artwork that it acquires in a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman SPC, a Cayman Islands segregated portfolio company. At the time of the initial closing of the offering for any particular series, the series will own 100% of the segregated portfolio that owns the Artwork, but such ownership interest will be diluted over time by Masterworks’ management fees as described under “Dilution”. We expect that the Company and each series will be regarded for income tax purposes as separate partnerships.
As a Delaware series limited liability company, the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular series of the Company are segregated and enforceable only against the assets of such series under Delaware law. Similarly, as a Cayman Islands segregated portfolio company, the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing of a particular segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman are segregated and enforceable only against the assets of such segregated portfolio under Cayman Islands law. This means that a creditor of the Company or Masterworks Cayman would only be entitled to recover against assets attributed and credited to the specific series of the Company or segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman, as applicable, to which the obligation is attributed.
The number of Class A shares offered in any series offering will equal the quotient of (i) the price paid to acquire the Artwork, plus the Expense Allocation payable to Masterworks, divided by (ii) $20.00, which represents the offering price per Class A share for each series offering. There is no minimum number of Class A shares or dollar amount that needs to be sold of a series as a condition of any closing of the offering of a series. If any of the Class A shares offered by a series remain unsold as of the final closing, such unsold Class A shares shall be issued to Masterworks, in full satisfaction of its advance and the Expense Allocation as described in this Offering Circular. Subscriptions, once received, are irrevocable by investors.
The Class A shares represent an investment solely in a particular series and, thus, indirectly in the Artwork owned by that series. The Class A shares do not represent an investment in any other assets of the Company or in Masterworks. We do not anticipate that any series will own anything other than the single Artwork associated with such series. We currently anticipate that the operations of the Company, including the formation of additional series and the corresponding acquisition of additional Artworks, will benefit investors by allowing investors to build a diversified portfolio of art investments.
Our series offerings are conducted as a continuous offering pursuant to Rule 251(d)(3) of Regulation A, meaning that while the offering of a particular series is continuous, active sales of series interests may take place sporadically over the term of the offering.
There will be a separate closing, or multiple closings, with respect to each series offering. An initial closing of a series offering will take place on the earliest to occur of (i) the date subscriptions for the maximum number of series Class A shares have been accepted, (ii) a date determined by us in our sole discretion and (iii) the date that is 24 months following the qualification date of the offering statement. We reserve the right to terminate a series offering for any reason at any time prior to the initial closing of such series offering.
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Each series offering is being conducted pursuant to Regulation A of Section 3(6) of the Securities Act for Tier 2 offerings. Masterworks is not registered as a broker-dealer. The subscription funds advanced by prospective investors as part of the subscription process with respect to a particular series will be held in a noninterest-bearing segregated sub account of the Company with Goldman Sachs Bank USA, or a similar institution and will not be commingled with the account of any other series or the Company, until, if and when there is a closing with respect to that investor and that series. See “Plan of Distribution” and “Description of Shares” for additional information.
Acquisitions and Sales of Artwork
Artwork is sourced through Masterworks dedicated acquisitions team, composed of individuals with significant expertise in the art market, valuation and execution of art transactions. This team is supported by Masterworks research, analytics and an extensive art market database. Artwork we acquire for each series offering will be described in the section of this offering circular entitled “The Series Artwork.” We expect that Artwork we acquire will typically meet the below-listed general criteria, though we may offer an investment in series that hold Artwork that do not satisfy all of such criteria, including for the avoidance of doubt Artwork in other collecting categories:
| ● | paintings, but may also include sculptures and other artistic objects; | |
| ● | created by artists generally considered within the Post-War and Contemporary collecting category; | |
| ● | created by artists with significant secondary market traction, evidenced by sales volume in excess of a minimum of $1.0 million annually at public auction; and | |
| ● | acquisition price of between $150,000 and $30,000,000 and that we believe is at or below the fair market value of the Artwork. |
The acquisition of the Artworks by segregated portfolios of Masterworks Cayman is planned to occur contemporaneously with or before the initial closing of each series offering. We intend to use a portion of the proceeds from the initial closings of the series offerings to contribute to segregated portfolios of Masterworks Cayman to acquire the Artworks, and if and to the extent such proceeds are less than the purchase price, Masterworks will advance such segregated portfolios of Masterworks Cayman any additional funds required to consummate the acquisitions. The remaining net proceeds of the series offerings, together with any unsold Class A shares of such series, if any, will be contributed to the segregated portfolios of Masterworks Cayman that will acquire the Artworks and will be used to repay the Masterworks advance and pay Masterworks the Expense Allocation. No interest will accrue on the Masterworks advance. Following the initial closings of each series offering, title to the Artworks will be held in such segregated portfolios of Masterworks Cayman. After completion of an offering, ownership of shares in a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman will be the only material asset of a series and the relevant Artwork will be the only asset of the segregated portfolios, and neither the series nor the segregated portfolio will have any indebtedness.
We determine to sell Artwork based on a number of factors, including our perception of the fair value of the Artwork relative to its proposed selling price, our perspective on the current state and future direction of the applicable artist market and the art market more generally, the absolute net returns we can deliver to shareholders, the length of our holding period and other factors. Artwork may be sold through public auction or privately through galleries, art market intermediaries or directly to collectors. We may sell Artwork through a gallery or other intermediary from which we acquired the Artwork, particularly for Artwork by an artist that is associated with or represented by such gallery or intermediary. We may own the Artwork for an indefinite period of time and each series may sell its Artwork at any time following the final closing of the offering of such series. Although we expect our holding period will typically be in the range of between 3-10 years from the time of acquisition, we may own Artwork for a significantly shorter or significantly longer period. We, in our sole and absolute discretion, will be able to sell the Artwork of any series at any time and in any manner and distribute the proceeds of such sale. There is no guarantee that any sale of Artwork will be successful, or if successful, that the net proceeds realized by Class A shareholders from such transaction will be reflective of the most recent appraised value of the Artwork or the estimated net asset value of the Class A shares at such time.
Masterworks Experience Securitizing Artwork
In 2022, Masterworks affiliates acquired more than 96 distinct artworks at prices of between $400,000 and $11,000,000, making it one of the world’s most active participants in the Post-War and Contemporary art market. Masterworks has assembled a dedicated team of art market professionals focused on acquisitions, sales, valuation and transaction execution. These teams are staffed with individuals with diverse backgrounds and deep experience in the art market, including art investment, transactions, research and analysis. Masterworks has developed an extensive network of relationships with auction houses, galleries, art intermediaries, private collectors, conservators, logistics firms and other professionals in the United States, Europe and Asia, which it believes provides it with informational and transactional advantages in the artist markets in which it invests. This team is supported by an industry-leading art market research function and extensive database of public auction data.
Scott W. Lynn, the Founder of Masterworks and Chief Executive Officer of the Administrator has been an active collector of Post-War and Contemporary art for more than twenty years and has built an internationally-recognized collection of Abstract Expressionism that has included works by Clyfford Still, Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, and more.
Set forth below is a summary of Masterworks’ experience securitizing Artwork. Other than the offerings described below, Masterworks has not offered any prior Regulation A investment programs in which disclosed in the offering materials was a date and time period at which the investment program might be liquidated.
Offerings by Other Masterworks Issuers
Masterworks affiliated issuers have completed 324 Regulation A offerings as of the date of this Offering Circular, each representing an investment in a single artwork. Artists whose artworks are beneficially owned by these issuers include some of the most iconic Post-War and Contemporary artists, including Andy Warhol, Banksy, Ed Ruscha, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Yayoi Kusama, among many others.
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Additional offerings by Masterworks affiliated issuers have been qualified by the SEC and are currently in progress, which means that they have not yet had a final closing, though certain of these offerings have been fully subscribed. In addition, other Masterworks affiliated issuers have filed offering statements which have not been qualified by the SEC. Such offering statements contain preliminary offering circulars which are incomplete, many of which do not currently identify the artist or the subject artwork.
In addition, Masterworks sponsors offerings pursuant to exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, including Rule 506(c) of Regulation D or Regulation S, by affiliated diversified artwork investment vehicles that will invest the proceeds of such offerings in a portfolio of artwork investments, which is expected to include an investment in the Class A shares of multiple series of the Company.
Dispositions
Set forth below is a summary of the Masterworks affiliated issuers that have consummated a transaction to sell artwork or have entered into a binding agreement to sell artwork. Except as set forth below, none of the artwork held by Masterworks affiliated Regulation A issuers has been sold as of the date hereof. Masterworks sells artwork opportunistically and therefore the actual returns achieved by investors in select issuers that have sold an artwork are not indicative of the investment performance of shares offered by the majority of other Masterworks issuers that have not yet sold an artwork and past performance is not indicative of future performance.
| Issuer | Artist | Date of Sale Agreement | Date of Sale Announcement | Net Annualized Return(1) | |||||
| Masterworks 003, LLC | Banksy | 11/16/2020 | 11/17/2020 (Form 1-U) | 32.00%(2) | |||||
| Masterworks 016, LLC | Condo | 12/1/2021 | 12/3/2021(Form 1-U) | 39.30% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Masterworks 032, LLC | Oehlen | 2/22/2022 | 2/24/2022 (Form 1-U) | 36.20% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Masterworks 002, LLC | Monet | 6/23/2022 | 6/28/2022 (Form 1-U) | 9.20% (Form 1-U)(3) | |||||
| Masterworks 022, LLC | Brown | 7/8/2022 | 7/12/2022 (Form 1-U) | 27.30% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Masterworks 010, LLC | Gilliam | 8/4/2022 | 8/9/2022 (Form 1-U) | 33.10% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Masterworks 025, LLC | Condo | 9/15/2022 | 9/16/2022 (Form 1-U) | 21.50% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Masterworks 014, LLC | Mitchell | 10/24/2022 | 10/27/2022 (Form 1-U) | 17.80% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Masterworks 011, LLC | Soulages | 11/18/2022 | 11/23/2022 (Form 1-U) | 13.9% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Masterworks 070, LLC | Warhol | 12/8/2022 | 12/12/2022 (Form 1-U) | 10.4% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Masterworks 028, LLC | Brown | 12/9/2022 | 12/12/2022 (Form 1-U) | 35.0% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Masterworks 181, LLC | Leigh |
3/3/2023 |
3/8/2023 (Form 1-U) |
325.5% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Masterworks 078, LLC | Warhol | 3/11/2023 | 3/16/2023 (Form 1-U) | 4.1% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Masterworks 012, LLC | Kusama | 4/6/2023 | 4/11/2023 (Form 1-U) | 17.6% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Masterworks 038, LLC | Kusama | 5/15/2023 | 5/18/2023 (Form 1-U) | 13.4% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Masterworks 151, LLC | Brown | 7/19/2023 | 7/21/2023 (Form 1-U) | 77.3% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Masterworks 119, LLC | Brown | 12/4/2023 | 12/4/2023 (Form 1-U) | 14.6% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Masterworks 184, LLC | Wood | 12/1/2023 | 12/13/2023 (Form 1-U) | 16% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Series 373, a Series of Masterworks Vault 3, LLC | Brown | 12/8/2023 | 12/15/2023 (Form 1-U) | 788.9% (Form 1-U) | |||||
| Series 322, a Series of Masterworks Vault 1, LLC | Barnes | 12/21/2023 | 12/26/2023 (Form 1-U) | 142.8% (Form 1-U) |
| 1. | “Net Annualized Return” refers to the annualized internal rate of return, or IRR, net of all fees and costs, to holders of Class A shares from the primary offering, calculated from the final closing date of such offering to the date the sale is consummated. A more detailed breakdown of the Net Annualized Return calculation for each issuer can be found in the respective Form 1-U linked, with the exception of Masterworks 003, LLC (See Note 2). A notation of “N/A”, if applicable, indicates that the Net Annualized Return for such issuer is not yet finalized. | |
| 2. | Net Annualized Return for Masterworks 003, LLC is based on an initial offering size of $1,039,000 and a sale price of $1,500,000, resulting in a distribution amount of $26.67 per Class A share (including 806 Class A shares issued in respect of Masterworks administrative service fees), after deduction of the Class B profit share equal to $87,996 and sale and liquidation expenses of $5,000, and a holding period of 378 days. | |
| 3. | Net Annualized Return for Masterworks 002, LLC reflects $23.28 per Class A share distributed to shareholders after the (i) forfeiture by the Administrator of unvested shares issuable to it in respect of administrative fees and (ii) redemption for nominal consideration of all of the profit sharing interests represented by Class B ordinary shares held by Masterworks Gallery, LLC. If the forfeiture and redemption referenced in clauses (i) and (ii) had not occurred, the Net Annualized Return would have been 6.30%. |
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About the Art Market
Primary Sources of Publicly Available Data
There are currently a limited number of sources of publicly available data on the art market. Below are leading sources often relied upon for information:
| ● | Art Basel, a promoter of art fairs and a subsidiary of MCH Group, an international marketing organization & UBS, an international banking organization, publishes the Art Market Report, which we refer to as the Art Basel Report, annually in March. Until recently, the report was published by the same art economist in collaboration with TEFAF. | |
| ● | Deloitte Luxembourg, a division of a global financial services company & ArtTactic, an art market research and analytics company, jointly publish the Art and Finance Report biannually in November. | |
| ● | Artnet, an art market website operated by Artnet Worldwide Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Artnet, AG, a German publicly traded company. | |
| ● | ArtPrice, an art market website operated by ArtMarket.com, a French publicly-traded company controlled by Groupe Serveur. | |
| ● | ArtTactic, an art market website operated by ArtTactic Limited, a London-based private art market research company. | |
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Major auction houses, including Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips, among others, regularly publish data pertaining to upcoming and past auctions sales, both online and in paper catalogues. Masterworks reviews and compiles such data to derive additional analysis in the form of art market indices and summarized statistics on artists’ markets.
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Statistical data relating to the art market is difficult to obtain, incomplete, or inconsistent. It is a substantially unregulated industry. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any data or general information related to the art market.
Summary
The global art market is comprised of a network of auction houses, dealers, galleries, advisors, agents, individual collectors, museums, public institutions, and various experts and service providers engaged in the purchase and sale of unique and collectible works of art. Over the past decade, total estimated annual art sales have ranged from $50.1 billion to $68.2 billion.
Between January 1, 2023 and May 20,2023, fine art auction sales from the top three auction houses - Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips - totaled $5 billion, a 14% decrease from the same period in 2022.
Certain categories and markets fared better than others in the first half of 2023. While Chinese & Asian Art experienced a 22.5% growth in year-over-year sales, generating $368.5 million, Post-War & Contemporary Art, Old Master Paintings & Drawings, and Impressionist & Modern Art all fell. Their sales respectively decreased by 24.2%, 8.5% and 37.2%, generating $1.91 billion, $220.9 million and $1.48 billion by the end of the second quarter of 2023.
The U.S. accounted for over half of total auction sales at $2.6 billion, a 25% decline from the first half of 2022. Los Angeles and New York experienced respective sales volume declines of 16% and 22%, joining other auction hubs such as Hong Kong, London, and Paris. Conversely, sales in Zurich and Geneva grew by 120.6% and 100.3% year-over-year.
Despite a contraction from the first half of 2022, in the first half of 2023 the total number of auctions held increased by 8%, and lots sold by 4%, indicating an increase in activity at lower price points. Rising inflation and interest rates may have led some collectors to hold onto more valuable works. The desire to play it safe in periods of uncertainty was evidenced through the riskier ultra-contemporary market in the first half of 2023, with sales decreasing over 25% year-over-year.
Through the end of 2022, fine art auction sales from Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips totaled $7.5 billion, up 14.7% from the end of 2021. The volume of international art sales increased 3% year-over-year reaching an estimated $67.8 billion by the end of 2022. The continued growth builds off the recovery in sales volume following 2021, which were up 31% from the art market’s low point in 2020. However, sales results did vary depending on the geographic region, price point and intermediary (auction, dealer etc.). The auction sector remained relatively constant at $26.8 billion, with the high end of the market (characterized by sales over $10 million) showing a slight increase in value. The main drivers of transaction volume growth came from the dealer sector, which grew to $37.2 billion, a 7% increase year-over-year. Fine art sales in 2022 also differed significantly by region. Bolstered by strong single owner collections, the U.S. market jumped 8% year-over-year to a record $30.2 billion. In 2022, the U.S. posted annual art auction turnover at $7.3 billion, up 26% year-over-year. In 2022, the U.S. market contributed to 45% of sales by value. The UK market climbed back to second position after increasing volumes by 5% to $11.9 billion or 18% of global sales. Art auction turnover in the UK also grew 8% year-over-year, totaling $2.1 billion. The sharpest contraction occurred in the Chinese market where lockdowns caused by strict zero-COVID policy limited events and buying activities in the country. From 2021 to 2022, art auction totals dropped significantly from $5.9 billion to $3.9 billion, a 34% decrease causing China to fall to 3rd in market share. Despite strong growth in the immediate years following COVID, 2022 also saw a reduction in e-commerce sales, which fell from their 2021 peak by 17%. This figure is still 85% higher than in 2019 suggesting that collectors are increasingly comfortable making purchases online.
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Prior to the pandemic induced slowdown, the last major recession in the art market occurred in 2009 when sales fell by 36% year-over-year to $39.5 billion. The market, led by sales in the U.S. and Chinese sectors, recovered strongly and by 2011 was up 44% to $64.6 billion. Despite the geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty that have forced restrictions on the art market in the last three years, the year-on-year decline has been notably less significant than in 2009. In contrast, the market’s recovery has not been as pronounced. Between 2009 and 2011 art sales increased by 63% in value whereas between 2020 and 2022 sales only increased by 35% in value.
In general, the global art market is influenced by the overall strength and stability of the global economy, geopolitical conditions, capital markets and world events, all of which may affect the willingness of potential buyers and sellers to purchase and sell art. While the global art market is large, its exact size is unknown and statistical data is inconsistent. Much of the uncertainty stems from differing estimates of the size of the private dealer and gallery market, which is based on survey data, but disparities also exist in reported auction sales.
Observations on the Historical Progression of Art Prices
The following are general observations based on a repeat-sales index of historical art market prices computed based on a value weighted-basis and focused on the Post-War & Contemporary Art category, as developed by Masterworks:
| ● | The Post-War & Contemporary Art category showed price appreciation at an estimated annualized rate of 12.1% from the year ended December 31, 1995 to June 30, 2023, versus 9.5% for the S&P 500 Index (includes dividends reinvested) for the same period. | |
| ● | Correlation factor of (0.01) between Post-War & Contemporary Art and the S&P 500 Index based on annual price performance from the year ended December 31, 1995 to June 30, 2023. | |
| ● | Resilience of art market transaction volume through periods of financial stress (e.g., 2001-2, 2008-9, 2020). | |
| ● | We believe these above characteristics present the investment case for art as a possible risk diversifier. |
Art Appraisals, Valuation, and Auction Estimates
The fair market value of art and other unique collectibles is generally assessed by expert appraisers using relative valuation techniques by analyzing historical comparative transactions involving similar works, characteristics of the specific work, supply and demand factors, subjective perceptions of value, among other factors. However, there is no efficient market that determines the price of an artwork and there is no standardized art valuation methodology.
There is tremendous variability in the market value of individual artwork by any given artist. These differences are influenced by the perceived quality of the work, materials, condition, color, size, subject matter, provenance and other factors.
Auction houses generally estimate the sale price of an artwork prior to conducting a sale. Such sale estimates are intended to provide general guidance to potential bidders regarding the expected price outcome of the artwork, however estimates may not be “arm’s length” and are often negotiated with the selling party. Therefore, they cannot be used as unbiased guidelines in determining the value of an artwork.
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Private and Gallery Sales
The private art market is made up of a network of galleries, dealers, art fairs and other intermediaries that sell artwork in privately negotiated transactions, in which transactions are generally not publicly reported. Galleries and other intermediaries that sell high end art have extensive relationships with artists, critics, collectors and others in the art market and are often driven by self-interested objectives, such as enhancing the reputation and market value of artists they represent or the market value of their inventory. Accordingly, galleries can be highly selective in determining which collectors are permitted to purchase from them, preferring those who are likely to hold works for a long period of time and enhance the provenance of a piece. Most private and gallery sales are confidential. Sellers generally determine pricing in private sales in which the dealer or gallery acts as an intermediary in negotiating a transaction with a buyer.
According to the 2023 Art Basel Report, dealers and galleries generated an estimated 55% of total sales in 2022. Auction houses accounted for the remaining 45%, 2% less than in 2021. 6% of these sales were private, evidence of auction houses’ slow expansions into the private market as they broker non-auction sales transactions. The relative size of the private dealer and gallery market as compared to the auction market tends to shift based on overall market sentiment, where market optimism tends to bolster auction sales.
Auction Sales
The auction market is made of a network of global and regional auction houses that conduct regular sales of artwork and other collectibles in a public auction format, as well as provide other art-related services. In general, the auction market is more transparent and more open than the private sales market as sale prices are determined through open competition, in which any qualified individual can participate and potentially buy the offered work. Interested buyers place sequential ascending bids in a format referred to by economists as an English Auction. Works which are offered for sale by the auction house on behalf of a potential seller, also referred to as a consignor, are often referred to as lots, which may be comprised of one or more items; most artwork is sold as individual lots. Auction sales occur at a fixed time and are a matter of public record. Bidders determine the price of a piece in an auction sale, though the consignor typically sets a reserve floor price below which they would be unwilling to sell the work. A low and high estimate of the sale price is set by the auction house, with the consignor’s input, based on a variety of factors, including the prior sales history, market factors like supply considerations and the reserve price floor. If a consignor does not agree with the estimate range proposed by the auction house, they can elect not to consign the work for sale or can withdraw a consignment. Auction houses often set estimates at levels to either entice bidders to participate or potential consignors to offer their work at auction, thus estimates should not necessarily be viewed as proxies for determining market value.
The price at which an auctioneer declares an item sold at a public auction, referred to as the “hammer price,” does not reflect either the amount realized by a consignor or the price paid by a buyer. In addition to the hammer price, the successful bidder must pay the so-called “buyer’s premium,” which is effectively a commission on the sale that ranges between 14.5% and 26% of the hammer price. The economics received by a consignor in an auction can vary widely. For works of relatively low value, consignors may also be required to pay a seller’s commission to the auction house. For higher value works, consignors often pay no commissions and may be entitled to receive a portion of the buyer’s premium, if not the full amount of the purchase price.
The public nature of auction sales can pose certain risks for consignors. A work that fails to sell at auction as a result of not attracting a bid in excess of the reserve price, will often be much harder to sell in the future. The rate at which artworks fail to sell at public auction, referred to as the “buy-in rate,” is generally around 30%, according to publicly available data. The value of an artwork is highly subjective, so a failure to sell a piece at auction is damaging to the perceived value of the work, a concept referred to in the art industry as “burning” the work.
In order to attract high-value consignments, an auction house may offer a guaranteed minimum price to a consignor. In exchange, the consignor agrees, if the final sale is in excess of the guaranteed amount, to pay the auction house a certain percentage of sale proceeds above the guaranteed amount. To offset the risk of a sale below the amount guaranteed to the consignor, an auction house may also secure a minimum guaranteed bid from a potential buyer, also known as a “third-party guarantee” or “irrevocable bid”. These guarantees effectively provide certainty that a successful sale will occur. The economic terms of guarantees and irrevocable bids are not typically disclosed and can vary widely based on negotiations between the relevant parties.
Auction houses publicly report total sale prices that reflect the hammer price (i.e. the price at which the auctioneer declared the winning bid), plus the buyer’s premium, but tend to exclude applicable taxes, fees and royalties, which are typically paid by the purchaser. The buyer’s premium schedule is published by the auction house and is updated or revised periodically. The buyer’s premium for the New York salesroom of each of the major auction houses as of the date of this offering circular is as follows (percentages and USD amounts relate to the hammer price):
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| Sotheby’s (as of July 25, 2022, with 1% Overhead Premium) |
Christie’s (as of September 2, 2022) |
Phillips (as of February 28, 2023) | ||
| 26% up to and including $1,000,000 | 26% up to and including $1,000,000 | 27% up to and including $1.0 million | ||
| 21% from $1,000,001 to $4.5 million | 20% from $1,000,001 to $6.0 million | 21% from $1.0 million to $6.0 million | ||
| 14.9% above $4.5 million | 14.5% above $6.0 million | 14.5% above $6.0 million |
The amount of the published sale price a consignor receives is typically reduced by all or a portion of the buyer’s premium and, in some cases for high value items, a sales commission. The percentage of the buyer’s premium received by the consignor, if any, and the amount of any sales commission payable by the consignor, if any, are negotiated between the consignor and the auction house and vary widely depending on a number of factors, including the value and importance of the specific work, whether the work is sold as an individual piece or part of a larger collection, anticipated demand levels and other factors. For high value items auction houses often waive the sales commission and rebate a portion of the buyer’s premium to the consignor, which is commonly referred to in the industry as an “enhanced hammer.”
Auction houses do not publicly report the economic terms of transactions with consignors, so the Company cannot determine with any degree of confidence what percentage of a sale price would be received by the Company upon consummation of an auction sale. In addition, the economics receivable by a seller are less favorable if the work is subject to a pre-auction guaranty. Based on experience, we believe that it would be reasonable to expect that the net pre-tax cash proceeds receivable by the Company in an auction sale would be approximately 80% to 90% of the published sale price, however, the net result could fall outside of this range. The existence of any such guarantee arrangement would provide greater certainty of success at auction, but could reduce the sales proceeds received by the Company.
About Art as an Investment
Fine art, in the form of paintings, sculpture, drawings and all manner of unique collectibles, has been collected for centuries. Founded in 1744, Sotheby’s had been the oldest listed Company on the New York Stock Exchange until it was taken private in October 2019. While art collectors can enjoy the aesthetic and societal benefits of art ownership and patronage, works of art can equally be valuable assets that deliver financial, as well as emotional rewards to their owners. Art has often acted as a store of wealth, with price appreciation in excess of U.S. consumer price inflation over the long term. Many of those who collect art therefore do so with an eye upon its investment potential as well as its aesthetic appeal. Put simply, art can be considered an investable asset class.
In general, art as an investment bears the following characteristics:
| ● | Demand for artwork generally coincides with wealth creation among the global ultra-high-net-worth community. | |
| ● | Supply of artwork, particularly at the high-end of the market, is relatively fixed or otherwise scarce. | |
| ● | Art is an internationally marketable good that can be transacted in any locale or currency. | |
| ● | Art is a tangible, mobile store of value without a currency-specific denomination nor tied to a financial cash-flow. |
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Historical Art Price Indices
The historical performance of prices in the art market can be estimated using different techniques and is generally derived from publicly available auction sales results. General statistical summaries of past prices, such as historical average or median prices, can provide a broad sense of price direction across the art market or for a specific artist. However, given that the supply of art transacted in any given period is not homogenous, changes in average or median prices from period-to-period may not be reflective of changes in the underlying value of the artwork, but may reflect varying quality or other characteristics that were present in the artwork sold.
Art market indices provide an alternative means to gauge market performance. A number of techniques have been developed in this regard. A repeat-sales-based index follows a methodology similar to that used to estimate home price appreciation, most notably through the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index. The best-known repeat-sales index for the art market is the Sotheby’s Mei Moses, which was originally developed in 2002 by New York University Stern School of Business Professors Jianping Mei, PhD and Michael Moses, PhD, and was later acquired by Sotheby’s in 2016. The Sotheby’s Mei Moses indices control for differing levels of quality, size, color, maker, and aesthetics of a work of art by analyzing repeat sales. Another methodology is the hedonic price index, which estimates the historical progression of prices based on analysis of all available transactions and controlling for certain “hedonic” characteristics, such as artist name, dimension, medium, art category, among others. The use of these techniques, among others, provides insight into the behavior of art as an investment.
Artwork and Artist Metrics
Masterworks compiles historical data from public auctions to produce metrics that we believe can be helpful in measuring and analyzing historical trends in artist markets and the historical price appreciation of specific artworks. We present these metrics when we believe the sample size is meaningful for a particular metric, so we may not present all metrics for every series offering. The data was sourced from publicly available auction records and other third party sources and does not include private sales, which account for a significant percentage of all sales. Any transaction conducted in a foreign currency has been converted to U.S. dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the applicable transaction date, except with respect to “repeat sales”, in which case the conversion of a foreign currency to U.S. dollars occurs at the time of the first sale of the repeat sale. We endeavor to include all relevant works and transactions, but no definitive object-oriented database with all auction sales is known to Masterworks, and therefore, despite our best efforts the data may be incomplete or inaccurate and we may exclude sale records that do not contain images. Unless stated otherwise for a particular series, the data only include artworks reflective of the artist’s main medium, as defined by Masterworks and will exclude works on paper, prints, editions, multiples or any non-unique works of art by the relevant artist. In addition, the historical data may include transactions in which affiliates of Masterworks acted as buyer and or seller.
We cannot make any determination or representation that any of the data or metrics presented for any Artwork or artist is useful in determining the present or future value of such Artwork and you are urged not to place undue reliance on such data or metrics. The Artwork and art market metrics and accompanying data are not intended to indicate past or expected performance of any security.
Metrics we present may include some or all of the following:
| ● | Selected Similar Sales Appreciation. Selected similar sales provide an estimate of the historical appreciation rate of the specific artwork by looking at a set of similar works by the artist that have sold at public auction. The set of similar works selected will include all works by the same artist believed to have features and characteristics that are similar to the subject artwork, which may include size, medium, color, composition elements, period of creation and other features. The applicable time period for which we calculate Selected Similar Sale Appreciation is from the earliest date that an artwork by the artist was sold at public auction until the most recent date prior to the qualification of an applicable series offering that the Masterworks public sale database has been updated. Although the artworks selected for inclusion in the set of similar works have similar characteristics to the subject Artwork, each individual Artwork is unique in terms of artistic content, coloring, condition, provenance and other factors. We, therefore, cannot make any determination or representation that our estimate of the historical appreciation rate of an Artwork is correct or predictive of future value. |
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| ● | “Sharpe Ratio.” The Market-Risk Adjusted Appreciation, also referred to as the “Sharpe Ratio,” indicates how well the artist’s market has performed historically in comparison to the rate of return on a risk-free investment, such as U.S. government treasury bonds or bills, by measuring price appreciation relative to the volatility of that price appreciation over time. A relatively higher Sharpe Ratio reflects higher appreciation relative to volatility and generally signals a better risk adjusted return, and, conversely, a relatively lower Sharpe Ratio generally means there is more volatility relative to price appreciation, although historical volatility is not necessarily a proxy for investment risk. The Sharpe Ratio reflects (x) the average annualized artist market appreciation (depreciation) of all artworks by an artist that have sold at least twice at public auction (referred to as “repeat sales”), minus the risk-free rate of return. The risk-free rate of return is measured by the average daily risk-free rate over a year, across the applicable time period, divided by (y) the volatility of the returns in an artist’s market, as measured by the standard deviation of those returns. The applicable time period for which we calculate the Sharpe Ratio begins on the later of (a) the earliest purchase price date for the artist’s first repeat sale or (b) December 31, 1994, the year end of the earliest year when other financial indices were available, and ends on the last sale date that the artist had a repeat sale Record Price Appreciation prior to the qualification of an applicable series offering that the Masterworks public sale database has been updated. | |
| ● | Record Price Appreciation. Record Price Appreciation reflects the annualized growth rate of an artists’ new record hammer price achieved at auction. This can be indicative of the artist’s market momentum and growth rate. The applicable time period for which we calculate Record Price Appreciation is from the earliest date that an artwork by the artist was sold at public auction until the most recent quarter end date that the Masterworks public sale database has been updated through. | |
| ● | Median Repeat Sale Pair Appreciation. Median Repeat Sale Pair Appreciation reflects the median annualized price appreciation rate of all artworks by an artist that have sold at least twice at public auction, known as “repeat sales”, which indicates the progression of prices in a particular artist’s market over time. Analysis of repeat sales can be useful because repeat sale data reflects price changes for the same works, which reduces the heterogeneity inherent in comparing different works. The applicable time period for which we calculate Repeat Sale Pair Appreciation is from the earliest date that an artwork pair by the artist was sold at public auction until the most recent date for which a repeat sale occurred prior to the qualification of an applicable series offering that the Masterworks public sale database has been updated. However, repeat sales happen infrequently for many artists and therefore there may not be enough repeat sale data for a particular artist to derive statistically relevant conclusions. |
Metrics above that incorporate “repeat sales” exclude artworks of an artist that were held for less than 1 year, meaning that an artwork was bought and sold at public auction in a span of less than 365 days, and, with the exception of median repeat sale pair appreciation, include at least 15 repeat sale pairs.
When reviewing these metrics for any particular series, it is important to keep several factors in mind, including:
| ● | The number of data points used in the calculation influences the utility of the metric, since, as a general matter, the accuracy and predictive value of any metric correlates to the number of data points used to calculate the metric. | |
| ● | All of the metrics presented relate to appreciation rates of artwork, not securities. Your returns on investment in Class A shares of any series will be reduced by fees and costs described in this Offering Circular that are not reflected in the metrics. | |
| ● | Each of the metrics presented should be considered in relation to the other metrics presented and should not be analyzed in isolation. | |
| ● | Metrics only include actual sales, so the data excludes artworks that were offered and went “unsold” or were “bought-in” at auction as a result of not meeting the seller’s reserve price. | |
| ● | The metrics are limited by our reliance on publicly available auction data and do not purport to reflect the entire market for a particular artwork or artist. | |
| ● | The historical trends and appreciation rates reflected in the metrics may not be indicative of future trends. |
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Art Appraisals
General
Appraisals of the artworks managed by Masterworks are performed by employees of the Administrator quarterly (subject to certain conditions and exceptions) and are subject to an independent qualified third party review on an annual basis. Artwork appraisals are performed by Masterworks in conformity with the 2024-2025 Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) developed by the Appraisal Standards Board of the Appraisal Foundation using a sales comparison approach.
Appraisals are intended to estimate the “fair market value” of the relevant artwork (target object), which is defined as “the price at which the property would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither being under any compulsion to buy or to sell, and both having reasonable knowledge of the relevant facts” (see, IRS Publication 561). Fair market value includes estimated transaction commissions, and for works purchased at public auction, the expected buyer’s premium.
Masterworks assesses quantitative and qualitative factors that could impact fair market value. Fair market value is measured principally on the “Sales Comparison Approach,” a relative value comparison basis to sales transactions involving similar objects (also referred to as comparable sales), which have sold within the market that is most common for each object. Comparable (similar) objects are selected based on similar characteristics to the target object, which may include, but are not limited to: artist, size, date of creation, medium, series, imagery, execution, style or technique, colors, condition, provenance and/or exhibition history, and prior sale history (if any). Comparable sales may have taken place at public auction or in private sale, if such private sale information is verifiable. Comparable characteristics for each artwork are determined on a case-by-case basis based on the appraiser’s knowledge of the respective artist’s market.
Appraised Value
The values expressed in the appraisals are based on the best judgment and opinion of the individual appraiser(s) and the Administrator. These values are not a representation or warranty that the items will realize those values if offered for sale in an appropriate market. The values expressed are based on current information as of the indicated effective date of the appraisal. No opinion is expressed as to any past value, nor, unless otherwise expressly stated, as to any future value.
Conflicts of Interest
Appraisals are performed by employees of the Administrator. The Administrator receives equity-based compensation for the administration of the artwork and its affiliates have economic interests in the Masterworks business, as well as profits interests in our Company. Although the amount of equity-based compensation earned by the Administrator is not directly or indirectly tied to appraised values, if the Administrator were to sell shares it earns in respect of management services or other Class A shares it owns, any such secondary sale price may be influenced by appraisals. The compensation of employees of the Administrator is not directly contingent upon the performance of any appraisal, including reporting of a predetermined value or direction in value that favors the cause of Masterworks, the appraised fair market value, the attainment of a stipulated result, or the occurrence of a subsequent event directly related to the intended use of any appraisal. Although the Administrator has inherent conflicts of interest, the Administrator has taken steps it deems reasonable in seeking to ensure that employees and others involved in performing appraisals can act independently of Masterworks and free from bias; no assurance can be given that a truly independent appraisal would not produce a different outcome.
The Artists
The following section includes biographies of the relevant artists of the Artworks. We will add and or update artist biographies for the series offerings added to this Offering Statement, although we may not update artist biographies for series offerings that were previously qualified.
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Hernan Bas
Hernan Bas (b. 1978 - Miami, Florida) is an American contemporary artist known for his distinct style and evocative narratives which primarily depict androgynous adolescent men. Raised in Miami, Florida, Bas developed a keen interest in art during his youth, inspired by the region’s vibrant culture and lush landscapes. His formative years were marked by an exploration of various artistic mediums, including drawing, painting, and writing.
He graduated in 1996 from the New World School of Arts in Miami and went on to attend Cooper Union in New York for only one semester. Bas’ art training began during his early education at an art-focused magnet school in Miami which offered Bas an early foray into painting and the arts. Bas’s career gained momentum with his first exhibitions in the early 2000s, showcasing his unique ability to intertwine elements of literature, history, and pop culture in his artwork. In 2001, Bas had his first solo exhibition at Fredric Snitzer Gallery called “Hernan’s Merit & the Nouveau Sissies”. In 2004, the artist had his first exhibition with Victoria Miro gallery in London and was one of the youngest artists to participate in the renowned Whitney Biennial. Since this time, his work has been the subject of countless solo and group shows, primarily at the international locations of Victoria Miro, Lehmann Maupin, and Perrotin Gallery. Bas’ most recent exhibition, “The Conceptualists”, was on view at Victoria Miro from November 18, 2022 to January 21, 2023 in London. Bas’ work is included in several important collections, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, the Saatchi Collection in London, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, among others.
In recent years, Bas’s market movement has been significant, with his artwork attracting attention from collectors. As of January 23, 2024, auction prices for Hernan Bas’ works have experienced tremendous growth, especially since 2019. In 2019, paintings by Bas realized an average price of $48,771, excluding Buyer’s Premium. In 2022, the average price for paintings by Bas have grown to $367,731, a more than seven fold increase over the four year period. An ArtTactic report listed the artist as “On-the-Rise” in the February 2022 publication shortly before an impressive auction season in which annual auction turnover for the artist eclipsed $7 million in 2022, more than doubling the artist’s previous annual auction turnover record achieved in 2021. As of January 23, 2024, his top auction prices are led by The Dawn Of Modernity (2016), which sold for $2,686,530 at Holly International, Hong Kong, on November 27, 2022, The Bats and the Barn Bridge (2008), which sold for $1,441,058 at Christie’s, Hong Kong on November 30, 2022, and The Overly Prepped Boy (or The Approaching Glacier) (2010), which sold for $1,249,705 at Christie’s, Hong Kong, on May 26, 2022.
George Condo
George Condo (b. 1957, Concord, New Hampshire) is one of the most celebrated and influential American contemporary artists working today. In 1976, Condo enrolled in Art History and Music Theory at the University of Massachusetts but left after two years to study at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. After one year in the program, Condo dropped out of school altogether to pursue his career as a painter and musician, and in 1979, moved to New York City where he supported himself with a series of odd jobs. Most notably, Condo briefly worked for Rupert Smith, who printed for Andy Warhol. During this time, Condo began teaching himself new painting techniques inspired by Old Master painters, such as Rembrandt van Rijn and Giambattista Tiepolo. George Condo’s early work culminated in his first commercially successful shows organized in 1984, first by Monika Sprüth in Cologne, and shortly thereafter, by Pat Hearn and Barbara Gladstone in New York. By this time, Condo had developed friendships with other rising stars of the downtown art scene, including Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. For the next two decades, Condo continued to work prolifically and was exhibited by major galleries and institutions, the most notable of which was the 2005 “One Hundred Women. Retrospective,” which traveled from the Museum of Modern Art in New York to the Kunsthalle Bielefeld in Germany, as well as the 2006 “Wrong Gallery” exhibition at the Tate Modern in London. From September through November 2021, the artist was the subject of a major retrospective at the Long Museum in Shanghai, China, titled “George Condo: The Picture Gallery.” This show included over 200 works and represented the artist’s largest solo show to date in Asia.
George Condo’s evolving artistic practice has been recognized at leading international cultural events, which includes participation in the Whitney Biennial of 1987 and 2010, the Venice Biennale of 2013 and 2019, and the Gwangju Biennial of 2014, among others. Works by George Condo are held in the permanent collections of some of the world’s most esteemed art institutions, including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Tate Modern in London, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and more. Though George Condo’s market has been active for decades, new records have been set at auction in recent years by works painted in the early 2010s. As of January 23, 2024, the artist’s top records are led by Force Field (2010), which sold for HKD 53,150,000 ($6,857,413) at Christie’s, Hong Kong on July 10, 2020, Nude and Forms (2014), which sold for $6,162,500 at Christie’s, New York on May 17, 2018, and Linear Connection (2010), which sold for $4,950,000 at Christie’s, New York on November 9, 2021.
Lynne Mapp Drexler
Lynne Mapp Drexler (b. 1928, Newport News, Virginia, d. 1999 Monhegan, Maine) was an Abstract Expressionist painter best known for her unique, swatch-like brushstrokes and allusions to natural landscapes. In 1949, Drexler graduated from the Richmond Professional Institute with a degree in drama. She went on to take studio art classes at the College of William & Mary, where her professors encouraged her to move to New York and study with Hans Hofmann. After two formative trips abroad to England in 1950 and 1952, Drexler followed the advice of her professors and enrolled at the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts in 1956. When Hofmann retired in 1958, she transferred to the graduate program at Hunter College to earn her teaching certification. Here, she studied under Robert Motherwell, who encouraged her to pursue a career as an artist rather than a teacher. By 1959, Drexler had honed her precise, geometric brushstrokes and her abstract landscapes, which drew inspiration from art historical movements like Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Fauvism. She also became an active member of the Greenwich Village art scene alongside artists like Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline, Philip Guston, Grace Hartigan, and Willem de Kooning. In 1961, Drexler held her first solo exhibition at Tanager Gallery in New York. The following year, Drexler married the painter John Hultberg, who had a house on Monhegan Island in Maine. The couple returned to the island every summer, and it became an important source of inspiration for Drexler. In the mid-1960s, Drexler spent much of her time traveling around North America. She visited Mexico and temporarily lived in San Francisco from 1964 to 1965, where she held another well-received solo exhibition at Esther-Robles Gallery in Los Angeles. In 1967, the artist returned to New York and lived in the iconic Chelsea Hotel. During this period, she was a regular audience member at the Metropolitan Opera and brought her crayons to sketch the performances. Her passion for opera and classical music culminated in her series of paintings inspired by Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle. Despite receiving positive reviews of her exhibitions, Drexler struggled to regularly show her work in the city as Pop Art arose. This rejection from the art world in New York devastated her. The artist chose to spend more time on Monhegan, moving there permanently in 1983. She rebuilt her community on the island and served as a lay leader of the Mohegan Community Church. She continued to paint and exhibit her work locally for the remainder of her career. Drexler died of cancer at her home on December 30, 1999, while listening to Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
The Estate of Lynne Mapp Drexler is represented by Berry Campbell Gallery. Despite little recognition during the artist’s lifetime, interest in Drexler’s brilliant colorful compositions has grown significantly in recent years. Her work is held in the permanent collections of numerous prestigious institutions, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the Portland Museum of Art in Maine, among others. Drexler’s record price at auction represents a 60.9% annualized rate of appreciation since 2002, the first auction sale date we have on record for the artist, and Drexler’s average painting prices at auction have appreciated 96.9% annually since 2018. In 2022, a large-scale exhibition of the first decade of her work co-organized by Mnuchin Gallery and Berry Campbell Gallery brought Drexler back into the contemporary art discourse. That same year, she ranked 144th in the top 500 best-selling artists at auction worldwide. In 2023, 93% of Drexler’s paintings that sold at auction achieved a price within auction house estimates, a testament to the health of her market and collector demand for her art. The artist’s top auction records are led by Herbert’s Garden (1960), which sold for $1,500,000 at Christie’s New York on May 13, 2022, followed by Summer Bloom (1962), which sold for $1,381,000 at Christie’s New York on May 18, 2023, and Matoaka Woods VI (1960), which also sold for $1,381,000 at Sotheby’s New York on November 17, 2022.
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Günther Förg
Günther Förg (b. 1952, Allgäu, Germany - d. 2013, Freiburg, Germany) was a prolific post-war German artist who critically considered the boundaries of Modernism in his painting, sculpture, and photography. From 1973 to 1979, Förg studied with Karl Fred Dahmen, a member of the Art Informel movement, at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. His early career is distinguished by his conceptual interest in the color gray, which formed the basis of his black and gray monochrome series known as his Gitter paintings. In the 1980s, the artist temporarily abandoned painting in favor of photography, capturing significant architectural landmarks like Bauhaus buildings in Tel Aviv and Fascist constructions in Italy in black-and-white. By 1990, Förg had reintroduced painting into his practice and expanded it to include wood, copper, bronze, and lead sculpture. He used the versatility of his new material repertoire to venture into the realm of figuration and created numerous expressionist sculptures of fragmented bodies. Simultaneously, his paintings began to incorporate vibrant colors and gestural hatch marks or grids known as his Gitterbilder (grid paintings). Förg’s liberated return to painting defined the remainder of his career, culminating in his series of Spot paintings.
In 1996, Günther Förg was awarded the prestigious Wolfgang Hahn Prize by the Museum Ludwig in Cologne. His works are held in renowned public collections around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Broad in Los Angeles, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Tate Modern in London, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark. In 2018, Förg was the subject of the major retrospective, Günther Förg: A Fragile Beauty, at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, which traveled to the Dallas Art Museum. In the wake of his retrospective, prices for Förg’s work have seen a significant increase. Hauser & Wirth has exclusively represented the estate of Günther Förg since June 2018. As of January 23, 2024, eight of his top ten auction records have been set since January 2019. Günther Förg’s top three auction records are led by Untitled (1990), a twenty-two piece installation, which sold for £1,331,250 ($1,726,552) at Christie’s London on February 12, 2020, followed by Untitled (2007), a large scale Spot painting, which sold for $1,220,000 at Sotheby’s New York on November 14, 2019, and Sans Titre (2008), another Spot painting, which sold for € 980,000 ($1,161,268) at Christie’s Paris on June 30, 2021.
Carmen Herrera
Carmen Herrera (b. 1915, Havana, Cuba - d. 2022, New York, NY) is internationally recognized as a leading figure in geometric abstraction. Herrera began her art education at the age of eight, when she and her brother enrolled in private art classes with the artist Federico Edelmann y Pinto in her hometown of Havana. At fourteen, she studied abroad in Paris at the Marymount School and spent many hours in the city’s museums and galleries. The artist returned to Havana in 1931 to study at the Lyceum Women’s Club. She attended politically engaged lectures by activist artists during the Spanish Civil War of 1936 and participated in protest art. She was particularly interested in wood carving, and her wooden sculpture Cristo was exhibited at the Primera Exposición de Pintura y Escultura al Aire Libre (First Outdoor Exposition of Painting and Sculpture) in Havana. Her home country’s political unrest limited Herrera’s next steps so she chose to study architecture at the University de La Habana in 1938; however, she left after just one year due to the gender discrimination she perceived in the field. In 1939, Herrera moved to New York to marry her husband. In search of a creative community, she took classes with the Australian painter Samuel Brecher at the Young Men’s Hebrew Association, attended the Arts Students League on a scholarship, and studied printmaking at the Brooklyn Museum. During this period, the artist’s practice shifted away from wooden sculpture to painting. After a few years on the periphery of New York’s art world, Herrera and her husband moved back to Paris for five years, where she developed her signature minimal, geometric painting practice. She exhibited her paintings in the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris five times between 1949 and 1953. Despite her traction in Paris, when she returned to New York in 1954, Herrera’s abstract paintings were repeatedly denied by galleries because of her gender and ethnicity. Unphased by the rejection, she identified herself with the Latin American Concrete painting and continued to develop her oeuvre. Although she did not sell her first painting until she was 89 years old, by the end of the artist’s life, Herrera was the subject of a large-scale survey at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York in 2016, which traveled to the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus in 2017, and Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Düsseldorf in 2017 to 2018. Herrera passed away in February 2022, at the age of 106, and as of January 23, 2024, her estate is represented by Lisson Gallery in New York.
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Carmen Herrera’s work is now held in the permanent collections of renowned institutions around the world, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, El Museo del Barrio in New York, The Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C., the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Tate in London, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Düsseldorf, and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, among others. In the wake of the aforementioned survey of Herrera’s work at the Whitney Museum in 2016, examples of the artist’s work increasingly appeared at auction. As of January 23, 2024, all of the artist’s top five auction records have been set in the last 5 years and are dominated by Herrera’s large-scale geometric abstract paintings from the late 1950s and 1960s. As of January 23, 2024, Herrera’s top records at auction are led by Blanco y Verde (1966-1967), which sold for $2,900,000 at Sotheby’s New York, on March 1, 2019, followed by Blanco y Verde (1966), which sold for $2,655,000 at Phillips New York on November 15, 2018, and Green and Orange (1958), which sold for $2,200,000 at Phillips, New York, on June 23, 2021.
Alex Katz
Alex Katz (b. 1927, Brooklyn, New York) is among the most famous living American artists best known for his dramatic large-scale figurative paintings. After a year-long tour in the U.S. Navy, Katz attended Cooper Union Art School in New York. He graduated in 1949 and received a scholarship to study at the prestigious Skowhegan School for Painting and Sculpture in Maine, where he developed a passion for plein-air painting. He was a member of the second generation of New York School painters and held his first solo exhibition at the Roko Gallery in 1954. In addition to his painting practice, the artist created numerous small collages of figures in landscapes from hand-painted colored paper in the 1950s. By 1959, he had begun painting his signature portraits of modern life with monochrome backgrounds and free-standing cutout portraits on wood and aluminum sheets. Influenced by contemporary advertising and popular culture, Katz incorporates fashion and dramatic cropping into his paintings. In the early 1960s, he designed sets and costumes for choreographer Paul Taylor, which sparked a career-long interest in painting dancers and models. From the late 1980s through the 1990s, Katz produced a series of up-close large-scale landscape paintings. He describes these works as “environmental,” because his strategic use of perspective and cropping makes the viewer feel like they are inside the landscape. Katz received the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship for Painting in 1972 and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1988. In recent years, the artist has returned to portraiture, employing even tighter crops and more group portraiture. Since 2015, he has also integrated iPhone photography into his collage practice. As of January 23, 2024, Katz continues to live and work in New York City.
Alex Katz has achieved tremendous institutional and commercial success for his paintings and has been the subject of more than 250 solo exhibitions at galleries and museums around the world. Most recently, he was the subject of an eight-decade retrospective titled, Alex Katz: Gathering, at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York from October 2022 to February 2023. His work is also held in over 100 prestigious public collections around the world, including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Brooklyn Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Tokyo, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, and Tate Gallery in London. Katz’s secondary market has been active since the late 1980s and has achieved it’s top ten auction records in the last four years, led by Blue Umbrella (1972), which sold for $4,151,368 (£3,375,000) at Phillips London on October 2, 2019, followed by The Red Band (1978), which sold for $3,166,000 at Sotheby’s New York on October 28, 2020, and East Interior (1978), which sold for $2,530,500 at Sotheby’s New York on May 19, 2022.
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Kerry James Marshall
Kerry James Marshall (b. 1955, Birmingham, Alabama) is a world-renowned contemporary artist known best for his striking figurative paintings that reconsider Western art history from a contemporary Black perspective. Marshall received his bachelor of fine arts from the Otis Art Institute in 1978 and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1999. He participated in numerous West Coast exhibitions upon graduating, and in 1985, he received the resident fellowship from Studio Museum in Harlem. In 1987, he moved to Chicago, where, with the help of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1991, he pursued art full-time. His work draws from history as well as his own childhood as a Black man born at the beginning of the American Civil Rights movement who also moved to the Watts neighborhood right before the 1965 Watts riots. In 1994, Marshall held his first traveling exhibition, Telling Stories, which opened at the Cleveland Museum of Art. This exhibition would be followed by numerous solo exhibitions, including his first major museum survey, Kerry James Marshall: Mastry, which opened at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and traveled to the Met Breuer in New York and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles from 2016 to 2017. In addition to his prolific exhibition history, Marshall has achieved success as an educator and change-maker in the art world. In 2013, President Barack Obama appointed him to his Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, and in 2023, the Royal Academy in London elected him as an Honorary Royal Academician. As of January 23, 2024, Marshall is represented by David Zwirner and Jack Shainman Gallery, and he continues to live and work in Chicago.
Kerry James Marshall has been featured in a number of exhibitions, biennials, and public commissions, including the Venice Biennale (2003 and 2015), the Carnegie International (1999 and 2018), and Documenta 12 (1997 and 2007). His work is also represented in many prestigious public collections, such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Harvard Art Museum in Boston, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Tate Modern in London, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, among many others. Marshall’s institutional success is reflected in his commercial desirability over the past decade. As of January 23, 2024, his auction records are led by Past Times (1997), which sold at Sotheby’s New York for $21,114,500 on May 16, 2018, Vignette 19 (2014), which sold at Sotheby’s New York for $18,488,000 on November 14, 2019, and Beauty Examined (1993), which sold at Sotheby’s New York for $13,538,000 on May 19, 2022.
Yoshitomo Nara
Yoshitomo Nara (b. December 5, 1959, Aomori, Japan) is a Japanese painter, sculptor, and printmaker internationally recognized as a leading figure in the Superflat movement. In 1987, Nara received his Master of Fine Arts from Aichi University of the Arts in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, and in 1988, he continued his art education at Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf, Germany, until 1993. During his studies, the artist developed his signature wide-eyed, childlike portrait painting style, which synthesizes his Japanese and Western pop culture influences of manga, anime, music, cartoons, and childhood memories. His unique approach to figuration stems from an introspective goal of self-representation in his art. After his studies, Nara moved to Cologne for the remainder of the decade and exhibited his work across Europe, the United States, and Asia. In 2000, he returned to Japan and held his seminal solo exhibition, DON’T MIND, IF YOU FORGET ME, at the Yokohama Museum of Art, which demonstrated the artist’s multidisciplinary practice. Nara’s collaboration with the design collective graf on the exhibition’s installation led to numerous other collaborations, such as the site-specific installation of a house made from scrap materials, Yoshitomo Nara + graf: Torre de Málaga (2007), at the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga in Spain. After the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011, Nara’s attention turned inward to meditate on themes of temporality, impermanence, and isolation. The resulting portraits feature softer, subdued palettes and mysterious, introspective expressions. Nara continues to live and work in Japan.
Yoshitomo Nara is represented by Pace and Blum & Poe. In 2017, the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art in Japan organized a retrospective for Nara, and in 2021, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art held another retrospective for the artist. His artwork has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney, the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, the Asia Society Hong Kong Center, and the Dallas Contemporary, among many other prestigious institutions. Nara’s works are also permanently held in numerous public collections around the world, including the British Museum in London, the Art Institute of Chicago, Centre National des Arts Plastiques in Paris, the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in Seoul, the Long Museum in Shanghai, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Rubell Family Collection in New York and Miami, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among many others. Nara’s nostalgic and rebellious approach to painting quickly captivated the art world. He has become one of Asia’s most expensive contemporary artists with consistent growth in the market over the last 20 years. Nara achieved his first seven-figure sale in 2007, and his auction records are now led by Knife Behind Back (2000), which sold for $24,949,674 (HKD 195,696,000) at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on October 6, 2019, Missing in Action (2000), which sold for $15,944,441 (HKD 123,725,000) at Phillips & Poly Hong Kong on June 8, 2021, and Nice to See You Again (1996), which sold for $15,430,800 at Sotheby’s New York on November 18, 2021.
Elizabeth Peyton
Elizabeth Peyton (b. 1965, Danbury, Connecticut) is an American contemporary artist known for her intimate, stylized portraits of friends, lovers, celebrities, and historical figures. She was born into a family of artists - her father was a painter and her mother was a sculptor. Peyton developed a passion for art at a young age and was deeply influenced by her exposure to classical European paintings during family trips to museums. Peyton began drawing and painting at a young age, and she showed an early talent for portraiture. After graduating from high school, Peyton attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City. After graduating from SVA, Peyton worked as a freelance artist and illustrator. She also began exhibiting her paintings in small galleries in New York City. Her first solo exhibition in 1993 at the Gavin Brown’s Enterprise gallery in New York City, was a critical and commercial success and marked the beginning of her rise to fame as a major contemporary artist.
Elizabeth Peyton’s contribution to art history lies in her ability to infuse her portraits with a sense of emotional intimacy, blurring the line between public and private personas. Peyton’s paintings are characterized by their loose brushwork, their use of pastel colors, and their focus on the inner lives of her subjects. Her paintings capture the essence and individuality of her subjects, whether they are iconic figures from the worlds of music, film, or politics, or her close friends and acquaintances. Through her work, Peyton reinvigorated the genre of portraiture, creating a bridge between classical aesthetics and contemporary culture. Her approach resonated with audiences, particularly younger generations, who were drawn to her ability to capture the nuances of personality and the fleeting moments of human connection. Peyton has had solo exhibitions at major museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Tate Modern. Her works can be found in permanent collections around the world, including the Tate Modern in London, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In recent years, Peyton’s work has become increasingly popular with collectors. Her paintings have sold for six-figure prices at auction.
In recent years, the market movement surrounding Elizabeth Peyton’s artwork has been notable. Her paintings have achieved considerable success at auctions, with prices steadily rising. Collectors and investors have shown a keen interest in her works, recognizing their cultural significance and the artist’s enduring influence. Peyton’s art continues to attract attention from individuals seeking to invest in contemporary art with both aesthetic and financial value, making her a compelling choice for those interested in purchasing artwork for investment purposes. As of January 23, 2024, Peyton’s top auction records are led by Nick with His Eyes Shut (2003), which sold for $2,470,000 at Sotheby’s, New York on November 16, 2022, Sid Vicious Arrested, Chelsea Hotel (1998), which sold for $2,238,000 at Sotheby’s, New York, on November 15, 2023, and David Bowie (2012), which sold for $2,077,000 at Sotheby’s, New York, on May 12, 2021.
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Gerhard Richter
Gerhard Richter (b. February 9, 1932, Dresden, Germany) is a world-renowned contemporary artist greatly admired for his investigation of photography through a range of painting techniques and styles. Born and raised in World War II-era Germany, the influence of Richter’s childhood trauma penetrates his work. Richter began his artistic education at the Dresden Academy, which was sanctioned by East Germany’s Communist government at the time and taught a Socialist Realism style of painting. Despite the institution’s conservative, propagandistic ideology, Richter found an accepting community in the new mural painting department led by Heinz Lohmar. He educated himself on global trends in contemporary art, reading monthly issues of the photo magazine Magnum sent to him by his aunt in West Germany and receiving authorization to visit Berlin, where he watched films, visited museums, and attended the theater. Richter graduated in 1956 and began a promising career as a mural painter. However, he became increasingly dissatisfied with the censorship present in his work. This frustration came to a head in 1959 when the artist attended Documenta II and saw the works of artists like Jackson Pollock, Jean Fautrier, and Lucio Fontana. In 1961, he fled to West Germany and declared himself a refugee. Here, he pursued experimental artistic practice freely. He enrolled in the Düsseldorf Art Academy, a center for the Art Informel and Fluxus movements, and befriended his peers Sigmar Polke, Konrad Fischer, and Blinky Palermo. Together, the artists organized the now iconic exhibition Living with Pop: A Demonstration for Capitalist Realism in a furniture store. With a finger on the pulse of Pop Art, Richter developed his blurred photo painting style, which reconsiders found photographs from media as out-of-focus paintings in a predominantly black and white palette. Upon graduating, Richter quickly developed relationships with commercial galleries, and in 1964, Alfred Schmela organized the artist’s first solo exhibition. In 1966, Richter painted one of his most famous works, Ema (Nude on a Staircase), and introduced geometric abstraction into his practice with his Colour Charts series, which replicated paint sample cards. By the end of the decade, Richter had established himself as a rising figure in global contemporary art. His early success, however, only pushed the artist to search for new artistic avenues, and the 1970s became a period of experimentation in abstraction, leading to his ongoing Gray Paintings and Abstraktes Bild (Abstract Painting) series. He has won numerous awards for his contributions to contemporary painting, including the Arnold-Bode-Preis at Documenta 7 in 1982, the Oskar Kokoschka Prize in Vienna in 1985, the Wolf Prize from the Wolf Foundation in Israel in 1994, and the Praemium Imperiale in Japan in 1997. In 2002, the Museum of Modern Art in New York held a retrospective of Richter titled Forty Years of Painting. He continues to interrogate photographic devices through painting, updating his sources and techniques to reflect contemporary culture and technology. Richter lives and works in Cologne, Germany.
Gerhard Richter is currently represented by David Zwirner and Gagosian Gallery. His early career success led to a prolific exhibition history featuring solo exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Museum of China in Beijing, and the National Portrait Gallery in London, among many other prestigious institutions. The artist’s influence also led to his inclusion in international biennials, representing Germany at the 36th Venice Biennale in 1972 and participating in Documenta in 1997, 1982, 1987, 1992, and 1997. Richter’s work is held in numerous permanent collections around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate in London, the Albertina in Vienna, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Richter is equally popular amongst private collections and ranks in the top ten artists sold at auction. Across nearly 150 repeat sales, Richter’s frequency of appreciation is an impressive 89%, meaning that when a painting by this artist is sold at an auction and then later resold at another auction, the price it realizes in the second sale is higher than what it was sold for initially 89% of the time. On October 12, 2012, the artist set a new record for the most expensive painting sold by a living artist at auction, selling the painting Abstraktes Bild (809-4) (1994) for $34,165,171 (£21,321,250) at Sotheby’s London. He has since broken this record, and his top auction records are now led by Abstraktes Bild (1986), which sold for $46,306,758 (£30,389,000) at Sotheby’s London on February 10, 2015, Domplatz, Mailand (Cathedral square, Milan) (1968), which sold for $37,125,000 at Sotheby’s New York on May 14, 2013, and Abstraktes bild (1994), which sold for $36,500,000 at Christie’s New York on May 10, 2022.
Kazuo Shiraga
Kazuo Shiraga (b. 1924, Amagasaki, Japan - d. 2008, Amagasaki, Japan) is one of the most influential Japanese Post-War artists, best known for his integration of performance and painting. Shiraga was born to a traditional merchant family in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. His father encouraged him to attend a Western-style painting club at the Amagasaki Middle School in 1937. Four years later, Shiraga began his studies at the Kyoto Municipal Special School of Painting with a concentration in “Nihonga,” a traditional style of Japanese painting. Shiraga’s studies were paused from 1944 to 1945 when he was conscripted into the Imperial Army during World War II. After the war, Shiraga graduated from the Kyoto School of Painting and continued his studies in oil painting at the City Art Center in Osaka, where he joined the New Creation Art Association. The following year, Shiraga joined another avant garde group called Genbi, and in 1952, he co-founded the Zero Society, an experimental set of five painters that would eventually join the Gutai group. The artist began his experimentation with different painting techniques in 1953, when he started painting with a palette knife and his hands, and created his first painting with his feet in 1954. That same year, Jirō Yoshihara founded the Gutai collective, an association of painters who sought to push the boundaries of traditional painting through the invention of new and performative techniques of creating art. In 1955, Shiraga exhibited with the Gutai group for the first time with his seminal performance piece, Challenging Mud, where he moved through a pile of mud in order to form shapes out of the clay with his whole body. Thereafter, Shiraga focused on a new method of painting: he held onto a rope above a canvas on the floor and swept paint across the surface of the canvas with his feet. In 1958, Martha Jackson Gallery in New York debuted the work of the Gutai group in the United States. In 1962, Shiraga held his first solo exhibitions in Europe at Galerie Stadler in Paris and the International Center of Aesthetic Research in Turin. Shiraga was a member of the Gutai group up until 1971, when he became a Buddhist Monk and ended his involvement with the movement. In the later years of his life, Shiraga was awarded numerous prestigious awards for his contributions to Japanese art, including the Hyogo Prefectural Cultural Prize for Excellence in 1987, the Distinguished Service Medal for Culture in 1999, and the Art Prize of Osaka City in 2002.
Kazuo Shiraga is represented by Fergus McCaffrey and Lévy Gorvy. Shiraga’s work has been included in two Venice Biennales: in 2007, at an adjacent exhibition organized by Axel Vandervoot at Palazzo Fortuny, and in 2009, at the Arsenale curated by Daniel Birnbaum. The artist has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions, including a large-scale museum survey in 2009 titled Kazuo Shiraga: Painting Born Out of Fighting at the Azumino Municipal Museum of Modern Art, which traveled to the Amagasaki Cultural Center, the Yokosuka Museum of Art and the Hekinan Museum of Contemporary Art. Shiraga was also a central figure in the Guggenheim’s 2013 in-depth exhibition on the Gutai collective. Shiraga’s works are held in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Musée National d’Art Moderne Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, among others. Shiraga’s auction records are led by Takao (1959), which sold for $10,285,493 (€8,731,400) at Sotheby’s Paris on June 6, 2018, Tentaisei soushiko (The winged tiger) (1960), which sold for $8,638,168 (€7,796,300) at Sotheby’s Paris on December 4, 2019, and Gekidou suru aka (1969), which sold for $5,317,338 (€3,905,500) at Sotheby’s Paris on June 3, 2014.
Zao Wou-Ki
Zao Wou-Ki (b. 1920, Beijing, China - d. 2013, Nyon, Switzerland) is considered one of the pioneers of modern Chinese painting. He studied at the Hangzhou Art Academy under Wu Dayu where he cultivated a modernist aesthetic that drew from Chinese literati painting’s interest in nature for six years before becoming a drawing instructor there. In 1948, he moved to Paris and befriended avant garde artists like Alberto Giacometti and Joan Miró. Zao’s influences expanded to reflect his international existence; Paul Klee in particular inspired him to explore the lyrical abstraction and contemporary painting techniques that now distinguish his work. In the mid-1950s, the artist directly references his Chinese influences, occasionally including calligraphy. In 1957, Zao visited New York for the first time. Two years later, he held his first solo exhibition in the United States at Kootz Gallery in New York, which established his presence in the Post-War movement alongside other painters represented by the gallery, such as Pierre Soulages, Hans Hoffmann and Robert Motherwell. Between 1959 and 1972, the artist’s famed Hurricane Period synthesized his Chinese and Western influences in rhythmic, abstract paintings that loosely allude to traditional Chinese landscape paintings. In 1968, Zao’s inclusion in the exhibition, Painting in France 1900-1967 brought his work to several major American museums: the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. In the 1970s, his work shifted away from line and gesture and towards loose, gestural brushstrokes, blurred backgrounds, and saturated colors to create dreamlike atmospheric environments that allude to natural landscapes but maintain a sense of abstraction. This marks a transition into Zao’s Infinity Period of the 1980s, characterized by its particular focus on luminosity and brighter palette. Between 1980 and 1984, Zao also taught at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris but left teaching when his career became too demanding. That same year, he was awarded the honor of Officier de l’Ordre de la Légion d’Honneur before being promoted to Commandeur de l’Ordre de la Légion d’honneur in 1993, and then to Grand Officier de l’Ordre de la Légion d’honneur in 2006. In 2008, Zao retired from oil painting but continued to produce watercolors. In 2011, he moved to Dully in Switzerland. Zao died on April 9, 2013, in Nyon, Switzerland.
Zao has been the subject of retrospectives at institutions around the world, including the Hayden Gallery in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Museum Folkwang in Essen, Germany, the Fine Arts Museum in Taipei, the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts in Taiwan, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Musée d’Ixelles in Brussels, the the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris, and the Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume in Paris. Zao’s work is now held in the permanent collections of over 150 institutions around the world, including the Tate Modern in London, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Tamayo Museum of Contemporary Art in Mexico City, the Museum of Modern Art in Milan, the Museum of Fine Art in Montréal, and the Musee d’Art Moderne in Paris, among many others. The artist’s auction records are currently held by Juin-Octobre 1985 (1985), which sold for $65,204,488 (HKD 510,371,000) at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on September 30, 2018, followed by 29.09.64 (1964), which sold for $35,414,698 (HKD 278,000,000) at Christie’s Hong Kong on May 26, 2022, and 04.01.79 (1979), which sold for $26,762,229 (¥174,800,000) at Beijing Yongle International Auction Co. on December 4, 2020.
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The Series
Series 309
The Artwork held by Series 309, entitled xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx x(xPxaxixnxtxixnxgx xDxrxaxwxixnxgx x6x)x (2011), is a single work of art by George Condo. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 72 inches by 60 inches, at Christie’s Post-War & Contemporary Art Day Sale in New York for $1,804,500 on May 12, 2023. For a biography of George Condo, see “Description of the Business — The Artists.”
| ● | The Artwork is a prime example of George Condo’s cubist-inspired figural compositions, executed in his signature style and referencing art historical precedents | |
| ● | Executed in 2011, the Artwork is a prime example of Condo’s long-standing series of “Drawing Artworks,” which he formally began in 2009. | |
| ● | The influence of Pablo Picasso is evident in the Artwork. The Spanish painter’s revolutionary, fractured compositions and overlapping viewpoints — hallmarks of “Analytical Cubism,” have been adopted by Condo, who speaks of their similarity. In a 2014 interview with Stuart Jeffries, Condo explained: “I describe what I do as Psychological Cubism. Picasso painted a violin from four different perspectives at one moment. I do the same with psychological states.” | |
| ● | The figure depicted in the Artwork is likely an invented character or archetype, inspired by Condo’s imagination and love of fiction novels, rather than a specific subject. The portrait’s mix of abstraction and representation visualizes the artist’s tendency to blend fact and fiction as much as he blends styles. | |
| ● | As of January 23, 2024, recent Cubist portraits executed after 2009 which are of similar composition and period to the Artwork have recently sold at auction in excess of $2.7 million at auction, and include: Blue Monumental Head (2018), which sold for $3,085,000 at Sotheby’s, New York on May 18, 2023, Portrait Composition in Blue and Grey (2012), which sold for $2,712,000 at Christie’s, New York on May 11, 2023, and Green Head Composition (2013), which sold for $3,116,881 (£2,334,000) at Sotheby’s, London on March 2, 2022. | |
| ● | The Artwork’s subject, execution, and format make it a commercial and desirable work by George Condo. |
Highlights
| ● | Attractive historical price appreciation for similar works to the Artwork: 18.3% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from November 13, 2013 to May 18, 2023.(1) | |
| ● | Significant auction track-record with 37 years of transaction history and a high level of auction volume based on $33.9 million in total sales over the previous year ending on December 31, 2022.(2) |
Notes:
| 1. | Implied annualized price appreciation based on 25 sales of works by George Condo that are similar to the Artwork and based on publicly available auction records. |
| 2. | Based on publicly available auction records as tracked by third-party data sources. |
Provenance
Skarstedt, New York
Sprüth Magers Gallery, London
Private Collection (acquired in 2013)
Christie’s New York, May 12, 2023, Lot 245
Acquired from the above by Masterworks
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History of Selected Similar Sales
The table and chart below capture the historical data for selected auctions sales transactions, which are similar to the Artwork. The selected sales data is intended to provide an estimate of the historical appreciation rate of the Artwork by looking at a set of similar works by the artist that have sold at public auction. The set of similar sales comprise paintings by George Condo with the following criteria: canvas paintings executed 2009 to present, that measure 40 inches by 40 inches to 100 inches by 100 inches and depict single figure portraits with Cubist elements. Works executed in the artist’s “grotesque” style were excluded from the comparative set. The data was sourced from publicly available auction records and does not include private sales. Such data may be incomplete or inaccurate. Sale records that do not contain images may be excluded from the comparative set. Although the paintings in the described set have similar characteristics to the Artwork, each individual painting is unique in terms of artistic content, coloring, condition, provenance and other factors. We, therefore, cannot make any determination or representation that any of the data set forth below is useful in determining the value of the Artwork and you are urged not to place undue reliance on such data. The art transaction data is not intended to indicate past or expected performance of any security. Similar sales may include transactions involving Masterworks acting as a buyer or seller. For the purposes of the table below, any sale that was conducted in a foreign currency has been converted to US Dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the applicable sale date. The realized prices comprised by this set of transactions have increased at an estimated 18.3% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from November 13, 2013 to May 18, 2023.


Notes
| 1. | Prices are shown with auction house buyer’s premium, but exclude any sales taxes, VAT, artist resale right fee or other charges assessed by the auction house. |
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Series 318
The Artwork held by Series 318, entitled xHxaxixrxcxuxtx x(xBxexnx x&x xSxpxexnxcxexrx)x (2002), is a single work of art by Elizabeth Peyton. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Painting, which measures at 12 inches by 9 inches, at Christie’s, 21st Century Art Day Sale in Hong Kong on May 19, 2023 for HKD 3,528,000 or $451,101 based on the effective exchange rate provided by Deutsche Börse AG. For a biography of Elizabeth Peyton, see “Description of the Business — The Artists.”
| ● | The Artwork depicts two young men, Ben and Spencer. While Ben is sitting on the chair with his black hair over his shoulders and is leaning away from the viewer, Spencer is trimming his hair. | |
| ● | The Artwork is characterized by Peyton’s signature loose brushwork and use of pastel colors. The figures are rendered in a simplified style, which gives the painting a dreamlike quality. The Artwork’s subject matter is also unconventional, as it depicts two ordinary young men rather than very famous celebrities or historical figures. | |
| ● | Peyton’s style combines the ideals of Romanticism era with contemporary innovation,” which is what makes her one of the most unique and important artists of her generation. | |
| ● | By depicting two males in an intimate and vulnerable situation, “Peyton shuns the archaic gender system of machoism and toughness, and chooses instead to draw out the feminine beauty and tenderness of her sitters.” | |
| ● | Ben is a DJ who was Peyton’s assistant in the early 2000s and Spencer is a friend of Peyton, who is also an artist named Spencer Sweeny. | |
| ● | The Artwork was well-received by critics, who praised Peyton’s originality and her ability to capture the essence of her subjects. The Artwork has since been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, and it is now considered to be one of Peyton’s most important works. | |
| ● | The Artwork captures the innocence and camaraderie of youth. It is a reminder that even the most ordinary moments can be filled with beauty and meaning. | |
| ● | The Artwork was previously sold at auction for HKD 2,750,000 ($350,628) at Sotheby’s, Hong Kong on October 7, 2019. | |
| ● | As of January 23, 2024, portraits similar in size to the Artwork, measuring under 20 by 20 inches have sold in excess of $900,000 at auction. These examples include: Nick with His Eyes Shut (2003), which sold for $2,470,000 at Sotheby’s, New York on November 16, 2022, David Bowie (2012), which sold for $2,077,000 at Sotheby’s, New York on May 12, 2021 and Flower Ben (2002), which sold for $945,000 at Sotheby’s, New York on November 15, 2018. |
Highlights
| ● | Attractive historical price appreciation for similar works to the Artwork: 13.1% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from October 15, 2010 to June 27, 2023.(1) | |
| ● | Moderate auction track-record with 23 years of transaction history and a low level of auction volume based on $7.7 million in total sales over the previous year ending on December 31, 2021.(2) |
Notes:
| 1. | Implied annualized price appreciation based on 15 sales of works by Elizabeth Peyton, including one past sale of the Artwork, that are similar to the Artwork and based on publicly available auction records. |
| 2. | Based on publicly available auction records as tracked by third-party data sources. |
Provenance
Sadie Coles HQ, London
Collection of Marc Jacobs
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 7 October 2019, lot 583
Private Collection
Christie’s Hong Kong, May 29, 2023, Lot 320
Acquired from the above by Masterworks
Exhibited
London, Royal Academy of Art, The Galleries Show - Contemporary Art in London, September - October 2002
New York, New Museum, Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton, 8 October 2008-11 January 2009. This exhibition also travelled to Minnesota, Walker Art Center, 14 February-13 June 2009; London, Whitechapel Gallery, 9 July-19 September 2009; Maastricht, Bonnefanten Museum, 18 October 2009-21 March 2010
Literature
New York, Gagosian/Rizzoli, Elizabeth Peyton, 2005 (illustrated, p. 196)
New York, Phaidon Press, Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton, 2010 (illustrated, p. 164)
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History of Selected Similar Sales
The table and chart below capture the historical data for selected auctions sales transactions, which are similar to the Artwork. The selected sales data is intended to provide an estimate of the historical appreciation rate of the Artwork by looking at a set of similar works by the artist that have sold at public auction. The set of similar sales comprise paintings by Elizabeth Peyton with the following criteria: executed from 2000 to present, measuring under 24 inches by 24 inches excluding works featuring more than one full figure, fully nude figures and works with only animals and objects. The data was sourced from publicly available auction records and does not include private sales. Such data may be incomplete or inaccurate. Sale records that do not contain images may be excluded from the comparative set. Although the paintings in the described set have similar characteristics to the Painting, each individual painting is unique in terms of artistic content, coloring, condition, provenance and other factors. We, therefore, cannot make any determination or representation that any of the data set forth below is useful in determining the value of the Painting and you are urged not to place undue reliance on such data. The art transaction data is not intended to indicate past or expected performance of any security. Similar sales may include transactions involving Masterworks acting as a buyer or seller. For the purposes of the table below, any sale that was conducted in a foreign currency has been converted to US Dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the applicable sale date. The realized prices comprised by this set of transactions have increased at an estimated 13.1% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from October 15, 2010 to June 27, 2023.


Notes
| 1. | Prices are shown with auction house buyer’s premium, but exclude any sales taxes, VAT, artist resale right fee or other charges assessed by the auction house. |
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Series 320
The Artwork held by Series 320 entitled xRxaxrxax xAxvxixsx (2006), is a single work of art by Carmen Herrera. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 36 inches by 36 inches, in a privately negotiated transaction from a private gallery for $365,000 on July 27, 2023. For a biography of Carmen Herrera, see “Description of the Business — The Artists.”
| ● | The Artwork is a large-scale, late-career example of a pure geometric abstract painting by Carmen Herrera, a style she began exploring in 1948 and pursued for the remainder of her career. | |
| ● | The Artwork is representative of Carmen Herrera’s mature painting style, which uses limited contrasting color palettes and geometric planes of color to explore themes of spatial tension and rhythm in conversation with modernist abstraction. | |
| ● | The Artwork is a predominantly flat cobalt blue square canvas intersected by an irregular yellow polygon, which reaches diagonally across the width of the canvas. Yellow dominates much of the left side of the canvas and narrows to a sharp point in the upper right of the canvas. Carmen Herrera tilts the position of the yellow polygon, so the work is not quite diagonally symmetrical. | |
| ● | Artworks of similar size created since 2010 have sold at auction for as much as almost $1 million, and include: Aquila Verde (2015), which sold for $998,421 (£ 724,300) at Phillips London on April 15, 2021, Amarillo y Negro (2010), which sold for $630,000 at Phillips New York on November 17, 2021, and Noche Verde (2016), which was purchased by Masterworks 193, LLC for $567,000 at Phillips New York on November 15, 2022. |
Highlights
| ● | Attractive historical price appreciation for similar works to the Artwork: 25.8% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from November 15, 2011 to November 15, 2022.(1) | |
| ● | Moderate auction track-record with 17 years of transaction history and a low level of auction volume based on $2.4 million in total sales, excluding buyers premium, over the previous year ending on December 31, 2022.(2) |
Notes:
| 1. | Implied annualized price appreciation based on 10 sales of works by Carmen Herrera that are similar to the Artwork and based on publicly available auction records. |
| 2. | Based on publicly available auction records as tracked by third-party data sources. |
Provenance
Private Collection
Acquired from the above by Masterworks
| 59 |
History of Selected Similar Sales
The table and chart below capture the historical data for selected auctions sales transactions, which are similar to the Artwork. The selected sales data is intended to provide an estimate of the historical appreciation rate of the Artwork by looking at a set of similar works by the artist that have sold at public auction. The set of similar sales comprise paintings by Carmen Herrera with the following criteria: works on canvas executed 1980 to present that measure between 20 inches by 20 inches and 75 inches by 75 inches in size. The data was sourced from publicly available auction records and does not include private sales. Such data may be incomplete or inaccurate. Sale records that do not contain images may be excluded from the comparative set. Although the paintings in the described set have similar characteristics to the Artwork, each individual painting is unique in terms of artistic content, coloring, condition, provenance and other factors. We, therefore, cannot make any determination or representation that any of the data set forth below is useful in determining the value of the Artwork and you are urged not to place undue reliance on such data. The art transaction data is not intended to indicate past or expected performance of any security. Similar sales may include transactions involving Masterworks acting as a buyer or seller. For the purposes of the table below, any sale that was conducted in a foreign currency has been converted to US Dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the applicable sale date. The realized prices comprised by this set of transactions have increased at an estimated 25.8% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from November 15, 2011 to November 15, 2022.


Notes
| 1. | Prices are shown with auction house buyer’s premium, but exclude any sales taxes, VAT, artist resale right fee or other charges assessed by the auction house. |
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Series 323
The Artwork held by Series 323, entitled Hxixsx xnxaxmxex xwxaxsx xBxexnx,x xbxuxtx xhxex xpxrxexfxexrxrxexdx xBxexnxjxaxmxixnx x(xtxhxex xdxrxixfxtxwxoxoxdx xsxcxuxlxpxtxoxrx)x (2022), is a single work of art by Hernan Bas. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 72 inches by 60 inches, in a privately negotiated transaction from a private collector for $412,500 on June 15, 2023. For a biography of Hernan Bas, see “Description of the Business — The Artists.”
| ● | The Artwork is a part of Hernan Bas’ series known as The Conceptualists from 2022, in which Bas considers how strange mundane activities are championed when performed in the name of conceptual art. He paints portraits of conceptual artists in their unique artistic environments, whether that be in a studio or on a street. These portraits are intentionally awkward because Bas wanted to capture the defensive expressions of artists being watched while in the middle of their private practices. | |
| ● | Unlike many of his paintings which veer into the realm of abstraction, Bas maintains a sense of realism in The Conceptualists. Since the featured subjects still embody the young male figure signature of Bas’ style, the bizarre specificity of their performed actions and surroundings set these works apart from the rest of his oeuvre. | |
| ● | The Artwork is a large-scale canvas full-body portrait painting of a driftwood sculptor named Benjamin surrounded by in-progress sculptures and shelves of unused driftwood in his studio. Benjamin stands motionless in the middle of the composition; he wears black converse low-tops, cuffed blue jeans, a maroon sweatshirt under a brown apron, and a blue stone pendant on a black string. He blankly stares out, past the viewer, as if waiting to be alone to get back to sculpting. | |
| ● | Similar figurative paintings auction records are led by The Overly Prepped Boy (or The Approaching Glacier) (2010), which sold for $1,249,705 at Christie’s Hong Kong on May 26, 2022, followed by Night Flight or Midnight Migration, or My Merry Way (2008), which sold for $746,000 at Sotheby’s New York on November 18, 2021, and Secret Hideout of the Flamingo Gang (Abandoned Paddle Boats) (2014), which sold for $563,337 at Christie’s Hong Kong on May 29, 2023. |
Highlights
| ● | Attractive historical price appreciation for similar works to the Artwork: 20.4% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from May 10, 2012 to May 29, 2023.(1) | |
| ● | Low auction track-record with 10 years of transaction history and a low level of auction volume based on $2,474,531 in total sales over the previous year ending on December 31, 2022.(2) |
Notes:
| 1. | Implied annualized price appreciation based on 21 sales of works by Hernan Bas that are similar to the Artwork and based on publicly available auction records. |
| 2. | Based on publicly available auction records as tracked by third-party data sources. |
Provenance
The Artist
Private Collection, New York
Acquired from the above by Masterworks
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History of Selected Similar Sales
The table and chart below capture the historical data for selected auctions sales transactions, which are similar to the Painting. The selected sales data is intended to provide an estimate of the historical appreciation rate of the Artwork by looking at a set of similar works by the artist that have sold at public auction. The set of similar sales comprise paintings by Hernan Bas with the following criteria: canvas paintings created 2009 to present, measuring over 40 inches by 40 inches to 100 inches by 100 inches, excluding works on paper, vellum, mylar, board and panel. The data was sourced from publicly available auction records and does not include private sales. Such data may be incomplete or inaccurate. Sale records that do not contain images may be excluded from the comparative set. Although the paintings in the described set have similar characteristics to the Painting, each individual painting is unique in terms of artistic content, coloring, condition, provenance and other factors. We, therefore, cannot make any determination or representation that any of the data set forth below is useful in determining the value of the Painting and you are urged not to place undue reliance on such data. The art transaction data is not intended to indicate past or expected performance of any security. Similar sales may include transactions involving Masterworks acting as a buyer or seller. For the purposes of the table below, any sale that was conducted in a foreign currency has been converted to US Dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the applicable sale date. The realized prices comprised by this set of transactions have increased at an estimated 20.4% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from May 10, 2012 to May 29, 2023.


Notes
| 1. | Prices are shown with auction house buyer’s premium, but exclude any sales taxes, VAT, artist resale right fee or other charges assessed by the auction house. |
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Series 329
The Artwork held by Series 329, entitled xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx (2006), is a single work of art by Günther Förg. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 79 inches by 99 inches, in a privately negotiated transaction from a private gallery for $505,000 on June 26, 2023. For a biography of Günther Förg, see “Description of the Business — The Artists.”
| ● | The Artwork is a prime example of Günther Förg’s Gitterbilder (grid paintings) series, which he created from the late 1990s through the 2000s. | |
| ● | Günther Förg’s grid paintings are characterized by their uneven, overlapping grid compositions painted in sections with various solid vibrant colors. The clarity and complexity of the grids vary between paintings with some blurring into an almost indiscernible pattern while others remain completely structurally organized. | |
| ● | The Artwork is a large-scale horizontal grid painting, which features warm shades of dark reds and oranges as well as navy blue on a white background. The gestural, uneven markings of the loose grid do not reach the edge of the canvas, creating the illusion that the brushstrokes float in space. | |
| ● | Floating grid paintings have performed increasingly well at auction in recent years, bridging the gap with Günther Förg’s Spot paintings. Recent auction sales similar to the Artwork include: Untitled (2006), which sold for £ 622,500 ($859,052) at Christie’s London on June 4, 2021, Untitled (2006), which sold for £ 471,000 ($597,855) at Sotheby’s London on June 26, 2019, and Untitled (2006), which sold for £ 453,600 ($506,196) at Sotheby’s London on October 14, 2022. |
Highlights
| ● | Attractive historical price appreciation for similar works to the Artwork: 26.1% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from September 28, 2017 to October 14, 2022.(1) | |
| ● | Significant auction track-record with 33 years of transaction history and a low level of auction volume based on $9.5 million in total sales over the previous year ending on December 31, 2022.(2) |
Notes:
| 1. | Implied annualized price appreciation based on 6 sales of works by Günther Förg that are similar to the Artwork and based on publicly available auction records. |
| 2. | Based on publicly available auction records as tracked by third-party data sources. |
Provenance
The Estate
Acquired from the above by Masterworks
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History of Selected Similar Sales
The table and chart below capture the historical data for selected auctions sales transactions, which are similar to the Artwork. The selected sales data is intended to provide an estimate of the historical appreciation rate of the Artwork by looking at a set of similar works by the artist that have sold at public auction. The set of similar sales comprise paintings by Günther Förg with the following criteria: “Spot” paintings on canvas, executed between 2007 and 2009 that measure 50 inches by 50 inches to 120 inches by 120 inches. Untitled (2007), was excluded due to its atypical composition. The set of similar works includes one painting currently held in the Masterworks portfolio, Masterworks 084, LLC, an affiliate of the Company, purchased at Phillips, London, Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale, held on October 15, 2021 for £615,400 ($846,666). Where the auction house’s buyer’s premium was unavailable, the following buyer’s premiums were applied: 10% was applied to Sans Titre (2007), which sold on December 2, 2020 at Millon & Associés SAS in Paris, Ohne Titel (Untitled) (2007), which sold on December 4, 2018 at Bruun Rasmussen in Copenhagen and Komposition (2007), which sold on October 4, 2010 at Bruun Rasmussen in Copenhagen. The data was sourced from publicly available auction records and does not include private sales. Such data may be incomplete or inaccurate. Sale records that do not contain images may be excluded from the comparative set. Although the paintings in the described set have similar characteristics to the Artwork, each individual painting is unique in terms of artistic content, coloring, condition, provenance and other factors. We, therefore, cannot make any determination or representation that any of the data set forth below is useful in determining the value of the Artwork and you are urged not to place undue reliance on such data. The art transaction data is not intended to indicate past or expected performance of any security. Similar sales may include transactions involving Masterworks acting as a buyer or seller. For the purposes of the table below, any sale that was conducted in a foreign currency has been converted to US Dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the applicable sale date. The realized prices comprised by this set of transactions have increased at an estimated 26.1% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from September 9, 2017 to October 14, 2022.


Notes
| 1. | Prices are shown with auction house buyer’s premium, but exclude any sales taxes, VAT, artist resale right fee or other charges assessed by the auction house. |
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Series 338
The Artwork held by Series 338 entitled xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx (2007), is a single work of art by Günther Förg. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 98 inches by 165 inches, in a privately negotiated transaction from a private gallery for $805,000 on July 20, 2023. For a biography of Günther Förg, see “Description of the Business — The Artists.”
| ● | The Artwork is characteristic of Günther Förg’s Spot Paintings series, the artist’s last major body of work and the culmination of his liberated painting practice. The series was partially inspired by photographs of Francis Bacon’s studio, which illustrate how Bacon cleaned his brushes by wiping excess paint directly onto his walls and door. Förg connected Bacon’s cleaning technique to the spots of paint left on the paper or cloth he used when he cleaned his brushes. | |
| ● | Günther Förg’s Spot Paintings pay homage to the act of painting through visible brush strokes, harmonious color theory, and purely abstract compositions. | |
| ● | The Artwork features vibrant spots of paint evenly distributed across the white background of a large-scale horizontal canvas. The organic spots reveal the variety of paint brushes and pigments used through their variety in shape, size, chroma, and opacity. | |
| ● | Other artworks from the Spot Paintings series make up seven of Günther Förg’s top ten auction records, led by Untitled (2007), which sold for $1,220,000 at Sotheby’s New York on November 14, 2019, followed by Sans Titre (2008), which sold for € 980,000 ($1,161,268) at Christie’s Paris on June 30th, 2021, and Untitled (2008), which sold for $1,159,417 at Phillips London on March 3, 2022. |
Highlights
| ● | Attractive historical price appreciation for similar works to the Artwork: 32.0% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from October 4, 2010 to September 30, 2022.(1) | |
| ● | Significant auction track-record with 33 years of transaction history and a low level of auction volume based on $9.5 million in total sales over the previous year ending on December 31, 2022.(2) |
Notes:
| 1. | Implied annualized price appreciation based on 14 sales of works by Günther Förg, that are similar to the Artwork and based on publicly available auction records. |
| 2. | Based on publicly available auction records as tracked by third-party data sources. |
Provenance
The Artist
Private Collection
Acquired from the above by Masterworks
Exhibitions
Neuss, Langen Foundation, Leiko Ikemura - Günther Förg - Zwischenräume, June - November 2007
St. Georgen, Kunstraum Grässlin, Günther Förg - Works from the Collection May - December 2012
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Günther Förg: A Fragile Beauty, May - October 2018
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History of Selected Similar Sales
The table and chart below capture the historical data for selected auctions sales transactions, which are similar to the Artwork. The selected sales data is intended to provide an estimate of the historical appreciation rate of the Artwork by looking at a set of similar works by the artist that have sold at public auction. The set of similar sales comprise paintings by Günther Förg with the following criteria: Spot Paintings over 70 inches in size. The data was sourced from publicly available auction records and does not include private sales. Such data may be incomplete or inaccurate. Sale records that do not contain images may be excluded from the comparative set. Although the paintings in the described set have similar characteristics to the Artwork, each individual painting is unique in terms of artistic content, coloring, condition, provenance and other factors. We, therefore, cannot make any determination or representation that any of the data set forth below is useful in determining the value of the Artwork and you are urged not to place undue reliance on such data. The art transaction data is not intended to indicate past or expected performance of any security. Similar sales may include transactions involving Masterworks acting as a buyer or seller. For the purposes of the table below, any sale that was conducted in a foreign currency has been converted to US Dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the applicable sale date. The realized prices comprised by this set of transactions have increased at an estimated 32.0% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from October 4, 2010 to September 30, 2022.


Notes
| 1. | Prices are shown with auction house buyer’s premium, but exclude any sales taxes, VAT, artist resale right fee or other charges assessed by the auction house. |
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Series 340
The Artwork held by Series 340, entitled xUxnxtxixtxlxexdx x(xWxoxmxaxnx xLxoxoxkxixnxgx xLxexfxtx)x (2016), is a single work of art by Kerry James Marshall. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 25 inches by 22 inches, at Sotheby’s Modern and Contemporary Evening Auction, featuring Face to Face: A Celebration of Portraiture in London on June 27, 2023 for £3,073,000 or $ 3,901,911 based on the effective exchange rate provided by J.P Morgan Chase Bank. For a biography of Kerry James Marshall, see “Description of the Business — The Artists.”
| ● | The Artwork is a wonderful example of Kerry James Marshall’s portrait paintings of Black figures. | |
| ● | Using traditional painting techniques inspired by Italian Renaissance and Flemish paintings, Marshall interrogates tropes about the Black body in Western art history and contemporary society. He explores Black identities in his paintings by literally using black paint for his figures’ skin rather than more naturalistic shades of brown. | |
| ● | The Artwork is a three-quarters view portrait of a Black woman turned to the left, her skin painted in Kerry James Marshall’s signature black pigment. | |
| ● | The figure’s posture is relaxed, and she smiles gently with her mouth opening just enough to reveal her top teeth. Her natural, kinky hair is pulled back into a simple updo, and she wears a loose collared patchwork jacket with yellow and patterned indigo fabrics and beige gingham sleeves. She also wears a dangling pearl earring with a black and red rectangular charm. The background is painted a vibrant yellow-green green and the back of a red chair peeks out from under her left arm. | |
| ● | Due to their high demand, portrait paintings by Kerry James Marshall do not frequently go to auction, and when they do they have achieved prices as high as $7.5 million, including: Nat-Shango (Thunder) (1991), which sold for $7,500,000 at Christie’s New York on May 11, 2021, followed by Untitled (Painter) (2008), which sold for $7,325,800 at Sotheby’s New York on May 1, 2019, and Untitled (Masked Boy) (2014), which sold for $5,734,800 at Sotheby’s New York on May 18, 2023. |
Highlights
| ● | Attractive historical price appreciation for similar works to the Artwork: 33.7% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from March 16, 2006 to May 18, 2023.(1) | |
| ● | Moderate auction track-record with 17 years of transaction history and a moderate level of auction volume based on $14.7 million in total sales over the previous year ending on December 31, 2022.(2) |
Notes:
| 1. | Implied annualized price appreciation based on 13 sales of works by Kerry James Marshall that are similar to the Artwork and based on publicly available auction records. |
| 2. | Based on publicly available auction records as tracked by third-party data sources. |
Provenance
The Artist
David Zwirner, New York
Private Collection
Sotheby’s London, June 27, 2023, Lot 108
Acquired from the above by Masterworks
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Literature
Charles Gaines, Greg Tate and Laurence Rassel, Kerry James Marshall, New York, 2017, p. 137, illustrated in color
History of Selected Similar Sales
The table and chart below capture the historical data for selected auctions sales transactions, which are similar to the Artwork. The selected sales data is intended to provide an estimate of the historical appreciation rate of the Artwork by looking at a set of similar works by the artist that have sold at public auction. The set of similar sales comprise paintings by Kerry James Marshall with the following criteria: portrait paintings of a single figure. Where the price with buyer’s premium was not listed, it was calculated based on the auction house’s terms and conditions. The data was sourced from publicly available auction records and does not include private sales. Such data may be incomplete or inaccurate. Sale records that do not contain images may be excluded from the comparative set. Although the paintings in the described set have similar characteristics to the Artwork, each individual painting is unique in terms of artistic content, coloring, condition, provenance and other factors. We, therefore, cannot make any determination or representation that any of the data set forth below is useful in determining the value of the Artwork and you are urged not to place undue reliance on such data. The art transaction data is not intended to indicate past or expected performance of any security. Similar sales may include transactions involving Masterworks acting as a buyer or seller. For the purposes of the table below, any sale that was conducted in a foreign currency has been converted to US Dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the applicable sale date. The realized prices comprised by this set of transactions have increased at an estimated 33.7% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from March 16, 2006 to May 18, 2023.


Notes
| 1. | Prices are shown with auction house buyer’s premium, but exclude any sales taxes, VAT, artist resale right fee or other charges assessed by the auction house. |
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Series 348
The Artwork held by Series 348 entitled xRxaxixnxcxoxaxtx xTxrxixpxtxyxcxhx (1982), is a single work of art by Alex Katz. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 78 inches by 180 inches, in a privately negotiated transaction from an auction house for $1,625,000 on July 25, 2023. For a biography of Alex Katz, see “Description of the Business — The Artists.”
| ● | The Artwork is a prime example of Alex Katz’s large-scale portrait paintings, which highlight contemporary fashion. | |
| ● | Inspired by magazines, movie screens, and billboards, Alex Katz employs tight cropping and monochrome backgrounds in his portraits. | |
| ● | The Artwork is a large-scale triptych featuring individual close up portraits of three women wearing raincoats. | |
| ● | The two exterior portraits feature the same pale, blue-eyed woman with dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. In the far left painting, she wears a gray, red-lined raincoat and opens her lips to show her teeth in a gentle smile. While in the far right painting, she wears a bright blue, unlined raincoat and keeps her mouth closed as she smiles. In both portraits, her torso turns slightly to the left, and she clutches her coat closed at her chest. The light brown-eyed woman with short brown hair in the central portrait turns her head slightly in the opposite direction so her torso faces the viewer straight on. She wears a dark tan trench coat with a patterned fuchsia scarf peeking out from under the collar and a single dangling earring with a fuchsia gem. | |
| ● | Auction records for artworks similar in scale and subject are led by The Red Band (1978), which sold for $3,166,000 at Sotheby’s New York on October 28, 2020, East Interior (1978), which sold for $2,530,500 at Sotheby’s New York on May 19, 2022, and Rackstraw and Pamela (1976), which sold for $2,470,000 at Sotheby’s New York on May 19, 2022. |
Highlights
| ● | Attractive historical price appreciation for similar works to the Artwork since January 1, 2000: 12.8% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from May 14, 2002, to November 16, 2022.(1) | |
| ● | Significant auction track-record with 38 years of transaction history and a low level of auction volume based on $9.3 million in total sales over the previous year ending on December 31, 2021.(2) |
Notes:
| 1. | Implied annualized price appreciation based on 12 sales of works by Alex Katz that are similar to the Artwork and based on publicly available auction records. |
| 2. | Based on publicly available auction records as tracked by third-party data sources. |
Provenance
Marlborough, New York
Private Collection
Private Collection
Acquired from the above by Masterworks
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Exhibited
New York, Marlborough, A Tribute to Alex Katz, November 2022 - January 2023
History of Selected Similar Sales
The table and chart below capture the historical data for selected auctions sales transactions, which are similar to the Artwork. The selected sales data is intended to provide an estimate of the historical appreciation rate of the Artwork by looking at a set of similar works by the artist that have sold at public auction. The set of similar sales comprise paintings by Alex Katz with the following criteria: paintings created between 1970 and 1995 of forward facing female or group portraits that feature clothing/fashion, larger than 60 inches by 90 inches, excluding nudes and Blue Umbrella #2 (1972) due to the overall desirability of the work. The data was sourced from publicly available auction records and does not include private sales. Such data may be incomplete or inaccurate. Sale records that do not contain images may be excluded from the comparative set. Although the paintings in the described set have similar characteristics to the Artwork, each individual painting is unique in terms of artistic content, coloring, condition, provenance and other factors. We, therefore, cannot make any determination or representation that any of the data set forth below is useful in determining the value of the Artwork and you are urged not to place undue reliance on such data. The art transaction data is not intended to indicate past or expected performance of any security. Similar sales may include transactions involving Masterworks acting as a buyer or seller. For the purposes of the table below, any sale that was conducted in a foreign currency has been converted to US Dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the applicable sale date. Since January 1, 2000, the realized prices comprised by this set of transactions have increased at an estimated 12.8% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from May 14, 2002 to November 16, 2022. The realized prices comprised by the entire set of transactions have increased at an estimated 11.3% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from February 23, 1990 to November 16, 2022.


Notes
| 1. | Prices are shown with auction house buyer’s premium, but exclude any sales taxes, VAT, artist resale right fee or other charges assessed by the auction house. |
| 2. | Historical price appreciation for all sales of works by the artist that satisfy the objective criteria stated, including the sale date, period of creation and size parameters, without filtering for subjective visual characteristics, results in a 11.0% CAGR implied from 18 sales of paintings, occurring from February 23, 1990 to November 16, 2022. |
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Series 386
The Artwork held by Series 386 entitled xAxbxsxtxrxaxkxtxexsx xBxixlxdx (557-3) (1984), is a single work of art by Gerhard Richter. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 41 inches by 39 inches, at Phillips 20th Century & Contemporary Art, Evening Sale Part II in New York for $2,299,900 (including shipping costs) on November 14, 2023. For a biography of Gerhard Richter, see “Description of the Business — The Artists.”
| ● | The Artwork is a small-scale example of Gerhard Richter’s Abstraktes Bild series from the 1980s. | |
| ● | Gerhard Richter’s Abstraktes Bild paintings are his most desirable works at auction, making up nine of the artist’s top ten auction records. | |
| ● | The 1980s were Gerhard Richter’s most prolific decade for his Abstraktes Bild series. Unlike the artist’s previous abstract paintings from the 1960s and 1970s, these works are characterized by their bright, fluorescent colors and gestural brush strokes and squeegee marks. | |
| ● | The Artwork belonged to the Saint Louis Art Museum’s collection for ten years, solidifying the painting’s historical significance. | |
| ● | The Artwork is a nearly square abstract composition sharply divided down the center into contrasting halves. The left hand side depicts a soft red to pink ombre from the center of the composition that is interrupted by a painted grayscale section in the bottom corner and subtle gray brushstrokes. The right hand side features energetic brushstrokes and squeegee marks in shades of red, yellow, white, and green on a bright, lime green background. | |
| ● | Auction records for artworks similar in style, scale, and period are led by Abstraktes Bild (1986), which sold for $3,680,000 at Christie’s New York on May 17, 2023, followed by Abstraktes Bild (1986), which sold for $3,601,288 (£2,837,000) at Sotheby’s London on October 7, 2016, and Abstraktes Bild (1986), which sold for $3,456,804 (£2,648,750) at Christie’s London on October 7, 2017. | |
| ● | The Artwork previously sold at Christie’s New York on November 13, 1991, for $93,500 and again at Christie’s New York on November 11, 2004, for $780,300. |
Highlights
| ● | Attractive historical price appreciation for similar works to the Artwork: 15.5% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from November 13, 1991, to May 17, 2023.(1) | |
| ● | Significant auction track-record with 39 years of transaction history and a high level of auction volume based on $225.6m in total sales over the previous year ending on December 31, 2022.(2) |
Notes:
| 1. | Implied annualized price appreciation based on 17 sales of works by Gerhard Richter, including two past sales of the Artwork, that are similar to the Artwork and based on publicly available auction records. |
| 2. | Based on publicly available auction records as tracked by third-party data sources. |
Provenance
Kamakura Gallery, Tokyo
Vrej Baghoomian Gallery, New York
Wolff Gallery, New York
Christie’s New York, November 13, 1991, Lot 287
Private Collection
Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis
Christie’s New York, November 11, 2004, Lot 184
Private Collection
Philips New York, November 14, 2023, Lot 38
Acquired from the above by Masterworks
Exhibited
New York, Wolff Gallery, Strategies for the Next Painting, January - February 1991, pp. 4, 18, illustrated
Literature
Exh. cat., Düsseldorf, Städtische Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, Gerhard Richter: Bilder/Paintings 1962-1985, August - September, 1986, no. 557/3, pp. 307, 399, illustrated
Dietmar Elger, Gerhard Richter: Catalog Raisonné, Ostfildern, 2013, vol. III, no. 557-3, p. 410, illustrated in color
History of Selected Similar Sales
The table and chart below capture the historical data for selected auctions sales transactions, which are similar to the Artwork. The selected sales data is intended to provide an estimate of the historical appreciation rate of the Artwork by looking at a set of similar works by the artist that have sold at public auction. The set of similar sales comprise paintings by Gerhard Richter with the following criteria: Paintings from the Abstraktes Bild series executed on canvas, created from 1982 to 1986 and measuring from 30 inches by 30 inches to 50 inches by 50 inches. The data was sourced from publicly available auction records and does not include private sales. Such data may be incomplete or inaccurate. Sale records that do not contain images may be excluded from the comparative set. Although the paintings in the described set have similar characteristics to the Artwork, each individual painting is unique in terms of artistic content, coloring, condition, provenance and other factors. We, therefore, cannot make any determination or representation that any of the data set forth below is useful in determining the value of the Artwork and you are urged not to place undue reliance on such data. The art transaction data is not intended to indicate past or expected performance of any security. Similar sales may include transactions involving Masterworks acting as a buyer or seller. For the purposes of the table below, any sale that was conducted in a foreign currency has been converted to US Dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the applicable sale date. The realized prices comprised by this set of transactions have increased at an estimated 15.5% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from November 13, 1991, to May 17, 2023.


Notes
| 1. | Prices are shown with auction house buyer’s premium, but exclude any sales taxes, VAT, artist resale right fee or other charges assessed by the auction house. |
Series 411
The Artwork held by Series 411 entitled xKxexnxjxux (1991), is a single work of art by Kazuo Shiraga. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 46 inches by 36 inches, at Sotheby’s Modernités in Paris on October 19, 2023, for €736,600 or $794,845 (including shipping costs) based on the effective exchange rate provided by JP Morgan Chase. For a biography of Kazuo Shiraga, see “Description of the Business — The Artists.”
| ● | The Artwork is a dynamic example of Kazuo Shiraga’s signature black and red Gutai paintings. | |
| ● | Gutai was an avant-garde movement in Japan, which combined painting and performance. Artists used their whole body to make marks on a canvas. Shiraga would hang from a rope attached to the ceiling and swing his body over a canvas laid on the floor, applying and mixing paint with his feet. | |
| ● | Kazuo Shiraga’s action-based painting technique conceptually links him to the famous Abstract Expressionist Jackson Pollock. In fact, Pollock owned a copy of the Gutai group manifesto, which was found amongst his papers when he died in 1956. | |
| ● | Red and black were Kazuo Shiraga’s favorite colors to paint with, making the Artwork an especially desirable example of the artist’s oeuvre. | |
| ● | The Artwork was created for the occasion of Kazuo Shiraga’s solo exhibition at Galerie Stadler in 1992. | |
| ● | The title Kenju, translates to: the wise beast. | |
| ● | The Artwork is a vertically oriented abstract canvas painting covered in thick swaths of black and vibrant crimson red paint. The dynamic black and red composition plays with texture created from using brushstrokes, drips, and toe imprints to apply the paint. | |
| ● | Auction records for artworks similar in scale, style, and period are led by Yugi (1994), which sold for $1,247,067 (£818,500) at Christie’s London on February 11, 2015, and Koukai (1990), which sold for $807,360 (JPY 96,000,000) at SBI Art Auction Co, Ltd in Tokyo on April 18, 2015. |
Highlights
| ● | Attractive historical price appreciation for similar works to the Artwork: 19.3% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from November 30, 2007, to October 6, 2023.(1) | |
| ● | Significant auction track-record with 36 years of transaction history and a moderate level of auction volume based on $12.1 million in total sales over the previous year ending on December 31, 2022.(2) |
Notes:
| 1. | Implied annualized price appreciation based on 21 sales of works by Kazuo Shiraga that are similar to the Artwork and based on publicly available auction records. | |
| 2. | Based on publicly available auction records as tracked by third-party data sources. |
Provenance
Galerie Stadler, Paris
Private Collection
Private Collection
Sotheby’s Paris, October 19, 2023, Lot 22
Acquired from the above by Masterworks
Exhibited
Paris, Galerie Stadler, Kazuo Shiraga, May - June 1992, n.p., illustrated
Venice, Padiglione delle Arti di Macron, “e” – Gutai Paintings in the Midsummer Burning Sun, July - November 2015
Literature
Toyoshina, Azumino Municipal Museum of Modern Art; Amagazaki Cultural Center; Yokosuka Museum of Art, Kazuo Shiraga: Painting Born out of Fighting, 2009, no. 335, illustrated in color
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History of Selected Similar Sales
The table and chart below capture the historical data for selected auctions sales transactions, which are similar to the Artwork. The selected sales data is intended to provide an estimate of the historical appreciation rate of the Artwork by looking at a set of similar works by the artist that have sold at public auction. The set of similar sales comprise paintings by Kazuo Shiraga with the following criteria: Works on canvas created in the 1990s that measure from 25 inches by 25 inches to 65 inches by 65 inches, excluding monochrome beige works. Where the price with buyer’s premium was not listed, it was calculated based on the auction house’s terms and conditions. The data was sourced from publicly available auction records and does not include private sales. Such data may be incomplete or inaccurate. Sale records that do not contain images may be excluded from the comparative set. Although the paintings in the described set have similar characteristics to the Artwork, each individual painting is unique in terms of artistic content, coloring, condition, provenance and other factors. We, therefore, cannot make any determination or representation that any of the data set forth below is useful in determining the value of the Artwork and you are urged not to place undue reliance on such data. The art transaction data is not intended to indicate past or expected performance of any security. Similar sales may include transactions involving Masterworks acting as a buyer or seller. For the purposes of the table below, any sale that was conducted in a foreign currency has been converted to US Dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the applicable sale date. The realized prices comprised by this set of transactions have increased at an estimated 19.3% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from November 30, 2007, to October 6, 2023.


Notes
| 1. | Prices are shown with auction house buyer’s premium, but exclude any sales taxes, VAT, artist resale right fee or other charges assessed by the auction house. |
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Series 415
The Artwork held by Series 415 entitled x0x4x.x1x0x.x6x9x (1969), is a single work of art by Zao Wou-Ki. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 18 inches by 20 inches, at Christie’s Avant-Garde(s) Including Thinking Italian in Paris on October 20, 2023 for €427,540 or $453,774 (including shipping costs) based on the effective exchange rate provided by Christie’s. For a biography of Zao Wou-Ki, see “Description of the Business — The Artists.”
| ● | The Artwork exemplifies Zao Wou-Ki’s painting style during his Hurricane Period, which spanned from 1959 to 1972. Characterized by its synthesis of Chinese and Western influences, the artist’s Hurricane Period resulted in rhythmic, abstract paintings that loosely allude to traditional Chinese landscape paintings while also considering movements like Romanticism, Impressionism, and Abstract Expressionism. | |
| ● | Zao Wou-Ki’s Hurricane Period refers to a tumultuous period in the artist’s life when his newlywed second wife, the movie star Chan May-Kan, became sick and eventually died at just 41 years old in 1972. Oscillating between anger and hope, Zao’s Hurricane Period paintings echo his complex emotional landscape with quick and chaotic as well as soft and atmospheric brushstrokes and a particular interest in lightness and darkness. | |
| ● | Zao Wou-Ki painted the Artwork the same year the Museum of Contemporary Art in Montreal and the Museum of Quebec held a retrospective of the artist. | |
| ● | In 1958, Zao Wou-Ki stopped giving his artworks titles and began labeling them only by their creation date. | |
| ● | The artwork is a horizontal, abstract composition in a predominantly golden beige palette with sharp black and white accents. Zao Wou-Ki condenses his sharp, calligraphic brushstrokes in the center of the composition, alluding to a landscape with horizon line. | |
| ● | Auction records for artworks similar in period, style, and scale are led by 20.6.64 (20.6.64) (1964), which sold for $687,874 (HKD 5,400,000) at Poly International Auction Co.,Ltd in Beijing on October 10, 2022, followed by 25/10/61 (1961), which sold for $681,145 (HKD 5,334,000) at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on October 6, 2023, and 4.2.65 (1965), which sold for $616,607 (¥3,910,000) at Poly International Auction Co.,Ltd in Beijing on June 2, 2012. |
Highlights
| ● | Attractive historical price appreciation for similar works to the Artwork: 16.2% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from April 6, 1993, to June 13, 2023.(1) | |
| ● | Significant auction track-record with 40 years of transaction history and a high level of auction volume based on $102.5 million in total sales over the previous year ending on December 31, 2022.(2) |
Notes:
| 1. | Implied annualized price appreciation based on 22 sales of works by Zao Wou-Ki that are similar to the Artwork and based on publicly available auction records. | |
| 2. | Based on publicly available auction records as tracked by third-party data sources. |
Provenance
Private Collection
Christie’s Paris, October 20, 2023, Lot 303
Acquired from the above by Masterworks
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Exhibited
Paris, Christie’s, Zao Wou-Ki: A Calligraphic Journey, April - May 2018, n.p., illustrated in color
Musée d’Art de Pully, Zao Wou-Ki Collectionneur, September - December 2019
History of Selected Similar Sales
The table and chart below capture the historical data for selected auctions sales transactions, which are similar to the Artwork. The selected sales data is intended to provide an estimate of the historical appreciation rate of the Artwork by looking at a set of similar works by the artist that have sold at public auction. The set of similar sales comprise paintings by Zao Wou-Ki with the following criteria: Works created between 1965 and 1970 that measure from 15 inches by 15 inches to 25 inches by 25 inches, excluding works with blue, reds, and works with vertical composition. Where the price with buyer’s premium was not listed, it was calculated based on the auction house’s terms and conditions. The data was sourced from publicly available auction records and does not include private sales. Such data may be incomplete or inaccurate. Sale records that do not contain images may be excluded from the comparative set. Although the paintings in the described set have similar characteristics to the Artwork, each individual painting is unique in terms of artistic content, coloring, condition, provenance and other factors. We, therefore, cannot make any determination or representation that any of the data set forth below is useful in determining the value of the Artwork and you are urged not to place undue reliance on such data. The art transaction data is not intended to indicate past or expected performance of any security. Similar sales may include transactions involving Masterworks acting as a buyer or seller. For the purposes of the table below, any sale that was conducted in a foreign currency has been converted to US Dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the applicable sale date. The realized prices comprised by this set of transactions have increased at an estimated 16.2% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from April 6, 1993, to June 13, 2023.


Notes
| 1. | Prices are shown with auction house buyer’s premium, but exclude any sales taxes, VAT, artist resale right fee or other charges assessed by the auction house. |
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Series 417
The Artwork held by Series 417 entitled xDxoxgx xixnx xtxhxex xNxixgxhxtx (1995), is a single work of art by Yoshitomo Nara. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 24 inches by 18 inches, in a privately negotiated transaction from a private collector for $900,000 on January 19, 2024. For a biography of Yoshitomo Nara, see “Description of the Business — The Artists.”
| ● | The Artwork is a small-scale canvas painting of Yoshitomo Nara’s iconic recurring puppy motif, a subject through which he explores themes of loneliness, memory, nostalgia, and childhood. | |
| ● | Yoshitomo Nara’s puppy motif is a long, floppy-eared white dog with a round, bright red nose, and closed eyes. The puppy is usually depicted alone, without an owner, and with a melancholic, submissive, or sleeping expression. | |
| ● | Yoshitomo Nara’s puppy features in his paintings, sculptures, and as the subject of the artist’s first illustrated children’s book, The Lonesome Puppy. He imparts feelings of loneliness on his subject to process how he felt as a “latchkey kid” often left to play alone with only his imagination for company in a remote town during post-Pacific War era Japan. In this way, the dog became an alter-ego for the artist to express himself. | |
| ● | A large-scale sculpture of the same dog motif sold for $2,177,655 (TWD 64,160,000) at Ravenel in Taipei on July 19, 2020, affirming the subject’s significance in Yoshitomo Nara’s oeuvre. | |
| ● | The Artwork is a vertically oriented portrait of a long white dog floating against a thin wash of navy paint. Yoshitomo Nara orients the dog downwards at a diagonal so his head is disproportionately larger than his back legs, which creates a sense of depth despite the ambiguous, groundless background. The dog boasts a round red nose at the end of his snout and a green collar around his neck. He stands on all fours but closes his eyes as if to sleep, oblivious to the viewer. | |
| ● | Auction records for artworks similar in period, scale, and subject are led by Drumming with Bones (2000), which sold for a hammer price of $999,465 (JPY 115,000,000) at iART Co, Ltd, in Tokyo on February 19, 2022, KAMEHAME-HA (2004), which sold for $1,126,676 (HKD 8,820,000) at Christie’s Hong Kong on May 29, 2023, and Dog in Boy (1995), which sold for $802,200 (HKD 6,250,000) at Christie’s Hong Kong on December 2, 2021. | |
| ● | The Artwork previously sold at Christie’s Hong Kong on May 26, 2019, for $612,161 (HKD 4,805,000). |
Highlights
| ● | Attractive historical price appreciation for similar works to the Artwork: 19.7% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from May 13, 2004, to May 29, 2023.(1) | |
| ● | Moderate auction track-record with 21 years of transaction history and a high level of auction volume based on $98.2 million in total sales over the previous year ending on December 31, 2022.(2) |
Notes:
| 1. | Implied annualized price appreciation based on 9 sales of works by Yoshitomo Nara, including one past sale of the Artwork, that are similar to the Artwork and based on publicly available auction records. |
| 2. | Based on publicly available auction records as tracked by third-party data sources. |
Provenance
Blum & Poe, Los Angeles
Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York
Private Collection
Christie’s Hong Kong, May 26, 2019, Lot 476
Private Collection
Acquired from the above by Masterworks
Exhibited
Los Angeles, Blum & Poe, Yoshitomo Nara: Pacific Babies, July - August 1995
Literature
Yoshitomo Nara: In the Deepest Puddle, Tokyo, 2009, n.p., illustrated
Noriko Miyamura, Shinko Suzuki, Yoshitomo Nara: The Complete Works, Paintings, Sculptures, Editions, Photographs, San Francisco, 2011, vol. I, no. P-1995-024, p. 118, illustrated in color
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History of Selected Similar Sales
The table and chart below capture the historical data for selected auctions sales transactions, which are similar to the Artwork. The selected sales data is intended to provide an estimate of the historical appreciation rate of the Artwork by looking at a set of similar works by the artist that have sold at public auction. The set of similar sales comprise paintings by Yoshitomo Nara with the following criteria: canvas paintings executed from 1995 to 2005 that measure between 10 inches by 10 inches and 40 inches by 40 inches and depict single dogs, excluding examples with text incorporated as a central element. Where the price with buyer’s premium was not listed, it was calculated based on the auction house’s terms and conditions. The data was sourced from publicly available auction records and does not include private sales. Such data may be incomplete or inaccurate. Sale records that do not contain images may be excluded from the comparative set. Although the paintings in the described set have similar characteristics to the Artwork, each individual painting is unique in terms of artistic content, coloring, condition, provenance and other factors. We, therefore, cannot make any determination or representation that any of the data set forth below is useful in determining the value of the Artwork and you are urged not to place undue reliance on such data. The art transaction data is not intended to indicate past or expected performance of any security. Similar sales may include transactions involving Masterworks acting as a buyer or seller. For the purposes of the table below, any sale that was conducted in a foreign currency has been converted to US Dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the applicable sale date. The realized prices comprised by this set of transactions have increased at an estimated 19.7% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from May 13, 2004, to May 29, 2023.


Notes
| 1. | Prices are shown with auction house buyer’s premium, but exclude any sales taxes, VAT, artist resale right fee or other charges assessed by the auction house. |
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Series 420
The Artwork held by Series 420 entitled xExmxbxrxoxixdxexrxexdx xFxaxbxrxixcx (1989), is a single work of art by Alighiero Boetti. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 40 inches by 44 inches, in a privately negotiated transaction from a private collector for $550,000 on November 15, 2023. For a biography of Alighiero Boetti, see “Description of the Business — The Artists.”
| ● | The Artwork is a prime example of Alighiero Boetti’s Arazzi series, which he created during the 1980s and 1990s. | |
| ● | Alighiero Boetti used mathematical principles and poetic language to embroider coded words and phrases into large, multi-colored grid compositions for his Arazzi. | |
| ● | The hidden messages on Alighiero Boetti’s Arazzi range from lines of poetry to conventional phrases to personal musings. | |
| ● | Alighiero Boetti primarily writes in Italian; however, Farsi also frequently appears on his Arazzi. | |
| ● | Alighiero Boetti made Arazzi at different scales and distinguished them as: piccoli (small-scale) and grandi (large-scale). | |
| ● | Alighiero Boetti was drawn to Afghanistan, because his ancestor, an 18th-century Dominican monk named Giovanni Battista Boetti, was a missionary who converted to Sufism, Persian Islamic esotericism, while in Mosul. Alighiero Boetti admired the maverick behavior of his ancestor and hoped to follow in his footsteps. | |
| ● | Alighiero Boetti employed Afghan craftswomen to embroider his textiles. Although he provided them a template, he considered the variations that came out of this collaboration part of his artistic process. | |
| ● | Average Prices for Alighiero Boetti’s tapestries have grown by 31% annually since 2019. | |
| ● | The Artwork is medium-scale embroidered Arazzi textile, which features a vibrant multicolored 25 by 25 square grid composition. Each square contains a bold, sans serif capital letter that contrasts its background color. Phrases in Farsi disrupt the pattern as they expand over several squares in each quadrant of the composition. | |
| ● | Auction records for artworks similar in style, period, and size are led by Oggi trentesimo giorno dell’ottavo mese dell’anno novecentoottantotto (1988), which sold for $781,475 (€718,200) at Sotheby’s Milan on April 13, 2022, and Oggi il diciassettesimo giorno del sesto mese dell’anno millenovecentoottantotto (1988), which sold for $615,468 (€515,700) at Dorotheum Vienna on June 23, 2021. |
Highlights
| ● | Attractive historical price appreciation for similar works to the Artwork: 15.5% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from October 26, 1990, to May 27, 2023.(1) | |
| ● | Significant auction track-record with 34 years of transaction history and a moderate level of auction volume based on $33.7m in total sales over the previous year ending on December 31, 2022.(2) |
Notes:
| 1. | Implied annualized price appreciation based on 101 sales of works by Alighiero Boetti that are similar to the Artwork and based on publicly available auction records. |
| 2. | Based on publicly available auction records as tracked by third-party data sources. |
Provenance
Edward Tyler Nahem Fine Arts, New York
Galerie Bonomo, Bari
Private Collection
Acquired from the above by Masterworks
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History of Selected Similar Sales
The table and chart below capture the historical data for selected auctions sales transactions, which are similar to the Artwork. The selected sales data is intended to provide an estimate of the historical appreciation rate of the Artwork by looking at a set of similar works by the artist that have sold at public auction. The set of similar sales comprise paintings by Alighiero Boetti with the following criteria: Arazzi series created in the 1980s that measures 30 inches by 30 inches to 50 inches by 50 inches. The set excludes works with B&W letters. The data was sourced from publicly available auction records and does not include private sales. Such data may be incomplete or inaccurate. Sale records that do not contain images may be excluded from the comparative set. Although the paintings in the described set have similar characteristics to the Artwork, each individual painting is unique in terms of artistic content, coloring, condition, provenance and other factors. We, therefore, cannot make any determination or representation that any of the data set forth below is useful in determining the value of the Artwork and you are urged not to place undue reliance on such data. The art transaction data is not intended to indicate past or expected performance of any security. Similar sales may include transactions involving Masterworks acting as a buyer or seller. For the purposes of the table below, any sale that was conducted in a foreign currency has been converted to US Dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the applicable sale date. The realized prices comprised by this set of transactions have increased at an estimated 15.5% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from October 26, 1990, to May 27, 2023.


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Notes
| 1. | Prices are shown with auction house buyer’s premium, but exclude any sales taxes, VAT, artist resale right fee or other charges assessed by the auction house. |
Series 423
The Artwork held by Series 423 entitled xDxexlxixgxhxtxexdx xSxexax (1963), is a single work of art by Lynne Mapp Drexler. Acting as agent for the Company, Masterworks has agreed to acquire the Artwork, which measures at 38 inches by 56 inches, at Sotheby’s Contemporary Day Auction in New York for $331,800 (including shipping costs) on November 16, 2023. For a biography of Lynne Mapp Drexler, see “Description of the Business — The Artists.”
| ● | The Artwork is a vibrant example of Lynne Mapp Drexler’s Abstract Expressionist paintings of the mid 1960s inspired by the natural landscape of Monhegan Island in Maine. | |
| ● | The Artwork illustrates the beginning of Lynne Mapp Drexler’s transition from her tiled mosaic-style of the early 1960s to her more texturally diverse style of the late 1960s. | |
| ● | The range of brushstrokes Lynne Mapp Drexler uses synthesizes her career-long interests in natural landscapes and art historical movements like Post-Impressionism, Pointillism, Fauvism, and Geometric Abstraction. | |
| ● | From 1956 to 1958, Lynne Mapp Drexler studied art under the Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hoffman and was particularly influenced by his theory of “push-pull,” which explains how tension between colors and shapes can create the illusion of depth and movement. | |
| ● | Influenced by her recent education at the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts, her paintings are characterized by their bright, mosaic-style compositions constructed from short, rectangular brushstrokes created with a flat, wide paint brush. | |
| ● | In 2022, a large-scale exhibition co-organized by Mnuchin Gallery and Berry Campbell Gallery titled Lynne Drexler: The First Decade brought Lynne Mapp Drexler back into the contemporary art discourse. The exhibition was split chronologically between the two galleries, with Mnuchin covering her work from 1959 to 1964 and Berry Campbell covering her work from 1965 to 1969. | |
| ● | Eight of the artist’s top ten auction records are from the early 1960s, making the work’s period highly desirable for the artist. | |
| ● | The Artwork is a colorful horizontal composition in a predominantly orange, blue, and green palette. The right side of the canvas is tiled in fiery shades of orange, yellow, and red rectangular, ovular, and linear brushstrokes that vary in size. The left side of the canvas is composed predominantly of linear brushstrokes in shades of blue and purple. A cluster of pointillist-style brushstrokes in shades of green emerges from the lower left corner of the composition. | |
| ● | Auction records for artworks similar in scale, period, and style are led by Transported Blossems (1966), which sold for $630,000 at Sotheby’s New York on May 20, 2022, followed by Untitled (1966), which sold for $579,600 at Sotheby’s New York on September 30, 2022, and Nature in Order (1963), which sold for $564,895 (HKD 4,410,000) at Christie’s Hong Kong on November 30, 2022, |
Highlights
| ● | Attractive historical price appreciation for similar works to the Artwork: 74.5% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from August 15, 2020, to September 28, 2023.(1) | |
| ● | Moderate auction track-record with 20 years of transaction history and a moderate level of auction volume based on $13.5 in total sales over the previous year ending on December 31, 2022.(2) |
Notes:
| 1. | Implied annualized price appreciation based on 13 sales of works by Lynne Mapp Drexler that are similar to the Artwork and based on publicly available auction records. |
| 2. | Based on publicly available auction records as tracked by third-party data sources. |
Provenance
Lupine Gallery, Monhegan
Private Collection
Sotheby’s New York, November 16, 2023, Lot 294
Acquired from the above by Masterworks
History of Selected Similar Sales
The table and chart below capture the historical data for selected auctions sales transactions, which are similar to the Artwork. The selected sales data is intended to provide an estimate of the historical appreciation rate of the Artwork by looking at a set of similar works by the artist that have sold at public auction. The set of similar sales comprise paintings by Lynne Mapp Drexler with the following criteria: Paintings on canvas created between 1963 and 1967, which measure between 20 inches by 20 inches and 60 inches by 60 inches. Where the price with buyer’s premium was not listed, it was calculated based on the auction house’s terms and conditions. The data was sourced from publicly available auction records and does not include private sales. Such data may be incomplete or inaccurate. Sale records that do not contain images may be excluded from the comparative set. Although the paintings in the described set have similar characteristics to the Artwork, each individual painting is unique in terms of artistic content, coloring, condition, provenance and other factors. We, therefore, cannot make any determination or representation that any of the data set forth below is useful in determining the value of the Artwork and you are urged not to place undue reliance on such data. The art transaction data is not intended to indicate past or expected performance of any security. Similar sales may include transactions involving Masterworks acting as a buyer or seller. For the purposes of the table below, any sale that was conducted in a foreign currency has been converted to US Dollars at the prevailing exchange rate as of the applicable sale date. The realized prices comprised by this set of transactions have increased at an estimated 74.5% CAGR implied from selected sales occurring from August 15, 2020, to September 28, 2023.


Notes
| 1. | Prices are shown with auction house buyer’s premium, but exclude any sales taxes, VAT, artist resale right fee or other charges assessed by the auction house. |
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Artist Metrics
“Sharpe Ratio”
| Artist | Sharpe Ratio | |
| Herman Bas | N/A | |
| Alighiero Boetti | 0.77 | |
| George Condo | 0.78 | |
| Lynne Mapp Drexler | N/A | |
| Günther Förg | 1.09 | |
| Carmen Herrera | N/A | |
| Alex Katz | 0.50 | |
| Kerry James Marshall | N/A | |
| Yoshitomo Nara | 1.55 | |
| Elizabeth Peyton | N/A | |
| Gerhard Richter | 0.73 | |
| Kazuo Shiraga | 0.89 | |
| Zao Wou-Ki | 0.89 |
Record Price Appreciation
| Artist | Compound Annual Growth Rate (“CAGR”) | First Record Price | First Record Price Date | Last Record Price | Last Record Price Date | |||||||||||
| Herman Bas | 21.9 | % | $ | 75,000 | May 11, 2006 | $ | 2,240,628 | June 30, 2023 | ||||||||
Alighiero Boetti | 22.9 | % | $ | 7,235 | October 30, 1989 | $ | 7,464,969 | June 30, 2023 | ||||||||
| George Condo | 23.2 | % | $ | 2,500 | May 6, 1986 | $ | 5,805,900 | June 30, 2023 | ||||||||
| Lynne Mapp Drexler | 60.9 | % | $ | 50 | April 19, 2002 | $ | 1,200,000 | June 30, 2023 | ||||||||
| Günther Förg | 11.6 | % | $ | 38,000 | May 8, 1990 | $ | 1,426,635 | June 30, 2023 | ||||||||
| Carmen Herrera | 31.6 | % | $ | 25,000 | November 20, 2006 | $ | 2,400,000 | June 30, 2023 | ||||||||
| Alex Katz | 13.1 | % | $ | 28,000 | May 9, 1984 | $ | 3,444,098 | June 30, 2023 | ||||||||
| Kerry James Marshall | 37.0 | % | $ | 80,000 | March 16, 2006 | $ | 18,500,000 | June 30, 2023 | ||||||||
| Yoshitomo Nara | 36.5 | % | $ | 30,000 | May 15, 2002 | $ | 21,673,640 | June 30, 2023 | ||||||||
| Elizabeth Peyton | 16.4 | % | $ | 60,000 | May 17, 2000 | $ | 2,000,000 | June 30, 2023 | ||||||||
| Gerhard Richter | 24.7 | % | $ | 7,386 | June 26, 1984 | $ | 41,142,600 | June 30, 2023 | ||||||||
| Kazuo Shiraga | 20.3 | % | $ | 12,050 | December 19, 1993 | $ | 8,952,716 | June 30, 2023 | ||||||||
| Zao Wou-Ki | 29.3 | % | $ | 1,800 | February 23, 1985 | $ | 57,491,550 | June 30, 2023 | ||||||||
Median Repeat Sale Pair Appreciation
| Artist | Median Repeat Sale Pair Appreciation Rate | Number of Repeat Sales | First Repeat Sale Pair Date | Last Repeat Sale Pair Date | ||||||||
| Herman Bas | 11.3 | % | 5 | February 12, 2010 | December 1, 2022 | |||||||
| Alighiero Boetti | 11.8 | % | 45 | December 1, 1994 | December 8, 2022 | |||||||
| George Condo | 16.8 | % | 87 | May 6, 1992 | June 24, 2023 | |||||||
| Lynne Mapp Drexler | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||||||||
| Günther Förg | 19.9 | % | 52 | November 7, 1990 | May 12, 2023 | |||||||
| Carmen Herrera | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||||||||
| Alex Katz | 9.3 | % | 42 | May 4, 1989 | June 28, 2023 | |||||||
| Kerry James Marshall | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||||||||
| Yoshitomo Nara | 20.0 | % | 58 | September 23, 2003 | May 29, 2023 | |||||||
| Elizabeth Peyton | 6.8 | % | 10 | November 14, 2002 | May 29, 2023 | |||||||
| Gerhard Richter | 11.9 | % | 149 | June 30, 1981 | June 28, 2023 | |||||||
| Kazuo Shiraga | 20.2 | % | 40 | July 2, 2003 | June 3, 2023 | |||||||
| Zao Wou-Ki | 15.3 | % | 98 | March 21, 1984 | June 7, 2023 | |||||||
While the data above reflects, in part, historical price appreciation in the value of selected works by artists of each relevant series, investors in these series will only receive net proceeds from the sale of the Artwork, if any, after the sale of the Artwork and only after reduction of fees and expenses payable by the company are paid. In addition, the past performance of the relevant artists’ artworks is not necessarily indicative of future performance. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on the historical trends reflected in this data.
INDICES ARE UNMANAGED. AN INVESTOR CANNOT INVEST DIRECTLY IN AN INDEX. INDICES ARE USED FOR COMPARATIVE MODELING PURPOSES ONLY. THE TIMING OF TRANSACTIONS RELATING TO AN ASSET OR PORTFOLIO, ADVISORY, AND TRANSACTION FEES, AND OTHER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES CAN CREATE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PERFORMANCE OF AN INDEX AND AN INVESTMENT SEEKING SIMILAR OR SUPERIOR RELATIVE PERFORMANCE RESULTS.
The above disclosures in this section represent auction sales only and do not purport to include data regarding the total number of the relevant artists’ artworks currently in existence. The Company has been unable to find a reliable source of information regarding the total number of the relevant artists’ artworks currently in existence and therefore is unable to provide such information at this time.
Management Services
There are various services required to manage our business and maintain the Artwork of each series. Pursuant to a management services agreement that will be entered into prior to the initial closing of the initial series offerings among us, Masterworks Cayman and the Administrator, the Administrator will manage all entity-level and asset management services relating to our business, each series and the Artwork of each series. Masterworks Cayman will issue its SPC Preferred shares to the Administrator at a rate of 1.5% of the total SPC shares of such segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman outstanding which holds the Artwork of an applicable series, after giving effect to such issuance, per annum, commencing on the earliest closing date on which the applicable series offering is fully subscribed and at least 95% of the subscription proceeds for such offering have been received by the Company. These SPC Preferred shares have no voting rights, but have a $20.00 per share liquidation preference over SPC Ordinary shares which are held by each series. This preference means that Masterworks management fees will be paid in priority to any payments made to Class A shareholders. There is no overall limit to the number of SPC Preferred shares that may be issued to pay these fees. Once earned, the SPC Preferred shares will be exchangeable for Class A shares of the series of which the segregated portfolio holds the Artwork at an exchange rate of 1 for 1 in the Administrator’s sole discretion. The management services fee may commence before the final closing date of such series offering in the limited circumstances described above because occasionally Masterworks issuers experience delays in receipt of investor subscription funds which delays the final closing of each series, however, the provision of management services commences when the Artwork of each series is acquired by the Company which occurs on the date of the initial closing of a series offering. The Administrator may also reduce unearned management fees in its sole discretion.
Any extraordinary costs or non-routine services, if any, will be managed and paid for by the Administrator, but such extraordinary costs will be reimbursed upon the sale of the Artwork of a series or a sale of our Company, as applicable. Masterworks may determine to sell the Artwork of a series without engaging a third-party intermediary, in which event, Masterworks would be entitled to recoup its costs of marketing and selling the Artwork by seeking reimbursement from the applicable series or by charging the buyer a sales commission in connection with such sale.
Ordinary and necessary entity-level administrative and maintenance costs include:
| ● | Organizational costs | |
| ● | Costs associated with SEC filings and compliance with applicable laws; | |
| ● | Transfer agent fees, if any; |
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| ● | Costs associated with listing shares for secondary sales on an alternative trading system, trading fees, brokerage account fees, and compliance with state securities laws; | |
| ● | Governance, including compensation of our officers and independent manager(s); | |
| ● | Advisory services related to investments in Masterworks financial products; | |
| ● | Art market research; | |
| ● | Investor relations services; | |
| ● | Distribution and other fees associated with each series offering; and | |
| ● | Accounting, audit and tax preparation and reporting. |
Ordinary and necessary Artwork-level administrative and maintenance costs include:
| ● | Storage costs; | |
| ● | Insurance costs; | |
| ● | Display or gallery costs; | |
| ● | Valuation and appraisal services; | |
| ● | Inspection costs; and | |
| ● | Crating and shipping costs related to traveling exhibitions. |
Extraordinary or non-routine costs for which the Administrator shall be entitled to seek reimbursement from us, as applicable, include:
| ● | Payments associated with litigation, judicial proceedings or arbitration (regardless of whether or not we are a named defendant or party to such litigation), including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees, settlements or judgments; | |
| ● | Costs associated with any material transactions, such as any third-party costs and expenses incurred in connection with any merger, third-party tender offer or other similar transaction; | |
| ● | Costs and taxes, if any, associated with selling the Artwork of a series; and | |
| ● | Conservation, restoration, reframing and other expenditures that increase the value of the Artwork of a series. |
Sale of the Artwork of a series without a third-party intermediary:
| ● | Masterworks may determine to sell the Artwork of each series without engaging a third-party intermediary, in which event, Masterworks would be entitled to recoup its costs of marketing and selling the Artwork by seeking reimbursement from the applicable series or by charging the buyer a sales commission in connection with such sale. |
Our agreements with our affiliated entities raise various conflicts of interests in which the best interest of our Administrator and our affiliates may differ from the best interest of holders of the Class A shares of a series.
Conflicts of Interest include but are not limited to the following:
| ● | Masterworks may at some point in the future seek to register to become a broker-dealer and a member of FINRA to enable it to earn transactional fees for trading the Class A shares of a series or it may seek to earn administrative or other fees or recoup its costs associated with making a trading market available. The operation of a trading market in the Class A shares of a series by Masterworks or the receipt of trading or administrative fees would create conflicts of interest. If such activities generate profits, our affiliates will be incentivized not to sell the Artwork of a series, even in situations in which a sale of the Artwork of a series is in the best interest of holders of the Class A shares of such series. Masterworks does not earn any fees from operation of the ATS and currently bears all of the costs associated with such operation as part of its management services. |
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| ● | In exchange for management and custodial services and paying all ordinary and necessary operating costs and expenses, Masterworks will receive SPC Preferred shares of Masterworks Cayman. Because the SPC Preferred shares carry a $20.00 per share liquidation preference over SPC Ordinary shares held by the applicable series, Masterworks management fees are paid in priority to any payments to shareholders. Once earned, the SPC Preferred shares will be exchangeable for Class A shares of the series of which the segregated portfolio holds the Artwork at an exchange rate of 1 for 1 in the Administrator’s sole discretion. If SPC Preferred shares are exchanged for Class A shares of a series, there will be dilution to the holders of the Class A shares of such series. | |
| ● | Neither the Board of Managers, the Administrator, or its members, will be required to manage or administer our operations, as applicable, as their sole and exclusive function and they will have other business interests and will engage in other activities in addition to those relating to us. We depend on the Administrator to successfully operate us. Their other business interests and activities could divert time and attention from operating our business. | |
| ● | Our operating agreement contains provisions that limit remedies available to our investors against the Board of Managers, and the management services agreement contains certain provisions that limit the remedies available to our investors against the Administrator and its affiliates and us for actions that might otherwise constitute a breach of duty. Our operating agreement contains provisions limiting the liability of the Board of Managers and the management services agreement contains certain provisions limiting the liability of the Administrator and its affiliates which also reduces remedies available to investors for certain acts by such person or entity. | |
| ● | Scott Lynn, the Chief Executive Officer of Masterworks, is an art collector and is able to control the activities of all Masterworks entities. Mr. Lynn is also the Chief Executive Officer of our Administrator. Despite our policies that prohibit art transactions with our affiliates, Mr. Lynn could have conflicts between business with his personal art collection and business with the Masterworks entities. | |
| ● | Masterworks earns management fees for the duration of ownership of an Artwork, so it may have financial incentives to hold Artwork for a longer period of time than would otherwise be the case. Conversely, although there are scenarios in which Masterworks could monetize its profit share and management fees prior to a sale, it typically only receives cash in respect of these interests when an Artwork is sold, which may create incentives to hold Artwork for a shorter time period than would otherwise be the case.
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| ● | Masterworks and members of our board of managers manage other investment vehicles, including vehicles that invest in Class A shares of one or more series of the Company, and such vehicles may require liquidity in the future to fund redemptions or distributions to their investors, which could create conflicts of interest between the duties owed to investors in such vehicles and duties owed to our other Class A shareholders
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| ● | Certain investment adviser representatives of Masterworks Advisers are exclusively dedicated to providing advisory services with respect to Masterworks financial products. Masterworks Advisers is a wholly owned subsidiary of Masterworks, and Masterworks, directly or indirectly, pays the compensation of these individuals. As a result, these individuals have conflicts of interest and lack the independence of other investment professionals who provide more generalized investment advice. | |
| ● | Masterworks performs certain valuation services to provide shareholders with an indication of changes in the fair market value of Artwork over time. Although Masterworks does not earn fees or other compensation based on the estimated fair market value of Artwork, favorable investment performance is helpful for Masterworks to solicit future investment and accordingly it has an inherent conflict of interest. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that Masterworks appraisals would reflect the same values that would be reported by a disinterested third-party appraisal firm.
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| ● | Masterworks may determine to sell the Artwork of a series without engaging a third-party intermediary, in which event, it would be entitled to recoup its costs of marketing and selling the Artwork by seeking reimbursement from the applicable series or by charging the buyer a sales commission in connection with such sale. |
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Therefore, the interests of the Administrator and the other Masterworks affiliates may differ significantly from those of investors in a series offering and subsequent holders of the Class A shares of a series. Although we have implemented policies and procedures designed to mitigate or otherwise address these conflicts, we cannot assure investors that we will execute a discretionary sale of the Artwork of a series at a time that is in the best interests of holders of the Class A shares of a series.
Selling the Artwork
Our intention is for each series to own the Artwork for an indefinite period, although we may elect to hold the Artwork of a series for a longer period or sell the Artwork of a series at any time due to certain circumstances. We, in our sole and absolute discretion, will have the ability to sell the Artwork of a series at any time and in any manner.
The Administrator will continuously offer the Artwork of a series for sale and if any person offers to purchase the Artwork of a series at any point in time, the Board of Managers will determine whether, and the terms upon which, the Artwork of a series will be sold.
Each series will own the Artwork for an indefinite period and may sell its Artwork at any time following the final closing of the offering of such series. There is no guarantee that any such sale of the Artwork of a series will be successful, or if successful, that the net proceeds realized by shareholders of a series from such a transaction will be reflective of the estimated fair market value of the shares of the series at such time.
Following a sale of the Artwork of a series, Masterworks will be reimbursed for any expenses for which it is responsible, including applicable sales commissions, income taxes, if any, and other transactional, extraordinary and non-routine expenses and other expenditures to enhance the value of the Artwork of such series. Masterworks may determine to sell the Artwork of a series without engaging a third-party intermediary, in which event, Masterworks would be entitled to recoup its costs of marketing and selling the Artwork by seeking reimbursement from the applicable series or by charging the buyer a sales commission in connection with such sale. Following the payment of all of such expenses, we will distribute the remaining proceeds for such series, if any, in accordance with our operating agreement.
Competition
At the time we attempt to sell the Artwork of a series, we may face substantial competition from other entities and individuals who are selling or seeking to sell similar artwork. These other parties may be better funded and may be able to sell their artworks at a lower price than us. Further, we will face significant risks from other competitive factors, such as the available supply of similar artworks for sale.
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Government Regulation
Art Market Regulation
Art as tangible personal property is subject to regulation under different city, state and federal statutory schemes. Generally, domestic art transactions that are conducted within the United States are subject to state Uniform Commercial Code statutes, which govern the sale of goods. Some states have additionally enacted art specific legislation, such as New York’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Law and California’s Resale Royalty Act. In addition, federal statutes such as the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act and the National Stolen Property Act can apply to title disputes in the art market context. International art transactions involving the import and export of art into and out of the United States will subject us to the rules and regulations established by the United States Customs and Border Protection. Further, we and Masterworks will be subject to the requirements of the federal Cultural Property Implementation Act which is the United States’ accession legislation for the 1970 United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention which protects countries’ cultural property, including artwork. New York City, as a major art auction center, has enacted legislation governing the activities of auctioneers in the New York City Administrative Code and Masterworks may be subject to these regulations through its transactions and financing arrangements with auctioneers.
Patriot Act
The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (Patriot Act) is intended to strengthen the ability of U.S. law enforcement agencies and intelligence communities to work together to combat terrorism on a variety of fronts. The Patriot Act, to which we are subject, has significant implications for depository institutions, brokers, dealers and other businesses involved in the transfer of money. The Patriot Act required us to implement policies and procedures relating to anti-money laundering, compliance, suspicious activities, and currency transaction reporting and due diligence on customers. The Patriot Act also requires federal banking regulators to evaluate the effectiveness of an applicant in combating money laundering in determining whether to approve a proposed bank acquisition.
ORGANIZATION
We were formed as a Delaware series limited liability company on November 9, 2022 by Masterworks Foundry in order to facilitate investment in specific Artworks. We are a manager-managed limited liability company managed by a Board of Managers. The Class A shares of a series to be sold in a series offering when issued, together will represent 80% of interests in such series and have very limited approval and voting rights in connection with the sale of the Artwork of a series and on certain amendments to our operating agreement, management services agreement and other certain rights pursuant to our operating agreement, as further described in this offering circular.
The Board of Managers will have sole voting power over all matters, including: mergers, consolidations, acquisitions, winding up and dissolution; except, the Board of Managers shall not have the authority to amend, waive or fail to comply with any material provision of our operating agreement that disproportionately and adversely affects the Class A shareholders as a whole or an affected series except as provided therein, without the prior written consent of the holders of a majority of the voting shares of the Company or such series, as applicable.
EMPLOYEES
As of January 23, 2024, we had no full-time employees and no part-time employees, other than our Officers, all of whom are compensated by Masterworks. All of our day-to-day operations are managed by our Administrator.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
There are no legal proceedings currently pending against us (including any series) which would have a material effect on our business, financial position or results of operations and, to the best of our knowledge, there are no such legal proceedings contemplated or threatened. It is possible that we will find ourselves involved in litigation, in which case we will be wholly reliant on the Administrator to address such litigation as necessary. If the Administrator settles a case or receives an adverse judgment, the Administrator would then be reimbursed upon a sale of the Artwork of a series pursuant to the terms of the management services agreement.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
We were formed as a Delaware series limited liability company on November 9, 2022 by Masterworks to facilitate investment in specific Artworks. We will not conduct any business activities except for activities relating to the ownership, maintenance, promotion and the eventual sale of the Artwork of each series.
Our strategy will be to display and promote the Artwork of each series in a manner designed to enhance its provenance and increase its exposure and its value. We are not aware of any trends, uncertainties, demands, commitments or events that will materially affect our operations or the liquidity or capital resources of the Administrator.
Financial Statements
We have described below certain critical accounting policies that we intend to adopt following our acquisition of the Artwork of a series. We have engaged AGD Legal, S. C. to audit our financial statements as required by Regulation A (Tier 2). The Company’s financial statements included in the Offering Circular as well as in its annual and semiannual reports, consist of balance sheets, statements of operations, statements of members’ equity and statements of cash flows, and include a single column or multiple columns for (i) the Company as a whole presented on a combined and consolidated basis and (ii) each relevant series on a consolidated basis, and the related audit reports, as applicable, will cover the Company as a whole and each relevant series.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of our financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles will be based on the selection and application of accounting policies that require us to make significant estimates and assumptions about the effects of matters that are inherently uncertain. We consider the accounting policies discussed below to be critical to the understanding of our post-offering financial statements. Actual results could differ from our estimates and assumptions, and any such differences could be material to our financial statements.
Investment in Artwork
Investment in artwork will consist of the Artwork of each series. Upon acquisition, the Artwork of a series will be recorded at the original cost basis plus Expense Allocation. The Artwork of a series will be held in segregated portfolios of Masterworks Cayman. In accordance with ASC 810-10, the Company intends to consolidate the Masterworks Cayman segregated portfolios it owns as if it were a separate legal entity and not consolidate any other segregated portfolios of Masterworks Cayman.
Artwork is determined to have an indefinite life. The Company will review the artwork of each series for impairment in accordance with the requirements of ASC 360-10, Impairment and Disposal of Long-Lived Assets (“ASC 360”). Those requirements will require the Company to perform an impairment analysis whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the artwork might not be recoverable, i.e., information indicates that an impairment might exist. In accordance with ASC 360, the Company will:
| ● | Consider whether indicators of impairment are present; Indicators or triggers of impairment management considers are: deteriorating physical condition of the artwork, trends in the art market, reputation of the artist, recent sales of other artworks by the artist and other events, circumstances or conditions that indicate impairment might exist; | |
| ● | If indicators are present, perform a recoverability test by comparing the estimated amount realizable upon sale of the Artwork of a series, to its carrying value; and | |
| ● | If the amount realizable upon sale of the Artwork of a series is deemed to be less than its carrying value, we would measure an impairment charge. |
If it is determined that measurement of an impairment loss is necessary, the impairment loss would be calculated based on the difference between the carrying amount of the Artwork of a series and its estimated fair value. An impairment loss would be reported as a component of income from continuing operations before income taxes in the financial statements.
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Use of Estimates
In preparing our financial statements, management will be required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts, particularly with respect to investments, at the date of the financial statements. Actual amounts may differ materially from these estimates.
Expense Allocation
Each series will pay Masterworks an expense allocation payment equal to 11% of the purchase price of the Artwork of such series, which is intended to be a fixed non-recurring expense allocation for (i) financing commitments, (ii) Masterworks’ sourcing the Artwork of a series, (iii) all research, data analysis, condition reports, appraisal, due diligence, travel, currency conversion and legal services to acquire the Artwork of a series and (iv) the use of the Masterworks Platform and Masterworks intellectual property. No other expenses associated with the organization of the Company, any series offering, or the purchase and securitization of the Artwork will be paid, directly or indirectly, by the Company, any series or investors in any series offering.
Contingencies
We may be subject to lawsuits, investigations and claims (some of which may involve substantial dollar amounts) that can arise out of our normal business operations. We would continually assess the likelihood of any adverse judgments or outcomes to our contingencies, as well as potential amounts or ranges of probable losses, and recognize a liability, if any, for these contingencies based on a thorough analysis of each matter with the assistance of outside legal counsel and, if applicable, other experts. Because most contingencies are resolved over long periods of time, liabilities may change in the future due to new developments (including new discovery of facts, changes in legislation and outcomes of similar cases through the judicial system), changes in assumptions or changes in our settlement strategy.
Income Taxes
We expect that each series will be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and not as an association or publicly traded partnership subject to tax as a corporation. As a partnership, we generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, each shareholder that is subject to U.S. tax will be required to take into account its distributive share, whether or not distributed, of each item of our income, gain, loss, deduction or credit. See “Material U.S. Federal Tax Considerations”. The Administrator will have the authority to act on our behalf with respect to tax audits and certain other tax matters and to make such elections under the Internal Revenue Code and other relevant tax laws as the Administrator deems necessary or appropriate.
Liquidity and Capital Resources of the Administrator
Masterworks will pay all costs associated with the development and operation of the Masterworks Platform, costs associated with the acquisition of the Artwork of a series and all costs of our organization and the series offerings. Masterworks will also be responsible for all ordinary and necessary costs for ongoing management expenses relating to our Company, Masterworks Cayman and the Artwork of each series. In exchange for management and custodial services and paying all ordinary and necessary operating costs and expenses, Masterworks will receive SPC Preferred shares of a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman, commencing on the earliest closing date on which the applicable series offering is fully subscribed and at least 95% of the subscription proceeds for such offering have been received by the Company. Once earned, the SPC Preferred shares will be exchangeable for Class A shares of the series of which the segregated portfolio holds the Artwork at an exchange rate of 1 for 1. SPC Preferred shares will be dilutive to the holders of the Class A shares. We do not anticipate that we will maintain any material liquid assets and, accordingly, we will rely upon the Administrator to pay for the maintenance of the Artwork of each series and the management of our business in accordance with the management services agreement.
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The Administrator has covenanted to provide us with selected unaudited balance sheet information on a semi-annual basis and we expect to continue to include such information in ongoing reports we file with the SEC. The table below summarizes selected unaudited balance sheet information of the Administrator as of June 30, 2023 and as of June 30, 2022, respectively:
| June 30, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Assets | ||||||||
| Current assets | $ | 4,688,531 | $ | 13,285,962 | ||||
| Property and equipment, net | 726,778 | 953,340 | ||||||
| Deposits | 125,101 | 162,902 | ||||||
| Other assets | 13,633,656 | 2,013,436 | ||||||
| Total assets | $ | 19,174,066 | $ | 16,415,640 | ||||
| Liabilities | ||||||||
| Current liabilities | $ | 4,257,356 | $ | 5,824,645 | ||||
| Long-term liabilities | 821,049 | 2,085,442 | ||||||
| Total liabilities | $ | 5,078,405 | $ | 7,910,087 | ||||
| Member’s Equity | ||||||||
| Total member’s equity | $ | 14,095,661 | $ | 8,505,553 | ||||
As of the final closing of each series offering, each series of the Company will have no liabilities, commitments or obligations, other than obligations pursuant to the management services agreement as of such dates. We and the Administrator believe that revenues and expense reimbursements from us pursuant to the management services agreement and similar agreements with other Masterworks issuers, together with contributions from Masterworks derived from equity contributions from members, earnings generated primarily from sourcing artwork and cash on hand, will be sufficient for the Administrator to perform its obligations under the management services agreement for at least the first five-years following the offering of a series. We do not believe we will need to raise any additional funds through the issuance and sale of securities for any series that has completed an offering in the foreseeable future and are not permitted to do so under our operating agreement without first obtaining the prior approval of the Class A shareholders of such series. The Administrator’s sole member, Masterworks, LLC, was funded from its inception in 2017 through October 2021 through borrowings from Scott W. Lynn, the Founder of Masterworks. These borrowings were repaid in October 2021 and Masterworks is currently funded through equity contributions of approximately $110 million from private investors and cash flow from operations. The Administrator will earn fees in the form of preferred shares issued by Masterworks Cayman and other issuer entities, which it may periodically sell to obtain additional liquidity. Masterworks Cayman will issue its SPC Preferred shares to the Administrator at a rate of 1.5% of the total SPC shares of such segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman outstanding which holds the Artwork of an applicable series, after giving effect to such issuance, per annum, commencing on the earliest closing date on which the applicable series offering is fully subscribed and at least 95% of the subscription proceeds for such offering have been received by the Company. These SPC Preferred shares have no voting rights, but have a $20.00 per share liquidation preference over SPC Ordinary shares which are held by the series. This preference means that Masterworks management fees will be paid in priority to any payments made to Class A shareholders. There is no overall limit to the number of SPC Preferred shares that may be issued to pay these fees. Once earned, the SPC Preferred shares will be exchangeable for Class A shares of the series of which the segregated portfolio holds the Artwork at an exchange rate of 1 for 1.
The direct incremental costs incurred by the Administrator to satisfy its obligations under the management services agreement are expected to be less than its revenues, though such revenues may be insufficient to cover the Administrator’s overhead. In addition, the Administrator has covenanted in the management services agreement that for so long as such agreement remains in effect, the Administrator will maintain on hand cash reserves sufficient to pay at least one year of estimated expenses to satisfy its obligations under the management services agreement to fund the Company’s operations until the sale of the Artwork of each series.
The Administrator conducts other business activities, including the management of other entities similar to the Company and expects its revenues will exceed its costs. Additionally, we intend to own the Artwork of each series for an indefinite period, although the Artwork of each series will be perpetually available for sale following the offering conducted by the series and we will evaluate any reasonable third party offers to acquire the Artwork of a series.
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Commitments from Affiliates to Fund Operations
We have a written commitment from the Administrator to fund our operations until we sell the Artwork of each series which is contained in the management services agreement. In respect of such commitment and for management services, Masterworks Cayman will issue its SPC Preferred shares to the Administrator at a rate of 1.5% of the total SPC shares of such segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman outstanding which holds the Artwork of an applicable series, after giving effect to such issuance, per annum, commencing on the earliest closing date on which the applicable series offering is fully subscribed and at least 95% of the subscription proceeds for such offering have been received by the Company.
Commitments from Affiliates to Fund Class A shares, Offering Costs and Expenses
The costs associated with the series offerings shall be paid by the Administrator rather than from the net proceeds of the series offerings. None of these fees, costs or expenses will be reimbursable by the Company to Administrator, although each series will pay Masterworks a fixed, non-recurring expense allocation (“Expense Allocation”) for (i) financing commitments to purchase the Artwork of a series for up to 12 months before raising capital, (ii) sourcing the Artwork from collectors directly and through intermediaries, (iii) all research, data analysis, condition reports, appraisal, due diligence, travel, currency conversion and legal services to acquire the Artworks and (iv) the use of the Masterworks Platform and Masterworks intellectual property. No other expense is directly or indirectly paid by the Company, any series or investors in connection with the organization of the Company, the purchase and securitization of the Artwork or the offering conducted by each series and we buy and store art in Delaware which has no sales or use tax.
Our Administrator
Our day-to-day operations are managed by the Administrator. The Administrator performs its duties and responsibilities pursuant to our operating agreement and management services agreement. Masterworks appointed the Administrator and the management services agreement will terminate upon the first to occur of (i) the dissolution of the Company or (ii) the termination of the management services agreement on the terms set forth therein. The Administrator and its affiliates have the exclusive right and power to manage and operate our Company, subject to the powers of our Board of Managers and other than limited voting rights reserved under our operating agreement for the holders of the Class A shares of each series.
Prior to giving effect to each series offering, 100% of the membership interests of each series of the Company are held by Masterworks. Our operating agreement created three classes of membership interests for each series of the Company in the form of Class A shares of each series which are offered hereby, Class B shares of each series which are owned by Masterworks, as well as the Class C share of each series which is also owned by Masterworks.
Summary of Management Services Agreement
We have entered into an amended and restated management services agreement (as amended, the “management services agreement”) with the Administrator and Masterworks Cayman. The following summarizes some of the key provisions of the management services agreement. This summary is qualified in its entirety by the management services agreement itself, which is included as Exhibit 6.3 to the offering statement of which this offering circular forms an integral part.
Services to be Provided
Pursuant to the management services agreement, the Administrator agreed to provide the Company, each series and Masterworks Cayman, itself directly or through its affiliates, with Artwork-level services for each series and provide entity-level services on the terms and conditions set forth in the management services agreement.
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The services to be provided by the Administrator under the management services agreement include the following:
| (i) | Artwork-level services with respect to the Artwork for each series, including: |
| (A) | Custodial and storage services for the Artwork; | |
| (B) | Maintaining asset-level insurance requirements for the Artwork; | |
| (C) | Managing transport for the Artwork of each series in the ordinary course of business, including the display and exhibition thereof; | |
| (D) | Research services; | |
| (E) | Appraisal and valuation services; | |
| (F) | Inspection costs; and | |
| (G) | Other services deemed necessary or appropriate by the Administrator at its discretion to maintain the Artwork. |
| (ii) | Entity-level services, including: |
| (A) | Oversight and management of banking activities; | |
| (B) | Management of preparation and filing of SEC and other corporate filings; | |
| (C) | Financial, accounting and bookkeeping services, including retention of an auditor for auditing services; | |
| (D) | Record keeping, shareholder registrar, investor relations and regulatory compliance; | |
| (E) | Listing services; | |
| (F) | Tax reporting services; | |
| (G) | Bill payment services; | |
| (H) | Selecting and negotiating insurance coverage, including operational errors and omissions coverage and directors’ and officers’ coverage; | |
| (I) | Share ledger, registrar, transfer agency and paying agency services; | |
| (J) | Organizational costs; | |
| (K) | Costs associated with listing shares for secondary sales on an alternative trading system, trading fees, brokerage account fees, and compliance with state securities laws (although trading and or brokerage fees may be passed on to investors in certain foreign jurisdictions or to all investors in the future); | |
| (L) | Governance, including compensation of our officers and independent manager(s); | |
| (M) | Advisory services related to investments in Masterworks financial products; | |
| (N) | Art market research; | |
| (O) | Investor relations services; | |
| (P) | Distribution and other fees associated with each series offering; and | |
| (Q) | Software services. |
| (iii) | Non-routine services, including: |
| (A) | Legal and professional transactional services for each series; | |
| (B) | Negotiation of terms of potential sales and the execution thereof; | |
| (C) | Obtaining appraisals and statements of condition in connection with a sale transaction relating to the Artwork of each series; | |
| (D) | Other transaction-related services and expenditures relating to the Artwork of each series; | |
| (E) | Administrative services in connection with liquidation or winding up of the Company and Masterworks Cayman; | |
| (F) | Managing litigation, judicial proceedings or arbitration, including the defense and or settlement of any claims (regardless of whether or not we are named as a defendant or party in any such claim); | |
| (G) | Conservation, restoration (as deemed necessary by the Administrator), reframing and other expenditures that increase the value of the Artwork; and | |
| (H) | Other non-routine or extraordinary services. |
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Third Parties and Exclusivity
Pursuant to the management services agreement, the Administrator may, to the extent it determines that it would be advisable, arrange for and coordinate the services of other professionals, experts and consultants to provide any or all of the services under the management services agreement in which case, the costs and expenses of such third parties for providing such services shall be borne by the Administrator with it being understood that the Administrator shall not charge any fees in addition thereto with respect to such outsourced services.
The obligations of the Administrator to us are not exclusive. The Administrator may, in its discretion, render the same or similar services as rendered to us to any person or persons whose business may be in direct or indirect competition with us.
Rights of the Administrator
Pursuant to the management services agreement, the Administrator and its affiliates shall have the right to engage in the following activities, and will be responsible for all incremental costs associated with such activities (including taxes):
| (a) | Rights to commercialize the Artwork; |
| (b) | Display rights for the Artwork; |
| (c) | The right to lend the Artwork to museums, galleries, private entities or individuals, and the like; and |
| (d) | The right to lease the Artwork of each series to companies, private entities and individuals. |
For such rights, the Administrator will pay each series a royalty of $10.00 per annum. The Administrator will display or exhibit the Artwork for each series if and when the Administrator reasonably believes that such display or exhibition would increase the exposure, profile and appeal of the Artwork for such series. In the event that any revenues are generated from such activities, the Administrator may choose to retain all or a portion of such revenues.
Compensation of the Administrator and Reimbursement
The Administrator will receive fees and expense reimbursement for its services in the form of SPC Preferred shares at a rate of 1.5% of the total SPC shares of such segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman outstanding which holds the Artwork of an applicable series, after giving effect to such issuance, per annum, commencing on the earliest closing date on which the applicable series offering is fully subscribed and at least 95% of the subscription proceeds for such offering have been received by the Company. There is no overall limit to the number of SPC Preferred shares that may be issued to pay these fees. Once earned, the SPC Preferred shares will be exchangeable for Class A shares of the series of which the segregated portfolio holds the Artwork at an exchange rate of 1 for 1. Any extraordinary or non-routine services, if any, will be managed and paid for by the Administrator, but such extraordinary costs will be reimbursed upon the sale of the Artwork of a series or a sale of our Company, as applicable. For more information, see “Management — Summary of Administrator Compensation and Expense Reimbursement”.
Sale of the Artwork of a series without a third-party intermediary:
Masterworks may determine to sell the Artwork of a series without engaging a third-party intermediary, in which event, Masterworks would be entitled to recoup its costs of marketing and selling the Artwork by seeking reimbursement from the applicable series or by charging the buyer a sales commission in connection with such sale.
Ordinary and necessary management and maintenance costs and expenses include:
| ● | Storage costs; | |
| ● | Insurance costs; | |
| ● | Display or gallery costs; | |
| ● | Crating and shipping costs related to traveling exhibitions; |
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| ● | Transfer agent fees; | |
| ● | Other fees associated with a series offering; and | |
| ● | Accounting. |
Extraordinary or non-routine costs for which the Administrator shall be entitled to seek reimbursement include:
| ● | Payments associated with litigation, judicial proceedings or arbitration (regardless of whether the Company is named as a defendant or party), including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees, settlements or judgments; | |
| ● | Costs associated with any material transactions, such as any third-party costs and expenses incurred in connection with any merger, third-party tender offer or other similar transaction; | |
| ● | Costs and taxes, if any, associated with selling the Artwork of a series; and | |
| ● | Conservation, restoration, reframing and other expenditures that increase the value of the Artwork of a series. |
Provision of Financial Information
The Administrator will report to the Company on a semi-annual basis its current and total assets, current and total liabilities, and total equity and the Company intends to include such amounts in its SEC reports.
Termination
The term of the management services agreement will terminate upon the first to occur of (i) the dissolution of the Company; or (ii) our termination of the management services agreement on the terms set forth in the agreement.
Under the management services agreement, we may terminate the agreement at any time upon a vote of all voting Class A shares outstanding of all series together as a single class pursuant to our operating agreement following any of the following:
(i) The commission by the Administrator or any of its executive officers of fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct;
(ii) The conviction of the Administrator of a felony;
(iii) A material breach by the Administrator of the terms of the management services agreement which breach is not cured within 30 days after receipt by the Administrator of a notice of such breach from any member of our Company (provided that if such breach is not capable of cure within 30 days, and the Administrator is diligently taking steps to cure the breach, then no such event shall be deemed to have occurred unless and until the Administrator fails to cure such breach within 60 days after receiving notice thereof);
(iv) A material violation by the Administrator or any of its executive officers of any applicable law that has a material adverse effect on our business; or
(v) The bankruptcy or insolvency of the Administrator.
On the date of termination, or if we do not have the available funds on such date, then as soon as practicable after we do have the available funds, we will pay any accrued but unpaid costs subject to reimbursement owed to the Administrator through to such date.
Indemnification
Under the management services agreement we agreed to indemnify, hold harmless, protect and defend the Administrator, its affiliates, any officer, member of the Board of Managers, employee or any direct or indirect partner, member or shareholder of the Administrator, any person who serves at the request of the Administrator on behalf of us (referred to herein as the “Indemnified Persons”) against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, including legal fees, costs and expenses incurred in investigating or defending against any such losses, claims, damages or liabilities or in enforcing the Indemnified Persons’ rights to indemnification under the management services agreement. The indemnification under the management services agreement shall not apply to any actions, suits or proceedings in which one or more officers, member of the Board of Managers, partners, members or employees of the Administrator are making claims against the Administrator or one or more other officers, member of the Board of Managers, partners, members or employees of the Administrator.
Amendment of Management Services Agreement
Amendments to the management services agreement may be proposed only by or with the consent of the Administrator and may be approved by the Board of Managers, provided that any amendment that would be adverse or detrimental to the interests of members of the Company as a whole or an affected series must be approved by holders of a majority of voting shares of all the series of our Company or of the affected series, as applicable.
Prohibited transactions under our operating agreement
The Board of Managers will have sole voting power over all matters, including: mergers, consolidations, acquisitions, winding up and dissolution; except, the Board of Managers shall not have the authority to amend, waive or fail to comply with any material provision of our operating agreement that disproportionately and adversely affects the Class A shareholders as a whole or an affected series except as provided therein, without the prior written consent of the holders of a majority of the voting shares of the Company or such series, as applicable.
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Sale of Artwork
Each series will own its respective Artwork for an indefinite period and we may elect to hold the Artwork of a series for a longer period or sell the Artwork of a series at any time due to certain circumstances. We, in our sole and absolute discretion, will have the ability to sell the Artwork of a series at any time and in any manner. There is no guarantee that any such sale of the Artwork of a series will be successful, or if successful, that the net proceeds realized by shareholders of such series from such sale will be reflective of the estimated fair market value of the shares of such series at such time.
Following a sale of the Artwork of a series, the applicable series and or applicable segregated portfolio will pay or reimburse Masterworks for any expenses for which it is responsible, including applicable third-party sales commissions, income taxes, if any, and other transactional, extraordinary and non-routine expenses and other expenditures to enhance the value of the Artwork of such series. Masterworks may determine to sell the Artwork of a series without engaging a third-party intermediary, in which event, it would be entitled to recoup its costs of marketing and selling the Artwork by seeking reimbursement from the applicable series or by charging the buyer a sales commission in connection with such sale. Following the payment of all of such taxes and expenses, we will distribute the remaining proceeds to the shareholders of such series in accordance with our operating agreement.
Summary of Administrator Compensation and Expense Reimbursement
The Administrator will receive fees and expense reimbursement for its ordinary and necessary services in the form of SPC Preferred shares at a rate of 1.5% of the total SPC shares of such segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman outstanding which holds the Artwork of an applicable series, after giving effect to such issuance, per annum, commencing on the earliest closing date on which the applicable series offering is fully subscribed and at least 95% of the subscription proceeds for such offering have been received by the Company. There is no overall limit to the number of SPC Preferred shares that may be issued to pay these fees. Once earned, the SPC Preferred shares will be exchangeable for Class A shares of a series of which the segregated portfolio holds the Artwork at an exchange rate of 1 for 1. No other ordinary or routine costs or expenses associated with the maintenance of the Artwork or the Company (such as insurance, storage, appraisals, compliance, audit, tax preparation, investor relations, filings, etc.) will be paid, directly or indirectly, by the Company or investors in any series offering. Extraordinary or non-routine costs for which the Administrator shall be entitled to seek reimbursement, if any, shall be reimbursed by the applicable segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman or the series, as determined by Masterworks.
Example of management fee and expense calculation
The table below illustrates the number of SPC Preferred shares that would be earned by the Administrator in respect of management fees per annum over a hold period of an Artwork of a series of up to 10 years and the corresponding aggregate value of the liquidation preference and ownership percentage of the total SPC shares outstanding, assuming a hypothetical offering size of $1,665,000, or 83,250 Class A shares. Since the Company does not maintain liquid capital resources, Masterworks pays all routine and ordinary operating costs and expenses of the Company and related to maintaining the Artwork. The structure of the SPC Preferred shares is intended to ensure that upon any disposition of the Artwork that results in a net loss (i.e. holders of Class A shares in a series on a fully-diluted basis would receive a liquidating distribution of less than $20 per Class A share), Masterworks would receive management fees and would recoup such costs and expenses in an amount equal to up to $20 per SPC Preferred share before any distribution is made to Class A shareholders, as reflected in the table below in the column labeled “Aggregate Liquidation Preference”. Any funds remaining after any payment to Masterworks of the Aggregate Liquidation Preference would be distributed to the Company and distributed to Class A shareholders. If the sale of the Artwork would result in a net profit (i.e. holders of Class A shares in a series on a fully-diluted basis would receive a liquidating distribution of more than $20 per Class A share), Masterworks would convert its earned SPC Preferred shares to Class A shares prior to any distribution of the proceeds of such sale from the segregated portfolio and Masterworks would receive the same distribution per Class A share as all other Class A shareholders. Following any distribution to Masterworks in respect of SPC Preferred shares associated with a sale of Artwork, if any, such SPC Preferred shares would be immediately retired and canceled by the issuing segregated portfolio and under no scenario would Masterworks be entitled to receive any additional payment with respect to the Class A shares into which such SPC Preferred shares are convertible.
The following table assumes that the issuance of the SPC Preferred shares to the Administrator commences on the first day of the fiscal year. While the amounts reflected in the table below in respect of the number of SPC Preferred shares to be issued and the dollar amount of the aggregate liquidation preference (i.e. columns (2), (3) and (4)) will vary in direct proportion with the size of the offering by any given series, the percentages set forth in column (5) entitled “Aggregate Ownership Percentage of Total SPC Shares,” which effectively reflects the dilutive effect on Class A shareholders of the issuance of the SPC Preferred shares, will be the same for every offering irrespective of the offering size.
| Year Following Completion of the Series Offering (1) | SPC Preferred Shares Issued in Such Year (2) | Aggregate SPC Preferred Shares Issued (3) | Aggregate Liquidation Preference (4) | Aggregate Ownership Percentage of Total SPC Shares (5) | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 1,249 | 1,249 | $ | 24,975 | 1.48 | % | ||||||||||
| 2 | 1,267 | 2,516 | $ | 50,325 | 2.93 | % | ||||||||||
| 3 | 1,286 | 3,803 | $ | 76,054 | 4.37 | % | ||||||||||
| 4 | 1,306 | 5,109 | $ | 102,170 | 5.78 | % | ||||||||||
| 5 | 1,325 | 6,434 | $ | 128,678 | 7.17 | % | ||||||||||
| 6 | 1,345 | 7,779 | $ | 155,583 | 8.55 | % | ||||||||||
| 7 | 1,365 | 9,145 | $ | 182,892 | 9.90 | % | ||||||||||
| 8 | 1,386 | 10,531 | $ | 210,610 | 11.23 | % | ||||||||||
| 9 | 1,407 | 11,937 | $ | 238,744 | 12.54 | % | ||||||||||
| 10 | 1,428 | 13,365 | $ | 267,300 | 13.83 | % | ||||||||||
The actual number of SPC Preferred shares earned by Masterworks in respect of each series will be disclosed on a semi-annual basis on the Company’s filings with the SEC on Form 1-K and 1-SA, respectively.
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Executive Officers and Members of the Board of Managers of the Company
As of the date of this offering circular, the following sets forth the executive officers and members of the Board of Managers of the Company and their positions and offices are as follows:
| Name | Age | Position | ||
| Nigel S. Glenday | 41 | Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer; Member of the Board of Managers | ||
| Joshua B. Goldstein | 56 | General Counsel and Secretary; Member of the Board of Managers | ||
| Eli D. Broverman | 44 | Member of the Board of Managers; Independent Manager |
Nigel S. Glenday. Mr. Glenday has served as Chief Executive Officer since November 9, 2022 and as Chief Financial Officer and member of the Board of Managers of the Company since November 9, 2022 and has served as Chief Financial Officer of our affiliate Masterworks, LLC since April 2019 and the Chief Executive Officer of Masterworks Investor Services, LLC since August 2021. From March 2015 through April 2019, Mr. Glenday was a Managing Director for Athena Art Finance Corp., a leading independent art-secured finance company. From July 2012 to March 2015, Mr. Glenday was a Vice President at StormHarbour Securities, LLP, a global markets and financial advisory firm. From 2009 to 2012, Mr. Glenday was an Associate at Morgan Stanley in the Financial Institutions Group, Investment Banking Division, and from 2005 through 2009, Mr. Glenday was an Analyst and Associate Director in the Financial Institutions Group at UBS Investment Bank. Mr. Glenday holds a B.A. in Economics and History from the University of Virginia, where he graduated as a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.
Joshua B. Goldstein. Mr. Goldstein has served as a Board Member, the General Counsel and Secretary of the Company since November 9, 2022 and has served in such capacities with our affiliate Masterworks, LLC since February 1, 2018. From September 2016 through December 2017, Mr. Goldstein was a shareholder in the Denver office of Greenspoon Marder, P.A. From April 2015 through August 2016, Mr. Goldstein was self-employed as a corporate attorney. From September 2012 through March 2015, Mr. Goldstein was Executive Vice President, Chief General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Intrawest Resorts Holdings, Inc. (aka Alterra Mountain Company), a NYSE-listed resort and adventure company. Prior to joining Intrawest, Mr. Goldstein was a Counsel in the New York office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP from June 2007 to August 2012 and he was an Associate at Skadden from September 1996 until August 2005, where he concentrated on corporate finance, corporate securities and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Goldstein was also previously a Partner in the New York office of Torys, LLP. Mr. Goldstein holds a B.A. in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).
Eli D. Broverman. Mr. Broverman has served as a Board Member and the Independent Manager of the Company since November 9, 2022 and has served as member of the Board of Managers of Masterworks, LLC since April 29, 2020. Mr. Broverman co-founded Betterment in 2007 and served as its President and COO from 2007 to 2017. An expert in securities and financial institutions law, Mr. Broverman has designed a wide range of structuring and compliance initiatives for broker-dealers and investment advisors. From 2005 to 2007, Mr. Broverman practiced law at the international law firm Proskauer Rose LLP, where he advised Fortune 500 companies and their senior management on securities, tax, and compensation matters. Mr. Broverman serves as an adviser and or Board Member of several privately held financial technology companies, including Betterment, Carver Edison, Covered by Sage, Bloom Credit, and Good Money.
The foregoing individuals have also served in the capacity as executive officers and members of the board of managers of our affiliated entities of Masterworks.
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Key Employee of Masterworks
Scott W. Lynn. Mr. Lynn, who is the Founder of Masterworks, has served as the Chief Executive Officer of our affiliate Masterworks, LLC since February 1, 2018, and as the Chief Executive Officer of the Administrator since November 28, 2018. Mr. Lynn has been an active collector of contemporary art for more than fifteen years and has built an internationally-recognized collection of Abstract Expressionism that has included works by Clyfford Still, Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, and more. Mr. Lynn’s collection has been exhibited at museums such as the Royal Academy in London, the Denver Art Museum, the Palm Beach Museum, National Gallery, the Guggenheim (New York), and the Museum of Modern Art. Mr. Lynn is an Internet entrepreneur and has founded, acquired, or acted as a majority-investor in over a dozen advertising technology, content, and fintech companies. Mr. Lynn serves as a board member of the International Foundation for Art Research (a non-profit; publisher of the IFAR journal, which topically focuses on art authenticity and stolen art research, as well as additional research projects related to artwork authenticity).
Limited Liability and Indemnification of the Board of Managers, the Administrator and Others
Our operating agreement limits the liability of the Board of Managers, any members of our Company, any person who is an officer of our Company and any person who serves at the request of the Board of Managers on behalf of us as an officer, member of the Board of Managers, partner, member, shareholder or employee of such person and the management services agreement limits the liability of the Administrator and its affiliates. None of the foregoing persons shall be liable to us or the Administrator or any other of our members for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it or by other person with respect to us, including any negligent act or failure to act, except in the case of a liability resulting from any of the foregoing person’s own actual fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct, bad faith, breach of fiduciary duty, reckless disregard of duty or any intentional and material breach of our operating agreement or conduct that is subject of a criminal proceeding (where such person has reasonable cause to believe that such conduct was unlawful). With the prior consent of the Board of Managers, any of the foregoing persons may consult with legal counsel and accountants with respect to our affairs (including interpretations of the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC operating agreement) and shall be fully protected and justified in any action or inaction which is taken or omitted in good faith, in reliance upon and in accordance with the opinion or advice of such counsel or accountants. In determining whether any of the foregoing persons acted with the requisite degree of care, such person shall be entitled to rely on written or oral reports, opinions, certificates and other statements of members of the Board of Managers, officers, employees, consultants, attorneys, accountants and professional advisors of our Company selected with reasonable care; provided, that no such person may rely upon such statements if it believed that such statements were materially false. The foregoing limitations on liability reduce the remedies available to the holders of the Class A shares of a series for actions taken which may negatively affect us.
Insofar as the foregoing provisions permit indemnification of members of the Board of Managers, officers or persons controlling us for liability arising under the Securities Act, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Term, Withdrawal and Removal of Members of the Board of Managers
Our operating agreement provides that each member of our Board of Managers will serve as a Manager, for an indefinite term, but a Manager may be removed or replaced for any reason by a majority of the Board of Managers or by the holder of the Class C share of a series, if any.
Our members may only remove a member of the Board of Managers for “Cause,” following the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the issued and outstanding voting shares of all series collectively voting as a single class. The term “Cause” is defined as:
| ● | The commission by a member of the Board of Managers of fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct; | |
| ● | The conviction of a member of the Board of Managers of a felony; | |
| ● | A material violation by a member of the Board of Managers of any applicable law that has a material adverse effect on our business; or | |
| ● | The bankruptcy or insolvency of a member of the Board of Managers. |
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Masterworks Shares
Prior to giving effect to a series offering, 100% of the membership interests of such series are held by Masterworks in the form of Class B shares of such series. Our operating agreement created three classes of membership interests of the Company for each series in the form of Class A shares of a series, Class B shares of a series, as well as the Class C share of a series. Class B shares of each series, which are owned by Masterworks, represent a 20% “profits interest” in the fully diluted equity of each series. The Class B shares will entitle Masterworks to 20% of the profit on sale of the Artwork of a series or the ability to convert such shares into Class A shares of a series with a value at the time of conversion equal to 20% of the increase in value of the issued and outstanding shares of a series. Masterworks has also agreed to lock-up provisions in our operating agreement that will prohibit it from selling any Class B shares of a series prior to the one-year anniversary of the offering of such series. Masterworks will have no restrictions on the disposition of any of its Class B shares of a series after the one-year anniversary of the offering of such series, other than restrictions in our operating agreement, management services agreement and restrictions imposed by applicable securities laws. The Class C share of a series represents a special class of membership interests of a series, which has no economic rights or obligations and has no voting rights, but has the right to remove and or replace all or any members of the Board of Managers and reconstitute the Board without “cause” for any reason. The Class C share of a series will only be issued to, or subsequently transferred to, a Masterworks affiliate and there can only be one holder of Class C shares of all series of the Company at any point in time.
Securities Being Offered
Investors will acquire Class A shares in a series of the Company, each of which is intended to be a separate series of the Company for purposes of accounting for assets and liabilities. It is intended that owners of Class A shares in a series will only have an interest in the assets, liabilities, profits and losses pertaining to the specific series. For example, an owner of interests in Series 1 will only have an interest in the assets, liabilities, profits and losses pertaining to Series 1 and its related operations. See the “Description of Shares” section for further details. The maximum investment amount per investor in any series is $100,000 (5,000 Class A shares) and the minimum investment amount per investor in any series is $15,000 (750 Class A shares) for investors that have not previously invested in offerings via the Masterworks Platform and $500 (25 Class A shares) for investors that have previously invested in other offerings on the Masterworks Platform. We reserve the right to reject any subscription, waive or increase the maximum purchase restriction or waive or decrease the minimum purchase restriction in our sole and absolute discretion and we routinely grant such waivers, increases or reductions for categories of investors or on a case-by-case basis. Accordingly, investors should not assume that the stated minimum investment restriction will be applied uniformly to all investors.
Further, pursuant to the terms of the Company’s operating agreement, an investor, other than an affiliate of Masterworks, generally cannot own, or be deemed to beneficially own, as “beneficial ownership” is determined pursuant to Section 13(d) and 13(g) of the Securities Act, more than 24.99% of the total number of Class A shares of a series outstanding, provided that we may waive such limit on a case-by-case basis in our sole discretion.
Masterworks Platform
Overview
We will conduct the offering of each series on the Masterworks Platform, which will host the offering of each series in connection with the distribution of the Class A shares of each series offered pursuant to this offering circular. The Masterworks Platform is owned by Masterworks, LLC, and is operated by the principals of Masterworks (including Masterworks Administrative Services, LLC). Through the Masterworks Platform, investors can:
| ● | Browse and screen potential art investment offerings and obtain information about offerings, including current and future SEC filings; | |
| ● | Provide us with information, including information required to determine whether they are qualified to invest in an offering, and sufficient to satisfy our compliance obligations under applicable laws; | |
| ● | Indicate interest in participating in offerings and, with respect to offerings that have been qualified by the SEC, transact entirely online, including review and execution of legal documentation, funds transfer and ownership recordation; | |
| ● | Execute trades in shares issued by Masterworks issuers via the ATS; and | |
| ● | Manage and track investments easily through an online portfolio management tool. |
We intend to distribute the Class A shares of each series exclusively through the Masterworks Platform. Neither Masterworks, LLC nor any other affiliated entity involved in the offer and sale of the Class A shares of a series is currently a member firm of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, and no person associated with us will be deemed to be a broker solely by reason of his or her participation in the sale of the Class A shares of a series.
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ATS
An electronic alternative trading system, operated by an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC in accordance with SEC Regulation ATS (the “ATS”), is expected to facilitate trading of Class A shares of a series, commencing on or after the three-month anniversary of the date such series offering is fully subscribed. The ATS will enable a holder of Class A shares of a series to post live bids and offers 24 hours per day seven days per week, provided that trades will actually occur only during regular trading hours that substantially mirror the trading hours on national securities exchanges.
In order to execute a transaction on the ATS, a buyer or seller of Class A shares of a series may be required to create a brokerage account with a broker-dealer that is authorized to settle trades (the “Settling Broker”). To buy securities on the ATS, investors must also fund the brokerage account in an amount sufficient to pay the full purchase price. Owners of Class A shares of a series may submit bids and ask quotes to purchase or sell Class A shares of a series, and any such transactions will be executed by the Settling Broker, if applicable, and matched through the ATS.
Masterworks will directly notify owners of the Class A shares of a series when they are available for posting on the ATS and will file a notification of such availability on Form 1-U at such time. For so long as the Company exists and the shares of any series are available for posting on the ATS, the Company will continue to file reports under Rule 257 of Regulation A.
Masterworks currently expects to pay all costs and expenses associated with listing the Class A shares of a series on the ATS, establishment of brokerage accountants with the Settling Broker, as applicable, and trading and executing transfers of the Class A shares of a series on the ATS. Certain trading and or brokerage fees currently paid by Masterworks may be passed on to investors in certain foreign jurisdictions or to all investors in the future. In addition, Masterworks may at some point in the future seek to register to become a broker-dealer and a member of FINRA to enable it to earn transactional fees for trading the Class A shares or it may seek to earn administrative or other fees or recoup its costs associated with making a trading market available.
Secondary trades of Class A shares matched on the ATS are intended to comply with Blue Sky laws either through a Manual exemption in states where available, through a direct filing with the state securities regulators where required, or as isolated non-issuer transactions.
Due to regulatory compliance restrictions, the ATS or certain features of the ATS will not be available to residents of certain foreign countries or those who invest through a self-directed IRA. For a list of countries that are enabled on the ATS, see the trading section of the Masterworks Platform. In addition, Class A shares of a series held by affiliates of the Company are “control” securities under U.S. federal securities laws and are subject to restrictions on transfer. If you hold more than 10% of the Class A voting shares of a series, you may be deemed an affiliate of such series and may be unable to participate on the ATS or otherwise freely transfer your shares. The Company or its transfer agent may require you to provide a legal opinion and or other information to determine your affiliate status.
There can be no assurance that the ATS will provide an effective means of selling your Class A shares. In light of a variety of factors, including, without limitation, the relatively small market capitalization of each series, we cannot guarantee that the ATS will provide a reliable or effective means of price discovery. Accordingly, any posted offer prices or historical transaction information reflected on the ATS should not be construed as being representative of the fair value of the Class A shares of a series or of the artwork owned by such series.
License Agreement
In consideration of the payment of the Expense Allocation, we will enter into a license agreement with Masterworks, effective upon the commencement of the initial series offerings, pursuant to which Masterworks will grant us a non-exclusive license to use the name “Masterworks” and utilize systems, software and technology owned or licensed by Masterworks, including the Masterworks Platform, for certain activities relating to the series offerings and ongoing investor relations, for the term of the management services agreement. Other than with respect to this license, we will have no legal right to use the “Masterworks” name or Masterworks Platform. In the event that the Administrator ceases to manage our operations pursuant to the management services agreement, we would be required to change our name to eliminate the use of “Masterworks”.
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Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings
No executive officer, member of the Board of Managers, or significant employee or control person of our Company or the Administrator has been involved in any legal proceeding listed in Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K in the past 10 years.
The Administrator, and its affiliates will receive certain fees and expense reimbursements for services relating to the offering of each series and the acquisition, maintenance and sale of the Artwork of each series. The items of compensation are summarized below. Neither the Administrator nor their affiliates will receive any selling commissions or dealer manager fees in connection with the offer and sale of the Class A shares of a series. In addition, Masterworks will own 1,000 Class B shares of each series that offers Class A shares, representing a 20% “profits interest” in the fully diluted equity of each series following the final closing of the offering of such series.
The following table sets forth the form of compensation and the recipient of such compensation together with the determination of the amount and the estimated amount.
| Form of Compensation and Expense Reimbursement | Determination of Amount | Estimated Amount | ||
Expense Allocation |
Masterworks will receive an Expense Allocation for all art-related issuers, including each series, which is intended to be a fixed, non-recurring expense payment for (i) financing commitments, (ii) Masterworks’ sourcing the Artwork of a series, (iii) all research, data analysis, condition reports, appraisal, due diligence, travel, currency conversion and legal services to acquire the Artwork of a series and (iv) the use of the Masterworks Platform and Masterworks intellectual property. | Approximately 11% of the cost of the Artwork of a series, or approximately 10% of the maximum aggregate offering amount.
Please refer to the “Use of Proceeds” section for the actual Expense Allocation paid with respect to each series offering. | ||
| Management Fee | In respect of ordinary management of our Company and the Artwork of a series including entity management and art management, Masterworks Cayman will issue its SPC Preferred shares to the Administrator. | 1.5% of the total SPC shares of a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman outstanding which holds the Artwork of an applicable series, after giving effect to such issuance, per annum, commencing on the earliest closing date on which the applicable series offering is fully subscribed and at least 95% of the subscription proceeds for such offering have been received by the Company. Once earned, the SPC Preferred shares will be exchangeable for Class A shares of the series of which the segregated portfolio holds the Artwork at an exchange rate of 1 for 1.
Please refer to the “Summary of Administrator Compensation and Expense Reimbursement” section for an illustrative example of the number of SPC Preferred shares that would be issued to the Administrator per annum over a hold period of an Artwork of a series of up to 10 years and the corresponding aggregate value of the liquidation preference and ownership percentage of the total SPC shares outstanding. The actual number of SPC Preferred shares issued and outstanding for each segregated portfolio as of December 31 and June 30 of each fiscal year will be disclosed in the Company’s annual report on Form 1-K and semi-annual report on Form 1-SA, respectively. | ||
| Profits Interest | Masterworks will own 1,000 Class B shares of each series, representing a 20% “profits interest” in the fully diluted equity of such series following the final closing of the offering of such series. | These amounts, if any, cannot presently be determined, but will be disclosed in a Current Report on Form 1-U if and when determined for any particular series. |
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| Reimbursement for Extraordinary and Non-Routine Costs | Extraordinary or non-routine costs, payments and expenses, if any, relating to our Company or the Artwork of a series, will be paid for by the Administrator, but such extraordinary or non-routine costs and payments will be reimbursed in cash upon the sale of the Artwork of a series or a sale of our Company, as applicable. | These amounts, if any, cannot presently be determined, but will be disclosed in a Current Report on Form 1-U if and when determined for any particular series. | ||
| Disposition of the Artwork without a third-party intermediary | Masterworks may determine to sell the Artwork of a series without engaging a third-party intermediary, in which event, it would be entitled to recoup its costs of marketing and selling the Artwork by seeking reimbursement from the applicable series or by charging the buyer a sales commission in connection with such sale. | These amounts, if any, cannot presently be determined, but will be disclosed in a Current Report on Form 1-U if and when determined. |
Compensation of Executive Officers
We do not currently have any employees, nor do we currently intend to hire any employees who will be compensated directly by us. Each of our executive officers receive compensation for his or her services, including services performed for us, from Masterworks. Although we will indirectly bear some of the costs of the compensation paid to these individuals, through fees paid to the Administrator, we do not intend to pay any compensation directly to these individuals.
Compensation of the Board of Managers
Members of the Board of Managers who are also officers of Masterworks and the Company receive no compensation in respect of their service on the Board of Managers. The Independent Manager receives compensation from Masterworks for serving in such capacity on multiple issuer entities. Although we will indirectly bear some of the costs of the compensation paid to the Independent Manager through fees paid to the Administrator, we do not intend to pay any compensation directly to this individual.
SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF
MANAGEMENT AND CERTAIN SECURITY HOLDERS
The following table sets forth information about the current beneficial ownership of the Company at January 23, 2024, and the estimated beneficial ownership of the Class A shares of each series after the offering for:
| ● | Each person known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than 10% of the Class A shares of any series entitled to vote; | |
| ● | Each named executive officer; | |
| ● | Each member of the Board of Managers; and | |
| ● | All of the executive officers and members of the Board of Managers as a group. |
Prior to giving effect to each series offering, 100% of the membership interests of each series of the Company are held by Masterworks in the form of 1,000 Class B shares of each series. Following the closing of each offering, Class A shares of a series may be issued to Masterworks to repay the advance and the Expense Allocation, or upon conversion of the Class B shares of a series or upon exchange of the SPC Preferred shares of the applicable segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman.
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Unless otherwise noted below, the address for each beneficial owner listed on the table is in care of our Company, 225 Liberty Street, 29th Floor, New York, New York 10281. We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with the rules of the SEC. We believe, based on the information furnished to us, that the persons and entities named in the tables below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all Class B shares of each series that they beneficially own, subject to applicable community property laws.
We have presented the beneficial ownership of the Class A shares of each series based on the assumption that all Class A shares of each series offered in the series offering will be sold to third party investors. A member that beneficially owns 5% or more of the Class A shares of a series (excluding shares beneficially owned by Masterworks) may irrevocably limit or eliminate its voting rights by providing an irrevocable certification to the Company in substantially the form of Exhibit B to the operating agreement. In subsequent reports we file pursuant to Regulation A that require beneficial ownership information, we will disclose the number and percentage of Class A shares of a series that are eligible to vote as well as the number and percentage of Class A shares of a series that are not eligible to vote as of such filing date. In addition, any member that irrevocably eliminates its voting rights or limits its voting rights to not more than 10% of the total voting power of the Class A shares of a series, shall not be named or have its address or ownership reported in the beneficial ownership table included in the Company’s future SEC reports, unless such person is otherwise deemed to be an “affiliate” of the Company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
In computing the number of Class A shares of a series beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person after a series offering, we deemed outstanding Class A shares of a series subject to any securities held by that person that are currently exercisable or convertible or exercisable or convertible within 60 days of January 23, 2024, into Class A shares of a series. In computing the number of Class A shares of a series owned after a series offering, we have assumed that the Class A share value of a series at such time would be $30.00. Please see the Hypothetical Class A share of a series value chart below which sets for the number of Class A shares of a series issuable upon conversion of the Class B shares of such series based on various hypothetical values of the Class A shares of a series for additional information. Unless otherwise indicated, ownership amounts and percentages reflect all issued and outstanding securities of all series.
Membership Interests Beneficially Owned Prior to the Series Offerings | Class A Shares Beneficially Owned After the Series Offerings(5) | |||||||||||||||
| Name of Beneficial Owner | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | ||||||||||||
| Named Executive Officers and Board of Managers: | ||||||||||||||||
| Nigel S. Glenday, Chief Executive Officer; Chief Financial Officer(1) | - | * | 0 | * | ||||||||||||
| Joshua B. Goldstein, General Counsel and Secretary(1) | - | * | 0 | * | ||||||||||||
| Eli D. Broverman, Independent Representative (1) | - | * | 0 | * | ||||||||||||
| All named executive officers and Members of the Board of Managers as a group (3 persons) | N/A | * | 0 | * | ||||||||||||
| 10% holders: | ||||||||||||||||
| Masterworks Foundry, LLC(2)(3)(4) | N/A | 100 | % | 121,550 | 7.69 | % | ||||||||||
| * | Less than 1.0% | |
| (1) | All named individuals are also members of the Board of Managers of the Company. |
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| (2) | The Lynn Family Trust 001 (the “Trust”) owns approximately 80% of the membership interests of Masterworks, LLC. Mr. Lynn is the Chief Executive Officer of Masterworks, LLC and Masterworks Administrative Services, LLC. By contract, Mr. Lynn has the power to vote 100% of the membership interests beneficially owned by the Trust and controls Masterworks. No other person beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting membership interests of Masterworks, LLC or any of its subsidiaries. | |
| (3) | Masterworks, LLC owns 100% of the membership interests of Masterworks Foundry, LLC and Masterworks Administrative Services, LLC, which will be entitled to receive SPC Preferred shares at a rate of 1.5% of the total shares of such segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman outstanding which holds the Artwork of an applicable series, after giving effect to such issuance, per annum, commencing on the earliest closing date on which the applicable series offering is fully subscribed and at least 95% of the subscription proceeds for such offering have been received by the Company. There is no overall limit to the number of SPC Preferred shares that may be issued to pay these fees. Once earned, the SPC Preferred shares will be exchangeable for Class A shares of the series of which the segregated portfolio holds the Artwork at an exchange rate of 1 for 1. | |
| (4) | The Class B shares retained by Masterworks will entitle Masterworks to 20% of the profit on sale of the Artwork of a series or the ability to convert such shares into Class A shares of a series with a value at the time of conversion equal to 20% of the increase in value of the issued and outstanding Class A and B shares of each series. The following table indicates how many Class A shares of a series would be issuable to Masterworks upon conversion of the Class B shares of a series based on hypothetical changes in the value of the Class A shares of a series, assuming that 83,250 Class A shares are sold in such series offering: |
| Hypothetical value of Class A share of a series | $ | 20.00 | $ | 30.00 | $ | 40.00 | $ | 50.00 | $ | 60.00 | ||||||||||
| No. of Class A shares of a series Masterworks would receive upon conversion of 100% of its Class B shares of such series | 0 | 6,938 | 10,406 | 12,488 | 13,875 | |||||||||||||||
| Percentage of total outstanding Class A shares of a series Masterworks would receive upon conversion of 100% of its Class B shares of such series | 0 | % | 7.69 | % | 11.11 | % | 13.04 | % | 14.29 | % |
INTEREST
OF MANAGEMENT AND
OTHERS IN CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS
We are subject to various conflicts of interest arising out of our relationship with Masterworks. These conflicts are discussed below, and this section is concluded with a discussion of the corporate governance measures we have adopted to mitigate some of the risks posed by these conflicts. References throughout this offering circular to the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC “operating agreement” refer to the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC amended and restated operating agreement.
In addition to the compensation arrangements discussed in the section titled “Management Compensation,” the following is a description of each transaction since November 9, 2022 (our inception) and each currently proposed transaction in which:
| ● | We have been or will be a participant; |
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| ● | The amount involved exceeds one percent of our total assets; and | |
| ● | In which any member of the Board of Managers or executive officer, of the Company or the related Masterworks entities or their applicable beneficial owners, or beneficial owners of more than 5% of the Class A shares of a series or any immediate family member of, or person sharing the household with, any of these individuals, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest. |
Scott W. Lynn is the Chief Executive Officer of Masterworks and is also able to control the activities of all of the Masterworks entities as well as our Company. Mr. Lynn is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Administrator.
Management Services Agreement and Fees Paid to Affiliates
Pursuant to a management services agreement between us, Masterworks Cayman and the Administrator to be entered into prior to the initial closing of the initial series offerings, the Administrator will manage all of our administrative services and will maintain the Artwork of each series. For the foregoing services, the Administrator will be entitled to receive a management fee from in the form of SPC Preferred shares at a rate of 1.5% of the total SPC shares of such segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman outstanding which holds the Artwork of an applicable series, after giving effect to such issuance, per annum, commencing on the earliest closing date on which the applicable series offering is fully subscribed and at least 95% of the subscription proceeds for such offering have been received by the Company. There is no overall limit to the number of SPC Preferred shares that may be issued to pay these fees. Once earned, the SPC Preferred shares will be exchangeable for Class A shares of the series of which the segregated portfolio holds the Artwork at an exchange rate of 1 for 1. Following the initial closing of the initial series offerings, Masterworks will also manage any extraordinary or non-routine services which may be required, from time-to-time, including, without limitation, litigation or services in connection with a sale of the Artwork of a series or any sale, merger, third-party tender offer or other similar transaction involving us. Masterworks may determine to sell the Artwork of a series without engaging a third-party intermediary, in which event, it would be entitled to recoup its costs of marketing and selling the Artwork by seeking reimbursement from the applicable series or by charging the buyer a sales commission in connection with such sale. Any third-party costs incurred by the Administrator in connection with litigation or major transactions, together with any fees, will be reimbursed or paid upon the sale of the Artwork of a series or our Company, as applicable.
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Beneficial Owner of Affiliated Entities
The Lynn Family Trust 001 is the majority beneficial owner of all of the Masterworks affiliated entities. Scott W. Lynn, the Chief Executive Officer of Masterworks, LLC and Masterworks Administrative Services, LLC, may also be deemed the beneficial owner of the Masterworks entities given his power to exercise voting control through an agreement with the Trust. Mr. Lynn is the Chief Executive Officer of Masterworks and is an art collector and is also able to control the activities of all of the Masterworks entities as well as our Company. Mr. Lynn could have conflicts with his personal art collection and the collection of Masterworks.
Qualification Rights
Masterworks will have the right to request that we qualify on Form 1-A, or a comparable form, the resale of any Class A shares of a series beneficially owned by Masterworks or any entity administered by Masterworks. There are no limitations or restrictions on the size or frequency of such qualification requests, other than pursuant to applicable law, provided that all costs associated with any such qualification shall be the responsibility of Masterworks. If Masterworks exercises its qualification rights and offers Class A shares of a series in a secondary offering pursuant to Regulation A, it may be more difficult to sell your Class A shares of such series and could adversely affect the price at which you can sell your Class A shares of such series on the ATS. The qualification rights are set forth in the Company’s operating agreement.
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Our Affiliates’ Interests in Other Masterworks Entities
General
The officers and members of the Board of Managers who perform services for us are also officers, members of the Board of Managers, managers, and/or key professionals of Masterworks and other Masterworks entities. These persons have legal obligations with respect to those entities that are similar to their obligations to us. In the future, these persons and other affiliates of Masterworks may organize other art-related programs and acquire for their own account art-related assets. In addition, Masterworks has granted non-voting equity interests in Masterworks, LLC to certain management personnel performing services, including our executive officers.
Allocation of Our Affiliates’ Time
We rely on Masterworks and its key professionals who act on our behalf and on behalf of the Administrator, including Scott W. Lynn, Nigel S. Glenday and Joshua B. Goldstein for the day-to-day operations of our business and the Administrator’s business. Messrs. Lynn, Glenday and Goldstein are also, respectively, the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel/Secretary of the Administrator and are officers of the other Masterworks entities. As a result of their interests in other Masterworks entities, their obligations to other investors and the fact that they engage in and will continue to engage in other business activities on behalf of themselves and others, they will face conflicts of interest in allocating their time among us, the Administrator and other Masterworks entities and other business activities in which they are involved. However, we believe that the Administrator and its affiliates have sufficient professionals to fully discharge their responsibilities to the Masterworks entities for which they work. The Administrator also serves as the Administrator for other entities and the services to be provided to these entities are substantially similar to those to be provided to the Company.
Duties Owed by Some of Our Affiliates to the Administrator and the Administrator’s Affiliates
Our officers and members of our Board of Managers and the key professionals performing services for us are also officers, members of the Board of Managers, managers and/or key professionals of:
| ● | Masterworks, LLC, the owner of the Masterworks Platform; | |
| ● | Masterworks Administrative Services, LLC, our Administrator; | |
| ● | Masterworks Gallery LLC, an affiliate of Masterworks, which seeks to acquire the Artwork of each series as agent for the Company; and | |
| ● | Other Masterworks entities. |
As a result, they owe duties to each of these entities, their equity holders, members and limited partners. These duties may from time-to-time conflict with the duties that they owe to us.
No Independent Underwriter
As we are conducting the series offering without the aid of an independent underwriter, you will not have the benefit of an independent due diligence review and investigation of the type normally performed by an independent underwriter in connection with the offering of securities. See “Plan of Distribution.”
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Certain Conflict Resolution Measures
Independent Manager
The Board of Managers is made up of Nigel S. Glenday, Joshua B. Goldstein and Eli D. Broverman. One of the members of the Board of Managers, Eli D. Broverman, serves as the Independent Manager on the Board of Managers (the “Independent Manager”). The Independent Manager serves to protect the interests of the holders of the Class A shares of each series and is tasked with reviewing and approving all related party transactions of our Company with our affiliates and addressing all conflicts of interest that may arise between us and the holders of the Class A shares of each series and our affiliates. The Independent Manager’s role is solely related to governance and he has no involvement in the operations of the Company or Masterworks and does not participate in any offering activities. The Independent Manager and any replacement Independent Manager if the Independent Manager resigns or is removed from such position on the Board of Managers at any time, shall meet the standards of an “independent director” pursuant to the standards set forth in NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 4200(a)(15).
Other Operating Agreement Provisions Relating to Conflicts of Interest
Our operating agreement contains other restrictions relating to conflicts of interest including the following:
Lock-Up Agreement. Masterworks will own 1,000 Class B shares of each series that offers Class A shares, representing a 20% “profits interest” in the fully diluted equity of such series following the final closing of the offering of such series. The Class B shares of each series retained by Masterworks will entitle Masterworks to 20% of the profit on sale of the Artwork of a series or the ability to convert such shares into Class A shares of the same series with a value at the time of conversion equal to 20% of the increase in value of the issued and outstanding Class A and Class B shares of each series. Masterworks will also own Class A shares of a series if and to the extent the offering of such series is undersubscribed. Masterworks has also agreed to lock-up provisions in our operating agreement that will prohibit it from selling or transferring any Class B shares of a series prior to the one-year anniversary of the offering of such series, though it is permitted to pledge all of its shares to unaffiliated third-party lenders and such lenders shall not be subject to the lock-up if they obtain ownership of the shares in connection with a default by Masterworks on its indebtedness. Masterworks will have no restrictions on the disposition of any of its Class B shares of a series after the one-year anniversary of the offering of such series, other than restrictions imposed by the management services agreement and applicable securities laws.
Term of each Manager. Our operating agreement provides that each member of the Board of Managers will serve for an indefinite term, but that each member of the Board of Managers may be removed by a majority of the Board of Managers for any reason, or may choose to withdraw as a member of the Board of Managers under certain circumstances. Our operating agreement also provides that each member of the Board of Managers may be removed and or replaced and our Board of Managers can be reconstituted for any reason by the holder of the Class C share of a series, if any. The Class C share of a series will be issued or transferred only to a Masterworks affiliate, if any. The Class C share of a series, once issued, may be redeemed or cancelled by mutual agreement between the holder of the Class C share of a series and the Company.
Holders of two-thirds (2/3) of all voting Class A shares outstanding of all series together as a single class may affirmatively vote to remove any members of the Board of Managers for “cause” only.
Prior to giving effect to each series offering, 100% of the issued and outstanding membership interests of each series are held by Masterworks in the form of 1,000 Class B shares of each series. The Company has three classes of membership interests for each series: Class A ordinary membership interests of a series (referred to herein as the “Class A shares”), Class B membership interests of a series (referred to herein as the “Class B shares”), as well as the Class C share of a series. References throughout this offering circular to “shares” refer generically to the Class A shares and Class B shares of a series. We are offering Class A shares of each applicable series, at a price of $20.00 per Class A share pursuant to this offering circular. The number of Class A shares offered in any series offering will equal the quotient of (i) the price paid to acquire the Artwork, plus the Expense Allocation payable to Masterworks, divided by (ii) $20.00, which represents the offering price per Class A share for each series offering.
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The Class C share of a series represents a special class of membership interests, which has no economic rights or obligations and has no voting rights, but has the right to remove and or replace all or any members of the Board of Managers and reconstitute the Board without “cause” for any reason. The Class C shares can only be issued to, transferred to, or, held by, a Masterworks affiliate and there can only be one holder of Class C shares of all series of the Company at any point in time. The following description of the Shares is based upon our certificate of formation, our operating agreement, and applicable provisions of law, in each case as in effect prior to the qualification of this offering circular. This discussion does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the certificate of formation and the operating agreement, copies of which are filed with the SEC as exhibits to the offering statement of which this offering circular forms an integral part.
Prior to giving effect to each series offering, Masterworks Foundry is the sole holder of record of 100% of the membership interests of each series represented by 1,000 Class B shares of each series conducting a series offering representing a 20% profits interest of such series.
Description of the Securities Being Offered
Investors will acquire Class A shares in a series of the Company, each of which is intended to be a separate series of the Company for purposes of accounting for assets and liabilities. It is intended that owners of Class A shares in a series will only have an interest in the assets, liabilities, profits and losses pertaining to the specific Artwork owned by that series. For example, an owner of interests in Series 1 will only have an interest in the assets, liabilities, profits and losses pertaining to Series 1 and its related operations. See the “Description of Shares” section for further details. The maximum investment amount per investor in any series is $100,000 (5,000 Class A shares) and the minimum investment amount per investor in any series is $15,000 (750 Class A shares) for investors that have not previously invested in offerings via the Masterworks Platform and $500 (25 Class A shares) for investors that have previously invested in other offerings on the Masterworks Platform. We reserve the right to reject any subscription, waive or increase the maximum purchase restriction or waive or decrease the minimum purchase restriction in our sole and absolute discretion and we routinely grant such waivers, increases or reductions for categories of investors or on a case-by-case basis. Accordingly, investors should not assume that the stated minimum investment restriction will be applied uniformly to all investors.
Further, pursuant to the terms of the Company’s operating agreement, an investor, other than an affiliate of Masterworks, generally cannot own, or be deemed to beneficially own, as “beneficial ownership” is determined pursuant to Section 13(d) and 13(g) of the Securities Act, more than 24.99% of the total number of Class A shares of a series outstanding, provided that we may waive such limit on a case-by-case basis in our sole discretion.
Membership Interests
We were formed as a Delaware series limited liability company on November 9, 2022 by Masterworks Foundry, our founder, in order to facilitate investment in specific Artwork. We are a manager-managed limited liability company. Upon our formation, Masterworks Foundry was issued 100% of our membership interests in the form of Class B shares of each initial series and will be issued 1,000 Class B shares upon the formation of any additional series in the future.
Pursuant to our operating agreement, we may not issue any additional Class A shares of a series after the consummation of the offering of such series, other than as described in this offering circular, including the Class A shares of a series that may be issued to Masterworks to repay the advance and the Expense Allocation, and those that may be issued upon conversion of the Class B shares of a series or upon the exchange of SPC Preferred shares. Masterworks Foundry, our sole member as of the date of this Offering Circular, adopted our operating agreement.
Summary of Operating Agreement
We are governed by an agreement titled the “Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Operating Agreement” of Masterworks Vault 1, LLC. Prior to giving effect to each series offering, all of the membership interests of each series of the Company are held by Masterworks in the form of 1,000 Class B shares of each series. References throughout this offering circular to “shares” or “Shares” refer generically to the Class A shares of a series and Class B shares of a series and references throughout this offering circular to the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC “operating agreement” and the “amended and restated operating agreement” of Masterworks Vault 1, LLC, refer to the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Operating Agreement, the form of which is filed as Exhibit 2.3 to the offering statement of which this offering circular forms an integral part. The following summarizes some of the key provisions of the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC operating agreement. This summary is qualified in its entirety by our operating agreement itself, the form of which is included as Exhibit 2.3 to the offering statement of which this offering circular forms an integral part.
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Organization and Duration
We were formed on November 9, 2022, as a Delaware protected series limited liability company as set forth in Section 18-215 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act. We will remain in existence until liquidated in accordance with the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC operating agreement.
Purpose and Powers
Under the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC operating agreement, we are permitted to engage in such activities as determined by the Board of Managers that lawfully may be conducted by a limited liability company organized under Delaware law and, in connection therewith, to exercise all of the rights and powers conferred upon us and the Board of Managers pursuant to the agreement relating to such business activity, provided that we are prohibited from engaging in certain activities referred to as “Prohibited Acts” without obtaining the approval of the holders of a majority of the voting shares. “Prohibited Acts” consist of amending, waiving or failing to comply with any material provision of our operating agreement that disproportionately and adversely affects the Class A shareholders of a series, except as otherwise provided therein.
Board of Managers and its Powers
We are a manager-managed series limited liability company as set forth in Section 401 and Section 101 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act. Our operating agreement appoints the Board of Managers of the Company.
We plan to enter into a management services agreement with our Administrator and Masterworks Cayman, prior to the initial closing of the initial series offerings which is further described in the “Summary of Management Services Agreement” section of this document. Pursuant to our operating agreement and the management services agreement, the Administrator will have complete and exclusive discretion in the management and control of our affairs and business, subject to the requirement to obtain consent for Prohibited Acts, and shall possess all powers necessary, convenient or appropriate to carrying out the purposes and business of our Company, including doing all things and taking all actions necessary to carry out the terms and provisions of each of the foregoing agreements.
Pursuant to the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC operating agreement, the Board of Managers shall have full authority in their discretion to exercise, on our behalf and in our name of the Company, all rights and powers of a “manager” of a limited liability company under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act necessary or convenient to carry out our purposes. Any person not a party to our operating agreement dealing with us will be entitled to rely conclusively upon the power and authority of the Board of Managers to us in all respects, and to authorize the execution of any and all agreements, instruments and other writings on behalf of us and in our name.
The Board of Managers will have sole voting power over all matters, including: mergers, consolidations, acquisitions, winding up and dissolution; except, the Board of Managers shall not have the authority to amend, waive or fail to comply with any material provision of our operating agreement that disproportionately and adversely affects the Class A shareholders as a whole or an affected series except as provided therein, without the prior written consent of the holders of a majority of the voting shares of the Company or such series, as applicable.
Any member of the Board of Managers may be removed and replaced by a majority of the Board of Managers or the holder of the Class C share of a series, if any, with or without “Cause.” In addition, any member of the Board of Managers may be removed or replaced by the affirmative vote of members holding two-thirds (2/3) of the voting shares of all of the series then existing as a single class for “Cause” only. The term “Cause” is defined as follows:
(a) the commission by a member of the Board of Managers of fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct;
(b) the conviction of a member of the Board of Managers of a felony;
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(c) a material violation by a member of the Board of Managers of any applicable law that has a material adverse effect on our business;
(d) the bankruptcy or insolvency of a member of the Board of Managers
Classes of Ownership
Prior to giving effect to each series offering, 100% of the membership interests of each series are owned by Masterworks in the form of 1,000 Class B shares of such series. We have three classes of membership interests for each series:
Class A shares. The Class A shares of each series being offered in each series offering will represent in the aggregate 100% of our members’ capital accounts of each such series and an 80% interest in the profits we recognize upon any sale of the Artwork of such series. The number of Class A shares of each series outstanding upon the final closing of the offering of the series is as noted in the “Series Offering Table”, and the number of additional Class A shares of a series that may be issued by our Company following the offering of the series (subject to issuances pursuant to stock-splits, recapitalizations or similar transactions) is limited to shares issuable upon conversion of the Class B shares of such series and exchange of the SPC Preferred shares of the applicable segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman.
Class B shares. The Class B shares of each series held by Masterworks Foundry will represent 0% of our members’ capital accounts in such series and a 20% interest in the profits we recognize upon any sale of the Artwork of such series. There are currently 1,000 Class B shares of each series outstanding and there will be 1,000 Class B shares of each series outstanding upon the final closing of each offering of a series. Upon mutual agreement of the holder of the Class B shares of each series and the Company, the Class B shares of each series may be redeemed by the Company for a nominal amount.
Class C Share. The Class C share of each series represents a special class of membership interests, which has no economic rights or obligations and has no voting rights, but has the right to remove and or replace all or any members of the Board of Managers and reconstitute the Board without “cause” for any reason. The Class C shares can only be issued to, transferred to, or, held by, a Masterworks affiliate and there can only be one holder of Class C shares of all series of the Company at any point in time.
Voting Rights
We refer to Class A shares of a series, excluding Class A shares of a series beneficially owned by Masterworks and Class A shares held by a Vote Limited Member above such shareholder’s voting limit, as our “voting shares.” On each matter where the members have a right to vote, each voting share shall be entitled to and shall constitute one (1) vote, and all voting shares shall vote together as a single class of a series or as a single class with holders of all voting Class A shares outstanding of all series together, as applicable, except as otherwise set forth in our operating agreement, or otherwise required by the Delaware Act. In determining any action or other matter to be undertaken by or on behalf of us, each member shall be entitled to cast a number of votes equal to the number of voting shares that such member holds, with the power to vote, at the time of such vote. Unless otherwise set forth in our operating agreement, or otherwise required by the Delaware Act, the taking of any action by us which requires a vote of the members as set forth above shall require the receipt of votes from members holding a majority of the voting shares to constitute a quorum, provided, that in the case of a proposed removal of the Administrator for any reason or a member of the Board of Managers for “Cause”, an affirmative vote of holders of two-thirds (2/3) of the voting Class A shares outstanding of all series together voting as a single class shall be required to authorize and approve such action. In determining the outcome of any vote at a meeting, shareholders that abstain or do not vote will effectively be counted as votes against such action. Each member of the Board of Managers may be removed and or replaced and our Board can be reconstituted for any reason by the holder of the Class C share of a series, if any. The Masterworks affiliate that holds a Class C share of a series, if any, shall have no voting rights with respect to Class A shares of a series it beneficially owns.
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A member that beneficially owns 5% or more of the Class A shares of a series (excluding shares beneficially owned by Masterworks) may irrevocably limit or eliminate its voting rights by providing an irrevocable certification to the Company in substantially the form of Exhibit B to the operating agreement. In the event a member irrevocably limits or eliminates its voting rights (a so-called “Vote Limited Member”), all of the Class A shares of a series beneficially owned by such Vote Limited Member in excess of the voting limit applicable to such member shall no longer have any voting rights for so long as such shares are beneficially owned by such member or such member’s affiliates. Any Vote Limited Member that limits its voting rights such that under no circumstances would such shareholder, together with its affiliates, have the right to cast more than 10% of the total votes in any matter put to a vote of the Class A shareholders of a series, shall not be named or have its address or ownership reported in the Company’s ongoing SEC filings, including the beneficial ownership table in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 1-K, unless such person is otherwise deemed to be an “affiliate” of the Company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. The determination of affiliate status for such purposes shall be made by the Board of Managers in its sole and absolute discretion and the Company or its transfer agent may require any shareholder that owns more than 10% of the Class A shares of a series to provide a legal opinion and or other information it deems necessary or appropriate to determine such person’s affiliate status. If any such 10% or more shareholder is deemed to be an “affiliate”, notwithstanding the limit on voting, such person’s name, address and ownership will be reported in the Company’s SEC filings, including the beneficial ownership table in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 1-K.
Subject to the Delaware Act, the Board of Managers will have sole voting power over all matters, including: mergers, consolidations, acquisitions, winding up and dissolution; except, the Board of Managers shall not have the authority to amend, waive or fail to comply with any material provision of our operating agreement that disproportionately and adversely affects the Class A shareholders as a whole or an affected series except as provided therein, without the prior written consent of the holders of a majority of the voting shares of the Company or such series, as applicable.
Conversion of Class B shares
Class B shares of a series will be convertible into Class A shares of such series, in whole or in part, at any time prior to the consummation of a sale of the Artwork by such series for no additional consideration pursuant to the following conversion formula:
| Class A shares of a series issuable upon conversion | = | (A) Value Increase, multiplied by | ||
| (B) Conversion Percentage, multiplied by | ||||
| (C) 20%, divided by | ||||
| (D) Class A share Value of a series. |
Definitions for conversion calculation:
| “Value Increase” | means, the aggregate value of Class A shares of the applicable series outstanding at such time on a fully diluted basis (including any shares issuable upon exchange of SPC Preferred shares (“Exchange Shares”)), minus the product of (i) the number of Class A shares of such series outstanding at such time on a fully diluted basis (including Exchange Shares) and (ii) $20.00, if such difference is positive. | |
| “Conversion Percentage” | means, (A) the number of Class B shares of a series being converted, divided by (B) the number of Class B shares of a series outstanding. | |
| “Class A share Value” | means, as of the close of business on the day preceding the conversion date, the volume weighted average trading price (“VWAP”) of the Class A shares of a series on all trading platforms or trading systems on which the Class A shares of a series are being traded over the forty-five (45) trading days then ended, provided, that if the total aggregate trading volume over such 45-trading-day period is less than 5% of the public float, such period shall be extended to the ninety (90) trading days then ended, provided, further, if the total aggregate trading volume over such 90-trading-day period is less than 5% of the public float, the holder of the Class B shares of a series shall request that the Administrator obtain an appraisal of the Class A share Value of a series from one or more independent nationally-recognized third party appraisal companies and such appraisal shall constitute the Class A share Value of a series.* |
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* The hypothetical Class A share values of a series represent the assumed VWAP, or in the absence of a trading market, the appraised fair value of the Class A shares of a series, which, in either case, is assumed to be the amount that a Class A share of a series would receive upon sale of the Artwork by such series (i.e. the appraised value of the Artwork of such series divided by the fully diluted number of Class A shares of such series outstanding).
Examples of conversion calculation
The following table illustrates the number and percentage of Class A shares of a series that would be issued to Masterworks upon conversion of all of its Class B shares of a series based on hypothetical changes in the trading price or value of the Class A shares of a series:
| Hypothetical Class A share Value of a series | $ | 20.00 | $ | 30.00 | $ | 40.00 | $ | 50.00 | $ | 60.00 | ||||||||||
| No. of Class A shares of a series Masterworks would receive upon conversion of 100% of its Class B shares of a series | 0 | 6,938 | 10,406 | 12,488 | 13,875 | |||||||||||||||
| Percentage of total outstanding Class A shares of a series Masterworks would receive upon conversion of 100% of its Class B shares of a series | 0 | % | 7.69 | % | 11.11 | % | 13.04 | % | 14.29 | % |
Powers of the Board of Managers
The Board of Managers will have sole voting power over all matters, including: mergers, consolidations, acquisitions, winding up and dissolution; except, the Board of Managers shall not have the authority to amend, waive or fail to comply with any material provision of our operating agreement that disproportionately and adversely affects the Class A shareholders as a whole or an affected series except as provided therein, without the prior written consent of the holders of a majority of the voting shares of the Company or such series, as applicable.
Shares beneficially owned by Masterworks shall have no voting rights, except one or more Class C shares held by a Masterworks affiliate will enable it to remove and or replace all or any members of the Board of Managers and reconstitute the Board without “cause” for any reason.
Agreement to be Bound by the Operating Agreement
By purchasing a Class A share of a series, you will be admitted as a member of our Company and will be bound by the provisions of, and deemed to be a party to the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC operating agreement. Pursuant to the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC operating agreement, each holder of Class A shares of a series and each person who acquires a Class A share of a series from a holder must agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC operating agreement.
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Shareholder Voting
Class A shares of each series have one vote per share and we refer to the Class A shares of each series, excluding shares beneficially owned by Masterworks, or shares owned by a member that has irrevocably limited or eliminated such member’s voting rights in excess of such member’s voting limit, as “voting shares.” The Class B shares of each series shall have no voting rights other than as may be required pursuant to applicable law. The term “other than as may be required pursuant to applicable law,” takes into account the following considerations (i) pursuant to Section 18-806 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (the “Act”), in the event that a limited liability company is dissolved by the occurrence of an event that causes the last remaining member to cease to be a member, the personal representative of the last remaining member of the limited liability company or the assignee of all of the limited liability company interests in the limited liability company may vote to revoke the dissolution, subject to the approval of any other persons whose approval is required under the limited liability company agreement to revoke a dissolution, such a vote could result in holders of the Class B shares of a series (or more accurately the personal representative of such persons) potentially be deemed to have a “right to vote” and (ii) the Act may be amended in the future to mandate voting rights for all interests in a Delaware limited liability company in certain situations, and if this occurs, without the provision “other than as may be required by law,” the Company could be in a position where its operating agreement would be in violation of the Act.
A member that beneficially owns 5% or more of the Class A shares of a series (excluding shares beneficially owned by Masterworks) may irrevocably limit or eliminate its voting rights by providing an irrevocable vote limit certificate to the Company in substantially the form of Exhibit B to the operating agreement. In the event a member irrevocably limits or eliminates its voting rights, all of the Class A shares of a series beneficially owned by such member in excess of the voting limit applicable to such member shall no longer have any voting rights for so long as such shares are beneficially owned by such member or such member’s affiliates. Any member that irrevocably eliminates its voting rights or limits its voting rights such that under no circumstances would such shareholder, together with its affiliates, have the right to cast more than 10% of the total votes in an election of Managers or on any other matter put to a vote of the Class A shareholders of a series, shall not be named or have its address or ownership reported in the Company’s ongoing SEC filings, including the beneficial ownership table in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 1-K, unless such person is otherwise deemed to be an “affiliate” of the Company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. The determination of affiliate status for such purposes shall be made by the Board of Managers in its sole and absolute discretion and the Company or its transfer agent may require any shareholder that owns more than 10% of the Class A shares of a series to provide a legal opinion and or other information it deems necessary or appropriate to determine such person’s affiliate status. If any such 10% or more shareholder is deemed to be an “affiliate”, notwithstanding the limit on voting, such person’s name, address and ownership will be reported in the Company’s SEC filings, including the beneficial ownership table in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 1-K.
Whenever holders of Class A shares of a series are required or entitled to vote on any matter, except as otherwise provided, that vote may be taken at a meeting or may be taken via a written consent in lieu of a meeting.
The Company shall provide holders of voting shares with not less than five (5) nor more than sixty (60) days prior notice of any meeting or any action subject to a vote of holders of voting shares at a meeting shall require a quorum, in the form of votes actually cast (whether in person or by proxy), from at least a majority of the voting shares eligible to vote on such matter or such higher percentage of voting shares as may be required for such action. At any meeting or on any matter that is to be voted on or consented to by holders of voting shares, the then holders of our voting shares, may vote in person or by proxy, and such vote may be made, and a proxy may be granted in writing, by means of electronic transmission or as otherwise permitted by applicable law. Shares beneficially owned by Masterworks shall have no voting rights.
We have elected to be governed by paragraphs (b), (c), (d) and (e) of Section 212 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) and other applicable provisions of the DGCL, as though we were a Delaware corporation and as though holders of our voting shares were shareholders of a Delaware corporation. Such sections generally regulate proxies for any voting purposes. In the event that we become subject to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, pursuant to and subject to the provisions of Rule 14a-16 under the Exchange Act, we may, but are not required to, utilize a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, as described in that rule, in conjunction with proxy material posted to an Internet site, in order to furnish any proxy or related material to holders of voting shares pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act. We currently intend to utilize the Masterworks platform to the extent possible for meetings of, and votes of our shareholders.
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Shareholder Distributions.
The Company does not expect to pay any distributions, other than a distribution following a sale of the Artwork of a series. There can be no assurance as to the timing of a distribution or that we will pay a distribution at all. There are no contractual restrictions on our ability to declare or pay dividends and if any are to be paid in the future, such decision will be at the discretion of our Board of Managers and will depend on our then current financial condition and other factors deemed relevant by the Board of Managers.
When Artwork is sold and the segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman receives the proceeds of such sale, the proceeds will be distributed as follows:
FIRST, payment will made to Masterworks (as a reimbursement) and or third parties in respect of any costs or expenses for which either the segregated portfolio or the series is responsible, if any;
SECOND, to the extent any funds remain undistributed, if the SPC Preferred shares have not been exchanged for Class A shares, such remaining funds will be distributed to the holder of the SPC Preferred shares for up to (but not exceeding) $20 per SPC Preferred share;
THIRD, to the extent any funds remain undistributed, such remaining funds will be distributed to the series and the series will, in turn, distribute such funds to the Class A shareholders on a pro rata basis up to (but not exceeding) $20 per Class A share;
FOURTH, to the extent any funds remain undistributed, 80% of such remaining funds will be distributed to the Class A shareholders pro rata and 20% of such remaining funds will be distributed to the Class B shareholders.
If the sale of the Artwork of a series were to result in a distribution to the holders of Class A shares of a series of equal to or greater than $20.00 per share (i.e. a “profitable sale”), Masterworks will exchange its SPC Preferred shares for Class A shares prior to a distribution to shareholders and receive proceeds as a holder of Class A shares of the series consistent with the mechanics set forth above.
If the sale of the Artwork of a series were to result in a distribution to the holders of Class A shares of a series of less than $20.00 per share (i.e. a “loss sale”), Masterworks shall receive up to $20.00 per SPC Preferred share, after which any remaining proceeds will be distributed to holders of Class A Shares of the series.
For the avoidance of doubt, if Masterworks exchanges its SPC Preferred shares for Class A shares of a series, Masterworks shall participate in a distribution or liquidation solely as a holder of Class A shares. In addition, the holder of the Class C share has no economic rights. Our Board of Managers may also determine at any time to declare a distribution to the Class B member of any series in the amount of the initial capital contribution to such series.
After all of such distributions are made, the applicable segregated portfolio and series will be dissolved. Further, following a sale of an Artwork, but prior to a distribution to shareholders, the Company may elect to redeem Class A shares of a series outstanding from Class A members of such series other than Masterworks for an amount per Class A share equal to the liquidation amount per Class A share as determined in accordance with our operating agreement, subject to certain conditions set forth in the operating agreement.
Limited Liability
The liability of each member of our Company shall be limited as provided in the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act and as set forth in the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC operating agreement. No member of our Company shall be obligated to restore by way of capital contribution or otherwise any deficits in its capital account (if such deficits occur).
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The Delaware Limited Liability Company Act provides that a member of a Delaware limited liability company who receives a distribution from such company and knew at the time of the distribution that the distribution was in violation of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act shall be liable to the Company for the distribution for three years. Under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act, a limited liability company may not make a distribution to a member if, after the distribution, all liabilities of the Company, other than liabilities to members on account of their Class A shares of a series and liabilities for which the recourse of creditors is limited to specific property of the company, would exceed the fair value of the assets of the Company. The fair value of property subject to liability for which recourse of creditors is limited shall be included in the assets of the Company only to the extent that the fair value of that property exceeds the nonrecourse liability. Under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act, an assignee who becomes a substituted member of a company is liable for the obligations of his assignor to make contributions to the Company, except the assignee is not obligated for liabilities unknown to him at the time the assignee became a member and that could not be ascertained from the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC operating agreement.
Exculpation and Indemnification of the Board of Managers and Others
Subject to certain limitations, our operating agreement limits the liability of each member of the Board of Managers and its affiliates, any of our members, any person who is our officer and any person who serves at the request of the Board of Managers on behalf of us as an officer, member of the Board of Managers, managers of the Administrator, independent representative, partner, member, stockholder or employee of such person (referred to together as the “Protected Persons” or in the singular as the “Protected Person”).
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Exculpation
No Protected Person shall be liable to us or the Administrator or any other member of our Company for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it or by other person with respect to us, including any negligent act or failure to act, except in the case of a liability resulting from such Protected Person’s own actual fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct, bad faith, breach of fiduciary duty, reckless disregard of duty or any intentional and material breach of our operating agreement or conduct that is subject of a criminal proceeding (where such Protected Person has reasonable cause to believe that such conduct was unlawful). With the prior consent of the Board of Managers, any Protected Person may consult with legal counsel and accountants with respect to our affairs (including interpretations of our operating agreement) and shall be fully protected and justified in any action or inaction which is taken or omitted in good faith, in reliance upon and in accordance with the opinion or advice of such counsel or accountants. In determining whether a Protected Person acted with the requisite degree of care, such Protected Person shall be entitled to rely on written or oral reports, opinions, certificates and other statements of the members of the Board of Managers, officers, employees, consultants, attorneys, accountants and professional advisors of our Company selected with reasonable care; provided, that no such Protected Person may rely upon such statements if it believed that such statements were materially false.
Indemnification
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we will indemnify, hold harmless, protect and defend each Protected Person against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, including reasonable legal fees, costs and expenses incurred in investigating or defending against any such losses, claims, damages or liabilities or in enforcing a Protected Person’s right to indemnification under the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC operating agreement, and any amounts expended in respect of settlements of any claims approved by the Board of Managers (collectively referred to herein as the “Liabilities”), to which any Protected Person may become subject:
| (i) | by reason of any act or omission or alleged act or omission (even if negligent) arising out of or in connection with the activities of our Company; |
| (ii) | by reason of the fact that it is or was acting in connection with the activities of our Company in any capacity or that it is or was serving at the request of our Company as a partner, shareholder, member, members of the Board of Managers, managers of the Company or the Administrator, the independent representative, officer, employee, or agent of any Person; |
| unless, such Liability results from such Protected Person’s own actual fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct, bad faith, breach of fiduciary duty, reckless disregard of duty or intentional and material breach of our operating agreement or conduct that is subject of a criminal proceeding (where such Protected Person has reasonable cause to believe that such conduct was unlawful). | |
Any indemnification provided under our operating agreement is limited thereunder to the extent of our assets only. Further, insofar as the foregoing provisions permit indemnification of members of the Board of Managers, officers or persons controlling us for liability arising under the Securities Act, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Reimbursement of Expenses
We will reimburse (and/or advance to the extent reasonably required) each Protected Person for reasonable legal or other costs and expenses (as incurred) of such Protected Person in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending any claim, lawsuit or other proceeding relating to any Liabilities for which the Protected Person may be indemnified pursuant to our operating agreement and for all costs and expenses, including fees, expenses and disbursements of attorneys, reasonably incurred by such Protected Person in enforcing the indemnification provisions of our operating agreement; provided, that such Protected Person executes a written undertaking to repay us for such reimbursed or advanced costs and expenses if it is finally judicially determined that such Protected Person is not entitled to the indemnification provided by our operating agreement.
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Sale of the Artwork
Each series will own the Artwork for an indefinite period, but we may sell the Artwork of such series at any time following the final closing of the offering of such series. There is no guarantee that any such sale of the Artwork of a series will be successful, or if successful, that the net proceeds realized by shareholders of such series from such transaction will be reflective of the estimated fair market value of the shares of such series at such time. Masterworks may determine to sell the Artwork of a series without engaging a third-party intermediary, in which event, Masterworks would be entitled to recoup its costs of marketing and selling the Artwork by seeking reimbursement from the applicable series or by charging the buyer a sales commission in connection with such sale.
Amendment of Our Operating Agreement
Amendments to our operating agreement may be proposed only by or with the consent of the Board of Managers and must be approved by a majority vote of holders of the voting shares of all of the series voting as a single class, unless such amendment affects one or series disproportionately and adversely in relation to other series, in which case, the consent of holders of voting shares of such series adversely and disproportionately affected voting as a separate class shall be required for such amendment. However, the Board of Managers does not need consent of holders of voting shares to amend the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC, operating agreement in the following instances: (i) to evidence the joinder of a new member of the Company; (ii) in connection with the transfer of shares by members; (iii) as otherwise required to reflect capital contributions, distributions and similar actions (iv) to reflect the naming of new managers, officers or replacement of officers of the Company; or (v) as required to cause the Company to be treated as an association or as a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal (and applicable state and local) income tax purposes, (vi) in connection with the exchange or conversion of SPC Preferred shares of a segregated portfolio in which equity interests are owned by a series or Class B shares of a series, respectively, into Class A shares of such series, (vii) to create a new series and or issue shares of such new series, (viii) any change necessary to give effect to a merger or business combination that does not, in the determination of the Board of Managers, disproportionately or adversely affect the holders of Class A shares of any series, or (ix) any change the Board of Managers deems necessary or appropriate to enable trading of membership interests.
Termination and Dissolution
We will continue as a series limited liability company until terminated under the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC operating agreement. We will commence winding up upon the first to occur of the following (the “Dissolution Event”):
(1) Upon the determination of the members with the approval of the Board of Managers;
(2) Our insolvency or bankruptcy;
(3) The sale of all or substantially all of our assets; or
(4) The entry of a decree of judicial dissolution under Section 18 802 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act
The Dissolution Event shall be effective on the day on which such event occurs and immediately thereafter we will commence its winding up during which our affairs shall be wound up in accordance with the terms of the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC operating agreement.
Books and Reports
We are required to keep appropriate books of our business at our principal offices. The books will be maintained for both tax and financial reporting purposes on a basis that permits the preparation of financial statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the U.S. (“GAAP”). For financial reporting purposes and federal income tax purposes, our fiscal year and its tax year are the calendar year.
Term and Removal of Members of the Board of Managers
Our operating agreement provides that each member of our Board of Managers will serve as a Manager for an indefinite term, but that any Manager may be removed by a majority of the Board of Managers for any reason, or may choose to withdraw as a Manager, under certain circumstances.
Our operating agreement also provides that each member of the Board of Managers may be removed and or replaced and our Board can be reconstituted for any reason by the holder of the Class C share of a series, if any. The Class C share of a series will be issued to a Masterworks affiliate, if any. The Class C share of a series, once issued, can be transferred between Masterworks affiliated entities, including from one Masterworks affiliate to another. The Class C share of a series, once issued, may be redeemed or cancelled by mutual agreement between the holder of the Class C share of a series and the Company.
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In addition, our members may remove a member of the Board of Managers for “cause” only, following the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the issued and outstanding voting shares of all the series then existing as a single class excluding those beneficially owned by Masterworks. The term “Cause” is defined as:
| ● | The commission by the applicable member of the Board of Managers of fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct; | |
| ● | The conviction of the applicable member of the Board of Managers of a felony; | |
| ● | A material violation by the applicable member of the Board of Managers of any applicable law that has a material adverse effect on our business; and | |
| ● | The bankruptcy or insolvency of the applicable member of the Board of Managers. |
Anti-Takeover Effects under Delaware Law
We are a series limited liability company organized under Delaware law. Some provisions of Delaware law may delay or prevent a transaction that would cause a change in our control. Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which restricts certain business combinations with interested shareholders in certain situations, does not apply to limited liability companies unless they elect to utilize it. Our operating agreement does not currently elect to have Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law apply to us. In general, this statute prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested shareholder for a period of three years after the date of the transaction by which that person became an interested shareholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. For purposes of Section 203, a business combination includes a merger, asset sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested shareholder, and an interested shareholder is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or within three years prior did own, 15% or more of voting Class A shares of a series. The Board of Managers may elect to amend the Masterworks Vault 1, LLC operating agreement, subject to majority approval by the members holding the Class A shares of a series, at any time to have Section 203 apply to the Company.
Valuation of Artworks
Masterworks conducts a quarterly appraisal of the fair market value of each Artwork in accordance with Masterworks’ valuation policies and procedures. The estimated net asset value per Class A share of a series will be disclosed on the Masterworks website.
Binding Arbitration under Our Subscription Agreement
By purchasing Class A shares of a series in an offering of a series, investors agree to be bound by the arbitration provisions contained in our subscription agreement which provide that arbitration is the exclusive means for resolving disputes relating to or arising out of the subscription agreement, the shares, the Masterworks Platform, and/or the activities or relationships that involve, lead to, or result from any of the foregoing. Please note that this arbitration provision does not apply to claims made under the federal securities laws or any dispute you may have with Masterworks Advisers, which can be settled through the arbitration rules of JAMS. Purchasers of shares in a secondary transaction would also be subject to the same arbitration provisions that are currently in our subscription agreement. Such arbitration provision limits the ability of investors to bring class action lawsuits or similarly seek remedies on a class basis for claims subject to the provision. If invoked, the arbitration is required to be conducted in New York, NY in accordance with New York law. The subscription agreement allows for either the Company or an investor to elect to enter into binding arbitration in the event of any covered claim in which the Company and the investor are adverse parties. While not mandatory, in the event that the Company were to invoke the arbitration clause, the rights of the adverse shareholder to seek redress in court would be severely limited. These restrictions on the ability to bring a class action lawsuit may result in increased costs and/or reduced remedies, to individual investors who wish to pursue claims against the Company.
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Waiver of Jury Trial under our Subscription Agreement
By purchasing Class A shares of a series in the offering of a series, by executing the subscription agreement investors agree to waive their rights to a jury trial in claims against the Company or Masterworks. However, this waiver of rights to a jury trial does not apply to claims made under the federal securities laws. Purchasers of shares in a secondary transaction would also be required to waive rights to a jury trial, except in connection with claims under the federal securities laws.
Exclusive Jurisdiction
Our operating agreement provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act, as amended, subject to and contingent upon a final adjudication in the State of Delaware of the enforceability of such exclusive forum provision. By purchasing Class A shares of a series in the offering of a series and by executing the subscription agreement, investors acknowledge that any complaint asserting a cause of action under the Securities Act is to be litigated in the federal district courts of the United States of America.
Qualification Rights
Masterworks will have the right to request that we qualify on Form 1-A, or a comparable form, the resale of any Class A shares of a series beneficially owned by Masterworks or any entity administered by Masterworks. There are no limitations or restrictions on the size or frequency of such qualification requests, other than pursuant to applicable law, provided that all costs associated with any such qualification shall be the responsibility of Masterworks. If Masterworks exercises its qualification rights and offers Class A shares of a series in a secondary offering pursuant to Regulation A, it may be more difficult to sell your Class A shares of such series and could adversely affect the price at which you can sell your Class A shares of such series on the ATS. The qualification rights are set forth in the Company’s operating agreement.
Transfer Agent
The transfer agent and registrar for the Class A shares of each series is Equity Stock Transfer, LLC. The transfer agent’s address is 237 West 37th Street, Suite 602, New York, New York 10018. The transfer agent’s telephone number is 212-575-5757.
SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
Shares Eligible for Future Sale
There is currently no public trading market for the Class A shares of any series, and an active market, whether public or private, for these Class A shares may not develop or be sustained. We cannot predict the effect, if any, that market sales of the Class A shares of a series or the availability of Class A shares of a series for sale will have on the market price of the Class A shares of a series prevailing from time to time.
Upon the final closing of a series offering, the maximum number of Class A shares of such series offered will be outstanding, and 1,000 Class B shares of such series will be outstanding and will be owned by Masterworks. Such Class B shares may be converted into Class A shares of the same series based on the relative fair market values of the Class B shares and Class A shares at such time. In addition, Masterworks will earn SPC Preferred shares of each segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman that will be exchangeable for Class A shares of the series that owns equity interests in such segregated portfolio at an exchange ratio of 1 for 1. All of the Class A shares of a series sold in the offering of the series will be freely tradable under federal securities laws unless issued to our “affiliates” as such term is defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Class A shares of a series held by affiliates of the Company are “control” securities under U.S. federal securities laws and are subject to restrictions on transfer. If you hold more than 10% of the Class A shares of a series, you may be deemed an affiliate of the Company and may be unable to participate on the ATS or otherwise freely transfer your shares. The Company or its transfer agent may require you to provide a legal opinion and or other information to determine your affiliate status.
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Masterworks intends to sponsor offerings by entities formed to invest, directly or indirectly, in multiple works of art and any such entity, which would be deemed an “affiliate” of our Company, may invest in one or more series offerings. In the event any such affiliate invests in a series offering, the Class A shares of such series acquired by such entity would be “restricted” securities within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such Class A shares of such series, together with any shares sold by Masterworks in private transactions that are exempt from the registration or qualification requirements of the Securities Act will bear a restrictive legend and will be subject to further transfer restrictions for one year from the time such shares are acquired from Masterworks or such affiliate by a non-affiliate. Masterworks has rights to require us to qualify the resale of any such Class A shares of a series, provided that they shall be responsible for all of the costs and expenses of any such qualification and or secondary offering.
Masterworks has agreed not to transfer any Class B shares of a series that it owns prior to the one-year anniversary of the final closing of the applicable series offering (other than transfers to affiliates), though Masterworks is permitted to pledge all of its Shares to unaffiliated third-party lenders and such lenders shall not be subject to the lock-up if they obtain ownership of the Shares in connection with a default by Masterworks on its indebtedness. After the one-year anniversary in the case of Class B shares of a series, Masterworks will have no restrictions on the disposition of any of its Shares, other than restrictions in our operating agreement, management services agreement and those imposed by applicable securities laws.
Rule 144
In general, under Rule 144 as currently in effect, Masterworks will be entitled to sell, within any three-month period, a number of Class A shares of a series that does not exceed the greater of:
| ● | 1% of the then-outstanding Class A shares of a series; and | |
| ● | The average weekly trading volume during the four calendar weeks preceding the sale, subject to the filing of a Form 144 with respect to the sale. |
Sales under Rule 144 by our affiliates are also subject to certain manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us. If Masterworks sells its shares in private transactions that are exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act to a non-affiliate other than pursuant to Rule 144, such non-affiliate will be able to sell such shares pursuant to Rule 144 after one year has elapsed from the time such shares were acquired from Masterworks and such sales shall not be subject to the volume restrictions set forth above.
We are unable to estimate the number of Class A shares of a series that will be sold under Rule 144 or pursuant to one or more future qualified offerings or the timing of such sales, since this will depend on the market price for the Class A shares of a series, the personal circumstances of the sellers and other factors. There is currently no public trading market for the Class A shares of any series, and an active market for these Class A shares may not develop or be sustained. Any future sale of substantial amounts of the Class A shares of a series in the open market may adversely affect the market price of the Class A shares of such series offered by this offering circular.
MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following is a discussion of material U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Class A shares of a series by Holders (as defined below) as of the date hereof. For purposes of this section, under the heading “Material U.S. Federal Tax Considerations,” references to the “Company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refer only to Masterworks Vault 1, LLC and or each series, and not to Masterworks Cayman which is a Cayman Islands segregated portfolio company. In this discussion of material U.S. federal income tax considerations, the term “segregated portfolio” refers to the segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman that will hold title to the Artwork of a specific series. This discussion is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), U.S. Treasury Regulations promulgated or proposed thereunder, and all administrative and judicial interpretations thereof, all as in effect on the date hereof and all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect, or to different interpretation.
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The U.S. federal income taxation of partnerships and partners is extremely complex, involving, among other things, significant issues as to the character, timing of realization and sourcing of gains and losses. This discussion does not address all of the U.S. federal income tax considerations that may be relevant to specific Holders in light of their particular circumstances or to Holders subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax law (such as banks, insurance companies, dealers in securities or other Holders that generally mark their securities to market for U.S. federal income tax purposes, tax-exempt entities, retirement plans, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, certain former citizens or residents of the United States or Holders that hold the Class A shares of a series as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion or other integrated transaction) or U.S. Holders that have a “functional currency” other than the U.S. dollar. This discussion does not address any U.S. state or local or non-U.S. tax considerations or any U.S. federal estate (except as discussed below for Non-U.S. Holders), gift or alternative minimum tax considerations. Prospective investors are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Class A shares of a series with respect to their particular tax situations, including, in the case of prospective Holders subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws, with reference to any special issues that the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Class A shares of a series may raise for such persons. The activities of a Holder unrelated to such Holder’s status as a member of the Company may affect the tax consequences to such Holder of an investment in the Company.
The enactment of U.S. federal tax legislation in 2017 and the promulgation of final and proposed Treasury Regulations and other guidance thereunder has resulted in significant and complicated changes to the Code, and there remain significant uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of these rules. As further discussed below, resolution of certain of these uncertainties could have implications for the tax treatment of the Company’s structure and investments. All investors should consult with their advisors regarding the effect of these laws on their investment in the Company.
As used in this discussion, the term “U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of a Class A share of a series that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation created or organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (iii) an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source, or (iv) a trust (x) with respect to which a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all of its substantial decisions or (y) that has in effect a valid election under applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations to be treated as a U.S. person. As used in this discussion, the term “Non-U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of a Class A share of a series that is neither a U.S. Holder nor a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and the term “Holder” means a U.S. Holder or a Non-U.S. Holder.
If an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes invests in the Class A shares of a series, the U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to such investment will depend in part upon the status and activities of such entity and the particular partner. Any such entity should consult its own tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to it and its partners relating to the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Class A shares of a series.
PERSONS CONSIDERING AN INVESTMENT IN THE CLASS A SHARES OF A SERIES SHOULD CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE U.S. FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL AND NON-U.S. INCOME, ESTATE AND OTHER TAX CONSIDERATIONS RELATING TO THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF THE CLASS A SHARES OF A SERIES IN LIGHT OF THEIR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES.
Taxation of Our Company
Taxation of Masterworks Vault 1, LLC and each series thereof. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) issued Proposed Series LLC Regulations in September 2010 (Reg-119921-09) to settle treatment of Series LLCs and their series for income tax purposes and concluded that each series of a Series LLC is to be treated as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes. We expect that the Company and each series will be regarded for income tax purposes as separate entities. At present, we do not expect to seek a ruling from the IRS with respect to our treatment as separate entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes and no assurance can be given on the finalization of the proposed regulations or that the IRS will not at a later point in time take a contrary position. We expect that we will be treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes and not as associations or publicly traded partnerships subject to tax as a corporation. As a partnership, we generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, each Holder that is subject to U.S. tax will be required to take into account its distributive share, whether or not distributed, of each item of our income, gain, loss, deduction or credit. See “—Taxation of U.S. Holders of Shares.”
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An entity that would otherwise be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes may nonetheless be taxable as a corporation if it is a “publicly traded partnership”, unless an exception applies. An entity that would otherwise be classified as a partnership is a publicly traded partnership if (i) interests in the partnership are traded on an established securities market or (ii) interests in the partnership are readily tradable on an alternative trading system or the substantial equivalent thereof. We expect that we will be publicly traded for purposes of these rules.
A publicly traded partnership will, however, be treated as a partnership, and not as a corporation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, if (x) 90% or more of such partnership’s gross income during each taxable year consists of “qualifying income” and (y) such partnership is not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). We refer to this exception as the “qualifying income exception.” Qualifying income generally includes certain interest income, dividends, real property rents, gains from the sale or other disposition of real property, gains from the sale or other disposition of capital assets or other property held for the production of income that otherwise constitutes qualifying income and certain other forms of investment income.
We intend to operate such that we will meet the qualifying income exception in each taxable year. We do not expect that the Company or any series will earn any income in any taxable year other than qualifying income including (x) interest income with respect to certain short-term debt investments held by the Company and (y) an income inclusion followed by a distribution from a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman in the year in which the Artwork of a series is sold. At present, we do not expect to seek a ruling from the IRS with respect to our treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and no assurance can be given that the IRS will not take a contrary position. In the event that such a ruling is sought, and such ruling treats a sale of the Artwork of a series as qualifying income, we may structure each segregated portfolio as an entity disregarded from us for U.S. federal income tax purposes, in which case the tax consequences described herein could be materially different, as described below.
If we fail to meet the qualifying income exception (other than a failure that is determined by the IRS to be inadvertent and that is cured within a reasonable time after discovery) or if we are required to register under the 1940 Act, we will be treated as if, on the first day in which we fail to meet the qualifying income exception or are required to register under the 1940 Act, we had transferred all of our assets, subject to our liabilities, to a newly formed corporation in exchange for stock of such corporation, and then distributed the stock to the Holders in liquidation of their interests in us. This deemed contribution and liquidation should generally be tax-free to the Holders so long as we do not have liabilities in excess of the tax basis of our assets at such time. Thereafter, we would be treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
If we were treated as a corporation in any taxable year, our items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit would be reflected in our tax return, rather than the returns of our Holders subject to U.S. tax, and we would be subject to U.S. corporate income tax on our taxable income. Distributions of cash or other property to a Holder with respect to the Class A shares of a series generally would be treated as a dividend to the extent such distribution was paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles), or in the absence of earnings and profits, as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of such Holder’s adjusted tax basis in such Class A share of a series, and then as capital gain. Accordingly, treatment as a corporation could materially reduce a Holder’s after-tax return and thus could result in a substantial reduction of the value of the Class A shares of a series.
The remainder of this discussion assumes that we will be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Taxation of Masterworks Cayman. Masterworks Cayman, which is a Cayman Islands segregated portfolio company, is referred to in this taxation section as “Masterworks Cayman,” and the specific portfolio that will hold title to the Artwork of a series is referred to as a “segregated portfolio.” Each segregated portfolio intends to be classified as an association taxable as a corporation and not as a partnership or disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Each series, as the holder of each respective segregated portfolio’s shares, will not be taxed directly on the earnings of such segregated portfolio. We intend to treat each segregated portfolio as a separate non-U.S. corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, although this treatment is not free from doubt. The remainder of this discussion assumes that each segregated portfolio is so treated.
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However, Holders may be required to report directly income earned by a segregated portfolio in certain circumstances. See “— Controlled Foreign Corporations” and “Passive Foreign Investment Companies”.
Subject to the discussion below under “Controlled Foreign Corporations” and “Passive Foreign Investment Companies”, distributions of cash or other property to us from a segregated portfolio (other than certain distributions of a segregated portfolio, shares or rights to acquire its shares) generally will be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes (without reduction for any non-U.S. tax withheld from such distribution) to the extent of a segregated portfolio, current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes). To the extent the amount of such distribution exceeds such current and accumulated earnings and profits, it generally will be treated first as a non-taxable return of capital to the extent of our adjusted tax basis in such segregated portfolio’s shares and then as capital gain.
If, following receipt of a ruling from the IRS, we elected to treat a segregated portfolio as an entity disregarded as separate from us, we would directly report any income, gain, loss or deduction of such segregated portfolio, and any distributions from such segregated portfolio would be disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Taxation of U.S. Holders of Shares
Below is a discussion of material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to U.S. Holders of the Class A shares of a series.
Taxation of Holders of Shares on Our Profits and Losses. As a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, each Holder that is subject to U.S. tax will be required to take into account its distributive share, whether or not distributed, of each item of our income, gain, loss, deduction or credit. It is possible that in any year, a Holder’s tax liability arising from the Company could exceed the distributions made by the Company to such Holder. The Company will file a U.S. federal partnership information return reporting its operations for each year and provide a U.S. Internal Revenue Service Schedule K-1 and Schedule K-3 to each Holder. However, Holders may not receive such Schedule prior to when their tax return reporting obligations become due and may need to file for extensions or file based on estimates.
In addition to regular U.S. federal income tax, certain U.S. Holders that are individuals, estates or trusts are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which may include all or a portion of any interest income we earn that is allocable to such U.S. Holder.
Allocation of Profits and Losses. For each of our fiscal years, each Holder’s allocable share of our items of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit will be determined by Masterwork Vault 1, LLC’s amended and restated operating agreement (the “operating agreement”), provided such allocations either have “substantial economic effect” or are determined to be in accordance with such Holder’s interest in the Company. We believe that for U.S. federal income tax purposes, such allocations will be given effect as being in accordance with such Holder’s interest in the Company and we intend to prepare tax returns based on such allocations. If the allocations provided by our operating agreement were successfully challenged by the IRS, the resulting allocations to a particular Holder for U.S. federal income tax purposes may be less favorable than the allocations set forth in our operating agreement.
Section 706 of the Code provides that items of partnership income and deductions must be allocated between transferors and transferees of shares. We will apply certain assumptions and conventions in an attempt to comply with applicable rules and to report income, gain, loss, deduction and credit to Holders in a manner that reflects such Holders’ beneficial shares of our items. These conventions are designed to more closely align the receipt of cash and the allocation of income between Holders of Class A shares of a series, but these assumptions and conventions may not conform with all aspects of existing Treasury Regulations. If the IRS successfully challenges our conventions, our items of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit may be reallocated among the Holders of Class A shares of a series to the possible detriment of certain Holders. The Board of Managers is authorized to revise our method of allocation between transferors and transferees (as well as among Holders whose interests otherwise could vary during a taxable period).
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Adjusted Tax Basis of Class A shares of a series. A Holder’s initial tax basis in its Class A shares of a series will generally equal the amount such Holder paid for the Class A shares of a series plus such Holder’s allocable share of our liabilities, if any. A Holder’s adjusted tax basis will be increased by such Holder’s share of items of our income and gain and any increase in such Holder’s share of our liabilities. A Holder’s adjusted tax basis will be decreased, but not below zero, by distributions from us, such Holder’s allocable share of items of our deductions and losses and by any decrease in such Holder’s allocable share of our liabilities.
Holders who purchase the Class A shares of a series in separate transactions must combine the basis of those Class A shares of a series and maintain a single adjusted tax basis for all of those Class A shares of a series. Upon a sale or other disposition of less than all of the Class A shares of a series held by such Holder, a portion of that tax basis must be allocated to the Class A shares of a series sold.
Restrictions on Deductibility of Expenses and Other Losses. A Holder may deduct its allocable share of our losses (if any) for U.S. federal income tax purposes only to the extent of such Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the Class A shares of a series it is treated as holding at the end of the taxable year in which the losses occur. If the recognition of a Holder’s allocable share of our losses would reduce its adjusted tax basis for its Class A shares of a series below zero, the recognition of such losses by such Holder would be deferred to subsequent taxable years and will be allowed if and when such Holder has sufficient tax basis so that such losses would not reduce such Holder’s adjusted tax basis below zero. In addition, the “at-risk” rules and the limitation on “excess business losses” could limit the deductibility of losses allocable to a Holder. We do not expect to generate income or losses from “passive activities” for purposes of Section 469 of the Code. Therefore, income allocated by us to a Holder may not be offset by the Section 469 passive losses of such Holder and losses allocated to a Holder generally may not be used to offset Section 469 passive income of such Holder.
In general, neither we nor any Holder may deduct organizational expenses. We may elect to amortize any organizational expenses ratably over fifteen years, or we may elect to capitalize such expenses. No deduction is allowed for offering expenses, including placement fees.
Treatment of Distributions. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, distributions of cash by us generally will not be taxable to a U.S. Holder to the extent of such U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A shares of a series. Any cash distributions in excess of a U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis generally will be considered to be gain from the sale or exchange of the Class A shares of a series. Under current law, such gain generally will be capital gain and will be long-term capital gain if such U.S. Holder has held such Class A share of a series for more than one year at the time of such distribution, subject to certain exceptions.
Disposition of Class Shares. A U.S. Holder generally will recognize gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the sale, exchange or other disposition of the Class A shares of a series in an amount equal to the difference, if any, between the amount realized on the sale, exchange or other disposition and such U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in such Class A share of a series. A U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis will be adjusted for this purpose by its allocable share of our income or loss for the year of such sale or other disposition. Any gain or loss so recognized generally will be capital gain or loss and will be long-term capital gain or loss if such Holder has held such Class A share of a series for more than one year at the time of such sale, exchange or other disposition. Certain gain attributable to our investment in a segregated portfolio will generally be characterized as ordinary income rather than capital gain. See “—Controlled Foreign Corporations”. Net long-term capital gain of certain non-corporate U.S. Holders generally is subject to preferential rates of tax. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
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Holders who purchase the Class A shares of a series at different times and intend to sell all or a portion of the Class A shares of a series within a year of their most recent purchase are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of certain “split holding period” rules to them and the treatment of any gain or loss as long-term or short-term capital gain or loss. For example, a selling Holder may use the actual holding period of the portion of its transferred Class A shares of a series, provided such Class A shares of a series are divided into identifiable Class A shares of a series with ascertainable holding periods, the selling Holder can identify the portion of the Class A shares of a series transferred, and the selling Holder elects to use the identification method for all sales or exchanges of the Class A shares of a series.
Controlled Foreign Corporations. In general, a corporation organized outside the United States is treated as a controlled foreign corporation (“CFC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes in any taxable year in which more than 50% of (i) the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of such non-U.S. corporation entitled to vote or (ii) the total value of the stock of such non-U.S. corporation is owned (or is considered as owned) by “U.S. Shareholders” on any day during the taxable year of such non-U.S. corporation. A “U.S. Shareholder” with respect to a non-U.S. corporation is any U.S. person that owns (or is treated as owning) 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the non-U.S. corporation entitled to vote or 10% or more of the total value of such non-U.S. corporation’s stock. The Company and each of its series are expected to be treated as U.S. Shareholders of their respective segregated portfolios under current law. Accordingly, the remainder of this disclosure assumes that each segregated portfolio will be considered a CFC, and that each series will be considered a U.S. Shareholder of its subsidiary segregated portfolio.
U.S. Shareholders may have current inclusions of undistributed “Subpart F” income of each segregated portfolio or other income of any segregated portfolio that exceeds certain thresholds (“global intangible low-taxed income” or “GILTI”). Subpart F income generally includes passive income such as dividends, interest, net gain from the sale or disposition of securities and non-actively managed rents. The Subpart F income of a CFC is limited to the CFC’s earnings and profits for the taxable year. GILTI consists of a U.S. Shareholder’s pro rata share of a CFC’s earnings, other than Subpart F income and certain other excluded types of income, that exceeds a 10% return on such U.S. Shareholder’s pro rata share of the CFC’s tangible assets that were used to generate such income. U.S. Shareholders that are U.S. corporations may take a 50% deduction against GILTI, and a 37.5% deduction after 2025. These inclusions are treated as ordinary income (whether or not such inclusions are attributable to net capital gains). Thus, a U.S. Shareholder may be required to report as ordinary income its allocable share of a segregated portfolio’s Subpart F or GILTI income without corresponding receipts of cash and may not benefit from capital gain treatment with respect to the portion of the earnings (if any) attributable to net capital gains of a segregated portfolio. A U.S. Shareholder’s tax basis in its Class A shares will be increased to reflect any required Subpart F or GILTI income inclusions. Such income generally will constitute income from sources within the United States for U.S. foreign tax credit purposes. Amounts included as such income would generally not be taxable again when actually distributed. It is not expected that any segregated portfolio will earn any income in any taxable year other than gain from the sale of Artwork in the year in which the Artwork is sold (other than the applicable segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman to the extent either earns any royalty or other income). Therefore, the Company does not expect that there will be any material Subpart F or GILTI income of any segregated portfolio to be reported by U.S. Shareholders prior to a sale of the Artwork. However, the Company expects that gain from the sale of the Artwork would be treated as Subpart F income.
Because the Company expects each series to be treated as a U.S. Shareholder in a CFC for certain purposes other than for determining current inclusions, regardless of whether a segregated portfolio has Subpart F or GILTI income, any gain allocated to a U.S. Holder resulting from a segregated portfolio’s sale of Artwork, followed by the segregated portfolio’s liquidation (whether or not such U.S. Holder is a U.S. Shareholder) will be treated as ordinary income to the extent of such U.S. Holder’s allocable share of the current and/or accumulated earnings and profits of such segregated portfolio. In this regard, earnings should not include any amounts previously taxed to a U.S. Holder pursuant to the CFC rules, if any, or pursuant to rules governing the taxation of U.S. Shareholders of PFICs, further described below. Thus, if earnings on the sale of the Artwork that are attributable to Non-U.S. Shareholders are treated as first taxed under the PFIC rules, then such earnings may be treated as previously taxed under these rules.
If, following receipt of a ruling from the IRS, we elected to treat each segregated portfolio as an entity disregarded as separate from us, the CFC rules discussed above would not apply. Instead, we would directly report any income, gain, loss or deduction of the segregated portfolio, and any distributions from the segregated portfolio would be disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Passive Foreign Investment Companies. In general, a corporation organized outside the United States is treated as a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes in any taxable year in which either (i) at least 75% of its gross income is “passive income” or (ii) on average at least 50% of the value of its assets is attributable to assets that produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income. Passive income for this purpose generally includes, among other things, dividends, interest, royalties, rents and gains from commodities transactions and from the sale or exchange of property that gives rise to passive income. In determining whether a non-U.S. corporation is a PFIC, a pro rata portion of the income and assets of each corporation in which it owns, directly or indirectly, at least a 25% interest (by value) generally is taken into account.
If a segregated portfolio is determined to be a PFIC, the PFIC rules are expected to apply to the U.S. Holders who are not otherwise a U.S. Shareholder of a CFC (“Non-10% U.S. Owner”), with respect to such segregated portfolios, based on proposed regulations issued by the IRS earlier this year. The PFIC rules are not expected to apply to U.S. Shareholders who are subject to current inclusions of Subpart F income with respect to any particular Segregated Portfolio.
Under the PFIC rules, if a segregated portfolio is a PFIC and a proper election (a “Pedigreed QEF Election”) has not been made to include the segregated portfolio’s income in the U.S. Holders’ income currently, gain on a disposition by a series of shares in such segregated portfolio or gain on the disposition of Class A shares by a U.S. Holder at a time when such series owned, directly or indirectly, shares of such segregated portfolio, as well as certain other defined “excess distributions,” would be treated as if the gain or excess distribution were ordinary income earned ratably over the shorter of the period during which the U.S. Holder held its Class A shares or the period during which the series, directly or indirectly, held shares in such segregated portfolio and would be subject to an interest charge. Under current law, each series would be the appropriate party to make Pedigreed QEF Elections in respect of the segregated portfolios, although the IRS has issued proposed regulations which, if finalized in their current form, would place this obligation on the U.S. Holders with respect to elections to be made following the date on which the regulations are finalized and take effect. Under the proposed regulations, Pedigreed QEF Elections made by a series under current law would remain in effect after the effective date of the final regulations.
Each series of the Company is expected to make a Pedigreed QEF Election on behalf of its Non-10% U.S. Owners in respect of its respective segregated portfolio to the extent that it is able to do so under applicable law. If a Pedigreed QEF Election is made with respect to a segregated portfolio, and if the PFIC rules take precedence over the CFC rules, Non-10% U.S. Owners would include the gain allocated to them from such segregated portfolio’s disposition of Artwork as capital gain, which, if the segregated portfolio’s holding period in such Artwork was more than one year, would be treated as long-term capital gains and, in the case of non-corporate Non-10% U.S. Owners, subject to the long-term capital gain rates applicable to collectibles.
If, following receipt of a ruling from the IRS, we elected to treat each segregated portfolio as an entity disregarded as separate from us, neither the CFC nor the PFIC rules would apply to each segregated portfolio.
Segregated portfolios as Disregarded Entities. If, following receipt of a ruling from the IRS, a series elected to treat a segregated portfolio as an entity disregarded as separate from such series, the CFC and PFIC rules discussed above would not apply. Instead, such series, as applicable, would directly report any income, gain, loss or deduction of such segregated portfolio, and its distributions from the segregated portfolio would be disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes. To the extent that a segregated portfolio were disregarded, the disposition by such segregated portfolio of Artwork with a holding period of more than one year would be treated as long-term capital gains to U.S. Holders, taxable to non-corporate U.S. Holders at the higher long-term capital gain rates applicable to collectibles.
Taxation of Non-U.S. Holders of Class A shares of a series
Below is a discussion of material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to Non-U.S. Holders of the Class A shares of a series and does not purport to address all of the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be applicable to any particular Non-U.S. Holder. This discussion does not address the tax consequences of purchasing, holding or disposing of the Class A shares of a series to Non-U.S. Holders subject to special rules under U.S. federal income tax laws, such as non-U.S. governments and their controlled entities, non-U.S. pension plans, trusts, former U.S. citizens or residents and individual Non-U.S. Holders that have a “tax home” in the United States. The discussion assumes that a Non-U.S. Holder is not and will not be engaged in a trade or business within the United States, has and will have no U.S. source income apart from its investment in the Class A shares of a series, and, in the case of a Non-U.S. Holder that is an individual, has not been (and will not be) present in the United States for 183 days or more in any taxable year.
Interest, Dividends, Etc. A Non-U.S. Holder is subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or at a lower rate if provided by an applicable tax treaty and the Non-U.S. Holder provides the documentation (generally, IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E) required to claim benefits under such tax treaty to the applicable withholding agent) on its distributive share of any U.S. source interest (subject to certain exemptions), U.S. source dividends (including, in certain cases, dividend equivalent amounts) and certain other income received by us. We expect that distributions from a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman will not be treated as U.S. source dividends for withholding purposes.
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Effectively Connected Income. In general, a non-U.S. person that invests in an entity taxable as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes that is (directly or through entities treated as disregarded from their owners or as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes) “engaged in trade or business within the United States” is itself considered to be engaged in trade or business within the United States and is subject to U.S. federal income tax (including, possibly, in the case of a non-U.S. corporation, the “branch profits” tax), withholding and income tax return filing requirements with respect to its income effectively connected (or treated as effectively connected) with the U.S. trade or business (“ECI”). A non-U.S. person that fails to file a timely U.S. federal income tax return in respect of its ECI may subsequently be precluded from claiming deductions related to the ECI and may be subject to interest and penalties. We believe that our activities as currently contemplated generally will not involve being engaged in a trade or business within the United States, and as a result we expect that neither Masterworks Cayman nor any Non-U.S. Holder will be treated as deriving ECI as a result of our activities.
U.S. Federal Estate Taxes for Non-U.S. Persons. Individual Non-U.S. Holders will be subject to U.S. federal estate tax on the value of U.S.-situs property owned at the time of their death. The Class A shares of a series that are owned or treated as owned by an individual Non-U.S. Holder at the time of such Non-U.S. Holder’s death may be considered U.S.-situs property for U.S. federal estate tax purposes and may be subject to U.S. federal estate tax unless an applicable estate tax treaty provides otherwise. Prospective individual holders who are non-U.S. persons are urged to consult their tax advisors concerning the potential U.S. federal estate tax consequences with regard to the Class A shares of a series.
Administrative Matters
Tax Elections. The Board of Managers will have the authority to act on our behalf with respect to tax audits and certain other tax matters and to make such elections under the Code and other relevant tax laws as the Board of Managers deems necessary or appropriate. Accordingly, our Board of Managers can change our tax election to have the Company and each series taxed as a corporation in its sole and absolute discretion.
Nominee Reporting. Persons who hold the Class A shares of a series as nominees for another person are required to furnish to us (i) the name, address and taxpayer identification number of the beneficial owner and the nominee; (ii) whether the beneficial owner is (1) a person that is not a U.S. person, (2) a foreign government, an international organization or any wholly owned agency or instrumentality of either of the foregoing, or (3) a tax exempt entity; (iii) the amount and description of Class A shares of a series held, acquired or transferred for the beneficial owner; and (iv) specific information including the dates of acquisitions and transfers, means of acquisitions and transfers, and acquisition costs for purchases, as well as the amount of net proceeds from sales. Brokers and financial institutions are required to furnish additional information, including whether they are U.S. persons and specific information on Class A shares of a series they acquire, hold or transfer for their own account. A penalty is imposed by the Code for failure to report that information to us. The nominee is required to supply the beneficial owner of the Class A shares of a series with the information furnished to us.
Taxable Year. We currently intend to use the calendar year as our taxable year for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Under certain circumstances which we currently believe are unlikely to apply, a taxable year other than the calendar year may be required for such purposes.
Partnership Audit Rules. We or the Holders may have potential tax liability in the event of an adjustment imposed as a result of a tax audit by the IRS. An audit resulting in an adjustment to any item of our income, gain, loss, deduction or credit (or adjustment of the allocation of any such items among the Holders), and any tax (including interest and penalties) attributable to such adjustment, may be determined and collected at the Company level in the year of such adjustment. In the event of any adjustment at the Company level, under the operating agreement, the Board of Managers will allocate such tax among the Holders as equitably determined by the Board of Managers, and each Holder may be required to contribute to the Company the amount of such tax allocated to it. As a result, a Holder may bear liability for the adjustment in an amount that exceeds the taxes that the Holder (or its predecessor in interest) would have paid if the adjustment had been applied at the Holder level. Alternatively, the Board of Managers may elect to send an adjusted Schedule K-1 to each person who was a Holder in the taxable year reviewed on audit (the “Push-Out Election”). In that event, each such person (whether a current or former Holder) may elect to pay any resulting tax (including interest and penalties) or, in the case of a person that is itself treated as a partnership or other flow-through vehicle for U.S. federal income tax purposes, such person may further push out the adjustment to the next tier of partners. Non-U.S. Holders may be required to file U.S. tax returns as a result of a Push-Out Election. There is some uncertainty regarding the interpretation and implementation of these partnership audit procedures.
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Treatment of Withholding Taxes. We will withhold and pay over any U.S. withholding taxes required to be withheld with respect to any Holder and will treat such withholding as a payment to such Holder. Such payment will be treated as a distribution to the extent that the Holder is then entitled to receive a cash distribution. To the extent that such payment exceeds the amount of any cash distribution to which such Holder is then entitled, such Holder shall be required to make prompt payment to us. Similar provisions would apply in the case of taxes withheld from a distribution to us.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding. If we are required to withhold any U.S. tax on distributions made to any Holder of Class A shares of a series, we will pay such withheld amount to the IRS. Amounts withheld generally will be reported annually to the IRS and to the Holders by the applicable withholding agent. Distributions made to a U.S. Holder may be subject to backup withholding, unless such U.S. Holder provides the appropriate documentation certifying that, among other things, its taxpayer identification number (“TIN”) is correct, or otherwise establishes an exemption. Such U.S. Holder should use an IRS Form W-9 for this purpose. If such U.S. Holder does not provide its correct TIN and other required information or an adequate basis for exemption, payments made to such U.S. Holder will be subject to backup withholding (currently, at a rate of 24%) and such U.S. Holder may be subject to a penalty imposed by the IRS. Exempt U.S. Holders (including, among others, all corporations) are not subject to these information reporting and backup withholding requirements, provided that, if required, they properly demonstrate their eligibility for exemption. In order for a Non-U.S. Holder to avoid backup withholding, such Non-U.S. Holder should submit the appropriate version of IRS Form W-8, attesting to such Non-U.S. Holder’s foreign status. The failure of such a Non-U.S. Holder to provide the appropriate IRS Form W-8 may result in backup withholding on some or all of the payments made to such Non-U.S. Holder. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules generally will be allowed as a refund or a credit against a Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability if the required information is furnished by such Holder on a timely basis to the IRS.
If you do not timely provide us with IRS Form W-8 or IRS Form W-9, as applicable, or such form is not properly completed, we may become subject to U.S. backup withholding taxes in excess of what would have been imposed had we received certifications from all Holders. Such excess U.S. backup withholding taxes may be treated by us as an expense that will be borne by all Holders on a pro rata basis (where we are or may be unable to cost efficiently allocate any such excess withholding tax cost specifically to the Holders that failed to timely provide the proper U.S. tax certifications).
The proper application to us of rules for withholding under Section 1441 of the Code (applicable to certain dividends, interest and similar items) is unclear. Because the documentation we receive may not properly reflect the identities of Holders at any particular time (in light of possible sales of Class A shares of a series), we may over-withhold or under-withhold with respect to a particular Holder. For example, we may impose withholding, remit that amount to the IRS and thus reduce the amount of a distribution paid to a Non-U.S. Holder. It may be determined, however, that the corresponding amount of our income was not properly allocable to such Non-U.S. Holder, and the withholding should have been less than the actual withholding. Such Non-U.S. Holder would be entitled to a credit against such Non-U.S. Holder’s U.S. tax liability for all withholding, including any such excess withholding, but if the withholding exceeded the Non-U.S. Holder’s U.S. tax liability, the Non-U.S. Holder would be required to apply for a refund to obtain the benefit of the excess withholding. Similarly, we may fail to withhold on a distribution, and it may be determined that the corresponding income was properly allocable to a Non-U.S. Holder and withholding should have been imposed. In that event, we may determine to pay the under-withheld amount to the IRS, and we may treat such under-withholding as an expense that will be borne by all partners on a pro rata basis (since we may be unable to allocate any such excess withholding tax cost to the relevant Non-U.S. Holder).
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Reportable Transactions
If the U.S. federal tax rules relating to “reportable transactions” are applicable to us (or any of the transactions undertaken by us), Holders that are required to file U.S. federal income tax returns (and, in some cases, certain direct and indirect interest holders of certain Holders) would be required to disclose to the IRS information relating to the Company and our transactions, and to retain certain documents and other records related thereto. Although we do not believe that the purchase of the Class A shares of a series is a reportable transaction, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not take a contrary position. In addition, an interest in the Company could become a reportable transaction for Holders in the future, for example if we generate certain types of losses that exceed prescribed thresholds or if certain other events occur. It is also possible that a transaction undertaken by us will be a reportable transaction for Holders. Substantial penalties may be imposed on taxpayers who fail to comply with these laws.
In addition, other tax laws impose substantial excise taxes and additional reporting requirements and penalties on certain tax-exempt investors (and, in some cases, the managers of tax-exempt investors) that are, directly or in some cases indirectly, parties to certain types of reportable transactions.
Certain Reporting Requirements
Certain U.S. Holders of the Class A shares of a series who either (i) invest (together with any person treated as related under certain U.S. tax rules) more than $100,000 in the Company during a 12-month period or (ii) hold, directly, indirectly or through certain attribution rules under the Code, at least 10% of the total voting power or total value of the Company or of any series, may be required to file Form 926, Return by a U.S. Transferor of Property to a Foreign Corporation, reporting certain transfers of cash or other property to foreign corporations. U.S. Holders that fail to comply with these reporting requirements may be subject to substantial penalties.
FATCA
Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act provisions of the Code and related U.S. Treasury guidance (“FATCA”), a withholding tax of 30% will be imposed in certain circumstances on (i) payments of certain U.S. source income (including interest and dividends) and gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition after December 31, 2018, of property that can produce U.S. source interest or dividends (“withholdable payments”) and (ii) payments made after December 31, 2018 (or, if later, the date on which the final U.S. Treasury regulations that define “foreign passthru payments” are published) by certain foreign financial institutions (such as banks, brokers, investment funds or certain holding companies) (“FFIs”) that are “attributable” to withholdable payments (“foreign passthru payments”). It is uncertain at present when payments will be treated as “attributable” to withholdable payments.
FATCA may also apply to certain non-U.S. entities held by or affiliated with us, including Masterworks Cayman.
Although the application of FATCA to a sale or other disposition of an interest in an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes is unclear, it is possible that the gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of an interest in the Company may be subject to tax under FATCA.
Each Holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the application of FATCA to an investment in the Company.
Certain State, Local and Non-U.S. Tax Considerations
The foregoing discussion does not address the U.S. state and local or non-U.S. tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Class A shares of a series. Holders may be subject to certain U.S. state and local and non-U.S. taxation, and tax return filing requirements, in the jurisdictions of our activities or investments. Holders may not receive the relevant tax information prior to when their tax return reporting obligations become due and may need to file for extensions. Prospective Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding U.S. state and local and non-U.S. tax matters.
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ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS
State Securities – Blue Sky Laws
There is currently no public trading market for the Class A shares of any series, and an active market for these Class A shares may not develop or be sustained. Transfer of the Class A shares of any series may also be restricted under the securities or securities regulations laws promulgated by various states and foreign jurisdictions, commonly referred to as “Blue Sky” laws. Absent compliance with such individual state laws, the Class A shares of a series may not be traded in such jurisdictions. Secondary trades of Class A shares matched on the ATS are intended to comply with Blue Sky laws either through a manual exemption in states where available, through a direct filing with the state securities regulators where required, as unsolicited transactions executed through a broker dealer or as isolated non-issuer transactions.
Restrictions Imposed by the USA PATRIOT Act and Related Acts
In accordance with the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, or the USA PATRIOT Act, the securities offered hereby may not be offered, sold, transferred or delivered, directly or indirectly, to any “unacceptable investor,” which means anyone who is:
| ● | A “designated national,” “specially designated national,” “specially designated terrorist,” “specially designated global terrorist,” “foreign terrorist organization,” or “blocked person” within the definitions set forth in the Foreign Assets Control Regulations of the United States, or U.S., Treasury Department; | |
| ● | Acting on behalf of, or an entity owned or controlled by, any government against whom the U.S. maintains economic sanctions or embargoes under the Regulations of the U.S. Treasury Department; | |
| ● | Within the scope of Executive Order 13224 — Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions with Persons who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support Terrorism, effective September 24, 2001; | |
| ● | A person or entity subject to additional restrictions imposed by any of the following statutes or regulations and executive orders issued thereunder: the Trading with the Enemy Act, the National Emergencies Act, the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the United Nations Participation Act, the International Security and Development Cooperation Act, the Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act of 1994, the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996, the Cuban Democracy Act, the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act and the Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act or any other law of similar import as to any non-U.S. country, as each such act or law has been or may be amended, adjusted, modified or reviewed from time to time; or | |
| ● | Designated or blocked, associated or involved in terrorism, or subject to restrictions under laws, regulations, or executive orders as may apply in the future similar to those set forth above. |
| 126 |
The validity of the securities offered by this offering circular will be passed upon for us by Joshua B. Goldstein, General Counsel of Masterworks, LLC, 225 Liberty Street, 29th Floor, New York, New York 10281.
Our combined consolidated financial statements for the period November 9, 2022 through December 31, 2022 included in this offering circular have been audited by AGD Legal, S. C., an independent public accounting firm, as indicated in their report with respect thereto, and have been so included in reliance upon the report of such firm given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed an offering statement on Form 1-A with the SEC under Regulation A of the Securities Act with respect to the Class A shares of each series offered by this offering circular. This offering circular, which constitutes a part of the offering statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the offering statement or the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. Statements contained in this offering circular regarding the contents of any contract or any other document that is filed as an exhibit to the offering statement are not necessarily complete, and each such statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the full text of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the offering statement. The offering statement, including its exhibits and schedules, may be inspected without charge at the public reference room maintained by the SEC, located at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549, and copies of all or any part of the offering statement may be obtained from such offices upon the payment of the fees prescribed by the SEC. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information about the public reference room. The SEC also maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. The address of the site is www.sec.gov.
The Administrator will answer inquiries from potential investors in series offerings concerning any of the series, the Company, the Administrator and other matters relating to the offer and sale of the Class A shares under this Offering Circular. The Company will afford the potential investors in the Class A shares the opportunity to obtain any additional information to the extent the Company possesses such information or can acquire such information without unreasonable effort or expense that is necessary to verify the information in this Offering Circular.
Any statement contained herein or in any document incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of the Offering Circular to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or replaces such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed to constitute a part of the Offering Circular, except as so modified or superseded.
Masterwork also maintains a website at the website address of Masterworks located at www.masterworks.com. You may access these materials at our website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Information contained on the Masterworks website is not a part of this offering circular and the inclusion of our website address in this offering circular is an inactive textual reference only.
After the completion of this Tier II, Regulation A offering, we intend to become subject to the information and periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. If we become subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, we will file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Such periodic reports, proxy statements and other information will be available for inspection and copying at the public reference room and on the SEC’s website referred to above. Until we become or never become subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, we will furnish the following reports, statements, and tax information to each holder of Class A shares of a series:
| 1. | Reporting Requirements under Tier II of Regulation A. Following this Tier II, Regulation A offering, we will be required to comply with certain ongoing disclosure requirements under Rule 257 of Regulation A. We will be required to file: an annual report with the SEC on Form 1-K; a semi-annual report with the SEC on Form 1-SA; current reports with the SEC on Form 1-U; and a notice under cover of Form 1-Z. The necessity to file current reports will be triggered by certain corporate events, similar to the ongoing reporting obligation faced by issuers under the Exchange Act, however the requirement to file a Form 1-U is expected to be triggered by significantly fewer corporate events than that of the Form 8-K. Such reports and other information will be available for inspection and copying at the public reference room and on the SEC’s website referred to above. Parts I & II of Form 1-Z will be filed by us if and when we decide to and are no longer obligated to file and provide annual reports pursuant to the requirements of Regulation A. | |
| 2. | Annual Reports. As soon as practicable, but in no event later than one hundred twenty (120) days after the close of our fiscal year, ending on the last Sunday of a calendar year, the Administrator will cause to be mailed or made available, by any reasonable means, to each holder of Class A shares of a series as of a date selected by the Administrator, an annual report containing our financial statements for such fiscal year, presented in accordance with GAAP, including a balance sheet and statements of operations, company equity and cash flows, with such statements having been audited by an accountant selected by the Company. The Company shall be deemed to have made a report available to each holder of Class A shares of a series as required if it has either (i) filed such report with the SEC via its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval, or EDGAR, system and such report is publicly available on such system or (ii) made such report available on any website maintained by us and our affiliate and available for viewing by holder of Class A shares of a series. | |
| 3. | Tax Information. As soon as practicable following the end of our fiscal year, which is currently January 1st through December 31st, we will send to each holder of Class A shares of a series such tax information as shall be reasonably required for federal and state income tax reporting purposes. |
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MASTERWORKS VAULT 1, LLC
Offering of Series Class A Ordinary Shares
Representing Series Class A Limited Liability Company Interests
OFFERING CIRCULAR
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Index to Exhibits
* Previously filed
** Filed herewith
# Certain confidential portions (indicated by brackets and asterisks) of this exhibit have been omitted from this exhibit
| II-1 |
Pursuant to the requirements of Regulation A, the registrant has duly caused this Post-Qualification Amendment No. 10 to Form 1-A to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York, on January 23, 2024.
| MASTERWORKS VAULT 1, LLC | ||
| By: | /s/ Joshua B. Goldstein | |
| Joshua B. Goldstein | ||
| General Counsel and Secretary | ||
Pursuant to the requirements of Regulation A, this Post-Qualification Amendment No. 10 to Form 1-A has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on January 23, 2024.
| Name | Title | |
* |
Chief Executive Officer of Masterworks Vault 1, LLC | |
| Nigel S. Glenday | (Principal Executive Officer) | |
* |
Chief Financial Officer and Member of the Board of Managers of Masterworks Vault 1, LLC | |
| Nigel S. Glenday | (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) | |
| /s/ Joshua B. Goldstein | General Counsel, | |
| Joshua B. Goldstein | Secretary and Member of the Board of Managers of Masterworks Vault 1, LLC | |
* |
Member of Board of Managers; | |
| Eli D. Broverman | Independent Manager of Masterworks Vault 1, LLC |
| *By: | /s/ Joshua B. Goldstein | ||
| Joshua B. Goldstein | |||
| Attorney-in-fact |
| II-2 |
Exhibit 2.3
Form Of Second Amended And Restated
Limited Liability Company Operating Agreement
Of
Masterworks Vault 1, LLC
December 31, 2023
Table of Contents
| Article I. | General Provisions | 1 |
| Section 1.01 | Definitions. | 1 |
| Section 1.02 | Name. | 7 |
| Section 1.03 | Principal Office. | 8 |
| Section 1.04 | Registered Office and Registered Agent. | 8 |
| Section 1.05 | Term. | 8 |
| Section 1.06 | Formation; Purpose and Powers; Certificate of Formation. | 8 |
| Section 1.07 | Power of Attorney. | 9 |
| Section 1.08 | Series Limited Liability Company. | 11 |
| Article II. | Management; Members and Shares | 13 |
| Section 2.01 | Rights and Duties of the Board of Managers. | 13 |
| Section 2.02 | Officers. | 15 |
| Section 2.03 | Members. | 16 |
| Section 2.04 | Shares; Membership Interests. | 18 |
| Section 2.05 | Certificates and Representations of Shares. | 21 |
| Section 2.06 | Record Holders. | 22 |
| Section 2.07 | Registration and Transfer of Shares. | 22 |
| Section 2.08 | Voting. | 25 |
| Section 2.09 | Removal or Replacement of a Manager. | 27 |
| Section 2.10 | Withdrawal or Removal and Replacement of Administrator. | 27 |
| Section 2.11 | Reliance by Third Parties. | 28 |
| Section 2.12 | Books and Records. | 28 |
| Section 2.13 | Bank Accounts. | 29 |
| Article III. | Capital Contributions; Capital Account; Distributions; Allocations | 29 |
| Section 3.01 | Capital Contributions. | 29 |
| Section 3.02 | Capital Account. | 29 |
| Section 3.03 | Distributions | 30 |
| Section 3.04 | Tax Allocations. | 32 |
| Article IV. | Liability; Indemnification | 32 |
| Section 4.01 | Liability of a Member. | 32 |
| Section 4.02 | Exculpation and Indemnification. | 33 |
| Article V. | Accounting; Financial and Tax Matters | 34 |
| Section 5.01 | Accounting Basis. | 34 |
| Section 5.02 | Tax Matters. | 34 |
| 1 |
| Article VI. | Dissolution; Redemption; Winding Up; Termination | 36 |
| Section 6.01 | Dissolution. | 36 |
| Section 6.02 | Redemption. | 37 |
| Section 6.03 | Winding Up and Termination of a Series. | 38 |
| Section 6.04 | Assets Reserved and Pending Claims. | 39 |
| Section 6.05 | Winding Up and Termination of the Company. | 40 |
| Article VII. | Member Meetings | 40 |
| Section 7.01 | Member Meetings. | 40 |
| Section 7.02 | Notice of Meetings of Members. | 42 |
| Section 7.03 | Record Date. | 42 |
| Section 7.04 | Adjournment. | 42 |
| Section 7.05 | Waiver of Notice; Approval of Meeting. | 43 |
| Section 7.06 | Required Vote. | 43 |
| Section 7.07 | Conduct of a Meeting; Member Lists. | 43 |
| Section 7.08 | Action Without a Meeting. | 43 |
| Section 7.09 | Voting and Other Rights. | 43 |
| Section 7.10 | Proxies and Voting. | 44 |
| Article VIII. | Miscellaneous | 45 |
| Section 8.01 | Addresses and Notices. | 45 |
| Section 8.02 | Amendments; Waiver. | 46 |
| Section 8.03 | Successors and Assigns. | 46 |
| Section 8.04 | No Waiver. | 46 |
| Section 8.05 | Survival of Certain Provisions. | 46 |
| Section 8.06 | Telephone Consumer Protection Act Consent. | 46 |
| Section 8.07 | Corporate Treatment. | 47 |
| Section 8.08 | Section 7704(e) Relief. | 47 |
| Section 8.09 | Electronic Information. | 47 |
| Section 8.10 | Severability. | 48 |
| Section 8.11 | Interpretation. | 48 |
| Section 8.12 | No Third-Party Rights. | 48 |
| Section 8.13 | Entire Agreement. | 48 |
| Section 8.14 | Rule of Construction. | 48 |
| Section 8.15 | Authority. | 48 |
| Section 8.16 | Governing Law. | 48 |
| Section 8.17 | Choice of Forum for Securities Act Disputes. | 48 |
| Section 8.18 | Facsimile Signatures. | 48 |
| Section 8.19 | Counterparts. | 48 |
| Section 8.20 | Qualification Rights. | 48 |
| 2 |
Second Amended and Restated
Limited Liability Company Operating Agreement
Of
Masterworks Vault 1, LLC
This Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Operating Agreement (this “Agreement”) of Masterworks Vault 1, LLC, a Delaware series limited liability company (the “Company”), is dated as of December 31, 2023, and is entered into by the Members (as defined herein) and the Board of Managers.
R E C I T A L S:
A. The Company has heretofore been formed as a series limited liability company under the Delaware Act (as defined below) pursuant to a Certificate of Formation filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on November 9, 2022.
B. Masterworks Foundry, LLC (the “Initial Member”) entered into that certain Limited Liability Company Operating Agreement, dated as of November 9, 2022, as amended on December 13, 2022 and November 6, 2023 (collectively, the “Amended Agreement”) and now desires to amend and restate the Amended Agreement in its entirety as set forth herein.
C. The Company and the Initial Member acknowledged the status of the Company initially, prior to the admission of one or more additional Persons (defined hereinafter) as Members, as a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes whose U.S. federal income taxable attributes, if any, would be deemed attributed solely to the Initial Member as its sole member; provided, however, owing to the contemplation of the imminent admission of one or more Persons as additional Members, upon such occurrence, the Company would be deemed to have become classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes by default. Accordingly, this Agreement has been intentionally structured contemplating that eventuality, through its implementation of certain applicable concepts of U.S. federal partnership tax law, and prescription of certain processes and procedures incidental to such tax classification, that would become applicable only upon admission of such one or more Persons as additional Members.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the agreements and obligations set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Amended Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to provide as set forth herein, and the Members hereby agree as follows:
Article I. General Provisions
Section 1.01 Definitions. For the purpose of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
| (a) | “Adjustment Year” has the meaning ascribed to said phrase under Section 6225(d)(2) of the Code. |
| 1 |
| (b) | “Administrator” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(d). | |
| (c) | “Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person. For the purposes of this definition, the term “controls,” “is controlled by” or “under common control with” means, with respect to any Person, the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise. No Member shall be deemed to be an “Affiliate” of the Company solely by reason of being a Member of the Company. | |
| (d) | “Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the preamble. | |
| (e) | “ATS” refers to an alternative trading system operated by an SEC-registered broker dealer. | |
| (f) | “Beneficial Owner” of a security is a Person who directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise has or shares: (i) voting power, which includes the power to vote, or to direct the voting of, such security and/or (ii) investment power, which includes the power to dispose, or to direct the disposition of, such security. The terms “Beneficially Own” and “Beneficial Ownership” shall have correlative meanings. Notwithstanding the forgoing, any determination as to whether a Person is a “Beneficial Owner” shall be determined in accordance with Section 13d-3(a) of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended. If such Person would be deemed a Beneficial Owner pursuant to Section 13, such Person shall be deemed a Beneficial Owner for purposes of this Agreement and, conversely, if such Person would not be deemed a Beneficial Owner pursuant to Section 13, such Person shall not be deemed a Beneficial Owner for purposes of this Agreement. |
| (g) | “Board” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(a). | |
| (h) | “Capital Account” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.02(a). | |
| (i) | “Capital Contribution” means, with respect to each Member, the amount of cash or the Fair Value of any property contributed or deemed to be contributed by such Member, if any, to the capital of the Company from time to time pursuant to Section 3.01. | |
| (j) | “Cause” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.09. | |
| (k) | “Certificate” means a certificate (i) in global form in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Depositary or (ii) in such other form as may be adopted by the Board, issued by the Company evidencing ownership of one or more Shares. | |
| (l) | “Change in Tax Classification” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.07. | |
| (m) | “Class A Member” means a Member holding one or more Class A Ordinary Shares. |
| 2 |
| (n) | “Class A Ordinary Shares” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.04(b). | |
| (o) | “Class A Shares” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.04(b). | |
| (p) | “Class B Member” means a Member holding one or more Class B Ordinary Shares. | |
| (q) | “Class B Ordinary Shares” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.04(b). | |
| (r) | “Class C Member” means a Member holding the Class C Ordinary Share. | |
| (s) | “Class C Ordinary Share” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.04(b). | |
| (t) | “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time. | |
| (u) | “Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. | |
| (v) | “Company Dissolution Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.01(a). | |
| (w) | “Company” has the meaning set forth in the preamble. | |
| (x) | “Conversion Percentage” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.04(f)(ii). |
| (y) | “Delaware Act” means the Chapter 18 of Subtitle II of Title 6 of the Delaware Code, referred to as the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act, as amended from time to time, and any successor thereto. | |
| (z) | “Depositary” means, with respect to any Shares issued in global form, The Depository Trust Company and its successors and permitted assigns. | |
| (aa) | “DGCL” means the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, 8 Del. C. Section 101, et seq., as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time, and any successor to such statute. |
| (bb) | “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time and any successor to such statute, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. | |
| (cc) | “Fair Value” means, with respect to securities or any other assets, other than cash, the fair market value determined by the Board. | |
| (dd) | “Fiscal Year” means each fiscal year of the Company (or portion thereof), which shall end on December 31; provided, however, that, upon Termination of the Company, “Fiscal Year” means the period from the January 1 immediately preceding such Termination to the date of such Termination and, unless otherwise provided in a Series Designation, the fiscal year for tax and financial reporting purposes of each Series shall the same as the fiscal year of the Company. |
| 3 |
| (ee) | “Independent Manager” shall refer to a member of the Board that meets the standards of an “independent director” set forth in NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 4200(a)(15) (on any successor rule) with respect to the Company, the Administrator and their respective affiliates. In the event a Special Committee is formed, the term “Independent Manager” shall, as the context requires, refer generically to each Independent Manager. | |
| (ff) | “Initial Member” has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph. | |
| (gg) | “Initial Series” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.08(a). |
| (hh) | “Involuntary Transfer” shall mean any Transfer of Shares, or proposed Transfer of Shares, (i) in the case of a Member who is a natural person, upon such Member’s death or the entry by a court of competent jurisdiction adjudicating such Member incompetent to manage such Member’s person or such Member’s property; (ii) in the case of a Member that is a trust, the termination of the trust, (iii) in the case of a Member that is a partnership, the dissolution and commencement of winding up of the partnership; (iv) in the case of a Member that is an estate, the distribution by the fiduciary of the estate’s interest in the Company; and (v) in the case of a Member that is a corporation, the filing of a certificate of dissolution, or its equivalent, for the corporation or the revocation of its charter. | |
| (ii) | “Liabilities” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.02(b). |
| (jj) | “Liquidating Trustee” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.03(a). | |
| (kk) | “Liquidation Price” shall mean with respect to any Share of an applicable Series, the amount distributable to the holder of such Share of such Series with respect to such Series pursuant to Section 3.03, as determined immediately after the occurrence of a Series Dissolution Event. | |
| (ll) | “Management Services Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(d). | |
| (mm) | “Manager” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(a). | |
| (nn) | “Masterworks Investor” refers to an affiliate of Masterworks that has raised capital from unaffiliated third party investors to invest the proceeds in a diversified collection of artwork and which acquires Class A Ordinary Shares (or shares convertible or exchangeable for Class A Ordinary Shares) as part of such investment strategy. | |
| (oo) | “Masterworks Shares” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.08(d). | |
| (pp) | “Member” has the meaning set forth in the preamble and includes any Person later admitted to the Company as a Member of a Series. | |
| (qq) | “National Securities Exchange” means an exchange registered with the Commission under Section 6(a) of the Exchange Act or any successor thereto. |
| 4 |
| (rr) | “Officers” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.02(a). | |
| (ss) | “Partnership Representative” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.02(a). | |
| (tt) | “Person” means an individual, a corporation, a company, a voluntary association, a partnership, a joint venture, a limited liability company, a trust, an estate, an unincorporated organization, a governmental authority or other entity. | |
| (uu) | “Protected Person” means: (i) the members of the Board; (ii) the Administrator and its Affiliates; (iii) any Member; (iv) any Officer; or (v) any Person who serves at the request of the Board on behalf of the Company or any Series as an officer, director, partner, member, stockholder or employee of any other Person. | |
| (vv) | “Record Date” means the date established by a Series or the Company for determining (a) the identity of the Record Holders entitled to notice of, or to vote at, any meeting of Members of a Series or of the Company overall or entitled to exercise rights in respect of any lawful action of Members of a Series or of the Company overall, or (b) the identity of Record Holders entitled to receive any report or distribution or to participate in any offer. | |
| (ww) | “Record Holder” or “holder” means the Person in whose name such Shares are registered on the books of the Company or the Transfer Agent, as applicable, as of the opening of business on a particular Business Day. |
| (xx) | “Redemption End Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.02(b). | |
| (yy) | “Redemption Shares” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.02(a). | |
| (zz) | “Redemption” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.02(a). | |
| (aaa) | “Regulation A Offering” means the aggregate offering by all Series of the Company of Series Tranches pursuant to the exemption afforded by Regulation A (Tier 2) (“Regulation A”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”). | |
| (bbb) | “Reviewed Year” has the meaning ascribed to said phrase under Section 6225(d)(1) of the Code. | |
| (ccc) | “Sale of the Series Artwork” means, as to each Series, the transfer of title and ownership of the Series Artwork held by the applicable Series to an un-Affiliated third-party and receipt by the applicable Series of value therefor as determined by the Board. | |
| (ddd) | “Segregated Portfolio” shall mean a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman SPC, a Cayman Islands segregated portfolio company. | |
| (eee) | “Series” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.08(a). | |
| (fff) | “Series Artwork” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.06(b). |
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| (ggg) | “Series Designation” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.08(a). | |
| (hhh) | “Series Dissolution Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.01(b). | |
| (iii) | “Series Properties” means, at any particular time, the Series Property of a Series aggregated with the Series Property of each of the other Series. | |
| (jjj) | “Series Property” means, at any particular time, all assets, properties (whether tangible or intangible, and whether real, personal or mixed) and rights of any type contributed to or acquired by a particular Series and owned or held by or for the account of such Series, whether owned or held by or for the account of such Series as of the date of the designation or establishment thereof or thereafter contributed to or acquired by such Series. | |
| (kkk) | “Series Tranche” means, with respect to each Series, the offering by the Company of a tranche of Class A Ordinary Shares of such particular Series for sale to the public pursuant as part of the Regulation A Offering or, in any replacement offering of a tranche of Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series, as determined by the Board in the event such Series Tranche shall not proceed for any reason. | |
| (lll) | “Service” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.02(a). | |
| (mmm) | “Share” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.04(b). |
| (nnn) | “SPC Preferred Share” shall mean a preferred share of a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman SPC entitled to a $20 liquidation preference prior to any distribution to the holders of SPC ordinary shares. The holder of each SPC Preferred Share of any Segregated Portfolio shall have the right to exchange such SPC Preferred share for one Class A Ordinary Share of the Series that owns ordinary equity interests in such Segregated Portfolio. | |
| (ooo) | “Special Committee” shall mean a committee of the Board of Managers of the Company comprised of two individuals, each of whom qualifies as an Independent Manager. | |
| (ppp) | “Substitute Member” means a Person who is admitted as a Member of the Company pursuant to Section 2.07 as a result of a Transfer of Shares to such Person. | |
| (qqq) | “Tax Proceeding” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.02(a). | |
| (rrr) | “Termination” means the date of the cancellation of the Certificate of Formation of the Company following the end of the Winding Up Period by the filing of a Certificate of Cancellation of the Company with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. | |
| (sss) | “Transfer Agent” means, with respect to any class of Shares of each Series, such bank, trust company or other Person (including the Company or any Series or one of either of their Affiliates) as shall be appointed from time to time by the Board to act as registrar and transfer agent for such class of Shares of such Series; provided that if no Transfer Agent is specifically designated for such class of Shares of such Series, the Administrator or the Company shall act in such capacity. |
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| (ttt) | “Transfer” means, with respect to a Share of a Series and the associated membership interest in a Series, a transaction by which the Record Holder of a Share of such Series assigns such Share to another Person who is or becomes a Member of such Series, and includes a sale, assignment, gift, exchange or any other disposition by law or otherwise, including any transfer upon foreclosure of any pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or mortgage. | |
| (uuu) | “Treasury Regulations” means the regulations of the U.S. Treasury Department issued pursuant to the Code. | |
| (vvv) | “Value Increase” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.04(f)(i). | |
| (www) | “Vote Limit Certificate” means a certificate in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit B which is delivered to the Company in accordance with Section 2.08(i). | |
| (xxx) | “Vote Limit” means the percentage interest specified in a Vote Limit Certificate by a Vote Limited Member of the applicable Series pursuant to which such Member (together with such Vote Limited Member’s affiliates) will be irrevocably limited to such Vote Limit in any vote taken under Section 2.01, Section 2.08, Section 2.09 and Section 8.02 with respect to the applicable Series. |
| (yyy) | “Vote Limited Member” means any Member who beneficially owns 5% or more of the outstanding Class A shares (excluding Masterworks Shares) of a Series submits a Vote Limit Certificate to the Board which designates such Member as a Vote Limited Member, either separately or jointly with one or more other Members. | |
| (zzz) | “Voting Member” means a Member holding one or more Voting Shares. | |
| (aaaa) | “Voting Shares” as to any Series, means the Class A Ordinary Shares of such applicable Series, excluding any Shares of such Series beneficially owned by the Administrator or any of its Affiliates and Shares of such Series beneficially owned by a Vote Limited Member of such Series in excess of the Vote Limit. | |
| (bbbb) | “Winding Up Period” means the period from the Company Dissolution Event to the Termination of the Company. |
Section 1.02 Name. The name of the Company is “Masterworks Vault 1, LLC.” All business of the Company shall be conducted under such name, provided that a Series may conduct business under its name. The Board may elect to change the name of the Company or any Series at any time.
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Section 1.03 Principal Office. The principal office of the Company shall be at a location as determined by the Board either within or outside of the United States. The Company shall keep its books and records at its principal office. The principal office of each Series shall be the same as the principal office of the Company.
Section 1.04. Registered Office and Registered Agent. The street address of the registered office of the Company and of each Series in the State of Delaware shall be as selected by the Board. The Board may elect to change the registered office and the registered agent of the Company or any Series at any time.
Section 1.05 Term. The Company was formed on November 9, 2022 and shall continue its regular business activities until the Company and each of the Series is dissolved. The term of the Company and each Series shall be perpetual, unless and until it is dissolved or terminated in accordance with the provisions of Article VI. The existence of each Series shall commence upon the effective date of the Series Designation establishing such Series, as provided in Section 1.08. The existence of the Company as a separate legal entity shall continue until the cancellation of the Certificate of Formation as provided in the Delaware Act.
Section 1.06 Formation; Purpose and Powers; Certificate of Formation.
| (a) | The Company has been formed as, and shall operate as, a protected series limited liability company as set forth in Section 18-215 of the Delaware Act, and as further set forth in Section 1.08 and the remainder of this Agreement. |
| (b) | The Company and each Series is organized for the purposes of undertaking such activities as determined by the Board and, subject to the terms and conditions herein and of the Delaware Act, the Members, which are permitted by applicable law and engaging in activities incidental or ancillary thereto. Notwithstanding the forgoing, the Company has been organized to conduct an offering of Class A ordinary shares of each Series, form the Series, with each such Series holding the artwork as identified on the Series Designation for such Series (as to each such Series, the “Series Artwork”), and undertaking certain actions with respect thereto. |
| (c) | The Company and each Series shall possess and may exercise all the powers and privileges granted by the Delaware Act or by any other law or by this Agreement, together with any powers incidental thereto, which are necessary or convenient to the conduct, promotion or attainment of the business, purposes or activities of the Company or such Series. | |
| (d) | The Certificate of Formation has been filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, such filing being hereby confirmed, ratified and approved in all respects. The Board shall use reasonable efforts to cause to be filed such other certificates or documents that it determines to be necessary or appropriate for the formation, continuation, qualification and operation of a series limited liability company in the State of Delaware or any other state in which the Company or any Series may elect to do business or own property. To the extent that the Board determines such action to be necessary or appropriate, the Board shall, or shall direct the Administrator or the appropriate Officers to, file amendments to and restatements of the Certificate of Formation and do all things to maintain the Company as a series limited liability company under the laws of the State of Delaware or of any other state in which the Company or any Series may elect to do business or own property, and if the Administrator or an Officer is so directed, such Administrator or Officer, as applicable, shall be an authorized person of the Company and, unless otherwise provided in a Series Designation, of each Series within the meaning of the Delaware Act for purposes of filing any such certificate with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. The Company shall not be required, before or after filing, to deliver or mail a copy of the Certificate of Formation, any qualification document or any amendment thereto to any Member. |
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Section 1.07 Power of Attorney.
| (a) | Each Member of each Series hereby constitutes and appoints each of the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and the Secretary of the Company and, if a Liquidating Trustee shall have been selected pursuant to Section 6.03, the Liquidating Trustee (and any successor to the Liquidating Trustee by merger, transfer, assignment, election or otherwise) and each of their authorized officers and attorneys-in-fact, as the case may be, with full power of substitution, as his true and lawful agent and attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority in his name, place and stead, to: |
| (i) | execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record in the appropriate public offices: |
| (A) | All certificates, documents and other instruments (including this Agreement and the Certificate of Formation and all amendments or restatements hereof or thereof) that the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Secretary of the Company, or the Liquidating Trustee, determines to be necessary or appropriate to form, qualify or continue the existence or qualification of the Company or any Series as a limited liability company in the State of Delaware and in all other jurisdictions in which the Company or any Series may conduct business or own property or to form, qualify or continue the existence or qualification any Series in the State of Delaware and in all other jurisdictions in which such Series may conduct business or own property or to; |
| (B) | all certificates, documents and other instruments that the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer or Secretary of the Company, or the Liquidating Trustee, determines to be necessary or appropriate to reflect, in accordance with its terms, any amendment, change, modification or restatement of this Agreement; | ||
| (C) | all certificates, documents and other instruments (including conveyances and a certificate of cancellation) that the Board or the Liquidating Trustee determines to be necessary or appropriate to reflect the dissolution, liquidation and termination of the Company or any Series pursuant to the terms of this Agreement; | ||
| (D) | all certificates, documents and other instruments relating to the admission, withdrawal, removal or substitution of any Member pursuant to, or other events described in, Article II or Article III; |
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| (E) | all certificates, documents and other instruments (including agreements and a certificate of merger) relating to a merger, consolidation or conversion of the Company; | ||
| (F) | all certificates, documents and other instruments relating to the determination of the rights, preferences and privileges of any Shares of a Series issued pursuant to this Agreement; | ||
| (G) | all certificates, documents and other instruments that the Board or the Liquidating Trustee determines to be necessary or appropriate to maintain the separate rights, assets, obligations and liabilities of each Series; and |
| (ii) | execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record all ballots, consents, approvals, waivers, certificates, documents and other instruments that the Board or the Liquidating Trustee determines to be necessary or appropriate to (i) make, evidence, give, confirm or ratify any vote, consent, approval, agreement or other action that is made or given by the Members hereunder or is consistent with the terms of this Agreement or (ii) effectuate the terms or intent of this Agreement; provided, that when required by any provision of this Agreement that establishes a percentage of the Members or of the Members of any class or Series required to take any action, the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Secretary of the Company, or the Liquidating Trustee, may exercise the power of attorney made in this Section 1.07(a)(ii) only after the necessary vote, consent, approval, agreement or other action of the Members or of the Members of such class or Series, as applicable. |
| (b) | Nothing contained in this Section 1.07 shall be construed as authorizing the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Secretary of the Company or any Series, or the Liquidating Trustee, to amend, change or modify this Agreement except in accordance with Section 8.02 or as may be otherwise expressly provided for in this Agreement. | |
| (c) | The foregoing power of attorney is hereby declared to be irrevocable and a power coupled with an interest, and it shall survive and, to the maximum extent permitted by law, not be affected by the subsequent death, incompetency, disability, incapacity, dissolution, bankruptcy or termination of any Member and the Transfer of all or any portion of such Member’s Shares and shall extend to such Member’s heirs, successors, assigns and personal representatives. Each such Member hereby agrees to be bound by any representation made by the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Secretary of the Company, or the Liquidating Trustee, acting in good faith pursuant to such power of attorney; and each such Member, to the maximum extent permitted by law, hereby waives any and all defenses that may be available to contest, negate or disaffirm the action of the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Secretary of the Company, or the Liquidating Trustee, taken in good faith under such power of attorney in accordance with Section 1.07. Each Member shall execute and deliver to the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Secretary of the Company, or the Liquidating Trustee, within 15 days after receipt of the request therefor, such further designation, powers of attorney and other instruments as any of such Officers or the Liquidating Trustee determines to be necessary or appropriate to effectuate this Agreement and the purposes of the Company. |
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Section 1.08 Series Limited Liability Company.
| (a) | General; Establishment of Series. Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the Board may, at any time and from time to time and in compliance with Section 1.08(c), cause the Company to establish in writing (each, a “Series Designation”) one or more series as such term is used under Section 18-215 of the Delaware Act (each a “Series”). Each Series Designation shall be substantially in the form as attached hereto as Exhibit C-1. The Series Designation shall relate solely to the Series established thereby and shall not be construed: (i) to affect the terms and conditions of any other Series, or (ii) to designate, fix or determine the rights, powers, authority, privileges, preferences, duties, responsibilities, liabilities and obligations in respect of Interests associated with any other Series, or the Members associated therewith. The terms and conditions for each Series established pursuant to this Section 1.08(a) shall be as set forth in this Agreement and the Series Designation, as applicable, for the Series. Upon approval of any Series Designation by the Board, such Series Designation shall be attached to this Agreement as an Exhibit until such time as none of Shares of such Series remain outstanding. The books and records of the Company shall be maintained by the Company on a Series-by-Series basis, accounting for the assets associated with such Series separately from the other assets of the Company or any other Series thereof. | |
| (b) | Series Operation. Each of the Series shall operate to the extent practicable as if it were a separate limited liability company. |
| (c) | Series Designation. The Series Designation establishing a Series may: (i) specify a name or names under which the business and affairs of such Series may be conducted; (ii) designate, fix and determine the relative rights, powers, authority, privileges, preferences, duties, responsibilities, liabilities and obligations in respect of Shares of such Series and the Members associated therewith (to the extent such terms differ from those set forth in this Agreement) and (iii) designate or authorize the designation of specific Officers to be associated with such Series. A Series Designation (or any resolution of the Board amending any Series Designation) shall be effective when a duly executed original of the same is included by the Administrator at the direction of the Board among the permanent records of the Company, and shall be annexed to, and constitute part of, this Agreement (it being understood and agreed that, upon such effective date, the Series described in such Series Designation shall be deemed to have been established and the Shares of such Series shall be deemed to have been authorized in accordance with the provisions thereof). The Series Designation establishing a Series may set forth specific provisions governing the rights of such Series against a Member associated with such Series who fails to comply with the applicable provisions of this Agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the applicable provisions of such Series Designation). In the event of a conflict between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and a Series Designation, the terms and conditions of the Series Designation shall prevail. |
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| (d) | Assets and Liabilities Associated with a Series. |
| (i) | Assets Associated with a Series. All consideration received by the Company for the issuance or sale of Shares of a particular Series, together with all assets in which such consideration is invested or reinvested, and all income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof (except for income or earnings for which Masterworks is entitled to receive pursuant to the Management Services Agreement), from whatever source derived, including any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds, in whatever form the same may be (assets), shall, subject to the provisions of this Agreement, be held for the benefit of the Series or the Members associated with such Series, and not for the benefit of the Members associated with any other Series, for all purposes, and shall be accounted for and recorded upon the books and records of the Series separately from any assets associated with any other Series, notwithstanding whether an aggregated bank account in the name of the Company is created for the assets of every Series or a separate bank account is created for each Series. Such assets are herein referred to as assets associated with that Series. In the event that there are any assets in relation to the Company that, in the Board’s reasonable judgment, are not readily associated with a particular Series, the Board shall allocate such assets to, between or among any one or more of the Series, in such manner and on such basis as the Board deems fair and equitable, and in accordance with provisions herein, and any asset so allocated to a particular Series shall thereupon be deemed to be an asset associated with that Series. Each allocation by the Board pursuant to the provisions of this Section 1.08(d)(i) shall be conclusive and binding upon the Members associated with each and every Series. Separate and distinct records shall be maintained for each and every Series, and the Board shall not commingle the assets of one Series with the assets of any other Series in its records. The records maintained for a Series shall reasonably identify its assets, including by specific listing, category, type, quantity, computational or allocational formula or procedure (including a percentage or share of any asset or assets) or by any other method where the identity of such assets is objectively determinable, and such records will be deemed to account for the assets associated with such Series separately from the other assets of the Company, or any other Series. |
| (ii) | Liabilities Associated with a Series. All debts, liabilities, expenses, costs, charges, obligations and reserves incurred by, contracted for or otherwise existing (liabilities) with respect to a particular Series shall be charged against the assets associated with that Series. Such liabilities are herein referred to as liabilities associated with that Series. In the event that there are any liabilities in relation to the Company that, in the Board’s reasonable judgment, are not readily associated with a particular Series, the Board shall allocate and charge (including indemnification obligations) such liabilities to, between or among any one or more of the Series, in such manner and on such basis as the Board deems fair and equitable, and any liability so allocated and charged to a particular Series shall thereupon be deemed to be a liability associated with that Series. Each allocation by the Board pursuant to the provisions of this Section 1.08(d)(ii) shall be conclusive and binding upon the Members associated with each and every Series. All liabilities associated with a Series shall be enforceable against the assets associated with that Series only, and not against the assets associated with the Company or any other Series, and except to the extent set forth above, no liabilities shall be enforceable against the assets associated with any Series prior to the allocation and charging of such liabilities as provided above. Any allocation of liabilities that are not readily associated with a particular Series to, between or among one or more of the Series shall not represent a commingling of such Series to pool capital for the purpose of carrying on a trade or business or making common investments and sharing in profits and losses therefrom. The Board has caused notice of this limitation on inter-series liabilities to be set forth in the Certificate of Formation, and, accordingly, the statutory provisions of Section 18-215(b) of the Delaware Act relating to limitations on inter-series liabilities (and the statutory effect under Section 18-207 of the Delaware Act of setting forth such notice in the Certificate of Formation) shall apply to the Company and each Series. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, no distribution on or in respect of Shares in a particular Series, including, for the avoidance of doubt, any distribution made in connection with the winding up of such Series, shall be effected by the Company other than from the assets associated with that Series, nor shall any Member or former Member associated with a Series otherwise have any right or claim against the assets associated with any other Series (except to the extent that such Member or former Member has such a right or claim hereunder as a Member or former Member associated with such other Series or in a capacity other than as a Member or former Member). |
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| (e) | Costs and Expenses. In furtherance of the above, all fees, costs and expenses in connection with any Series Tranche, the sourcing, acquisition and divestiture of a Series Property, the activities of a particular Series, and the winding up of a particular series shall be borne by the relevant Series, in accordance with the Management Services Agreement, provided that to the extent any fees, costs or expenses are not covered by the Administrator pursuant to the Management Services Agreement and such fees, costs or expenses cannot be attributed directly to one or more Series, the Board may allocate such fees, costs or expenses between or among any one or more of the Series, in such manner and on such basis as the Board deems fair and equitable, and any fee, cost or expense so allocated and charged to a particular Series shall thereupon be deemed to be a fee, cost or expense associated with that Series. Each allocation by the Board pursuant to the provisions of this Section 1.08(e) shall be conclusive and binding upon the Members associated with each and every Series. | |
| (f) | Ownership of Series Property. Title to and beneficial interest in a Series Property shall be deemed to be held and owned by the relevant Series and no Member or Members of such Series, individually or collectively, shall have any title to or beneficial interest in a specific Series Property or any portion thereof. Each Member of a Series irrevocably waives any right that it may have to maintain an action for partition with respect to its interest in the Company, any Series or any Series Property. Any Series Property may be held or registered in the name of the relevant Series, in the name of a nominee or as the Board may determine; provided, however, that Series Property shall be recorded as the assets of the relevant Series on the Company’s books and records, irrespective of the name in which legal title to such Series Property is held. Any corporation, brokerage firm or transfer agent called upon to transfer any Series Property to or from the name of any Series shall be entitled to rely upon instructions or assignments signed or purporting to be signed by the Board or its agents without inquiry as to the authority of the person signing or purporting to sign such instruction or assignment or as to the validity of any transfer to or from the name of such Series. | |
| (g) | No Preference. No Shares shall entitle any Member to any preemptive, preferential or similar rights unless such preemptive, preferential or similar rights are set forth in the applicable Series Designation on or prior to the date of the Series Tranche of any interests of such Series (the designation of such preemptive, preferential or similar rights with respect to a Series in the Series Designation, the Interest Designation). | |
| (h) | Additional Provisions. The following shall apply to each Series: |
| (i) | A Series may carry on any lawful business, purpose or activity, whether or not for profit, other than as limited by the Delaware Act, provided that certain activities require shareholder consent as set forth Section 2.08(e). | ||
| (ii) | A Series shall have the power and capacity to, in its own name, contract, hold title to assets (including real, personal and intangible property), grant liens and security interests, and sue and be sued. | ||
| (iii) | Except as otherwise provided by the Delaware Act, no member or manager of a Series shall be obligated personally for any debt, obligation or liability of such series, whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise, solely by reason of being a member or acting as manager of such Series. |
Article II. Management; Members and Shares
Section 2.01 Rights and Duties of the Board of Managers.
| (a) | The Company is a manager-managed limited liability company and each Series shall be similarly managed as a manager-managed Series. Accordingly, management of the affairs of the Company and of each Series shall be vested in a Board of Managers (the “Board”). Except as otherwise set forth in the Series Designation, each Series shall be managed by the Board as the manager of such Series until the earlier of the dissolution of the Series pursuant to Article VI or (ii) its removal or replacement as set forth herein. The Persons constituting the Board (each, a “Manager”) will be (i) the “managers” of the Company and each Series for all purposes under the Act and (ii) the Board for all purposes under this Agreement. The Board will have the power to act only by a majority of the Managers in accordance with the provisions and in the manner specified herein. A person does not need to be a Member of any Series to serve on the Board. The Board will initially consist of three members and shall initially consist of, Nigel Glenday, Josh Goldstein and Eli Broverman as the Independent Manager, who shall serve until they resign or are replaced by a majority of the Board or the holder of the Class C Share, and new members of the Board shall be appointed by a majority of the Board or the holder of the Class C Share, as applicable. Provided, however, the Members holding 66 2/3% of the Voting Shares of all of the Series then outstanding, voting as one class, may vote to remove and replace a Manager for “Cause” in accordance with Section 2.09, and any such change in the composition of the Board shall apply to all Series. The size of the Board may be increased, including, without limitation, in connection with forming a Special Committee, or decreased from time to time by action of the Board. |
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| (b) | The Company shall have at least one Independent Manager serving as one of the members of the Board. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Independent Manager shall consider only the interests of the Company and each Series in acting or otherwise voting on the matters set forth in this Article II. The Independent Manager shall act where other Managers are excluded from voting on certain matters involving a direct or indirect conflict of interest between any Manager on the one hand and public investors on the other hand. The prior consent of the Independent Manager shall be required to appoint a second Independent Manager for the purpose of serving on a Special Committee. All right, power and authority of the Independent Manager shall be limited to the extent necessary to exercise those rights and perform those duties specifically set forth herein and the Independent Manager shall have no authority to bind the Company or any Series. |
| (c) | Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement or as required by the Delaware Act, the Board shall have complete and exclusive discretion in the management and control of the affairs and business of the Company and each Series, and shall possess all powers necessary, convenient or appropriate to carrying out the purposes and business of the Company and each Series, including doing all things and taking all actions necessary to carry out the terms and provisions of this Agreement, including, without limitation, to make determinations and complete actions with respect (i) the use of the assets of a Series (including cash on hand) for any purpose consistent with the terms of this Agreement, including the financing of the conduct of the operations of such Series and the repayment of obligations of such Series; and (ii) the negotiation, execution and performance of any contracts, conveyances or other instruments (including instruments that limit the liability of the Company or any Series under contractual arrangements to all or particular assets of the Company or any Series). Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, the Board shall have, and shall have full authority in its discretion to exercise, on behalf of and in the name of the Company, all rights and powers of a “manager” of a limited liability company under the Delaware Act necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of the Company. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, the Board or Persons designated by the Board, including officers and agents (including the Administrator) appointed by the Board, will be the only Persons authorized to execute documents which will be binding on the Company or any Series. To the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, but subject to any specific provisions hereof granting rights to one (1) or more Members (e.g., the right of Masterworks Foundry, LLC to designate Board members), the Board will have the power to perform any acts, statutory or otherwise, with respect to the Company (including with respect to any Subsidiary of the Company) or any Series or this Agreement, which would otherwise be possessed by the Members under Delaware law, and the Members will have no power whatsoever with respect to the management of the business and affairs of the Company (including with respect to any Subsidiary of the Company) or any Series except as expressly provided herein. In furtherance of the authority granted to the Board pursuant to this Agreement, the determination as to any the matters for which the Board has the power to make, shall be final and conclusive and shall be binding upon the Company and each Series and every holder of Shares of any Series. |
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| (d) | While the Board has ultimate authority over all Series Property, the Company shall enter into a management services agreement with Masterworks Administrative Services, LLC (the “Administrator”) in form and substance as reasonably determined by the Initial Member (the “Management Services Agreement”). The Board has authorized the Administrator to manage all day to day operations of the Company and each Series, when and as created. Any amendment to the Management Services Agreement that would be adverse or detrimental to the interests of members of any Series must be approved by holders of a majority of Voting Shares of such Series. | |
| (e) | Subject to the terms and conditions herein, all decisions regarding the management and operations of the Company and each Series shall be made by the Board, provided, however, that the Administrator shall have all power and authority to take any and all actions necessary to effectuate the intent and purpose of the Management Services Agreement and the Board may designate any Officers of the Company and any Series to have control or authority with respect to one or more decisions or areas of operation, and may include such limitations or restrictions on such power as they may deem reasonable. | |
| (f) | The Board may adopt an allocation policy which shall provide that that items not related to a specific Series will be allocated across all Series pro rata based upon the value of the underlying Series Properties, as determined by the Board. The Board may amend the allocation policy in its sole discretion from time to time. |
Section 2.02 Officers.
| (a) | At any time, the Board may appoint and replace individuals as officers or agents of the Company or of any Series (as applicable, “Officers”) with such titles as the Board may elect to act on behalf of the Company or the applicable Series with such power and authority as the Board may delegate to such persons. In the event that any persons are not denominated as “Officers” of any particular Series, such persons shall be deemed to have been named as officers of the Company and of all Series then existing or which may thereafter be formed by the Board, unless otherwise limited by the Board. Any number of offices may be held by the same person. Officers shall hold their offices for such terms as shall be determined from time to time by the Board. Unless otherwise determined and set forth by the Board and subject to the policies and procedures of the Company applicable to Officers and employees, each Officer shall have the powers, rights and obligations as are customarily held and exercised by other persons in similar positions in limited liability companies organized under the Delaware Act, subject to Section 2.01(c). The Officers shall hold office until their successors are chosen and qualified. Any Officer may be removed at any time, with or without cause, by the Board. The Officers may also be officers or employees of other Persons. The Officers, to the extent of their powers set forth in this Agreement or otherwise vested in them by action of the Board not inconsistent with this Agreement, are agents of the Company for the purpose of the Company’s business and the actions of the Officers taken in accordance with such powers shall bind the Company. Except to the extent otherwise provided herein, each Officer shall have a fiduciary duty of loyalty and care as set forth in the Delaware Act. No Officer shall at any time serve as trustee in bankruptcy for any Affiliate of the Company. |
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| (b) | Notwithstanding the foregoing, it shall be deemed not to be a breach of any duty (including any fiduciary duty) or any other obligation of any type whatsoever of any Manager or any officer or employee or any Affiliates of such Manager, officer or employee (other than any express obligation contained in any agreement to which such Person and the Company or any Series or any of their respective subsidiaries are parties) to engage in outside business interests and activities in preference to or to the exclusion of the Company or any Series or in direct competition with the Company or any Series; provided such Person does not engage in such business or activity as a result of or using confidential information provided by or on behalf of the Company or any Series to such Person; provided, further, that a Person shall not be deemed to be in direct competition with the Company or any Series solely because of such Person’s ownership, directly or indirectly, solely for investment purposes, of securities of any publicly traded entity if such Person does not, together with such Person’s Affiliates, collectively own 5% or more of any class or securities of such publicly traded entity, and such Person is not a director or officer (and does not hold an equivalent position) in such publicly traded entity. Neither the Board, not any officer or employee shall have no obligation hereunder or as a result of any duty expressed or implied by law to present business opportunities to the Company or any Series that may become available to Affiliates of such Person. None of any Member or any other Person shall have any rights by virtue of the Board’s or any officer’s or employee’s or any Affiliates of the Board, officer or employee duties as the Board or any Manager, officer or employee or this Agreement in any business ventures of the Administrator or any Manager or any officer or employee or any Affiliates of the Administrator or any such Manager, officer or employee. |
| (c) | Nigel S. Glenday shall continue to serve as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer and Josh Goldstein shall continue to serve as the General Counsel and Secretary of the Company and of each Series, each to serve in such capacity until his earlier death, resignation or removal from office. |
Section 2.03 Members.
| (a) | A Person shall be admitted as a Member and shall become bound by, and shall be deemed to have agreed to be bound by, the terms of this Agreement if such Person purchases or otherwise lawfully acquires any Share of any Series, and such Person shall become the Record Holder of such Share, in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. A Member may be a Class A Member of any Series, a Class B Member of any Series and or Class C Member of any Series (and may be a Member of one or more Series) and, in such case, shall have the rights and obligation accorded to the Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series with respect to such Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series, the rights and obligations accorded to the Class B Ordinary Shares of such Series with respect to such Class B Ordinary Shares of such Series and the rights and obligations accorded to the Class C Ordinary Share of such Series with respect to such Class C Ordinary Share of such Series. A Person may become a Record Holder without the consent or approval of any of the Members and without physical execution of this Agreement. A Person may not become a Member without acquiring a Share. |
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| (b) | The name and mailing address of each Member shall be listed on the books and records of the Company and each Series maintained for such purpose by the Company and each Series. The Board shall update the books and records of the Company and each Series from time to time as necessary to reflect accurately the information therein | |
| (c) | Except as otherwise provided in the Delaware Act, and subject to Section 2.03(d) and Section 3.01, the debts, obligations and liabilities of the Company generally, which are not attributable to any Series, whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise, shall be solely the debts, obligations and liabilities of the Company, and none of the Members of any Series shall not be obligated personally for any such debt, obligation or liability of the Company solely by reason of being a Member of the Company or any Series. | |
| (d) | Except as otherwise provided in the Delaware Act, the debts, obligations and liabilities of a Series, whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise, shall be solely the debts, obligations and liabilities of such Series, and not of any other Series. In addition, the Members shall not be obligated personally for any such debt, obligation or liability of any Series solely by reason of being a Member. |
| (e) | Except to the extent expressly provided in this Agreement: (i) no Member shall be entitled to the withdrawal or return of any Capital Contribution, except to the extent, if any, that distributions made pursuant to this Agreement or upon dissolution of the Company or any Series, as applicable, may be considered as such by law and then only to the extent provided for in this Agreement; (ii) no Member of a Series shall have priority over any other Member of a Series either as to the return of Capital Contributions of such Series or as to profits, losses or distributions; (iii) no Member of a Series holding any Shares of any Series shall have priority over any other Member holding shares of the same Series either as to the return of Capital Contributions or as to distributions; (iv) no interest shall be paid by the Company or any Series on Capital Contributions; and (v) no Member, in its capacity as such, shall participate in the operation or management of the Company’s or any Series’ business, transact any business in the Company’s name or any Series’ name or have the power to sign documents for or otherwise bind the Company or any Series by reason of being a Member. | |
| (f) | Any Member shall be entitled to and may have business interests and engage in business activities in addition to those relating to the Company or any Series, including business interests and activities in direct competition with the Company or any Series. None of the Company, any Series or any of the other Members shall have any rights by virtue of this Agreement in any such business interests or activities of any Member. |
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| (g) | Unless otherwise specifically set forth herein, any reference herein to a “Member” shall be deemed to be a reference to the Member of a particular Series. |
Section 2.04 Shares; Membership Interests.
| (a) | Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Series Designation, the Company is authorized to issue in respect of each Series an unlimited number of membership interests subject to Section 2.09(b), which shall be denominated as set forth in Section 2.09(b). All Shares (as defined below) issued pursuant to, and in accordance with the requirements of this Agreement shall be validly issued membership interest in the applicable Series and in the Company, except to the extent otherwise provided in the Delaware Act or this Agreement (including any Series Designation). Any Member holding Shares of a Series shall be deemed a Member of such Series and of the Company to the extent set forth herein and in the Delaware Act. |
| (b) | Subject to the provisions herein, the total of the membership interests in any Series shall be divided into (i) Class A Ordinary Shares having the rights and preferences as set forth herein and, if applicable, in the Series Designation for the applicable Series (the “Class A Ordinary Shares” or “Class A Shares”), (ii) Class B Ordinary Shares having the rights and preferences as set forth herein and, if applicable, in the Series Designation for the applicable Series (the “Class B Ordinary Shares”), and (iii) Class C Ordinary Share having the rights and preferences as set forth herein and, if applicable, in the Series Designation for the applicable Series (the “Class C Ordinary Share” and, together with the Class A Ordinary Shares and the Class B Ordinary Shares, as to each Series, the “Shares” of such Series and each a “Share” of such Series). Class A Ordinary Shares of a Series, and Class B Ordinary Shares of a Series shall have the same rights, powers and duties, except as otherwise set forth in this Agreement or the applicable Series Designation. Shares shall represent an interest solely in the Series to which they relate, and unless otherwise specified herein, any reference to any Class A Ordinary Shares, Class B Ordinary Shares and/or Class C Ordinary Shares shall be deemed a reference to the Class A Ordinary Shares, Class B Ordinary Shares and/or Class C Ordinary Shares of the applicable Series. The number of Class A Ordinary Shares of any Series shall be limited to the maximum number of Class A Ordinary shares offered in a Series Tranche for the applicable Series, plus (i) the number of Class A Ordinary Shares which may be issued upon exchange of SPC Preferred Shares of the applicable Segregated Portfolio, plus (ii) the number of Class A Ordinary Shares of the applicable Series which may be issued upon conversion of the Class B Ordinary Shares of the applicable Series. The number of Class B Ordinary Shares of the applicable Series shall be limited to up to 1,000. The number of Class C Ordinary Shares of the applicable Series shall be limited to one. The Shares of the Members for each Series shall be as set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto, which may be updated as set forth herein. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event that all of the Class A Ordinary Shares with respect to a particular Series are not sold pursuant to the applicable Series Tranche, the Board shall, upon the final closing of the applicable Series Tranche, issue a number of Class A Ordinary Shares of the applicable Series to the Initial Member equal to the aggregate number of Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series that remain unsold in the applicable Series Tranche, as repayment in full of any and all obligations owing to the Initial Member in respect of advances made to acquire the Series Artwork for such applicable Series and expense allocation amounts payable to the Initial Member. The name and mailing address of each Member of each Series, or such Member’s representative, shall be listed on the books and records of the Company and each Series maintained for such purpose by the Company and each Series, or the Transfer Agent. |
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| (c) | Upon formation of each Series, the Initial Member shall be issued 1,000 Class B Ordinary Shares of such Series, representing 100% of the membership interests in the Series as of such date, in return for a capital contribution to such Series of $100. | |
| (d) | Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in this Agreement, the Board shall have full power and authority to schedule one or more closings to issue Class A Ordinary Shares of any Series and admit Members of a Series to the Company in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. Any Person that acquires Class A Ordinary Shares of a Series and is admitted as a Member of such Series after the date hereof, shall, in connection with such Member’s acquisition of such Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series, be deemed to pay to the applicable Series such Member’s pro rata share of any amounts used to acquire the Series Artwork for such Series, including any expense allocation amounts and any other amounts paid to such Series by the previously admitted Members of such Series. | |
| (e) | The holders of SPC Preferred Shares of an applicable Segregated Portfolio may elect to exchange their SPC Preferred Shares of such Segregated Portfolio into Class A Ordinary Shares of the Series that owns interests in such Segregated Portfolio, in whole or in part, at any time contemporaneously with or prior to the consummation of the Sale of the Series Artwork of such Series, subject to the terms and conditions herein, for no additional consideration. |
| (f) | The Class B Members of an applicable Series may elect to convert their Class B Ordinary Shares of such Series into Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series, in whole or in part, at any time prior to the consummation of the Sale of the Series Artwork of such Series, subject to the terms and conditions herein, for no additional consideration pursuant and to the following conversion formula: The number of Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series issuable upon conversion of Class B Ordinary Shares of such Series shall equal (A) the Value Increase, multiplied by (B) the Conversion Percentage, multiplied by (C) 20%, divided by (D) the Class A Ordinary Share Value. For purposes herein: |
| (i) | “Value Increase” means, the aggregate value of Shares of the applicable Series outstanding at such time on a fully diluted basis (including any shares issuable upon exchange of SPC Preferred Shares (“Exchange Shares”)), minus the product of (A) the number of Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series outstanding at such time on a fully diluted basis (including Exchange Shares) and (B) $20.00, if such difference is positive. |
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| (ii) | “Conversion Percentage” means, (A) the number of Class B Ordinary Shares of the applicable Series being converted, divided by (B) the total number of Class B Ordinary Shares of such Series issued and outstanding (i.e. up to 1,000). | ||
| (iii) | “Class A Ordinary Share Value” with respect to a Series means, as of the close of business on the day preceding the date, the volume weighted average trading price of the Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series on all trading platforms or trading systems on which the Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series are being traded over the forty-five (45) trading days then ended, provided, that if the total aggregate trading volume over such 45-trading-day period is less than 5% of the public float, such period shall be extended to the ninety (90) trading days then ended, provided, further, if the total aggregate trading volume over such 90-trading-day period is less than 5% of the public float, the holder of the Class B Ordinary Shares of such Series shall request that the Board obtain an appraisal of the value of the Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series from one or more independent nationally-recognized third party appraisal companies and such appraisal shall constitute the Class A Ordinary Share Value of such Series. |
| (g) | Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Board may determine to create and designate a single Class C Ordinary Share and, if the Board so determines, such single Class C Ordinary Share shall represent, and shall be deemed, the Class C Ordinary Share for each Series, whether then existing or created in the future. The Class C Ordinary Share will only be issued to, or subsequently transferred to, a Masterworks Investor, if any, and will have the right to remove and or replace all or any members of the Board of Managers and reconstitute the Board without “cause” for any reason, but shall otherwise have no economic interest . The Class C Ordinary Share of a Series, once issued, may be redeemed or cancelled by mutual agreement between the Class C Member of the applicable Series and the Company. If there are multiple Class C Ordinary Shares created, each Class C Ordinary Share must be held by the same holder. As of the date of this Agreement, the Board has determined to create and issue one Class C Ordinary Share, which represents, and is deemed, the Class C Ordinary Share for each existing Series and for any additional Series created in the future. |
| (h) | Any investor in a Series Tranche, generally cannot own, or be deemed to beneficially own, as “beneficial ownership” is determined pursuant to Section 13(d) and 13(g) of the Securities Act, more than 19.99% of the total number of Class A Ordinary Shares of a particular Series then outstanding. Such ownership limitation does not apply to any affiliate of Masterworks or to any lender to any affiliate of Masterworks. The Board may waive such limit on a case-by-case basis in the Board’s sole discretion. In addition, except as otherwise set forth in this Section 2.04(h), if a Member beneficially owns more than 10% of the Class A Ordinary Shares with respect to a Series offered in the applicable Series Tranche, such Member acknowledges that the Member’s name, address and holdings may be reported in the Company’s ongoing SEC filings, including the beneficial ownership table in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 1-K. If a Vote Limited Member submits an irrevocable request in writing to the Board to limit its voting rights to 10% or less of the Voting Shares of a Series, such Vote Limited Member’s name, address and holdings may not be reported in the Company’s ongoing SEC filings, unless such person is otherwise deemed to be an “affiliate” of the Company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. The determination of affiliate status for such purposes shall be made by the Board in its sole and absolute discretion and the Company or its transfer agent may require any shareholder that owns more than 10% of the Class A Ordinary Shares to provide a legal opinion and or other information it deems necessary or appropriate to determine such person’s affiliate status. If any such shareholder owns more than 10% of the Class A Ordinary Shares and is deemed to be an “affiliate”, notwithstanding the limit on voting, such person will be identified in the beneficial ownership table in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 1-K. |
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Section 2.05 Certificates and Representations of Shares.
| (a) | Shares may be recorded in book entry form or may be evidenced by certificates or electronic or crypto tokens or coins, or in any other form, as determined by the Board as may be permitted by the Delaware Act. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, unless the Board shall determine otherwise in respect of one or more classes of Shares of a Series or as may be required by the Depository with respect to any specific class of Shares of a Series, Shares shall not be evidenced by physical Certificates. No Member of any Series shall have the right to require the Company or any Series to issue physical Certificates representing Shares for any reason, except as may be required by applicable law. If the Board authorizes the issuance of Shares to any Person in the form of physical Certificates, the Company shall issue one or more Certificates in the name of such Person evidencing the number of such Shares being so issued. Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company or a Series by the Board. If and to the extent a Transfer Agent has been appointed with respect to any class or series of Shares of a Series, no Certificate representing such class or series of Shares of a Series shall be valid for any purpose until it has been countersigned by the Transfer Agent; provided, however, that if the Board elects to issue Shares in global form, the Certificates representing Shares shall be valid upon receipt of a certificate from the Transfer Agent certifying that the Shares have been duly registered in accordance with the directions of the Company. Any or all of the signatures required on the Certificate may be by facsimile. If any officer or Transfer Agent who shall have signed or whose facsimile signature shall have been placed upon any such Certificate shall have ceased to be such officer or Transfer Agent before such Certificate is issued by the Company or any Series, such Certificate may nevertheless be issued by the Company or any Series with the same effect as if such Person were such officer or Transfer Agent at the date of issue. Certificates for any class or series of Shares shall be consecutively numbered and shall be entered on the books and records of the Company and the applicable Series as they are issued and shall exhibit the holder’s name and number and type of Shares. |
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| (b) | If any mutilated Certificate is surrendered to the Company or the Transfer Agent, the appropriate officers on behalf of the Company and the applicable Series shall execute, and the Transfer Agent shall countersign and deliver in exchange therefor, a new Certificate evidencing the same number and class or series of Shares as the Certificate so surrendered. The appropriate officers on behalf of the Company and the applicable Series shall execute, and the Transfer Agent shall countersign and deliver, a new Certificate in place of any Certificate previously issued if the Record Holder of the Certificate: (i) makes proof by affidavit, in form and substance satisfactory to the Company and the applicable Series, that a previously issued Certificate has been lost, destroyed or stolen; (ii) requests the issuance of a new Certificate before the Company and the applicable Series has notice that the Certificate has been acquired by a purchaser for value in good faith and without notice of an adverse claim; (iii) if requested by the Company and the applicable Series, delivers to the Company and the applicable Series a bond, in form and substance satisfactory to the Company and the applicable Series, with surety or sureties and with fixed or open penalty as the Company and the applicable Series may direct to indemnify the Company and the applicable Series and the Transfer Agent against any claim that may be made on account of the alleged loss, destruction or theft of the Certificate; and (iv) satisfies any other reasonable requirements imposed by the Company and the applicable Series. If a Member fails to notify the Company and the applicable Series within a reasonable time after he has notice of the loss, destruction or theft of a Certificate, and a Transfer of the Shares represented by the Certificate is registered before the Company and the applicable Series or the Transfer Agent receives such notification, the Member shall be precluded from making any claim against the Company, the applicable Series or the Transfer Agent for such Transfer or for a new Certificate. As a condition to the issuance of any new Certificate under this Section 2.05, the Company and the applicable Series may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Transfer Agent) reasonably connected therewith. |
Section 2.06 Record Holders. The Company and each Series shall be entitled to recognize the Record Holder as the owner of a Share of such Series and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such Share on the part of any other Person, regardless of whether the Company or any Series shall have actual or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by law or any applicable rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any National Securities Exchange on which such Shares of such Series are listed for trading. Without limiting the foregoing, when a Person (such as a broker, dealer, bank, trust company or clearing corporation or an agent of any of the foregoing) is acting as nominee, agent or in some other representative capacity for another Person in acquiring and/or holding Shares of any Series, as between the Company and the applicable Series on the one hand, and such other Persons on the other, such representative Person shall be the Record Holder of such Shares of such applicable Series.
Section 2.07 Registration and Transfer of Shares.
| (a) | Any Transfer of any Shares of a Series shall only be completed subject to the compliance by the Member and the proposed transferee with all applicable laws; and furthermore may only be completed in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. | |
| (b) | Other than (i) any Transfer of Shares which is an Involuntary Transfer or (ii) any Transfer that occurs on an alternative trading system that has been approved by the Company and the applicable Series in writing, and Transfer of Shares of such Series shall be subject to the prior written approval of the Board, which the Board may give or withhold in its sole discretion (and any such approval may be revocable, contingent or irrevocable in the sole discretion of the Board). |
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| (c) | The Board shall keep or cause to be kept on behalf of the Company and each Series a register (which may be in electronic form) that will provide for the registration and Transfer of Shares of each Series. The Board may appoint a Transfer Agent to act as registrar and transfer agent for the purpose of registering any class of Shares and Transfers of such class of Shares as herein provided. For Shares represented by Certificates, upon surrender of a Certificate for registration of Transfer of any Shares evidenced by a Certificate, the appropriate Officers of the Company and a Series shall execute and deliver, and in the case of Shares for which a Transfer Agent has been appointed, the Transfer Agent shall countersign and deliver, in the name of the holder or the designated transferee or transferees, as required pursuant to the Record Holder’s instructions, one or more new Certificates evidencing the same aggregate number and type of Shares of the applicable Series as were evidenced by the Certificate so surrendered, provided that a transferor shall provide the address and facsimile number for each such transferee as set forth on Exhibit A at any time. | |
| (d) | Neither the Company nor any Series shall recognize any Transfer of Shares evidenced by Certificates until the Certificates evidencing such Shares are surrendered for registration of Transfer. No charge shall be imposed by the Company or any Series for such Transfer; provided, that as a condition to the issuance of Shares, whether or not such Shares are evidenced by Certificates, the Company and the applicable Series may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed with respect thereto. The Company’s transfer agent may require a transferring shareholder to pay reasonable and customary fees in connection with any voluntary transfer of Class A Shares of any Series. |
| (e) | By acceptance of the Transfer of any Share of any Series, each transferee of a Share of a Series (including any nominee holder or an agent or representative acquiring such Shares for the account of another Person) (i) shall be admitted to the Company and to the applicable Series as a Substitute Member of such Series with respect to the Shares of such Series so Transferred to such transferee when any such Transfer or admission is reflected in the books and records of the Company and the applicable Series or the Transfer Agent, as applicable, (ii) shall be deemed to agree to be bound by the terms of this Agreement, (iii) shall become the Record Holder of the Shares of such Series so transferred, (iv) grants powers of attorney to the Officers of the Company and such Series and any Liquidating Trustee, as specified herein, and (v) makes the consents and waivers contained in this Agreement. The Transfer of any Shares of a Series and the admission of any new Member of a Series shall not constitute an amendment to this Agreement. | |
| (f) | Nothing contained in this Agreement shall preclude electronic book-entry only Transfer of Shares or the settlement of any transactions involving Shares entered into through electronic systems maintained by the Administrator on behalf of the Company or any Series, facilities of the Depository or any National Securities Exchange on which such Shares are listed for trading. |
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| (g) | The Initial Member and its Affiliates shall not be permitted to Transfer any Class B Shares of a Series that are Beneficially Owned by them prior to the one-year anniversary of the final closing of the applicable Series Tranche, except to a Masterworks Affiliate or as required by law or in bankruptcy or similar proceeding, provided, however, notwithstanding the definition of the term “Transfer,” the Initial Member and its Affiliates shall be permitted, during such one-year period, to pledge any or all of such Shares of the applicable Series to unaffiliated third-party lenders and, for the avoidance of doubt, such lenders shall not be subject to the provisions of this Section 2.07(g) if they obtain Beneficial Ownership of such Shares of such applicable Series in connection with a default by the Initial Member and its Affiliates pursuant to the transactions in which such third-party lenders obtained such Shares. | |
| (h) | Any Class A shares of an applicable Series held by a Member that beneficially owns greater than 10% of the outstanding Class A shares of such Series, whether or not any of such shares constitute Voting Shares of such Series for purposes of this Agreement, shall bear a customary “restricted” legend, which may be a virtual legend, evidencing the restricted nature thereof. Such Member shall not be entitled to execute a voluntarily transfer of such shares through the ATS (or any similar system or market that permits transfers of unrestricted securities) or request removal of such restrictive legend on such shares, unless the Company, the applicable Series and its Transfer Agent are satisfied, in their sole and absolute discretion, that such proposed de-legending and/or transfer complies with applicable federal securities laws and the Company and/or the Company’s Transfer Agent shall be entitled to require the requesting Member to furnish the Company and the applicable Series with an opinion from counsel of national recognition in support of such request. |
| (i) | The Class C Ordinary Share, once issued, can only be transferred between Masterworks affiliated entities, including from one Masterworks Investor to another. |
| (j) | Any Transfer or attempted Transfer of any Share(s) of any Series in contravention of this Agreement shall be absolutely null and void ab initio and of no force or effect, on or against the Company, any Series, any Member of any Series, any creditor of the Company or any Series or any claimant against the Company or any Series, and may be enjoined, and shall not be recorded on the books and records of the Company or any Series. No distributions of cash or property of the Company or any Series shall be made to any transferee of any Share(s) or any Series which is/are Transferred in violation hereof, nor shall any such Transfer be registered on the books of the Company or any Series. The Transfer or attempted Transfer of any Share(s) or any Series in violation hereof shall not affect the Beneficial Ownership of such Share(s) of such Series, and, notwithstanding such Transfer or attempted Transfer, the Member of such Series making such prohibited Transfer or attempted Transfer shall retain the right to vote, if any, and the right to receive liquidation proceeds and any other distributions with respect to the Shares of such Series. |
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| (k) | A Member shall cease to be associated with a Series and to have the power to exercise any rights or powers of a Member with respect to such Series upon the assignment of all of the Member’s Shares with respect to such Series. Any event under the Delaware Act or this Agreement that causes a member to cease to be associated with a Series shall not, in itself, cause such Member to cease to be associated with any other Series or terminate the continued membership of a Member in the Company or cause the termination of the Series, regardless of whether such Member was the last remaining member associated with such Series. |
Section 2.08 Voting.
| (a) | Unless otherwise provided in this Agreement or any Series Designation, (i) each Voting Share of each Series shall be entitled to one vote for all matters submitted for the consent or approval of Members of the Company generally, (ii) each Voting Share (regardless of Series) shall vote together as a single class on all matters as to which all holders of Voting Shares are entitled to vote, (iii) Voting Shares of a particular Series shall be entitled to one vote for all matters submitted for the consent or approval of the Members of such Series. Except as otherwise set forth in this Agreement, the Voting Shares shall vote together as a single class on all matters submitted for approval of Members. Upon the issuance of the Class B Ordinary Shares of any Series, the Class B Ordinary Shares of such Series shall constitute Voting Shares of such Series and have the right to vote on any matter on which the Members overall, or the Members of such Series, are entitled to vote on hereunder or on which the Members overall, or the Members of such Series, are required to vote pursuant to the Delaware Act and shall be entitled to and shall constitute one (1) vote. Upon any issuance of any Class A Ordinary Shares of a Series, the Class B Ordinary Shares of such Series shall no longer constitute Voting Shares of such Series and shall have no further voting rights, either with respect to the applicable Series or the Company overall, except as specifically set forth herein or in a Series Designation, unless such right to vote is specifically required and mandated by the Delaware Act or as set forth herein. |
| (b) | In determining any action or other matter to be undertaken by or on behalf of the Company overall, each Member shall be entitled to cast a number of votes equal to the number of Voting Shares that such Member holds, with the power to vote, at the time of such vote unless otherwise set forth in this Agreement. Unless otherwise set forth in this Agreement, or otherwise required by the Delaware Act, the taking of any action by the Company which required a vote of the Members as set forth above shall be authorized by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Voting Shares, subject to any approval of the Board as required herein. | |
| (c) | In determining any action or other matter to be undertaken by or on behalf of any Series, each Member of such Series shall be entitled to cast a number of votes equal to the number of Voting Shares of such Series that such Member holds, with the power to vote, at the time of such vote unless otherwise set forth in this Agreement. Unless otherwise set forth in this Agreement, or otherwise required by the Delaware Act, the taking of any action by any Series which required a vote of the Members of such Series as set forth above shall be authorized by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Voting Shares of such Series, subject to any approval of the Board as required herein. |
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| (d) | Notwithstanding the forgoing, any Class A Shares of any Series issued to any Affiliate of the Administrator pursuant to the Management Services Agreement, as set forth in Section 2.04 or otherwise held by any Affiliate of the Administrator (the “Masterworks Shares”), shall not, while such Shares are Beneficially Owned by any Affiliate of the Administrator, be entitled to vote on any matter, as to any Series, on which the Class A Members of such Series are entitled or required to vote hereunder or pursuant to the Delaware Act, and shall not be considered in determining the existence of a quorum or in the total number of votes available or required hereunder or pursuant to the Delaware Act. Once the Masterworks Shares of a particular Series, if any, are Transferred to any Person who is not an Affiliate of the Administrator, the Masterworks Shares of such Series shall thereafter have all voting rights with respect to such Series that any other Voting Shares of such Series held by any Class A Member of such Series have hereunder or pursuant to the Delaware Act. In the event that the Delaware Act or any other law requires, at any time, that the Masterworks Shares of a particular Series vote on any matter notwithstanding the provisions herein, the Masterworks Shares of such Series shall be required to be, and shall be, voted in the same proportion as the Voting Shares of such Series that are not Masterworks Shares of such Series are voted by the Class A Members of such Series. Any Masterworks Shares shall bear a customary “restricted” legend, which may be a virtual legend, evidencing the restricted nature thereof. | |
| (e) | In addition to the other matters on which the Members holding Voting Shares have the right to vote as set forth herein, the approval of Members holding a majority of the Voting Shares of a Series shall be required for such Series to undertake any of the following actions, except as otherwise set forth herein: |
| (i) | acquiring any additional material assets, other than those incidental to the direct or indirect ownership, maintenance and promotion of the Series Artwork or the eventual Sale of the Series Artwork for such Series and other than the ownership of any equity or membership interests of any subsidiary of the Company which owns or holds the Series Artwork for such Series; |
| (ii) | conducting any business activities, except for activities relating to its direct or indirect investment in the Series Artwork for such Series and the ownership, maintenance and promotion of the Series Artwork for such Series or the eventual Sale of the Series Artwork for such Series; and | ||
| (iii) | incurring any material loans or material borrowing arrangements to be entered into by such Series as a debtor other than those incidental to the direct or indirect investment in the Series Artwork for such Series and the ownership, maintenance and promotion of the Series Artwork for such Series or the eventual Sale of the Series Artwork for such Series; and |
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| (f) | Each Series will own, directly or indirectly, its Series Artwork for an indefinite period and may sell its Series Artwork at any time following the final closing of the Series Tranche for such Series. | |
| (g) | In any vote of the Voting Members pursuant to Section 2.08(e), any Shares that are Beneficially Owned by the Initial Member or any Affiliate of the Initial Member, shall not be entitled to vote of any such matter and shall not be considered in determining the total number of votes available or required hereunder or pursuant to the Delaware Act, provided, however, that, in the event that the Delaware Act or any other law requires that such Shares that are Beneficially Owned by the Initial Member or any Affiliate of the Initial Member vote on any matter notwithstanding this Section 2.08(h), such Shares shall be required to be, and shall be, voted in the same proportion as the Voting Shares that are Beneficially Owned by Members holding Voting Shares other than the Initial Member or any Affiliate of the Initial Member. | |
| (h) | Any member that beneficially owns 5% or more of the Class A shares (excluding shares beneficially owned by Masterworks) may provide the Company with a Vote Limit Certificate in the form of Exhibit B that from the effective date set forth in such notice (or if no such effective date is indicated, the date such notice is received by the Company) such Member shall be subject to a Vote Limit. Any shares beneficially owned by such Vote Limited Member in excess of the Vote Limit shall not constitute Voting Shares for any purposes of this Agreement for so long as such shares are beneficially owned by such Vote Limited Member or any affiliate of such Vote Limited Member. |
Section 2.09 Removal or Replacement of a Manager. Any Manager may be removed or replaced without “Cause” at any time by a majority of the Board and each Manager may be removed and or replaced and the Board can be reconstituted for any reason by the Class C Member, if any. In addition, any Manager may be removed for “Cause” upon the approval of Voting Members holdings at least two-thirds of all of the Voting Shares of all of the Series then existing, all voting as one group and one class. For purposes herein, “Cause” shall mean:
| (a) | the commission by the applicable Manager of fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct; | |
| (b) | the conviction of the applicable Manager of a felony; | |
| (c) | a material violation by the applicable Manager of any applicable law that has a material adverse effect on the business of the Company and all of the Series, overall; or | |
| (d) | the bankruptcy or insolvency of the applicable Manager. |
Section 2.10 Withdrawal or Removal and Replacement of Administrator. The Administrator may withdraw for any reason upon notice to the Initial Member, provided that such withdrawal shall be effective only following a Sale of the Series Artwork as to each Series then existing and distribution of the proceeds. The Administrator may be removed and replaced at any time for any reason with or without approval of the Board upon the affirmative vote of Voting Members holdings at least two-thirds of all of the Voting Shares of all of the Series then existing, all voting as one group and one class.
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Section 2.11 Reliance by Third Parties. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, any Person dealing with the Company or any Series shall be entitled to assume that the Board and any Officer of the Company or any Series has full power and authority to encumber, sell or otherwise use in any manner any and all assets of the Company or such Series and to enter into any contracts on behalf of the Company or such Series, and such Person shall be entitled to deal with the Board or any Officer as if it were the Company’s or such Series’ sole party in interest, both legally and beneficially. Each Member hereby waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any and all defenses or other remedies that may be available against such Person to contest, negate or disaffirm any action of the Board or any Officer in connection with any such dealing. In no event shall any Person dealing with the Board or any Officer or its representatives be obligated to ascertain that the terms of this Agreement have been complied with or to inquire into the necessity or expedience of any act or action of the Board or any Officer or its representatives. Each and every certificate, document or other instrument executed on behalf of the Company or any Series by the Board or any Officer or its representatives shall be conclusive evidence in favor of any and every Person relying thereon or claiming thereunder that (a) at the time of the execution and delivery of such certificate, document or instrument, this Agreement were in full force and effect, (b) the Person executing and delivering such certificate, document or instrument was duly authorized and empowered to do so for and on behalf of the Company or any Series and (c) such certificate, document or instrument was duly executed and delivered in accordance with the terms and provisions of this Agreement and is binding upon the Company or the applicable Series.
Section 2.12 Books and Records. The Board shall keep or cause to be kept at the principal office of the Company or such other place as determined by the Board appropriate books and records with respect to the business of the Company and each Series, including all books and records necessary to provide to the Members any information required to be provided pursuant to this Agreement or applicable law. Any books and records maintained by or on behalf of the Company or any Series in the regular course of its business, including the record of the Members, books of account and records of Company or Series proceedings, may be kept in such electronic form as may be determined by the Board; provided, that the books and records so maintained are convertible into clearly legible written form within a reasonable period of time. Each Member shall have the right, upon reasonable demand for any purpose reasonably related to the Member’s interest as a member of the Company (as reasonably determined by the Board) to such information pertaining to the Company as a whole and to each Series in which such Member has an Interest, to the extent and subject to the limitations set forth in Section 18-305 of the Delaware Act; provided, that prior to such Member having the ability to access such information, the Board shall be permitted to require such Member to enter into a confidentiality agreement in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Board. For the avoidance of doubt, except as may specifically be permitted or required herein, a Member shall only have access to the information (including any Series Designation) referenced with respect to any Series in which such Member is a holder of Shares and not to any Series in which such Member does not hold any Shares.
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Section 2.13 Bank Accounts. Funds of each Series formed under the Company may be deposited with banks or other financial institutions in such account(s) of the Company as may be determined by the Board from time to time. The Board shall ensure records are maintained for each Series that account for the assets associated with that Series separately from the assets of the Company or any other Series including records of all funds received and disbursed by each Series from bank accounts of the Company.
Article III. Capital Contributions; Capital Account; Distributions; Allocations
Section 3.01 Capital Contributions. Persons seeking to become a Member shall be required to purchase or acquire Shares with respect to a particular Series and make capital contributions in such forms and in such amounts and at such times as the Board may require, if any, in its sole discretion with respect to such Series (any, with respect to each applicable Series, a “Capital Contribution”) whereupon a capital account for a new Member with respect to such Series will be established, and, if applicable, accreted, in the amount of such Member’s Capital Contribution or based upon the fair market value of property contributed, and the new Member shall be issued a number of Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series as determined by the Board, and the Board shall update Exhibit A attached hereto accordingly. The provisions of this Section 3.01 are solely intended for the benefit of the Members and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, shall not be construed as conferring any benefit upon any creditor of the Company or any Series (and no such creditor shall be a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement). The Members shall have no duty or obligation to any creditor of the Company to make any contribution to the Company or to any Series.
Section 3.02 Capital Account.
| (a) | There shall be established for each Member of each Series on the books of the Company and the applicable Series, a capital account in accordance with Section 704 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder (as to each such Series, a “Capital Account”). | |
| (b) | At the close of each Fiscal Year of a Series, and at certain other periods, as in the case of a withdrawal, there shall be determined for each Member of such Series, such Member’s closing Capital Account with respect to such Series for such period which shall be determined by adjusting such Member’s opening Capital Account with respect to such Series for such period, as the case may be, as follows: (i) by increasing such Member’s Capital Account with respect to such Series by (A) such Member’s allocable share of each item of such Series’ income and gain for such period (allocated in accordance with Section 3.02(d)), and (B) the Capital Contributions with respect to such Series, if any, made by such Member with respect to such Series during such period and (ii) by decreasing such Member’s Capital Account with respect to such Series by (A) the amount of cash or the Fair Value of any property distributed in kind to such Member with respect to such Series by such Series during such period and (B) such Member’s allocable share of each item of such Series’ loss and deduction for such period (allocated in accordance with Section 3.02(d)). Each Member’s Capital Account with respect to each Series shall be further adjusted with respect to any special allocations or adjustments pursuant to this Agreement. |
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| (c) | In the event the Company or the applicable Series is terminated during any period in accordance with Article VI, the closing Capital Accounts with respect to the applicable Series of the Members for such Fiscal Year of such Series then completed will be determined as of the date of termination of the Company or the Series, as applicable, in the manner provided in this Section 3.02. | |
| (d) | For each Fiscal Period of a Series, as of the end of such Fiscal Period, each item of income, deduction, gain or loss of the applicable Series (determined in accordance with U.S. tax principles as applied to the maintenance of capital accounts) shall be allocated among the Capital Accounts with respect to such Series of the Members in such Series in such manner that as closely as possible gives economic effect to the provisions of Section 3.03 and Section 6.03(b). | |
| (e) | If all or a portion of a Member’s Shares with respect to a Series are Transferred in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the transferee shall succeed to the Capital Account with respect to the applicable Series of the transferor to the extent it relates to the Shares of such Series so transferred. |
Section 3.03 Distributions
| (a) | Each Series, in the sole discretion of the Board, in the event there are Available Funds with respect to such Series, may make distributions thereof (“Distributions”) to Members of such Series as set forth herein. “Available Funds” means, as to each Series, the gross cash receipts from activities of such Series, less the sum of: (1) payments of debts or obligations of such Series; (2) costs and expenses incurred in the conduct of such Series’ business; and (3) amounts reserved to meet the reasonable needs of such Series, if any. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no Member of a Series may receive a Distribution with respect to such Series to the extent that, after giving effect to such Distribution, all liabilities of the applicable Series (other than to a Member on account of its Shares in such Series and liabilities for which the recourse of creditors is limited to specific property of such Series) exceed the fair market value of the assets of such Series (except that property that is subject to a liability for which the recourse of the creditors is limited to such property shall be included in the assets of such Series only to the extent the Fair Market Value of such property exceeds that liability). In the event of a Distribution to a Member of a Series that would be deemed violative of applicable law, the applicable Member may be required to return such Distribution to the applicable Series for the benefit of such Series. Each Distribution in respect of any Shares of a Series shall be paid by the Series, directly or through the Transfer Agent (acting as paying agent) or through any other Person or agent, only to the Record Holder of such Shares of the applicable Series as of the record date set for such Distribution with respect to such Series as determined by the Board. Such payment shall constitute full payment and satisfaction of such Series’ and the Company’s liability in respect of such payment, regardless of any claim of any Person who may have an interest in such payment by reason of an assignment or otherwise. |
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| (b) | If the Board declares and determines to make any Distribution of cash or other assets to the Members of a Series, all such Distributions shall be made to the Members of such Series as follows: |
| (i) | 100% to the Class A Members of such Series, pro rata in proportion to the number of Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series held by each such Member of such Series until the aggregate Distributions (including all prior Distributions made pursuant to this Section 3.03, if any) paid per Class A Ordinary Share of such Series equals $20.00; and | |
| (ii) | In the event any funds remain available for distribution after payments referenced in Section 3.03(b)(i), (1) 80% of such remaining amount to the Class A Members of such Series, pro rata in proportion to the number of Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series held by each such Member of such Series and (2) 20% of such remaining amount to the Class B Members of such Series, pro rata in proportion to the number of Class B Ordinary Shares of such Series held by each such Member of such Series, provided that the percentage of such remaining amount required to be distributed to the Class B Members of such Series shall be reduced (and the percentage distributed to the Class A Members of such Series shall be correspondingly increased) to the extent any Class B Ordinary Shares of such Series have been previously converted into Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series, by the percentage of Class B Ordinary Shares of such Series previously converted into Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series. Upon mutual agreement of the Class B Members of such Series and the Company, the Class B Ordinary Shares of such Series may be redeemed by the Company for a nominal amount. |
| (c) | By way of examples and not limitation, (i) in the event of a Distribution pursuant to Section 3.03(b)(ii) prior to the conversion of any Class B Ordinary Shares of a Series, such Distribution shall be apportioned 20% to the Class B Ordinary Shares of such Series and 80% to the Class A Shares of such Series, pro rata, and (ii) in the event of a Distribution pursuant to Section 3.03(b)(ii) following the conversion of 25% of the Class B Ordinary Shares of a Series, the Distribution apportioned to the Class B Ordinary Shares of such Series shall be proportionately reduced by 25% of 20%, to 15%. | |
| (d) | Except as otherwise provided herein or as required by law, no Member shall be required to restore or repay to the Company or to any Series any funds properly distributed to it pursuant to this Section 3.03. | |
| (e) | The Company shall not make a distribution with respect to a Series to a Member to the extent that at the time of the distribution, after giving effect to the distribution, all liabilities of such Series, other than liabilities to members on account of their limited liability company interests with respect to such Series and liabilities for which the recourse of creditors is limited to specified property of such Series, exceed the fair value of the assets associated with such Series, except that the fair value of property of such Series that is subject to a liability for which the recourse of creditors is limited shall be included in the assets associated with such Series only to the extent that the fair value of that property exceeds that liability. For purposes of the immediately preceding sentence, the term “distribution” shall include any amount paid in any redemption, but shall not include amounts constituting reasonable compensation for present or past services or reasonable payments made in the ordinary course of business pursuant to a bona fide retirement plan or other benefits program. A Member who receives a distribution in violation of this Section 3.03(e), and who knew at the time of the distribution that the distribution violated this Section 3.03(e), shall be liable to the Series for the amount of the distribution. A Member who receives a distribution in violation of this Section 3.03(e), and who did not know at the time of the distribution that the distribution violated this Section 3.03(e), shall not be liable for the amount of the distribution. Subject to Section 18-607(c) of the Delaware Act, which shall apply to any distribution made with respect to a Series under this Section 3.03(e), this Section 3.03(e) shall not affect any obligation or liability of a member under an agreement or other applicable law for the amount of a distribution. |
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| (f) | The Board may also determine at any time to declare a distribution to the Class B Member of any Series in the amount of the initial capital contribution to such Series. |
Section 3.04 Tax Allocations. Each item of income, gain, loss or deduction recognized by each Series shall be allocated among the Members of such Series for U.S. federal, state and local income tax purposes in the same manner that each such item is allocated to the Member’s Capital Accounts with respect to such Series pursuant to Section 3.02(d) or as otherwise provided herein, provided that the Board may adjust such allocations as long as such adjusted allocations have substantial economic effect or are in accordance with the interests of the Members in such Series, in each case within the meaning of the Code and the Treasury Regulations. Tax credits and tax credit recapture shall be allocated in accordance with the interests of such Members in the applicable Series as provided in Treasury Regulations section 1.704-1(b)(4)(ii). Items of taxable income, gain, loss and deduction with respect to any property (other than cash) contributed to the capital of the applicable Series or revalued shall, solely for tax purposes, be allocated among the Members of such Series, as determined by the Board in accordance with Section 704(c) of the Code, so as to take account of any variation between the adjusted basis of such property to the applicable Series for U.S. federal income tax purposes and its fair market value at the time of contribution or revaluation, as the case may be. All of the Members agree that the Board is authorized to select the method or convention, or to treat an item as an extraordinary item, in relation to any variation of any Member’s interest in any Series described in section 1.706-4 of the Treasury Regulations in determining the Members’ distributive shares of a Series’ items. All matters concerning allocations for U.S. federal, state and local and non-U.S. income tax purposes, including accounting procedures, not expressly provided for by the terms of this Agreement shall be determined by the Board in its sole discretion. Each Class B Ordinary Share of each Series is intended to be treated as a profits interest for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and all of the Members agree to report consistently with, and to take any action requested by the Board to ensure, such treatment.
Article IV. Liability; Indemnification
Section 4.01 Liability of a Member. The liability of each Member shall be limited as provided in the Delaware Act and as set forth in this Agreement. No Member of a Series shall be obligated to restore by way of Capital Contribution with respect to such Series or otherwise any deficits in its Capital Account (if such deficits occur) with respect to such Series.
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Section 4.02 Exculpation and Indemnification.
| (a) | No Protected Person shall be liable to the Company or to any Series or any Manager or any other Member of any Series for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it or by other Person with respect to the Company or any Series, including any negligent act or failure to act, except in the case of a liability resulting from such Protected Person’s own actual fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct, bad faith, breach of fiduciary duty, reckless disregard of duty or any intentional and material breach of this Agreement or conduct that is subject of a criminal proceeding (where such Protected Person has reasonable cause to believe that such conduct was unlawful). With the prior consent of the Board, any Protected Person may consult with legal counsel and accountants with respect to Company and Series affairs (including interpretations of this Agreement) and shall be fully protected and justified in any action or inaction which is taken or omitted in good faith, in reliance upon and in accordance with the opinion or advice of such counsel or accountants. In determining whether a Protected Person acted with the requisite degree of care, such Protected Person shall be entitled to rely on written or oral reports, opinions, certificates and other statements of the directors, officers, employees, consultants, attorneys, accountants and professional advisors of the Company and of any Series selected with reasonable care; provided that no such Protected Person may rely upon such statements if it believed that such statements were materially false. |
| (b) | To the fullest extent permitted by law, each Series shall indemnify, hold harmless, protect and defend each Protected Person against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, including reasonable legal fees, costs and expenses incurred in investigating or defending against any such losses, claims, damages or liabilities or in enforcing a Protected Person’s right to indemnification under this Agreement, and any amounts expended in respect of settlements of any claims approved by the Board (collectively, “Liabilities”), to which any Protected Person may become subject (i) by reason of any act or omission or alleged act or omission (even if negligent) arising out of or in connection with the activities of such Series; or (ii) by reason of the fact that it is or was acting in connection with the activities of such Series in any capacity or that it is or was serving at the request of such Series as a partner, shareholder, member, director, officer, employee, or agent of any Person; unless, such Liability results from such Protected Person’s own actual fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct, bad faith, breach of fiduciary duty, reckless disregard of duty or intentional and material breach of this Agreement or conduct that is subject of a criminal proceeding (where such Protected Person has reasonable cause to believe that such conduct was unlawful) with respect to such Series. | |
| (c) | The Administrator may, on behalf of any Series, reimburse (and/or advance to the extent reasonably required) each Protected Person for reasonable legal or other costs and expenses (as incurred) of such Protected Person in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending any claim, lawsuit or other proceeding relating to any Liabilities for which the Protected Person may be indemnified pursuant to this Section 4.02 and for all costs and expenses, including fees, expenses and disbursements of attorneys, reasonably incurred by such Protected Person in enforcing the indemnification provisions of this Section 4.02; provided, that such Protected Person executes a written undertaking to repay the applicable Series for such reimbursed or advanced costs and expenses if it is finally judicially determined that such Protected Person is not entitled to the indemnification provided by this Section 4.02. Upon any liquidation of the applicable Series or the Company overall, such reimbursements or advancement of expenses shall be reimbursed by the applicable Series to the Administrator prior to any other distributions hereunder. |
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| (d) | The provisions of this Section 4.02 shall continue to afford protection to each Protected Person regardless of whether such Protected Person remains in the position or capacity pursuant to which such Protected Person became entitled to indemnification under this Section 4.02 and regardless of any subsequent amendment to this Agreement; provided, that, no such amendment shall reduce or restrict the extent to which these indemnification provisions apply to actions taken or omissions made prior to the date of such amendment. | |
| (e) | Any indemnification under this Section 4.02 or otherwise shall be paid out of and to the extent of the applicable Series’ assets only and to the extent any such indemnification relates to multiple Series, the Board shall, in its sole and absolute discretion, determine the method by which to allocate such indemnification to the respective Series. |
Article V. Accounting; Financial and Tax Matters
Section 5.01 Accounting Basis. The Company and each Series shall use such method of accounting as may be determined by the Board that is consistent with United States generally accepted accounting principles or such other accounting methods and conventions as the Board may from time to time determine, provided, the Company financial statements shall be prepared in a manner that complies with applicable requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Section 5.02 Tax Matters.
| (a) | The Board (shall designate a Person as the partnership representative of the Company and of each Series for purposes of Section 6223 of the Code (“Partnership Representative”) and any similar provision under any state or local or non-U.S. tax laws, and such Person shall be responsible for acting as the liaison between the Company, any Series, and the Internal Revenue Service (“Service”). The Partnership Representative shall have the exclusive authority and discretion to determine all matters and shall be authorized to take any actions necessary with respect to preparing and filing any U.S. federal, state or local or non-U.S. tax returns of the Company or any Series, to make or cause the Company and any Series to make any elections required or permitted to be made by the Company or any Series under any provisions of the Code or any other applicable laws and has the sole authority under the Code to deal with the Service regarding any audit, examination or investigation (including any judicial or administrative proceeding) of the Company or any Series by any U.S. federal, state or local or non-U.S. taxing authority (“Tax Proceeding”) to the exclusion of all Members. At any time during an audit by the Service of the Company or any Series, the Board shall have the authority to remove, with or without cause, the Partnership Representative and appoint a replacement Partnership Representative. |
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| (b) | Each of the Members consents to and agrees to become bound by all actions of the Partnership Representative, including any contest, settlement or other action or position which the Partnership Representative may deem proper under the circumstances. The Members specifically acknowledge, without limiting the general applicability of this Section 5.02, that the Partnership Representative will not be liable, responsible or accountable in damages or otherwise to the Company, to any Series or any Member with respect to any action taken by it in its capacity as a Partnership Representative, except for bad faith, fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct or breach of fiduciary duty. All reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Partnership Representative in such capacity will be considered expenses of the Company for which the Partnership Representative will be entitled to full reimbursement by each of the Series in a manner that is fair and equitable as determined by the Board. | |
| (c) | In connection with any Tax Proceeding, the Partnership Representative shall resolve each issue in the Tax Proceeding only in accordance with the affirmative accession of the Board to the advice of the Partnership Representative made, either independently or in consultation with the Company’s and any Series’ tax preparer, after appropriately articulating to it the issues involved and the dynamics of the impact upon the Company, each Series and the Members respective to any such proposed posture. |
| (d) | If, in connection with a Tax Proceeding, the Service assesses a tax against the Company or any Series, the Partnership Representative, acting under Section 6225(c)(2) of the Code, may require all of the Members (or applicable Members), or Persons who were previously Members (or applicable Members) as to an applicable Reviewed Year but not as of an applicable Adjustment Year, and the Persons signing this Agreement as a condition to becoming a Member hereby agree in such case, to file amended tax returns for the Reviewed Year and to pay their share of such assessed tax for such applicable period, in proportion to the share of partnership income or loss ascribed to each for such year, or, as necessary, upon such substantially similar allocation basis as the former basis of allocation may under then existing circumstances be required to be modified to address in a case in which the obligated Person would not as of such an applicable Adjustment Year then be a Member. This provision shall survive each Person’s cessation as a Member of any Series or any amendment or termination of this Agreement for so long as a return of a Reviewed Year of the Company or any Series as to which any Person was a Member of any Series would be open to audit, and each Person signing this Agreement as a Member hereby agrees to indemnify the Company, each Series of which they are a Member, and the other Members from and against any amounts of assessed taxes as they would be otherwise obligated to pay in accordance with this Section 5.02, in a case in which such Person would not do so, as well as against all reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs that would be incurred by the Company or any Series or such other one or more Members in the event undertakings, including legal proceedings, to enforce such obligation hereunder against such Person were commenced. |
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| (e) | The Members acknowledge that the Board reserves the right to supplement or amend any applicable provisions of this Agreement, including as to this Section 5.02, to address such additional processes or procedures as may be indicated as such unresolved issues are prospectively addressed as to reasonably facilitate the Company’s and each Series’ compliance with the Code. | |
| (f) | The Members shall provide the Company and each Series with such information, which may be necessary or desirable in connection with preparing and filing tax elections or otherwise in connection with the compliance with applicable tax laws, including providing information in connection with Section 743 of the Code and elections permitted thereunder. The Board shall cause to be prepared and filed all tax returns of the Company and any Series that are required for U.S. federal, state or local or non-U.S. tax purposes and shall make all determinations as to tax elections by the Company and any Series. The Company and each Series shall use reasonable efforts to furnish to all Members tax information as is reasonably required for U.S. federal, state and local income tax reporting purposes as soon as practicable following the end of the fiscal year. Each Member shall be required to report for all tax purposes consistently with such information provided by the Company and any Series. |
| (g) | Notwithstanding anything otherwise to the contrary herein, the Board is authorized to take any action that may be required to cause the Company and each Series to comply with any withholding or other similar requirements established pursuant to the Code or any other provision of U.S. federal, state or local or non-U.S. tax law or otherwise. To the extent the Company or any Series is required to or elects to withhold and pay over or otherwise pay any withholding or other taxes payable, or required to be deducted, by the Company or any Series or any of their respective Affiliates pursuant to the Code or any provision of U.S. federal, state or local or non-U.S. tax law or otherwise, attributable to a Member (including taxes attributable to income or gain allocable to such Member) or resulting from such Member’s participation in the Company or any Series or a Transfer to such Member, the Board may treat the amount withheld as a distribution of cash pursuant to Section 3.03 to the extent such Member would have received a cash distribution but for such withholding or other taxes. To the extent that such payment exceeds the cash distribution that such Member would have received but for such withholding or other taxes, the Board shall notify such Member as to the amount of such excess and such Member shall make a prompt payment to the applicable Series of such amount by wire transfer, which payment shall not constitute a Capital Contribution of such Member to the applicable Series. |
Article VI. Dissolution; Redemption; Winding Up; Termination
Section 6.01. Dissolution.
| (a) | The Company as a whole shall dissolve and commence its winding up upon the first to occur of the following (each, a “Company Dissolution Event”): |
| (i) | upon the determination of the Voting Members of all of the Series, voting as one class, with the approval of the Board, at any time; | |
| (ii) | the insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company; |
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| (iii) | the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of each of the Series; or | |
| (iv) | the entry of a decree of judicial dissolution for the Company under Section 18-802 of the Delaware Act. |
| (b) | Unless otherwise provided in a Series Designation, a Series shall terminate and a Series commence its winding up upon the first to occur of the following (such events, together with the events set forth in Section 6.01(c), each a “Series Dissolution Event”): |
| (i) | upon the determination of the Voting Members of such Series with the approval of the Board, at any time; | |
| (ii) | the insolvency or bankruptcy of such Series; | |
| (iii) | the sale of all or substantially all of such Series’ assets (including following a dissolution of the Segregated Portfolio owned by the Series); | |
| (iv) | an event set forth as an event of termination of such Series in the Series Designation establishing such Series; | |
| (v) | at any time that there are no Members of such Series, unless the business of such Series is continued in accordance with the Delaware Act; or |
| (c) | A “Series Dissolution Event” shall also occur upon: |
| (i) | the termination of such Series under Section 18-215(b)(ii) of the Delaware Act; and | |
| (ii) | the occurrence of a Company Dissolution Event, which shall result in a Series Dissolution Event as to all Series then existing. |
| (d) | The dissolution of the Company or any Series pursuant to Section 18-801(a)(3) of the Delaware Act shall be strictly prohibited. | |
| (e) | Subject to Section 18-801 of the Delaware Act, a Series may be terminated and its affairs wound up without causing the dissolution of the Company. The termination of a Series shall not affect the limitation on liabilities of such series provided by the Delaware Act or this Agreement. |
Section 6.02. Redemption.
| (a) | Upon the occurrence of the Sale of the Series Artwork with respect to a Series, such Series shall use its reasonable best efforts to repurchase and redeem all of the Class A Ordinary Shares of such Series then outstanding (the “Redemption Shares”) from each Class A Member of such Series for an amount per Class A Ordinary Share of such Series equal to the Liquidation Price applicable to such Series (each, a “Redemption”). The Redemption of any Class A Ordinary Shares of a Series shall be effected by such Series making payment of the applicable Liquidation Price to the account of the Member of such Series (or to a custodian or agent for the benefit of the Member of such Series) or by such other means as the Board reasonably determines and the Class A Ordinary Share(s) of such Series for which the liquidation amount has been paid shall be deemed to be retired and canceled immediately upon the making of such payment. |
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| (b) | Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Redemption with respect to a Series shall be completed no later than one day prior to the date a liquidating distribution with respect to such Series is required to be made pursuant to Section 6.03 (the “Redemption End Date”). | |
| (c) | To the extent that the Redemption is not complete as of the Redemption End Date, any Class A Members of the applicable Series remaining shall be paid a liquidating distribution equal to the Liquidation Price per Share of the applicable Series in accordance with Section 6.03. | |
| (d) | No monies shall be distributed in connection with the Redemptions to the Administrator, the Initial Member or their Affiliates in respect of Shares of the applicable Series owned by them and such funds shall only be distributed in connection with a liquidating distribution pursuant to Section 6.03. |
| (e) | No Series shall engage in a Redemption unless the applicable Series has determined that (i) the Liquidation Price payable in the Redemption will be the same as the amount payable per Class A Ordinary Share of such Series in a liquidating distribution and (ii) no liabilities, obligations or claims (actual or contingent) of such Series, other than claims of Members of such Series with respect to Shares of such Series, exist, will be incurred or are reasonably likely to be asserted against such Series and the applicable Series shall have obtained reasonable assurances from the Administrator that any liabilities, obligations or claims, if asserted, would be the sole and absolute responsibility of the Administrator pursuant to the Management Services Agreement, irrespective of the nature or magnitude of such liabilities, obligations or claims. | |
| (f) | Except as otherwise provided herein or as required by law, no Member shall be required to restore or repay to any Series any funds properly distributed to it pursuant to this Section 6.02. |
Section 6.03. Winding Up and Termination of a Series.
| (a) | Except to the extent set forth in Section 6.02, upon the occurrence of a Series Dissolution Event, the property and business of the applicable Series shall be wound up by the Board or, in the event of the unavailability of the Board, by a Person designated as a liquidating trustee by the Board (the Board or such liquidating trustee, the “Liquidating Trustee”). Subject to the requirements of applicable law and the further provisions of this Section 6.03, the Liquidating Trustee shall have discretion in determining whether to sell or otherwise dispose of all Series Property for the applicable Series or to distribute the same in kind and the timing and manner of such disposition or distribution. While the applicable Series continues to hold Series Property, the Liquidating Trustee may in its discretion expend funds, acquire additional assets and borrow funds. The Liquidating Trustee may also authorize the payment of fees and expenses reasonably required in connection with the winding up of the applicable Series and any fees and expenses payable pursuant to any agreement to which the applicable Series is party. |
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| (b) | Within a reasonable period of time following the occurrence of a Series Dissolution Event, after allocating all items of income, gain, loss or deduction for such Series pursuant to Section 3.04, all of the Series Property of the applicable Series (except for assets reserved pursuant to Section 6.04) shall be applied and distributed in the following manner and order of priority: First, to the claims of all creditors of the applicable Series (including Members except to the extent not permitted by law) shall be paid and discharged other than liabilities for which reasonable provision for payment has been made; and, second, to the Members of such Series in the same manner as Distributions under Section 3.03. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, liquidating distributions shall be made no later than the last to occur of (x) 90 days after the date of disposition (including pursuant to Section 6.04 of the last remaining asset of the applicable Series and (y) the end of the applicable Series’ taxable year in which the disposition referred to in clause (x) shall occur. |
| (c) | The Liquidating Trustee shall allocate securities for distribution in kind to the Members of the applicable Series. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the amount by which the Fair Value of any property to be distributed in kind to the Members of the applicable Series (including property distributed in liquidation and property distributed pursuant to Section 3.03) exceeds or is less than the adjusted basis of such property shall, to the extent not otherwise recognized by the applicable Series, be taken into account in computing income, gains and losses of the applicable Series for purposes of crediting or charging the Capital Account of, and distributing proceeds to, the Members, in each case of such Series, pursuant to this Agreement. | |
| (d) | When the Liquidating Trustee has completed the winding up described in this Section 6.03, the Series Designation for the applicable Series shall be deemed withdrawn and terminated and such Series shall no longer constitute a series of the Company. |
Section 6.04. Assets Reserved and Pending Claims.
| (a) | If, upon the occurrence of a Series Dissolution Event, there are any assets that, in the judgment of the Liquidating Trustee, cannot be sold or distributed in kind without sacrificing a significant portion of the value thereof or where such sale or distribution is otherwise impractical at the time of the Series Dissolution Event, such assets may be retained by the applicable Series if the Liquidating Trustee determines that the retention of such assets is in the best interests of the Members of the applicable Series. Upon the sale of such assets or a determination by the Liquidating Trustee that circumstances no longer require their retention, such assets (at their Fair Value) or the proceeds of their sale shall be taken into account in computing Capital Account of the applicable Series on winding up and amounts distributable pursuant to Section 6.03(b), and distributed in accordance with such value. |
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| (b) | If there are any claims or potential claims (including potential applicable Series expenses in connection therewith) against the applicable Series (either directly or indirectly, including potential claims for which the applicable Series might have an indemnification obligation) for which the possible loss cannot, in the judgment of the Liquidating Trustee, be definitively ascertained, then such claims shall initially be taken into account in computing the Capital Account of the applicable Series upon winding up and distributions pursuant to Section 6.03(b) at an amount estimated by the Liquidating Trustee to be sufficient to cover any potential loss or liability on account of such claims (including such potential expenses of the applicable Series), and the applicable Series shall retain funds (or assets) determined by the Liquidating Trustee in its discretion as a reserve against such potential losses and liabilities, including expenses associated therewith, and for any other purpose with respect to the applicable Series. The Liquidating Trustee may in its discretion obtain insurance or create escrow accounts or make other similar arrangements with respect to such losses and liabilities. Upon final settlement of such claims (including such potential expenses of the applicable Series) or a determination by the Liquidating Trustee that the probable loss therefrom can be definitively ascertained, such claims (including such potential expenses of the applicable Series) shall be taken into account in the amount at which they were settled or in the amount of the probable loss therefrom in computing the Capital Account the applicable Series on winding up and amounts distributable pursuant to Section 6.03(b), and any excess funds retained shall be distributed as such funds would be distributed under Section 6.03(b). |
Section 6.05. Winding Up and Termination of the Company.
| (a) | Upon the occurrence of a Company Dissolution Event, the property and business of each of the Series shall be wound up by Liquidating Trustee in accordance with the provisions of Section 6.02, Section 6.03 and Section 6.04. In the event that there remain any assets or liabilities of the Company as opposed to a Series following such events, then the Liquidating Trustee shall wind up the property and business relating to such assets and liabilities in the same manner as applicable to any Series, with modifications thereto as reasonably determined by the Liquidating Trustee to take into account that such actions do not relate to a particular Series. | |
| (b) | When the Liquidating Trustee has completed the winding up described in this Section 6.05, the Liquidating Trustee shall take such actions as required to cause the Termination of the Company. |
Article VII. Member Meetings
Section 7.01. Member Meetings.
| (a) | There shall be no meetings of the Members of any Series unless called by the Board or as otherwise specifically required by the Delaware Act. No Members of a Series or group of Members of a Series, acting in its or their capacity as Members of the Series, shall have the right to call a meeting of the Members, whether of the Series or of the Company overall. |
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| (b) | The Board may call meetings of the Members overall, or of one or more Series standing alone and it is the intent of the Company, each Series and each Member that (i) in the event that the meeting or action referred to is a meeting or action of all of the Members of all the Series, any references in this Article VII to a meeting or action of the “Members”, and the provisions with respect to Voting Shares and other germane matters herein, shall be deemed a reference to all such Members and the Voting Shares and other germane matters herein as applicable to all such Member; and (ii) in the event that the meeting or action referred to is a meeting or action of the Members of a particular Series or group of Series (or a meeting or action affects certain Series or Members disproportionately and adversely), any references in this Article VII to a meeting or action of the “Members” and the provisions with respect to Voting Shares and other germane matters herein, shall be deemed a reference to the Members and the Voting Shares and other germane matters herein as applicable to the applicable Series or group of Series. The Board shall have the authority, in its reasonable discretion, to interpret and enforce this Agreement to give effect to the intent of the provisions of this Section 7.01(b). | |
| (c) | All acts of Members to be taken hereunder shall be taken in the manner provided in this Agreement. If authorized by the Board, and subject to such guidelines and procedures as the Board may adopt, if a meeting of the Members is called Members and proxyholders not physically present at a meeting of Members may by means of remote communication participate in such meeting and be deemed present in person and vote at such meeting. |
| (d) | In the event that the meeting or action referred to is a meeting or action of all of the Members of all the Series or one or more Series, the presence of a majority of the Shares of all Series entitled to vote at such meeting or with respect to such action, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote thereat, shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of such meeting or action, unless any such matter to be acted upon requires the approval of two-thirds of the Voting Shares of all Series or one or more Series, in which case the presence of two-thirds of the Shares of all Series entitled to be vote at such meeting, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote thereat, shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of such meeting or action. | |
| (e) | In the event that the meeting or action referred to is a meeting or action of the Members of a particular Series or group of Series, the presence of a majority of the Shares of the applicable Series or group of Series entitled to be vote at such meeting, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote thereat, shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of such meeting, unless any such matter to be acted upon requires the approval of two-thirds of the Voting Shares of such Series or group of Series, in which case the presence of two-thirds of the Shares of the Series or group of Series entitled to be vote at such meeting, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote thereat, shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of such meeting. | |
| (f) | The Delaware Court of Chancery may issue such orders as may be appropriate, including orders designating the time and place of such meeting, the record date for determination of Members entitled to vote, and the form of notice of such meeting. |
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Section 7.02. Notice of Meetings of Members.
| (a) | Notice, stating the place, day and hour of any meeting of the Members, as determined by the Board, and the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called, as determined by the Board, shall be delivered by the Board not less than 5 calendar days nor more than 60 calendar days before the date of the meeting, in a manner and otherwise in accordance with the terms herein to each Record Holder who is entitled to vote at such meeting. Such further notice shall be given as may be required by Delaware or applicable federal law or any exchange on which any Shares of the applicable Series the members of which are entitled to vote at the meeting, are then listed. Only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of Members of any Series or group of Series as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Board’s notice of meeting. Any previously scheduled meeting of any Members may be postponed, and any meeting of the Members may be canceled, by resolution of the Board upon public notice given prior to the date previously scheduled for such meeting of the Members. | |
| (b) | The Board shall designate the place of meeting for any meeting of the Members. If no designation is made, the place of meeting shall be the principal office of the Company. |
Section 7.03. Record Date. For purposes of determining the Members entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of the Members, the Board may set a Record Date, which shall not be less than 5 nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting (unless such requirement conflicts with any rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any National Securities Exchange on which any Shares of the applicable Series the members of which are entitled to vote at the meeting are listed for trading, in which case the rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of such exchange shall govern). If no Record Date is fixed by the Board, the Record Date for determining Members of the applicable Series or group of Series entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Members of the applicable Series or group of Series shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given. A determination of Members of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Members shall apply to any adjournment or postponement of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board may fix a new Record Date for the adjourned or postponed meeting.
Section 7.04. Adjournment. When a meeting is adjourned to another time or place, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting and a new Record Date need not be fixed, if the time and place thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken, unless such adjournment shall be for more than 30 days. At the adjourned meeting, the Company, or the applicable Series or group of Series, may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than 30 days or if a new Record Date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given in accordance with this Article VII.
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Section 7.05. Waiver of Notice; Approval of Meeting. Whenever notice to the Members is required to be given under this Agreement, a written waiver, signed by the Person entitled to notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a Person at any such meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the Person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the Members need be specified in any written waiver of notice unless so required by resolution of the Board. All waivers and approvals shall be filed with the records of the Company and the applicable Series or made part of the minutes of the meeting.
Section 7.06. Required Vote. The submission of matters to Members for approval shall occur only at a meeting of the Members duly called and held in accordance with this Agreement at which a quorum is present; provided, however, that the Members present at a duly called or held meeting at which a quorum is present may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough Members to leave less than a quorum, if any action taken (other than adjournment) is approved by the required percentage of Shares entitled to vote specified in this Agreement. Any meeting of Members may be adjourned from time to time by the chairman of the meeting to another place or time, without regard to the presence of a quorum.
Section 7.07. Conduct of a Meeting. The Board shall have full power and authority concerning the manner of conducting any meeting of the Members, including the determination of Persons entitled to vote, the existence of a quorum, the satisfaction of the requirements of this Article VII, the conduct of voting, the validity and effect of any proxies and the determination of any controversies, votes or challenges arising in connection with or during the meeting or voting. The Board shall designate a Person to serve as chairman of any meeting and shall further designate a Person to take the minutes of any meeting. All minutes shall be kept with the records of the Company and each applicable Series maintained by the Board. The Board may make such other regulations consistent with applicable law and this Agreement as it may deem advisable concerning the conduct of any meeting of the Members, including regulations in regard to the appointment of proxies, the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of proxies and other evidence of the right to vote.
Section 7.08. Action Without a Meeting. On any matter that is to be voted on, consented to or approved by Members, the Members may take such action without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be approved by the Members having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all Members entitled to vote thereon were present and voted. A Series Designation need not provide that any action required or permitted to be taken by the holders of the Shares to which such Series Designation relates may be taken without a meeting by the written consent of such holders or Members, in order for the provisions of this Section 7.08 to apply thereto.
Section 7.09. Voting and Other Rights.
| (a) | Only those Record Holders of Voting Shares on the Record Date set pursuant to Section 7.03 shall be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, a meeting of Members or to act with respect to matters as to which the holders of the Voting Shares have the right to vote or to act. All references in this Agreement to votes of, or other acts that may be taken by, the Voting Shares shall be deemed to be references to the votes or acts of the Record Holders of such Voting Shares on such Record Date. |
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| (b) | With respect to Voting Shares that are held for a Person’s account by another Person (such as a broker, dealer, bank, trust company or clearing corporation, or an agent of any of the foregoing), in whose name such Voting Shares are registered, such other Person shall, in exercising the voting rights in respect of such Voting Shares on any matter, and unless the arrangement between such Persons provides otherwise, vote such Voting Shares in favor of, and at the direction of, the Person who is the Beneficial Owner, and the Company shall be entitled to assume it is so acting without further inquiry. | |
| (c) | No Members shall have any cumulative voting rights. |
Section 7.10. Proxies and Voting.
| (a) | On any matter that is to be voted on by Members, the Members may vote in person or by proxy, and such vote may be made, or proxy may be granted in writing, by means of electronic transmission or as otherwise permitted by applicable law. Any such proxy shall be delivered in accordance with the procedure established for the relevant meeting. |
| (b) | For purposes of this Agreement, the term “electronic transmission” means any form of communication not directly involving the physical transmission of paper that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved and reviewed by a recipient thereof and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process. Any copy, facsimile telecommunication or other reliable reproduction of the writing or transmission created pursuant to this paragraph may be substituted or used in lieu of the original writing or transmission for any and all purposes for which the original writing or transmission could be used, provided that such copy, facsimile telecommunication or other reproduction shall be a complete reproduction of the entire original writing or transmission. | |
| (c) | The Board may, and to the extent required by law, shall, in advance of any meeting of all or any of Members, appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting and make a written report thereof. The Board may designate one or more alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If no inspector or alternate is able to act at a meeting of Members, the chairman of the meeting may, and to the extent required by law, shall, appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting. Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of his or her duties, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to execute the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of his or her ability. Every vote taken by ballots shall be counted by a duly appointed inspector or inspectors. | |
| (d) | With respect to the use of proxies at any meeting of Members, the Company and each Series shall be governed by paragraphs (b), (c), (d) and (e) of Section 212 of the DGCL and other applicable provisions of the DGCL, as though the Company and each Series were a Delaware corporation and as though the Members of each Series were shareholders of a Delaware corporation. |
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| (e) | In the event that the Company or any Series becomes subject to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, pursuant to and subject to the provisions of Rule 14a-16 under the Exchange Act, the Company or the applicable Series, as applicable, may, but is not required to, utilize a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, as described in such rule, in conjunction with proxy material posted to an Internet site, in order to furnish any proxy or related material to Members pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act. |
Article VIII. Miscellaneous
Section 8.01. Addresses and Notices. Any notice, demand, request, report or proxy materials required or permitted to be given or made to a Member under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed given or made when delivered in person or when sent by first class United States mail or by other means of written communication (including electronic communication) to the Member at the address described below. Any notice, payment or report to be given or made to a Member hereunder shall be deemed conclusively to have been given or made, and the obligation to give such notice or report or to make such payment shall be deemed conclusively to have been fully satisfied, upon sending of such notice, payment or report to the Record Holder of such Shares at his address as shown on the records of the Transfer Agent or delivered electronically as otherwise shown on the records of the Company and the applicable Series (including on Exhibit A attached hereto), regardless of any claim of any Person who may have an interest in such Shares by reason of any assignment or otherwise. An affidavit or certificate of making of any notice, payment or report in accordance with the provisions of this Section 8.01 executed by the Company and the applicable Series, the Board or the Transfer Agent or the mailing organization shall be prima facie evidence of the giving or making of such notice, payment or report. If any notice, payment or report addressed to a Record Holder at the address of such Record Holder appearing on the books and records of the Transfer Agent or the Company and the applicable Series is returned by the United States Postal Service marked to indicate that the United States Postal Service is unable to deliver it or is returned or there is a delivery failure through any electronic communication, such notice, payment or report and any subsequent notices, payments and reports shall be deemed to have been duly given or made without further mailing (until such time as such Record Holder or another Person notifies the Transfer Agent or the Company and the applicable Series of a change in his address or electronic address, as applicable) if they are available for the Member at the principal office of the Company and the applicable Series for a period of one year from the date of the giving or making of such notice, payment or report to the other Members. Any notice to the Company and the applicable Series shall be deemed given if received by the Secretary at the principal office of the Company and the applicable Series designated pursuant to the terms and conditions herein. The Board and the Officers may rely and shall be protected in relying on any notice or other document from a Member or other Person if believed by it to be genuine.
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Section 8.02. Amendments; Waiver. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, any provision of this Agreement may be amended or waived only by an instrument in writing executed by the Board and Class A Members of each Series holding a majority of the Voting Shares of all of the Series as one group provided, however, any amendment which disproportionately and adversely affects the Class A Members of or more particular Series, must be approved by the Class A Members holding a majority of the Class A Ordinary Shares of such disproportionately and adversely Series (singular and plural) voting together as a separate class. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may amend this Agreement and the schedules and exhibits hereto, without the approval of the Members of any Series (i) to evidence the joinder to this Agreement of a new Member of any Series; (ii) in connection with the Transfer of Shares of any Series; (iii) in connection with any issuance of Shares of any Series to the Administrator or to any existing members, whether as a result of issuances to the Administrator pursuant to the Management Services Agreement, upon conversion of the Series B Ordinary Shares of any Series pursuant to Section 2.04(e), or otherwise, (iv) as otherwise required to reflect Capital Contributions of any Series, distributions of any Series or redemptions and similar actions hereunder; (v) to reflect the naming of new officers, members of the Board or replacement of officers or managers of the Company or any Series; (vi) pursuant to Section 8.07, (vii) in connection with the creation of a Series pursuant to a Series Designation as set forth in Section 1.08(a), including any modifications or amendments to such Series Designation, or any dissolution or termination of a Series; (viii) a change that is required to effect the intent expressed in the provisions of this Agreement or any Series Designation or is otherwise contemplated by this Agreement or any Series Designation; and (ix) any change the Board deems necessary or appropriate to enable trading of membership interests of any Series. Notwithstanding the forgoing the Board is authorized to make such amendments to this Agreement as required in order to comply with any applicable law, including, without limitation, any securities law or tax law, whether currently in place or promulgated in the future.
Section 8.03. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of, and shall be binding upon, the successors and permitted assigns of the Members.
Section 8.04. No Waiver. Except as set forth in Section 8.17 with respect to forum selection, no failure or delay by any party hereto in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.
Section 8.05. Survival of Certain Provisions. The covenants and agreements set forth in Section 4.01, Section 4.02 and Section 5.02 shall survive dissolution or termination of any Series, and shall further survive the Termination of the Company.
Section 8.06. Telephone Consumer Protection Act Consent. Each Member expressly consents to receiving calls and messages, including auto-dialed and pre-recorded message calls, and SMS messages (including text messages) from the Administrator, its affiliates, agents and others calling at their request or on their behalf, at any telephone numbers that the Member has provided to the Company, any Series or Masterworks (including any cellular telephone numbers). Member’s cellular or mobile telephone provider will charge Member according to the type of plan Member carries. Any Member may unsubscribe from receiving promotional text messages or promotional calls at any time by (i) replying STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END or QUIT to any text message such Member receives from the Company, any Series or Masterworks or (ii) email to support@masterworks.com with one of the forgoing words in the subject line. Each Member acknowledges and consents that following such a request to unsubscribe, such Member may receive one final text message from Masterworks confirming such request.
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Section 8.07. Corporate Treatment. The Board shall use its reasonable best efforts to take such actions as are necessary or appropriate to preserve the status of the Company and each Series as a partnership for U.S. federal (and applicable state and local) income tax purposes. If, however, the Board determines, in its sole discretion, for any reason (including the proposal, formally or informally, of legislation that could affect the Company’s or any Series’ status as a partnership for U.S. federal and/or applicable state and local income tax purposes) that it is not in the best interests of the Company or any Series to be characterized as a partnership, the Board may take whatever steps, if any, are needed to cause the Company and each Series to be or confirm that the Company and each Series will be treated as an association or as a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal (and applicable state and local) income tax purposes, including by making an election to be taxed as a “C” corporation pursuant to the Code (a “Change in Tax Classification”), without any approval or vote of the Members of any Series being required, and to make such filings, including without limitation, a Form 8832 with the Service, and to undertake such actions as required to effect such Change in Tax Classification. At the time and following any Change of Tax Classification, the Board shall have the right, without any approval or vote of the Members of any Series being required, to amend this Agreement as reasonably required to effect the Change in Tax Classification and to provide for the operations of the Company and each Series following such event. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in the event U.S. federal (and/or applicable state and local) income tax laws, rules or regulations are enacted, amended, modified or applied after the date hereof in such a manner as to require or necessitate that the Company or any Series no longer be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal (and/or applicable state and local) income tax purposes, then the first sentence of this Section 8.07 shall no longer apply.
Section 8.08. Section 7704(e) Relief. In the event that the Board determines the Company or any Series should seek relief pursuant to Section 7704(e) of the Code to preserve the status of the Company and each Series as a partnership for U.S. federal (and applicable state) income tax purposes, the Company, each Series and each Member shall agree to adjustments required by the tax authorities, and the Company and each applicable Series shall pay such amounts as required by the tax authorities, to preserve the status of the Company and each applicable Series as a partnership.
Section 8.09. Electronic Information. Each Member hereby agrees that all current and future notices, confirmations and other communications may be made by the Company or any Series via email, sent to the email address of record of the Member provided to the Company or any Series as changed or updated from time to time, without necessity of confirmation of receipt, delivery or reading, and such form of electronic communication is sufficient for all matters regarding the relationship between the Company, any Series and the Members except as otherwise required by law. If any such electronically sent communication fails to be received for any reason, including but not limited to such communications being diverted to the recipients spam filters by the recipients email service provider, or due to a recipient’s change of address, or due to technology issues by the recipients service provider, the parties agree that the burden of such failure to receive is on the recipient and not the sender, and that the sender is under no obligation to resend communications via any other means, including but not limited to postal service or overnight courier, and that such communications shall for all purposes, including legal and regulatory, be deemed to have been delivered and received. Except as required by law, no physical, paper documents will be sent to Members, and a Member desires physical documents then such Member agrees to be satisfied by directly and personally printing, at such Member’s own expense, the electronically sent communication(s) and maintaining such physical records in any manner or form that a Member desires.
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Section 8.10. Severability. In case any provision in this Agreement shall be deemed to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof shall not in any way be affected or impaired hereby.
Section 8.11. Interpretation. The headings in this Agreement are inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement. As used herein, masculine pronouns shall include the feminine and neuter, neuter pronouns shall include the masculine and the feminine, and the singular shall be deemed to include the plural. The use of the word “including” herein shall not be considered to limit the provision that it modifies but instead shall mean “including, without limitation.”
Section 8.12. No Third-Party Rights. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, this Agreement is intended solely for the benefit of the parties hereto and is not intended to confer any benefits upon, or create any rights in favor of, any Person other than the parties hereto.
Section 8.13. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the Company, each Series, the Initial Member and any Person who becomes a Member hereafter with respect to the matters described herein and supersedes any prior agreement or understanding among them with respect to such subject matter.
Section 8.14. Rule of Construction. The general rule of construction for interpreting a contract, which provides that the provisions of a contract should be construed against the party preparing the contract, is waived by the parties hereto. Each party acknowledges that such party was represented by separate legal counsel in this matter who participated in the preparation of this Agreement or such party had the opportunity to retain counsel to participate in the preparation of this Agreement but elected not to do so.
Section 8.15. Authority. Whenever in this Agreement or elsewhere it is provided that consent is required of, or a demand shall be made by, or an act or thing shall be done by or at the direction of, the Company, or whenever any words of like import are used, all such consents, demands, acts and things are to be made, given or done by the consent of the Board or Person acting under the authority of the Board, unless a contrary intention is expressly indicated.
Section 8.16. Governing Law. This Agreement, and any and all claims, proceedings or causes of action relating to this Agreement or arising from this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein, including, without limitation, tort claims, statutory claims and contract claims, shall be interpreted, construed, governed and enforced under and solely in accordance with the substantive and procedural laws of the State of Delaware, in each case as in effect from time to time and as the same may be amended from time to time, and as applied to agreements performed wholly within the State of Delaware.
Section 8.17. Choice of Forum for Securities Act Disputes. Unless the Board consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to and contingent upon a final adjudication in the State of Delaware of the enforceability of such exclusive forum provision. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any security of the Company or any Series shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Agreement.
Section 8.18. Facsimile Signatures. The use of facsimile signatures affixed in the name and on behalf of the transfer agent and registrar of the Company or any Series on certificates representing Shares of any Series is expressly permitted by this Agreement.
Section 8.19. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which together shall constitute one instrument.
Section 8.20. Qualification Rights. Masterworks will have the right to request that the Company and each Series qualify on Form 1-A, or a comparable form, the resale of any Class A Shares of any Series beneficially owned by Masterworks or any entity administered by Masterworks. There are no limitations or restrictions on the size or frequency of such qualification requests, other than pursuant to applicable law, provided, that all costs associated with any such qualification shall be the responsibility of Masterworks.
[Signatures appear on following page]
| 48 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.
| Masterworks Foundry, LLC | ||
| Sole Member: | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Josh Goldstein | |
| Title: | General Counsel | |
| The Board of Managers: | ||
| By: | ||
| Joshua Goldstein | ||
| Manager | ||
| By: | ||
| Eli Broverman | ||
| Manager |
| By: | ||
| Nigel Glenday | ||
| Manager |
| Members: | |
| All members now and hereafter admitted as Members of the Company, pursuant to powers of attorney now and hereafter executed in favor of, and granted and delivered to the Company or without execution hereof or thereof by purchasing or otherwise lawfully acquiring any Share, pursuant to Section 1.07. |
| 49 |
Form of Counterpart Signature Page
The undersigned hereby accepts, and becomes a party to, the Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement (the “Agreement”) of Masterworks Vault 1, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Company”), in connection with the acquisition of Shares (as defined in the Agreement) of the Company with respect to a certain Series (as defined in the Agreement), and by its signature below signifies its agreement to be bound by the terms and conditions of the Agreement.
| Member Name: | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Number of Shares: | ||
| Name of Series: |
Agreed and Accepted:
| Masterworks Vault 1, LLC | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Nigel Glenday | |
| Title: | Manager | |
| By: | ||
| Name: | Josh Goldstein | |
| Title: | Manager | |
| By: | ||
| Name: | Eli Broverman | |
| Title: | Manager | |
| 50 |
Exhibit A
Series, Members, Capital Contributions, Shares
| Member Name | Address | Capital Contribution | Number of Class A Ordinary Shares |
Number of Class B Ordinary Shares |
Number of Class C Ordinary Shares | |||||
| Masterworks Foundry, LLC | 225 Liberty Street, 29th Floor, New York, NY 10281 | Services Rendered & $100 | 0 | 1,000 | 1 |
| Exhibit A - Page 1 |
Exhibit B
Form of Vote Limit Certificate
I, [as on authorized officer of] [as] the Member of Masterworks Vault 1, LLC (the “Company”), hereby irrevocably designate the Member that owns more than 5% of the Company’s Class A shares outstanding, excluding Masterworks Shares, whose name appears below, as a Vote Limited Member (the “Vote Limited Member”) for all purposes of the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Operating Agreement, effective as of the date set forth below.
I hereby certify, acknowledge, and agree that irrespective of the actual number of Class A shares beneficially owned by the Vote Limited Member (including Class A shares beneficially owned by Such Vote Limited Member’s affiliates), the Vote Limited Member together with its affiliates shall not be entitled to vote more than [ ]% of the total Voting Shares of the Company or of any Series (the “Vote Limit”) on any matter put to a vote of the Company’s or any Series’ Class A shareholders. I further acknowledge and agree that any affiliate of the Vote Limited Member shall be deemed to be a Vote Limited Member and shall be subject to the Vote Limit.
I hereby agree to notify the Company or the Company’s transfer agent and provide it with any additional information it may reasonably request if any affiliate of the Vote Limited Member owns any of the Company’s Class A shares as of the date of this Certificate or acquires any Class A shares subsequent to the date of this Certificate.
I further acknowledge my understanding that the designation as a Vote limited Member is irrevocable and the that the Vote Limit set forth herein can be further reduced by written notice to the Company, but cannot be increased by the Vote Limited Member.
This certificate shall have no force or effect with respect to any successor, assignee or transferee of the Vote Limited Member’s Class A shares other than any successor, assignee or transferee that, at the time of such transaction, is an affiliate of the Vote Limited Member.
For purposes of this certificate, the term “affiliate” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Date: |
Exhibit C-1
Form of Series Designation
Series Designation of
[Series Name], a series of Masterworks Vault 1, LLC
In accordance with the Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of Masterworks Vault 1, LLC, a Delaware series limited liability company (the “Company”), dated [______] (as amended, the “Agreement”) and upon the execution of this Series Designation by the Administrator after direction by the Board of a series of the Company (“Series [___]”), this Series Designation shall be attached to, and deemed incorporated in its entirety into, the Agreement as the “[Series Name] Designation Exhibit.” In addition, as of the Effective Date of Establishment, Masterworks Foundry, LLC shall be issued 1,000 Class B Ordinary Shares of Series [ ], representing 100% of the membership interests in such series as of such date, in return for a capital contribution to such series of $100.
References to Sections and Articles set forth herein are references to Sections and Articles of the Agreement, as in effect as of the Effective Date of Establishment set forth below.
| Name of Series | [Series Name] | |
| Effective Date of Establishment | [_____________]. | |
| Series Property | The Series Artwork. For purposes of Series [___], “Series Artwork” refers to that certain artwork by [_________], entitled [_________]. | |
| Authorized Shares | [__________] Class A Ordinary Shares, plus an indeterminate number of Class A Ordinary Shares issuable upon conversion of Class B Shares and or exchange of SPC Preferred Shares.
1,000 Class B Ordinary Shares
1 Class C Ordinary Share | |
| Additional Provisions | [__________________] |
Agreed and executed as of the Effective Date of Establishment as set forth above by Masterworks Administrative Services, LLC as the Administrator, upon the direction of the Board:
| Masterworks Administrative Services, LLC | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
Exhibit 6.3
FORM OF AMENDED AND RESTATED
MANAGEMENT SERVICES AGREEMENT
Dated as of December 31, 2023
This Amended and Restated Management Services Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated as of the date first set forth above (the “Effective Date”) is entered into by and among Masterworks Administrative Services, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Administrator”), Masterworks Vault 1, LLC, a Delaware series limited liability company (the “Company”), on behalf of the series listed on Exhibit A, as amended from time to time, Masterworks Cayman, SPC, a Cayman Islands segregated portfolio company, on behalf of the segregated portfolios listed on Exhibit B, as amended from time to time (“Masterworks Cayman”) and each party that executes a joinder to this agreement pursuant to section 10(c) hereof, and amends and restates in its entirety the Management Services Agreement (the “Original Agreement”), dated as of June 19, 2023, by and among the Parties. Each party hereto may be referred to herein individually as a “Party” and all parties may be referred to collectively as the “Parties.”
R E C I T A L S:
Whereas, the Company has been formed to facilitate an investment in individual works of art (collectively, “Artworks” and each, an “Artwork”) that will each be owned by a segregated portfolio of Masterworks Cayman (each, a “Segregated Portfolio”);
Whereas, each Segregated Portfolio has or will issue 100% of its SPC Ordinary shares to a series of the Company (each, a “Series”) as described in an Offering Circular filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) relating to an offering of shares of the series of the Company (each, a “Series Tranche”);
Whereas, the Administrator currently provides, or has agreed to provide, the other Parties with (i) routine operational, administrative, management, advisory, consulting and other services with respect to their respective operations (“Entity-Level Services”), (ii) routine services relating to the Artworks (“Artwork-Level Services”)and (iii) transactional, extraordinary and non-routine services (“Non-Routine Services”) to the other Parties hereto, in each case pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Original Agreement and the Administrator receives compensation for such services in the form of SPC Preferred shares of the relevant Segregated Portfolios; and
Whereas, the Parties desire to amend the Original Agreement to provide that the SPC Preferred shares issuable as compensation hereunder after the Effective Date for any Series will not be subject to any vesting provisions;
Now, therefore, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties hereby agree that the Original Agreement shall be amended and restated in its entirety as follows:
1. Services.
(a) Provision of Services by the Administrator. The Administrator shall directly, or indirectly through one or more Affiliates (as defined below) or third parties as described in Section 1(b), engage and maintain personnel for the purpose of providing the following services (collectively, the “Services”) to each of the other Parties, as applicable:
(i) Artwork-Level Services, including:
| (A) | custodial and storage services for the Artwork; |
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| (B) | maintaining asset-level insurance requirements for the Artwork; | |
| (C) | managing transport for the Artwork in the ordinary course of business, including the display and exhibition thereof; | |
| (D) | research services; | |
| (E) | appraisal and valuation services; | |
| (F) | inspection costs; and | |
| (G) | other services deemed necessary or appropriate by the Administrator at its discretion to maintain the Artwork; |
(ii) Entity-Level Services, including:
| (A) | oversight and management of banking activities; | |
| (B) | management of preparation and filing of SEC and other corporate filings; | |
| (C) | fiscal agency responsibilities, including financial, accounting and bookkeeping services, including retention of an auditor for auditing services; |
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| (D) | record-keeping, shareholder registrar, investor relations and regulatory compliance; | |
| (E) | listing services; | |
| (F) | tax reporting services; | |
| (G) | bill payment services; | |
| (H) | selecting and negotiating insurance coverage, including operational errors and omissions coverage and directors’ and officers’ coverage; | |
| (I) | share ledger, registrar, transfer agency and paying agency services; | |
| (J) | software services; | |
| (K) | costs associated with listing shares for secondary sales on an alternative trading system, trading fees, brokerage account fees, and compliance with state securities laws (although trading and or brokerage fees may be passed on to investors in certain foreign jurisdictions or to all investors in the future); | |
| (L) | organizational costs; |
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| (M) | governance, including compensation of our officers and independent manager(s); | |
| (N) | art market research; | |
| (O) | investor relations services; and | |
| (P) | distribution and other fees associated with each Series Tranche. |
(iii) Non-Routine Services, including:
| (A) | legal and professional transactional services for each Series; | |
| (B) | negotiation of terms of potential sale of an Artwork and the execution thereof; | |
| (C) | obtaining appraisals and statements of condition in connection with a sale transaction relating to the Artwork of each Series; | |
| (D) | other transaction-related services, cost, payments and expenditures relating to the Artwork of each Series or the Company; | |
| (E) | administrative services in connection with liquidation or winding up of the Company and Masterworks Cayman; | |
| (F) | managing litigation, judicial proceedings or arbitration, including the defense and or settlement of any claims (regardless of whether or not any Party is named as a defendant or party in any such claim); |
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| (G) | Conservation, restoration (as deemed necessary by the Administrator), reframing and other expenditures that increase the value of the Artwork; and | |
| (H) | other non-routine or extraordinary services for the other Parties. |
(b) Provision of Services by Third Parties. The Administrator shall, to the extent it determines that it would be advisable in connection with or incidental to the activities contemplated hereby, arrange for and coordinate the services of other professionals, experts and consultants to provide any or all of the Services, in which case, the costs and expenses of such third parties for providing such services shall be borne by the Administrator other than as set forth in Section 3; it being understood that the Administrator shall not charge any other Party any fees in addition thereto with respect to such outsourced Artwork-Level Services that are described in Section 1(a)(i) and Entity-Level Services described in Section 1(a)(ii), but the Administrator shall be entitled to reimbursement for third party costs incurred in connection with Non-Routine Services described in Section 1(a)(iii) as set forth in Section 3. Reimbursement for Non-Routine Services shall be reimbursed by the applicable Series out of the proceeds from a sale of the Artwork or a sale of the Company, as applicable. In addition, Masterworks may determine to sell the Artwork of a Series without engaging a third-party intermediary, in which event, the Administrator could charge the buyer of the Artwork of such Series a reasonable fee not to exceed the lowest published buyer’s premium charged by Sotheby’s, Christie’s or Phillips in effect at such time.
(c) Independent Contractor; Authority. Notwithstanding the Services provided by the Administrator pursuant to this Agreement, the Administrator shall be deemed to be an independent contractor with respect to the Services. The management, policies and operations of the Parties (including the ultimate approval of the making or disposition of the Artwork by a Series or Masterworks Cayman, and the terms and conditions thereof) shall be the responsibility of the Parties other than the Administrator.
(d) Obligations of Administrator Not Exclusive. The obligations of the Administrator to the other Parties are not exclusive. The Administrator may, in its discretion, render the same or similar services as rendered to the Company, the Series and Masterworks Cayman to any Person or Persons whose business may be in direct or indirect competition with the Company or the Series, including other Affiliates of the Administrator.
(e) Definitions. For purposes hereof:
| (i) | “Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person and, for the purposes of this definition, the term “controls,” “is controlled by” or “under common control with” means, with respect to any Person, the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise. |
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| (ii) | “Person” means an individual, a corporation, and a company, a voluntary association, a partnership, a joint venture, a limited liability company, a trust, an estate, an unincorporated organization, a Governmental Authority or other entity. As used in this Agreement, Person also means a Segregated Portfolio or Series. | |
| (iii) | “Governmental Authority” means the government of any nation, state, territory, city, locality or other political subdivision thereof, any entity or body exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to government, including any court, quasi-governmental authority, self-regulatory organization, commission, tribunal, agency or any political or other subdivision, department, board, bureau, or branch or official of any of the foregoing. |
(f) Additional Services. Nothing herein shall prevent the Administrator from providing additional services not otherwise set forth herein, and any such additional Services shall be deemed to be included in Section 1(a)(iii).
2. Other Related Activities.
(a) The Administrator and Affiliates thereof shall have the right to engage in the following activities (subject to compliance with laws and intellectual property rights of third parties) in exchange for the payment of an annual royalty of $10.00 per annum (which can be waived by the Company):
(i) Rights to commercialize the Artwork;
(ii) The right to perpetually offer the Artwork of each Segregated Portfolio for sale, display and exhibition rights;
(iii) The right to lend the Artwork to museums, galleries, private entities, individuals and the like;
(iv) The right to lease the Artwork to companies, private entities and individuals; and
(v) The right to offer perks to owners of shares of each Series, subject to compliance with applicable laws, and the costs of which will be paid by the Administrator.
(b) The Administrator shall bear any incremental third-party costs associated with such activities related to the activities set forth in this Section 2 and in the event that any revenues are generated from such other activities, the Administrator may retain such revenues.
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3. Compensation and Expenses; Covenant.
| (a) | In return for the Services, the Administrator shall earn equity-based management fees and expense reimbursements in the form of SPC Preferred shares of each Segregated Portfolio that owns title to Artwork at a rate of 1.5% of the total SPC shares of such Segregated Portfolio outstanding, after giving effect to such issuance, per annum, commencing on the earliest closing date on which the applicable Series Tranche is fully subscribed and at least 95% of the subscription proceeds for such offering have been received by the applicable Series. For the avoidance of doubt, no fees or expense reimbursements in the form of SPC Preferred shares shall be earned for any period prior to the final closing of a Series Tranche (or the date on which at least 95% of the Class A shares offered have been issued). There is no overall limit to the number of SPC Preferred shares that may be issued to pay these fees and expenses. The SPC Preferred shares will be exchangeable for Class A shares of the Series of which the Segregated Portfolio holds the Artwork at an exchange rate of 1 for 1 such that the number of Class A shares issuable upon exchange shall always equal the number of Class A shares that would have been received by the Administrator had this agreement been drafted such that the Administrator was entitled to receive Class A shares of the applicable Series at a rate of 1.5% of the total Class A shares outstanding in lieu of SPC Preferred shares of the applicable Segregated Portfolio. The SPC Preferred shares earned pursuant to this Agreement for any Series shall have the terms, rights and privileges described in the Offering materials for the initial Series Tranche conducted by such Series. The Administrator may, in its sole discretion, reduce management fees, in whole or in part. | |
| (b) | The SPC Preferred shares shall be earned ratably on the basis of a 360-day year comprised of twelve (12) thirty (30) day months. If and when the Artwork is sold, the SPC Preferred shares actually earned by the Administrator (based on the number of days elapsed between the Effective Date and the date to and excluding the date of consummation of the sale of the Artwork) and the number of SPC Preferred shares actually received by the Administrator and any excess SPC Preferred shares received by the Administrator, if any, shall be refunded to the relevant Segregated Portfolio, as applicable, and any shortfall payable or issuable to the Administrator shall be issued to the Administrator on or immediately prior to consummation of the sale of the Artwork. | |
| (c) | In addition to the SPC Preferred shares, in connection with the provision of the Non-Routine Services, the applicable Series shall reimburse the Administrator for all out-of-pocket costs, expenses and payments incurred or made by the Administrator in connection with such Non-Routine Services, provided, the reimbursement obligation shall be suspended (without interest or penalty) until the Artwork is sold. | |
| (d) | Masterworks may determine to sell the Artwork of a Series without engaging a third-party intermediary, in which event, the Administrator would charge the buyer of such Artwork a reasonable fee not to exceed the lowest published buyer’s premium charged by Sotheby’s, Christie’s or Phillips in effect at such time. |
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| (e) | For so long as this Agreement remains in effect, Administrator covenants to maintain on hand cash reserves sufficient to pay at least one year of estimated expenses to satisfy its obligations under this Agreement and the commitment from the Administrator to fund the operations of the Company and the Series and the maintenance of the Artwork until the sale of the Artwork. |
4. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of Protected Persons. To the fullest extent permitted by law, each of the Parties (other than the Administrator) shall severally indemnify, hold harmless, protect and defend the Administrator, its Affiliates, any officer, manager, board member, employee or any direct or indirect partner, member or shareholder of the Administrator, any Person who serves at the request of the Administrator on behalf of any of the Parties as an officer, director, partner, member, manager, board member, shareholder or employee of any other Person, and any Person who was, at the time of the act or omission in question, such a Person (each, a “Protected Person”) against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, including legal fees, costs and expenses incurred in investigating or defending against any such losses, claims, damages or liabilities or in enforcing the Protected Person’s right to indemnification under this Agreement (collectively, “Liabilities”), to which any Protected Person may become subject (i) by reason of any act or omission or alleged act or omission (even if negligent) arising out of or in connection with the activities of such Party; or (ii) by reason of the fact that it is or was acting in connection with the activities of such Party in any capacity or that it is or was serving at the request of any Party as a partner, member, shareholder, director, officer, employee or agent of any Person, unless, in each case, such Liability results from such Protected Person’s own actual fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct, bad faith, breach of fiduciary duty, reckless disregard of duty or any material breach of this Agreement or conduct that is subject of a criminal proceeding (where such Protected Person has reasonable cause to believe that such conduct was unlawful). The termination of any proceeding by settlement, judgment, order, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent shall not, by itself, create a presumption that such Protected Person’s conduct constituted actual fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct, bad faith, breach of fiduciary duty, reckless disregard of duty or any material breach of this Agreement or the commission of a crime, except a judgment, order or conviction that expressly provides that such Protected Person’s conduct constituted actual fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct, bad faith, breach of fiduciary duty, reckless disregard of duty or any material breach of this Agreement or the commission of a crime.
(b) Reimbursement of Expenses. The applicable Series and or applicable Segregated Portfolio shall promptly reimburse (and/or advance to the extent reasonably required) each Protected Person for reasonable legal or other expenses (as incurred) of such Protected Person in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending any claim, lawsuit or other proceeding relating to any Liabilities for which the Protected Person may be indemnified pursuant to this Section 4; provided, that such Protected Person executes a written undertaking to repay the applicable Series or Segregated Portfolio for such reimbursed or advanced expenses if it is finally judicially determined that such Protected Person is not entitled to the indemnification provided by this Section 4. In any action, suit or proceeding against Protected Persons, such Protected Persons shall jointly employ, at the expense of the applicable Series or Segregated Portfolio, counsel of the Protected Persons’ choice, which counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company, in such action, suit or proceeding; provided that if retention of joint counsel by such Protected Persons would create a conflict of interest, each Protected Person whose participation in such joint representation would cause such a conflict shall have the right to employ, at the expense of the Company, separate counsel of the respective Protected Person’s choice, which counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company or Masterworks Cayman, as applicable, in such action, suit or proceeding; provided, however, that if any indemnitor shall acknowledge in writing its liability to the Protected Person for any action, suit or proceeding brought by a third party in connection with which any Protected Person is seeking indemnification, then such indemnitor shall be entitled to select the counsel to defend such action, suit or proceeding, subject to the approval of the Protected Person, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.
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(c) Survival of Protection. The provisions of this Section 4 shall continue to afford protection to each Protected Person regardless of whether such Protected Person remains in the position or capacity pursuant to which such Protected Person became entitled to indemnification under this Section 4 and regardless of any subsequent amendment to this Agreement; provided, that no such amendment shall reduce or restrict the extent to which these indemnification provisions apply to actions taken or omissions made prior to the date of such amendment.
(d) Recovery. Each Protected Person shall use its reasonable efforts to pursue other third-party sources of indemnification in respect of any Liabilities for which it or any Protected Person may require indemnification in accordance with this Section 4. If any Protected Person recovers any amounts in respect of any Liabilities from insurance coverage or any third-party source, then such Protected Person shall, to the extent that such recovery is duplicative, reimburse the Company for any amounts previously paid to it by the Company in respect of such Liabilities.
(e) Survival. The rights of indemnification provided in this Section 4 will be in addition to any rights to which a Protected Person might otherwise be entitled by contract or as a matter of law, and shall extend to each of such Protected Person’s heirs, successors and assigns. The provisions of this Section 4 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
(f) Exceptions to Indemnification. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company’s obligations under Section 4(a) (Indemnification of Protected Persons) and Section 4(b) (Reimbursement of Expenses) shall not apply to any actions, suits or proceedings in which one or more officers, directors, partners, members or employees of the Administrator are making claims against the Administrator or one or more other officers, directors, partners, members or employees of the Administrator.
5. Assignment. Any assignment of this Agreement by a Party shall require the approval of the other Parties.
6. [Reserved].
7. Term and Termination.
(a) This Agreement shall terminate upon the first to occur of (i) the dissolution of the Company; (ii) upon notice of termination from the Administrator that the Administrator desires to withdraw as the administrator of the Company, Masterworks Cayman and of the Artwork, which the Administrator may give at any time in the event that the Administrator determines that it desires to cease providing services of the type as set forth herein to any Person, and provided that the Administrator does so cease providing such services thereunder, (iii) upon the Removal Effective Date (as defined below), and (iv) on the joint agreement of the Parties.
(b) In addition to the termination provisions as set forth in Section 7(a), the Company may terminate this Agreement at any time upon any of the following:
(i) the commission by the Administrator or any of its executive officers of fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct;
(ii) the conviction of the Administrator of a felony;
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(iii) a material breach by the Administrator of the terms of this Agreement which breach is not cured within 30 days after receipt by the Administrator of a notice of such breach from any member of the Company (provided that if such breach is not capable of cure within 30 days, and Administrator is diligently taking steps to cure the breach, then no such event shall be deemed to have occurred unless and until the Administrator fails to cure such breach within 60 days after receiving notice thereof);
(iv) a material violation by the Administrator or any of its executive officers of any applicable law that has a material adverse effect on the business of the Company; or
(v) the bankruptcy or insolvency of the Administrator.
(c) The Parties shall, on the date of such termination or if it does not have the available funds on such date, as soon as practicable after it does have the available funds, pay any accrued but costs subject to reimbursement by such Parties through to such date.
(d) The holders of all voting Class A shares outstanding of all Series together as a single class may remove and replace the Administrator with another person or entity by the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the Class A shares eligible to vote, such removal to take effect on the date any such successor administrator has been appointed (the “Removal Effective Date”).
8. Notices.
(a) All notices, requests, demands and other communications provided for by this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given by personal delivery, mailed by internationally recognized courier service or airmail, or sent by email with return receipt requested to the following addresses of the Parties or to such other address as such Party may have specified for notice:
| (i) | If to the Administrator: | ||
| Masterworks Administrative Services, LLC | |||
| Attn: General Counsel | |||
| 225 Liberty Street, 29th Floor, | |||
| New York, NY 10281 |
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| (ii) | If to the Company or Masterworks Cayman: | ||
| Masterworks Vault 1, LLC | |||
| Attn: General Counsel | |||
| 225 Liberty Street, 29th Floor, | |||
| New York, NY 10281 |
(b) Any notice shall be deemed received, unless earlier received, (i) if sent by courier service, on the second Business Day after delivery to the courier service, (ii) if sent by certified or registered airmail, return receipt requested, when actually received, (iii) if sent by standard airmail, five Business Days after posting in the mail, and (iv) if sent by email transmission or delivered by hand, on the date of receipt as evidenced by a return receipt in the case of email transmission.
9. Arbitration.
(a) Any Party may, at its sole election, require that the sole and exclusive forum and remedy for resolution of a Claim be final and binding arbitration pursuant to this Section 9 (this “Arbitration Provision”). The arbitration shall be conducted in New York, NY. As used in this Arbitration Provision, “Claim” shall include any past, present, or future claim, dispute, or controversy involving the Parties or any Protected Person relating to or arising out of this Agreement, including (except to the extent provided otherwise in the last sentence of Section 9(e) the validity or enforceability of this Arbitration Provision, any part thereof, or the entire Agreement. Claims are subject to arbitration regardless of whether they arise from contract; tort (intentional or otherwise); a constitution, statute, common law, or principles of equity; or otherwise. Claims include (without limitation) matters arising as initial claims, counter-claims, cross-claims, third-party claims, or otherwise. The scope of this Arbitration Provision is to be given the broadest possible interpretation that is enforceable.
(b) The party initiating arbitration shall do so with the American Arbitration Association (the “AAA”) or JAMS. The arbitration shall be conducted according to, and the location of the arbitration shall be determined in accordance with, the rules and policies of the Administrator selected, except to the extent the rules conflict with this Arbitration Provision or any countervailing law. In the case of a conflict between the rules and policies of the Administrator and this Arbitration Provision, this Arbitration Provision shall control, subject to countervailing law, unless all parties to the arbitration consent to have the rules and policies of the Administrator apply.
(c) If a Party elects arbitration, such party shall pay all the Administrator’s filing costs and administrative fees (other than hearing fees). Each Party shall bear the expense of its own attorney’s fees, except as otherwise provided by law.
(d) Within 30 days of a final award by the arbitrator, a party may appeal the award for reconsideration by a three-arbitrator panel selected according to the rules of the arbitrator Administrator. In the event of such an appeal, an opposing party may cross-appeal within 30 days after notice of the appeal. The panel will reconsider de novo all aspects of the initial award that are appealed. Costs and conduct of any appeal shall be governed by this Arbitration Provision and the Administrator’s rules, in the same way as the initial arbitration proceeding. Any award by the individual arbitrator that is not subject to appeal, and any panel award on appeal, shall be final and binding, except for any appeal right under the Federal Arbitration Act (the “FAA”), and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.
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(e) Each party agrees not to invoke its right to arbitrate an individual Claim that a party may bring in Small Claims Court or an equivalent court, if any, so long as the Claim is pending only in that court. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED IN THIS AGREEMENT, NO ARBITRATION SHALL PROCEED ON A CLASS, REPRESENTATIVE, OR COLLECTIVE BASIS (INCLUDING AS PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL ON BEHALF OF OTHERS), EVEN IF THE CLAIM OR CLAIMS THAT ARE THE SUBJECT OF THE ARBITRATION HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN ASSERTED (OR COULD HAVE BEEN ASSERTED) IN A COURT AS CLASS REPRESENTATIVE, OR COLLECTIVE ACTIONS IN A COURT.
(f) Unless otherwise provided in this Agreement or consented to in writing by all parties to the arbitration, no party to the arbitration may join, consolidate, or otherwise bring claims for or on behalf of two or more individuals or unrelated corporate entities in the same arbitration unless those persons are parties to a single transaction. Unless consented to in writing by all parties to the arbitration, an award in arbitration shall determine the rights and obligations of the named parties only, and only with respect to the claims in arbitration, and shall not (i) determine the rights, obligations, or interests of anyone other than a named party, or resolve any Claim of anyone other than a named party, or (ii) make an award for the benefit of, or against, anyone other than a named party. No party or arbitrator shall have the power or authority to waive, modify, or fail to enforce this Section 9(f), and any attempt to do so, whether by rule, policy, arbitration decision or otherwise, shall be invalid and unenforceable. Any challenge to the validity of this Section 9(f) shall be determined exclusively by a court and not by the party or any arbitrator.
(g) This Arbitration Provision is made pursuant to a transaction involving interstate commerce and shall be governed by and enforceable under the FAA. The arbitrator will apply substantive law consistent with the FAA and applicable statutes of limitations. The arbitrator may award damages or other types of relief permitted by applicable substantive law, subject to the limitations set forth in this Arbitration Provision. The arbitrator will not be bound by judicial rules of procedure and evidence that would apply in a court. The arbitrator shall take steps to reasonably protect confidential information.
(h) This Arbitration Provision shall survive (i) suspension, termination, revocation, closure, or amendments to this Agreement and the relationship of the Parties; and (ii) the bankruptcy or insolvency of any Party or other party. If any portion of this Arbitration Provision other than sub-section (e) is deemed invalid or unenforceable, the remaining portions of this Arbitration Provision shall nevertheless remain valid and in force. If arbitration is brought on a class, representative, or collective basis, and the limitations on such proceedings in Section 9(e) are finally adjudicated pursuant to the last sentence of Section 9(e) to be unenforceable, then no arbitration shall be had. In no event shall any invalidation be deemed to authorize an arbitrator to determine Claims or make awards beyond those authorized in this Arbitration Provision.
10. Miscellaneous.
(a) Amendment. This Agreement may not be modified or amended in any manner other than by an instrument in writing signed by the Parties or their respective successors or permitted assigns.
(b) Allocation of Indemnification and Reimbursement Obligations. To the extent any indemnification or reimbursement obligation arises pursuant to this Agreement that relates to more than one Party, and, in the opinion of the Administrator, it would be impractical to isolate or separately determine the relative amount of such obligation of each such Party, such Parties shall jointly bear such obligations in direct proportion to the relative sizes of the respective initial Series Tranches applicable to such Parties.
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(c) Joinders. Each Series of the Company that seeks to become a party to this Agreement and Masterworks Cayman on behalf of each Segregated Portfolio that owns artwork shall execute and deliver a joinder to this Agreement in substantially the form of Exhibit C.
(d) Covenant to Provide Financial Information and Maintain Sufficient Capital. The Administrator shall obtain and maintain the necessary capital to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement and shall remain solvent. The Administrator will report to the Company on a semi-annual basis its current and total assets, current and total liabilities, and total equity and the Company intends to include such amounts in its SEC reports.
(e) Waivers. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been waived unless such waiver is in writing and signed by or on behalf of the Party granting the waiver.
(f) Entire Agreement. Other than as specifically set forth herein, this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes any prior agreement or understanding between them with respect to such subject matter.
(g) Severability. In case any provision in this Agreement shall be deemed to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
(h) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Delaware, without regard to the conflicts of laws principles thereof. To the extent of any disagreement or matter relating to this Agreement, including, without limitation, the enforceability of the arbitration provisions of this Agreement or the enforcement of any arbitration award, such disagreement or matter shall be exclusively submitted to the federal or state courts located in the City of New York.
(i) Limitation on Damages. IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY PARTY BE LIABLE TO ANY OTHER PARTY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, EVEN IF INFORMED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE FOREGOING SHALL BE INTERPRETED AND HAVE EFFECT TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, RULE OR REGULATION.
(j) WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. THE PARTIES ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO LITIGATE CLAIMS THROUGH A COURT BEFORE A JUDGE, BUT WILL NOT HAVE THAT RIGHT IF ANY PARTY ELECTS ARBITRATION PURSUANT TO THIS ARBITRATION PROVISION. THE PARTIES HEREBY KNOWINGLY AND VOLUNTARILY WAIVE THEIR RIGHTS TO LITIGATE SUCH CLAIMS IN A COURT UPON ELECTION OF ARBITRATION BY ANY PARTY. THE PARTIES HERETO WAIVE A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LITIGATION RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER AGREEMENTS RELATED THERETO.
(k) Successors and Assigns. Except as herein otherwise specifically provided, this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties and their successors and permitted assigns.
(l) Third Party Beneficiaries. Each Protected Person is an intended third-party beneficiary of this Agreement and shall have the right to enforce its rights under this Agreement as if it were a direct Party. Other than as set forth herein, this Agreement is between the Parties and there are no other third-party beneficiaries hereto, and no other party shall have the right to enforce this Agreement.
(m) Headings. Captions contained in this Agreement are inserted only as a matter of convenience and in no way define, limit or extend the scope or intent of this Agreement or any provision hereof.
(n) Interpretation. Wherever from the context it appears appropriate, each term stated in either the singular or the plural shall include the singular and the plural, and pronouns stated in the masculine, the feminine or neuter gender shall include the masculine, the feminine and the neuter.
(o) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which together shall constitute one instrument.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have entered into this Agreement as of the Effective Date.
| Masterworks Administrative Services, LLC | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Josh Goldstein | |
| Title: | General Counsel | |
| Masterworks Vault 1, LLC, on behalf of the Series listed on Schedule A, as amended | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Josh Goldstein | |
| Title: | General Counsel | |
| Masterworks Cayman, SPC, on behalf of the Segregated Portfolios listed on Schedule B, as amended | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Josh Goldstein | |
| Title: | General Counsel | |
| 14 |
Exhibit A
Series
| 15 |
Exhibit B
Segregated Portfolios
| 16 |
Exhibit 6.33
Exhibit 11.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Offering Statement on Form 1-A of Masterworks Vault 1, LLC of our report dated June 8, 2023, relating to the consolidated financial statements of the Company as a whole and for each listed Series. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Offering Statement.
/s/ AGD Legal, S. C.
AGD Legal, S. C.
Cancun, Quintana Roo
January 23, 2024
Exhibit 12.1

January 23, 2024
Masterworks Vault 1, LLC
225 Liberty Street, 29th Floor,
New York, New York 10281
Re: Masterworks Vault 1, LLC Offering Statement on Form 1-A
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I have acted as counsel to Masterworks Vault 1, LLC, a Delaware series limited liability company (the “Company”) in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission of a offering statement on Form 1-A (the “Offering Statement”) under Regulation A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Offering Statement includes offerings of various series of membership interests (each a “Series”), a series designation (each, a “Series Designation” and, collectively, the “Series Designations”) for each of which will be in the form filed with the Offering Statement and attached to the Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of the Company (as amended, the “Company Operating Agreement”), prior to the issuance thereof.
The Offering Statement relates, among other things, to the proposed issuance and sale by the Company (the “Offering”) of the membership interests of a Series in the form of Class A ordinary shares, for a purchase price of $20.00 per share, as designated on Schedule A to this opinion letter (the “Shares”), as further described in the Offering Statement.
This opinion letter is being delivered in accordance with the requirements of Item 17(12) of Form 1-A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
In connection with rendering this opinion, I have examined the originals, or certified, conformed or reproduction copies, of all such records, agreements, instruments and documents as I have deemed relevant or necessary as the basis for the opinion hereinafter expressed. In all such examinations, I have assumed the genuineness of all signatures on original or certified copies and the conformity to original or certified copies of all copies submitted to me as conformed or reproduction copies.
I have reviewed: (a) the certificate of formation of the Company; (b) the certificate of amendment to the certificate of formation of the Company; (c) the operating agreement of the Company; (d) the form of series designation; (e) the offering circular; (f) the form of subscription agreement; and (g) such other corporate documents, records, papers and certificates as I have deemed necessary for the purposes of the opinions expressed herein.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing and to the other qualifications and limitations set forth herein, I am of the opinion that the Shares, when issued and delivered in the manner and/or the terms described in the Offering Statement as filed (after it is declared qualified), will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
I express no opinion with regard to the applicability or effect of the law of any jurisdiction other than, as in effect on the date of this letter, (a) the internal laws of the State of Delaware and (b) the federal laws of the United States. I express no opinion as to laws of any other jurisdiction. I assume no obligation to revise or supplement this opinion should the laws be changed after the effective date of the Offering Statement by legislative action, judicial decision or otherwise.
I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Offering Statement and to the reference to my name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Offering Statement. In giving this consent, I do not hereby admit that I am in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act.
Sincerely yours,
| /s/ Joshua B. Goldstein | ||
| Name: | Joshua B. Goldstein | |
| Title: | General Counsel | |
SCHEDULE A
Series of Masterworks Vault 1, LLC
| Series | Maximum Class A Shares | |
| Series 417 | 49,950 |
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