Following the Internalization, our executive officers became
employees of the Company, and our Compensation Committee became responsible for determining executive compensation. For the 2022 Stub Year, the Compensation Committee’s compensation decisions reflected the start of a process to redesign the
executive compensation program to better support our financial and strategic objectives as an internally-managed company, and the Compensation Committee is continuing this process during 2023.
The compensation program for our named executive officers consists
of an annual base salary, the ability to earn short-term incentive awards, the ability to earn long-term equity incentive awards based on individual and Company performance, and the ability to participate in employee benefit plans and programs at
the same level and on the same terms that apply to Rithm Capital Corp.’s employees generally. The following is a detailed description of each material element of our compensation program for our named executive officers for the 2022 Stub Year, as
well as changes already made or anticipated for 2023.
Base Salary. Base salary is a fixed component of compensation
for each of our named executive officers. The base salaries for each of our named executive officers were originally set at the time of the Internalization and are intended to reflect the position, duties and responsibilities of each executive.
For the 2022 Stub Year. Effective as of the Internalization Date, the annual base salaries for Messrs. Nierenberg, Santoro and Sivin were $1,250,000, $300,000 and $250,000, respectively. The base salaries payable to our named executive officers may be
adjusted from time to time based on the executive’s performance and other factors as determined by our Compensation Committee.
For 2023. As
of the filing of this proxy statement, the 2023 annual base salaries payable to our named executive officers remain unchanged from those established on the Internalization Date.
Short-Term Incentive Awards. Our named executive officers are
each eligible to receive annual short-term incentive bonus payments from the Company based on annual performance achievements. We consider these short-term incentive bonuses to be “at-risk” compensation.
For the 2022 Stub Year. Mr. Nierenberg had a target short-term incentive opportunity equal to $1,875,000, of which he was eligible to earn from 0% to 200%. Each of Messrs. Santoro and Sivin did not have a specific target short-term incentive opportunity
amount, and instead were eligible to receive discretionary short-term incentive amounts from the Company based on our Compensation Committee’s determination of their individual performance and the performance of the Company as a whole.
Following a review of all applicable factors by our Compensation Committee, the Compensation Committee awarded the following short-term incentive amounts to our named executive officers with respect to for the 2022 Stub Year: Mr. Nierenberg,
$3,750,000; Mr. Santoro, $1,100,000; and Mr. Sivin, $750,000.
In determining the short-term incentive awards earned by our named
executive officers for the 2022 Stub Year, our Compensation Committee did not use pre-established performance goals. Instead, our Compensation Committee considered many factors, particularly the Company and management team’s financial and
strategic accomplishments in 2022 described above, in its decision-making process relating to the amount of the annual short-term incentive amounts.
For 2023. As
described below and pursuant to his employment agreement, Mr. Nierenberg’s 2023 target short-term incentive amount is $5,000,000, which may be earned from 0% to 200% based on financial, strategic and individual performance determined by our
Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee intends to develop a similar structure for the other named executive officers.
Long-Term Incentive Awards. Our named executive officers are
eligible to receive long-term equity incentive awards relating to our Common Stock, which are intended to further align the interests of our named executive officers with those of our stockholders generally. As described below, these awards are
subject to vesting terms, which include continued employment with the Company for specified periods of time, and in certain cases, the achievement of specified performance criteria.
For the 2022 Stub Year. Mr. Nierenberg was awarded 578,034 restricted shares of our Common Stock in accordance with section 2(d) of his employment agreement with the Company, which is described in more detail below in “Employment Agreements and Offer Letters
with our Named Executive Officers.” Such restricted shares