Falcon's Beyond Global, Inc.
For the period ended Dec 31, 2024. Filed Apr 3, 2025.
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FY2024 · Filed Apr 3, 2025
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Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report. Disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.
Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Based on such evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of December 31, 2024, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective due to the identification of material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
As required by SEC rules and regulations implementing Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“SOX”), our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as this term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of our financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:
(1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of our company,
(2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors, and
(3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect errors or misstatements in our financial statements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree or compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Management with participation of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer under the oversight of our Board of Directors evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024 using the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013). Based on that evaluation, management determined that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of December 31, 2024 because of the material weaknesses described below.
This Annual Report does not include an attestation report of the Company’s registered public accounting firm, as non-accelerated filers are exempt from attestation requirements of section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Material Weaknesses
A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
In connection with the preparation and audit of the 2023 consolidated financial statements, we identified the following material weaknesses in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting
Risk Assessment – We did not design and implement an effective risk assessment based on the criteria established in the COSO framework. Specifically, these control deficiencies constitute material weaknesses, either individually or in the aggregate, relating to: (i) identifying, assessing, and communicating appropriate objectives, (ii) identifying and analyzing risks to achieve these objectives, (iii) contemplating fraud risks, and (iv) identifying and assessing changes in the business that could impact our system of internal controls.
Control Activities – We did not design and implement effective control activities based on the criteria established in the COSO framework. We have identified deficiencies in the principles associated with the control activities component of the COSO framework. Specifically, these control deficiencies constitute material weaknesses, either individually or in the aggregate, relating to: (i) selecting and developing control activities and information technology that contribute to the mitigation of risks and support achievement of objectives; and (ii) deploying control activities through policies that establish what is expected and procedures that put policies into action.
The following deficiencies, individually and in the aggregate, contributed to material weaknesses in control activities, including:
We did not have an adequate segregation of duties or appropriate level of review that is needed to comply with financial reporting requirements.
We did not design or maintain controls over period end close procedures.
We did not design or maintain effective controls over the period end financial reporting process and preparation of financial statements. Specifically, we did not design and implement a sufficient level of formal accounting policies and procedures that define how transactions across the business cycles should be initiated, recorded, processed and reported and appropriately authorized and approved.
We did not design or maintain controls or document segregation of duties over information technology systems used to create or maintain financial reporting records.
Monitoring – We did not design and implement effective monitoring activities based on the criteria established in the COSO framework. We have identified deficiencies in the principles associated with the monitoring component of the COSO framework. Specifically, these control deficiencies constitute material weaknesses, either individually or in the aggregate, relating to: (i) selecting, developing, and performing ongoing evaluation to ascertain whether the components of internal controls are present and functioning; and (ii) evaluating and communicating internal control deficiencies in a timely manner to those parties responsible for taking corrective action.
Control Environment – We did not maintain an effective control environment based on the criteria established in the COSO framework. We have identified deficiencies in the principles associated with the control environment of the COSO framework. Specifically, these control deficiencies constitute material weaknesses, either individually or in the aggregate, relating to: (i) appropriate organizational structure, reporting lines, and authority and responsibilities in pursuit of objectives; (ii) our commitment to attract, develop, train, and retain an appropriate complement of accounting employees; and (iii) establishing a control environment and holding individuals accountable for their internal control related responsibilities.
We did not design or maintain an effective control environment to enable the identification and mitigation of risks of accounting errors based on the contributing factors to material weaknesses in the control environment, including:
The Company did not create the proper environment for effective internal control over financial reporting and to ensure that: (i) there were adequate processes for oversight; (ii) there was accountability for the performance of internal control over financial reporting responsibilities; (iii) personnel with key positions had the appropriate training and capacity to carry out their responsibilities.
The Company did not maintain a sufficient complement of management, accounting, financial reporting personnel who had appropriate levels of knowledge, experience, and training in accounting and internal control matters commensurate with the nature, growth and complexity of our business. The lack of sufficient appropriately skilled and trained personnel contributed to our failure to: (i) adequately identify potential risks; (ii) include in the scope of our internal controls framework certain systems relevant to financial reporting and the preparation of our consolidated financial statements; and (iii) design and implement certain risk-mitigating internal controls.
Information and Communication – We did not generate or provide adequate quality supporting information and communication based on the criteria established in the COSO framework. We have identified deficiencies in the principles associated with the information and communication component of the COSO framework. Specifically, these control deficiencies constitute material weaknesses, either individually or in the aggregate, relating to: (i) obtaining, generating, and using relevant quality information to support the function of internal control; and (ii) communicating accurate information internally and externally, including providing information pursuant to objectives, responsibilities, and functions of internal control.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Except as otherwise described herein, there was no change in our internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by Rule 13a-15(d) and 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Remediation Efforts
We are in the process of implementing measures designed to improve our internal control over financial reporting and remediate the deficiencies that led to the material weaknesses discussed above. Our detailed remediation plans, which are currently in process, include the following actions:
We have engaged a third-party consulting firm to accelerate our risk assessment based on the criteria established in the COSO framework and to support in the design, implementation and documentation of controls to ensure timely and accurate financial reporting.
We have designed and implemented systems and controls to enable effective and timely review of period end close procedures, and accounting review processes.
We have engaged a third-party global consulting firm to enhance our review of significant accounting transactions and other new technical accounting and financial reporting issues and preparing and reviewing accounting memoranda. We have hired additional qualified accounting and financial reporting personnel to support the nature, growth and complexity of our business.
We are in the process of designing and implementing controls and documentation segregation of duties over information technology systems used to create or maintain financial reporting records.
In addition, as we continue to evaluate and work to improve our internal control over financial reporting, management may determine to take additional measures to address control deficiencies or determine to modify our remediation plan.
In light of the material weaknesses discussed above, we performed additional procedures to ensure that our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report were prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Following such additional procedures, our management, including our including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has concluded that our consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented in this Annual Report, in conformity with U.S. GAAP.
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