Rocket One Inc.
For the period ended Dec 31, 2024. Filed Mar 28, 2025.
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FY2024 · Filed Mar 28, 2025
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Item 11. Executive Compensation
Summary Compensation Table
The following table sets forth the compensation paid or accrued during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 to our principal executive officer (the “named executive officer”):
| ● | Robb Knie, Chief Executive Officer and President |
| Name and Principal Position | Year | Salary ($) | Bonus ($)(1) | Stock Awards ($) | Option Awards ($)(2) | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($) | Nonqualified deferred compensation earnings ($) | All Other Compensation ($)(3) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robb Knie | 2024 | 450,000 | 200,000 | - | 449,685 | - | - | 127,107 | 1,226,792 |
| Chief Executive Officer and President | 2023 | 450,000 | 200,000 | - | 81,120 | - | - | 115,222 | 846,342 |
| (1) | Represents payments of discretionary bonuses for performance during the applicable years as determined by the board, and as further described below Bonus Arrangements. |
| (2) | Represents the aggregate grant date fair value of options granted for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 as determined in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, rather than the amount paid to or realized by Robb Knie. See Note 6, “Stockholders’ Equity” in the notes to the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information regarding the Company’s accounting for share-based compensation plans. |
| (3) | All other compensation represents the employer matching contributions to Robb Knie’s 401(k) account and the amounts received for his executive health or supplemental health insurance premiums. Mr. Knie received (i) an employer 401(k) contribution in the amount of $20,475 and $19,800 for fiscal years 2024 and 2023, respectively, and (ii) payments for executive health or supplemental medical insurance premiums in the amount of $106,632 and $95,422 for fiscal years 2024 and 2023, respectively. |
Employment Agreements
Robb Knie Employment Agreement
On March 28, 2023, we entered into an employment agreement (the “2023 Knie Employment Agreement”) with Robb Knie, pursuant to which Mr. Knie continues to serve as our Chief Executive Officer. The term of the 2023 Knie Employment Agreement will continue for a period of three years from the date of execution and automatically renews for successive one-year periods at the end of each term until either party delivers written notice of their intent not to review at least six months prior to the expiration of the then effective term. Mr. Knie’s base salary is $450,000 per year. Mr. Knie is eligible to receive an annual bonus of up to $350,000 per year at the discretion of the compensation committee of the Company, based upon the achievement of Company and individual performance targets established by the compensation committee. Under the 2023 Knie Employment Agreement, Mr. Knie is also entitled to receive equity-based compensation awards. In addition, the 2023 Knie Employment Agreement contains standard non-competition and non-solicitation provisions. Mr. Knie is also eligible to receive additional equity-based compensation awards as the Company may grant from time to time. The 2023 Knie Employment Agreement further provides for standard expense reimbursement, vacation time and other standard executive benefits.
Pursuant to the 2023 Knie Employment Agreement, in the event Mr. Knie’s employment is terminated without Cause (as defined in the 2023 Knie Employment Agreement), due to a non-renewal by the Company, he voluntarily resigns, or if he resigns for Good Reason (as defined in the 2023 Knie Employment Agreement), Mr. Knie is entitled to (i) a cash payment equal to the sum of (x) 24 months of his base salary at the then current rate (or 36 months if such termination occurs within 12 months of a Change in Control (as defined in the 2023 Knie Employment Agreement)) and (y) annual bonus in effect on his last day of employment; (ii) continuation of health benefits for a period of 24 months (or 36 months if such termination occurs within 12 months of a Change in Control); (iii) a lump sum payment equal to the amount of any annual bonus earned with respect to a prior fiscal year, but unpaid as of the date of termination; (iv) a lump sum payment equal to the amount of annual bonus that was accrued through the date of termination for the year in which employment ends; and (v) subject to Mr. Knie’s compliance with his restrictive covenants, the outstanding and unvested portion of any equity award will accelerate and immediately vest on the date of Mr. Knie’s termination.
In the event that Mr. Knie’s employment is terminated due to his death or disability, he will be entitled to receive (i) a lump sum payment equal to the amount of any annual bonus earned with respect to a prior fiscal year, but unpaid as of the date of termination; (ii) a lump sum payment equal to the amount of annual bonus that was accrued for the year in which employment ends; and (iii) the treatment of any equity awards in accordance with their respective equity award agreements.
In the event that Mr. Knie’s employment is terminated due to his non-renewal or resignation without Good Reason, he will be entitled to receive a lump sum payment equal to the amount of any annual bonus earned with respect to a prior fiscal year, but unpaid as of the date of termination.
Equity Grant Practices
2018 Equity Incentive Plan
On May 4, 2018, the Company’s board of directors adopted the Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. 2018 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan (the “2018 Plan”). The 2018 Plan became effective on May 4, 2018 upon approval of the 2018 Plan by the Company’s shareholders at the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders. Pursuant to the 2018 Plan, the Company can grant stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, deferred stock units, annual or long-term performance awards or other stock-based awards. As of December 31, 2024, the outstanding option awards under the 2018 Plan total 77,362 as described in the table under “Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2024” below.
2022 Equity Incentive Plan
On March 24, 2022, the Company’s board of directors adopted the Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. 2022 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan (the “2022 Plan”) initially reserving 96,000 shares of the Company’s common stock for issuance thereunder. The 2022 Plan became effective on June 23, 2022 upon approval of the 2022 Plan by the Company’s shareholders at the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders. On June 2, 2023, the Company’s board of directors approved the Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. Amended and Restated 2022 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan (the “Amended and Restated 2022 Plan”) which was approved by stockholders on August 18, 2023. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated 2022 Plan, the Company can grant stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, deferred stock units, annual or long-term performance awards or other stock-based awards. As of December 31, 2024, the outstanding option awards under the Amended and Restated 2022 Plan total 1,013,000 as described in the table under “Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2024” below.
Bonus Arrangements
Pursuant to the terms of the executive employment agreements described above, the Company, through the board, has the discretion to determine the amounts of the annual incentive bonus payments which executives may receive Based on the review of the Company’s performance for calendar year 2024, the board, in its sole discretion, determined to pay the bonus to the named executive officer listed in the summary compensation table above.
401(k) Plan
The Company maintains a defined contribution employee retirement plan, or 401(k) plan, for its employees. The 401(k) plan is intended to qualify as a tax-qualified plan under Section 401(k) of the Code so that contributions to the 401(k) plan, and income earned on such contributions, are not taxable to participants until withdrawn or distributed from the 401(k) plan. The Company will match a participant’s contribution 100% up to 6% of their compensation, subject to statutory limits.
Perquisites
Perquisites are not a material component of compensation. In general, named executive officers do not receive reimbursements for meals, airlines, and travel costs, other than those costs allowed for all employees. During 2024, our named executive officer did not receive an allowance from the Company or any of the above or a reimbursement for any expense incurred for non-business purposes.
Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2024
The following table provides information regarding option awards held by our named executive officer that were outstanding as of December 31, 2024. There were no stock awards or other equity awards outstanding as of December 31, 2024.
| Option Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name · Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable · Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Unexercisable · Option Exercise Price ($) · Option Expiration Date | |||||
| Robb Knie | 10,000 | (1) | - | $131.50 | 12/24/2029 |
| 3,201 | (1) | - | $76.25 | 7/21/2030 | |
| 9,000 | (1) | - | $52.75 | 1/29/2031 | |
| 20,000 | (1) | - | $14.75 | 3/16/2032 | |
| 40,000 | (1) | - | $2.59 | 7/17/2033 | |
| 225,000 | (1) | - | $1.36 | 1/5/2034 | |
| 325,000 | (1) | - | $0.7548 | 8/19/2034 | |
| (1) | Stock options granted to Robb Knie vested in full immediately upon grant. |
Pay Versus Performance Disclosure
In accordance with the SEC’s disclosure requirements regarding pay versus performance (“PVP”), this section presents the SEC-defined “Compensation Actually Paid,” (“CAP”) of our NEO for each of the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, and our financial performance. Also required by the SEC, this section compares CAP to various measures used to gauge performance at HOTH for each such fiscal year.
Pay versus Performance Table — Compensation Definitions
Salary, Bonus, Stock Awards, and All Other Compensation are each calculated in the same manner for purposes of both CAP and Summary Compensation Table (“SCT”) values. The primary difference between the calculation of CAP and SCT total compensation is the calculation of the value of “Stock Awards,” with the table below describing the differences in how these awards are valued for purposes of SCT total and CAP:
| SCT Total | CAP | |
| Stock Awards | Grant date fair value of stock and option awards granted during the year | Year over year change in the fair value of stock and option awards that are unvested as of the end of the year, or vested or were forfeited during the year |
|---|
Pay Versus Performance Table
| Year(1) · Summary Compensation Table Total for PEO · Compensation Actually Paid to PEO(2) · Average Summary Compensation Table Total for Non-PEO NEOs · Average Compensation Actually Paid to Non-PEO NEOs(2) · Value of Initial Fixed $100 Investment Based On Total Shareholder Return · Net Loss | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) · (b) · (c) · (d) · (e) · (f) · (h) | ||||||||
| 2024 | $1,226,792 | $1,226,792 | $ | - | $ | - | $1.26 | $(7,786,842) |
| 2023 | $846,342 | $846,342 | $ | - | $ | - | $2.43 | $(7,845,390) |
| 2022 | $1,060,370 | $1,060,370 | $ | - | $ | - | $13.16 | $(11,371,953) |
| (1) | The PEO (CEO) in the 2024 and 2023 reporting year is Robb Knie. |
| (2) | The CAP was calculated beginning with the PEO’s SCT total. No amounts were deducted from or added to the applicable SCT total compensation. Since all equity awards were fully vested prior to 2022, no reconciliation with respect to equity awards for summary compensation numbers was required. |
Non-Employee Director Compensation
The following table presents the total compensation for each person who served as a non-employee member of our board of directors and received compensation for such service during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024. Other than as set forth in the table and described more fully below, we did not pay any compensation, make any equity awards or non-equity awards to, or pay any other compensation to any of the non-employee members of our board of directors in 2024.
| Name | Fees earned or paid in cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Option Awards ($)(1)(2) | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($) | Nonqualified deferred compensation earnings ($) | All Other Compensation ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Pavell | 50,000 | - | 43,355 | - | - | - | 93,355 |
| David Sarnoff | 50,000 | - | 43,355 | - | - | - | 93,355 |
| Graig Springer | 50,000 | - | 43,355 | - | - | - | 93,355 |
| Wayne Linsley | 50,000 | - | 43,355 | - | - | - | 93,355 |
| (1) | Amounts reported represent the aggregate grant date fair value for option awards granted in each respective year in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, excluding the effect of forfeitures. See Note 6, “Stockholders’ Equity” in the notes to the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended 2024 included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended 2024 for more information regarding the Company’s accounting for share-based compensation plans. |
| (2) | On January 5, 2024, Jeff Pavell was granted ten-year options to purchase up to 25,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $1.36, which options vested in full upon grant, and on August 19, 2024, he was granted additional ten-year options to purchase up to 25,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $0.7548, which options vested in full upon grant. |
| On January 5, 2024, David Sarnoff was granted ten-year options to purchase up to 25,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $1.36, which options vested in full upon grant, and on August 19, 2024, he was granted additional ten-year options to purchase up to 25,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $0.7548, which options vested in full upon grant. |
On January 5, 2024, Graig Springer was granted ten-year options to purchase up to 25,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $1.36, which options vested in full upon grant, and on August 19, 2024, he was granted additional ten-year options to purchase up to 25,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $0.7548, which options vested in full upon grant.
On January 5, 2024, Wayne Linsley was granted ten-year options to purchase up to 25,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $1.36, which options vested in full upon grant, and on August 19, 2024, he was granted additional ten-year options to purchase up to 25,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $0.7548, which options vested in full upon grant.
Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy
Our directors receive $50,000 cash compensation per year for their service on the board of directors, as well as reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses with respect to such directors’ attendance at meetings of the board of directors of the Company.
Committee chairs receive an additional one-time $6,000 cash compensation upon appointment for their added services in such roles.
Company Policies and Practices Related to the Grant of Certain Equity Awards Close in Time to the Release of Material Nonpublic Information
The Compensation Committee last granted a stock option in January 2025. The Company does not grant stock options or similar awards to Section 16 Insiders, most SVPs, and other Vice Presidents and above who directly report to the CEO in anticipation of the release of material nonpublic information that is likely to result in changes to the price of the Company’s stock, such as a significant positive or negative earnings announcement, or time the public release of such information based on stock option grant dates. In addition, the Company does not grant stock options or similar awards during the four business days prior to or the one business day following the filing of our periodic reports or the filing or furnishing of a Current Report on Form 8-K that discloses material nonpublic information. These restrictions do not apply to RSUs or other types of equity awards that do not include an exercise price related to the market price of the Company’s stock on the date of grant.
The Company’s executive officers would not be permitted to choose the grant date for any stock option grants.
During fiscal 2024, the Company’s named executive officer was awarded stock options. The Company did not time the disclosure of material nonpublic information for the purpose of affecting the value of executive compensation.
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