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System1, Inc.

For the period ended Jun 10, 2025. Filed May 19, 2025.

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What shareholders are asked to vote on at a company's meeting. It is where to find what directors and top executives are paid, and who owns the most shares.

Jun 10, 2025 · Filed May 19, 2025

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SST$1.72-2.8%Stored close · as of Nov 6, 2026
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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. )

Filed by the Registrant ☒

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ☐

Check the appropriate box:

☐ Preliminary Proxy Statement

☐ Confidential, For Use of the Commission only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

☒ Definitive Proxy Statement

☐ Definitive Additional Materials

☐ Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-2

System1, Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Not Applicable

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check all boxes that apply):

☒ No fee required.

☐ Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

☐ Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.

4235 Redwood Avenue

Los Angeles, California 90066

LETTER TO STOCKHOLDERS

May 19, 2025

Dear Stockholder:

You are cordially invited to attend this year’s annual meeting of stockholders of System1, Inc. on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at 11:00 a.m Pacific Time. The annual meeting will be a completely “virtual” meeting. You will be able to attend the annual meeting, as well as vote and submit your questions during the live webcast of the meeting, by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SST2025 and entering the company number and control number included on your proxy card or in the instructions that accompany your proxy materials.

Details regarding admission to the annual meeting and the business to be conducted at the annual meeting are described in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement.

Whether or not you plan to attend the annual meeting, your vote is very important and we encourage you to vote promptly. You may vote by either marking, signing and returning the enclosed proxy card or using telephone or internet voting. For specific instructions on voting, please refer to the instructions on your enclosed proxy card. If you attend the annual meeting you will have the right to revoke the proxy and vote your shares virtually at the meeting. If you hold your shares through an account with a brokerage firm, bank or other nominee, please follow the instructions you receive from your brokerage firm, bank or other nominee to vote your shares.

Sincerely yours,

/s/ Michael Blend

MICHAEL BLEND

CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD JUNE 10, 2025

WhenTuesday, June 10, 2025 at 11:00 a.m Pacific TimeHow to Vote in Advance
WhereVirtually at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SST2025By MailComplete, sign, date and return your proxy card or voting instruction form in the envelope provided
Proposal 1Election of three nominees named in the proxy statement to serve as Class III directors on the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR” each nominee.By InternetYou can vote your shares online at www.proxyvote.com
Proposal 2Ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025. The Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR.”By PhoneYou can vote your shares by calling 1-800-690-6903
Proposal 3Authorization of the Board to amend the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation to effect a reverse stock split of all of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock by a ratio in the range of 1-for-10 to 1-for-50. The Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR.”
Proposal 4Approval of an amendment to the 2022 Incentive Award Plan. The Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR.”
Proposal 5Approval of an amendment to the 2024 Stock Appreciation Rights Plan and the repricing of certain outstanding stock appreciation rights. The Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR.”
Any other business which may properly come before the annual meeting or any adjournment or postponement. In addition to the business to be transacted as described above, management will speak on our developments of the past year and respond to questions of general interest to stockholders.Your vote is important. Please vote as soon as possible by one of the methods shown above. Be sure to have your proxy card, voting instruction form or Notice of Internet Availability in hand and follow the below instructions:
Who Can VoteOnly owners of record of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock as of the close of business on April 22, 2025. Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote per share.IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON JUNE 10, 2025
Date of MailingWe intend to mail Proxy Materials on or about May 19, 2025.

This Proxy Statement and the proxy card are first being mailed to our stockholders on or about May 19, 2025. In accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules, we are advising our stockholders of the Internet availability of our proxy materials related to our forthcoming Annual Meeting. Because we have elected to utilize the “full set delivery” of materials option, we are delivering paper copies of all of the proxy materials to all our stockholders, as well as providing access to those proxy materials on a publicly accessible website. This Proxy Statement and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 are available to our stockholders at https://ir.system1.com/financials/sec-filings/default.aspx. A copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, as filed with the SEC, except for exhibits, will be furnished without charge to any of our stockholders upon written request to System1, Inc., 4235 Redwood Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90066 Attention: Corporate Secretary. This Proxy Statement and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, are also available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

/s/ Michael Blend

MICHAEL BLEND

CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Los Angeles, California

Dated: May 19, 2025

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page No.
PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY1
PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF THREE CLASS III DIRECTORS4
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE8
PROPOSAL 2: RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM15
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT19
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS20
EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTOR COMPENSATION21
2024 DIRECTOR COMPENSATION26
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION28
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT29
DELINQUENT SECTION 16(A) REPORTS32
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS33
PROPOSAL 3: AUTHORIZATION OF THE BOARD TO AMEND THE COMPANY’S AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION TO EFFECT A REVERSE STOCK SPLIT OF ALL OF THE COMPANY’S ISSUED AND OUTSTANDING COMMON STOCK BY A RATIO IN THE RANGE OF 1-FOR-10 TO 1-FOR-5035
PROPOSAL 4: APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE 2022 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN47
PROPOSAL 5: APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE 2024 STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS PLAN AND THE REPRICING OF CERTAIN OUTSTANDING STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS54
STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS63
STOCKHOLDERS SHARING THE SAME LAST NAME AND ADDRESS64
AVAILABLE INFORMATION65
OTHER MATTERS66
ContentsView on SEC.gov

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