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SNAP INC. (Exact Name of Registrant As Specified in Its Charter)

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SNAP INC. (Exact Name of Registrant As Specified in Its Charter) UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 10-K (Mark One) ☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 OR ☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM TO Commission File Number 001-38017 SNAP INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware 45-5452795 (State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer incorporation or organization) Identification No.) 2772 Donald Douglas Loop North, Santa Monica, California 90405 (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code) (310) 399-3339 (Registrant’s telephone number, including area code) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of each class Name of each exchange on which registered Class A Common Stock, par value $0.00001 per share New York Stock Exchange Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐ Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒ Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐ Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐ Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ☐ Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or emerging growth company. See the definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. Large accelerated filer ☒ Accelerated filer ☐ Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐ Emerging growth company ☐ If an emerging growth company, indicate by checkmark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐ Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒ The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, based on the closing price of the shares of Class A common stock on The New York Stock Exchange on June 30, 2018, was $10,609,237,236. As of January 31, 2019, the registrant had 1,044,828,343 shares of Class A common stock, 51,596,090 shares of Class B common stock, and 224,611,365 shares of Class C common stock outstanding. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements 1 Note Regarding User Metrics and Other Data 2 PART I Item 1. Business 3 Item 1A. Risk Factors 8 Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 36 Item 2. Properties 36 Item 3. Legal Proceedings 36 Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 36 PART II Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 37 Item 6. Selected Financial Data 39 Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 42 Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 61 Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 62 Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 97 Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 97 Item 9B. Other Information 97 PART III Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 99 Item 11. Executive Compensation 105 Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters 126 Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence 128 Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services 130 PART IV Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 131 Item 16. Form 10-K Summary 133 Signatures 134 i NOTE REGARDING FORWA RD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, about us and our industry that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including statements regarding guidance, our future results of operations or financial condition, business strategy and plans, user growth and engagement, product initiatives, and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “going to,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” or “would” or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions. We caution you that the foregoing may not include all of the forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. You should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. We have based the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K primarily on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors described in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including among other things: • our financial performance, including our revenues, cost of revenues, operating expenses, and our ability to attain and sustain profitability; • our ability to generate and sustain positive cash flow; • our ability to attract and retain users and publishers; • our ability to attract and retain advertisers; • our ability to compete effectively with existing competitors and new market entrants; • our ability to effectively manage our growth and future expenses; • our ability to comply with modified or new laws and regulations applying to our business; • our ability to maintain, protect, and enhance our intellectual property; • our ability to successfully expand in our existing market segments and penetrate new market segments; • our ability to attract and retain qualified employees and key personnel; and • future acquisitions of or investments in complementary companies, products, services, or technologies. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The results, events, and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur, and actual results, events, or circumstances could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. And while we believe that information provides a reasonable basis for these statements, that information may be limited or incomplete. Our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely on these statements. The forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions, or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures, or investments. Investors and others should note that we may announce material business and financial information to our investors using our investor relations website (investor.snap.com), filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, webcasts, press releases, and conference calls. We use these mediums, including Snapchat and our website, to communicate with our members and the public about our company, our products, and other issues. It is possible that the information that we make available may be deemed to be material information.
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