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Safehold (NYSE: SAFE) appoints Michael Trachtenberg President with large stock-based awards

Filing Impact
(Neutral)
Filing Sentiment
(Neutral)
Form Type
8-K

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Safehold Inc. appointed Michael Trachtenberg as President effective December 1, 2025. He brings two decades of institutional real estate experience from Lubert-Adler, where he most recently served as President and Managing Partner.

His compensation includes a $500,000 annual base salary, a target annual bonus of $1,500,000, a one-time signing cash bonus of $250,000, and a grant of 50,000 Caret Units vesting over five years. He is eligible for a one-time sign-on award of 93,076 restricted stock units vesting over five years, plus performance-based RSU awards of 60,000 RSUs tied to affordable housing commitments and 700,000 RSUs tied to stock price hurdles and an origination threshold, over three- and five-year performance periods, respectively. Certain vesting may accelerate upon qualifying terminations or change in control.

Trachtenberg will receive up to $200,000 in corporate housing and relocation support for his first year and will participate in the Company’s severance and new change in control plans, which provide executive officers severance equal to two times base salary and prior year bonus upon specified change in control-related terminations.

Positive

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Insights

SAFE adds a new President with a heavily equity-linked, performance-based pay package.

Safehold Inc. is bringing in Michael Trachtenberg as President with a mix of cash and equity compensation that emphasizes longer-term value creation. The package blends base pay of $500,000, a target annual bonus of $1,500,000, and a $250,000 cash sign-on with time-vested and performance-based equity.

The equity component is substantial: 50,000 Caret Units, a one-time grant of 93,076 RSUs vesting over five years, 60,000 RSUs linked to Affordable Housing Plan Commitments over a three-year period, and 700,000 RSUs under a Shareholder Success Plan tied to stock price hurdles, including a top hurdle at a 249% increase over the November 28, 2025 closing price, plus an origination threshold. These awards are also subject to sale restrictions and potential accelerated vesting upon certain terminations or change of control.

Governance-wise, the Company put in place post-employment non-compete and non-solicitation covenants for two years, and extended an Executive Change in Control Severance Plan that offers executives, including Trachtenberg, severance equal to two times base salary and prior year bonus if terminated in a defined window around a change in control. Future disclosures in periodic reports may give more clarity on how these equity awards evolve relative to company performance over the stated three- and five-year performance periods.

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 1, 2025

 

 

Safehold Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Maryland   001-15371   95-6881527
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation)
  (Commission File Number)   (IRS Employer Identification Number)

 

1114 Avenue of the Americas,  
39th Floor  
New York, New York 10036
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 930-9400

 

 

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

¨Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class   Trading Symbol(s)   Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock   SAFE   NYSE

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 5.02Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

On December 1, 2025, Safehold Inc. (the “Company”) announced the appointment of Mr. Michael Trachtenberg, as President of the Company, effective December 1, 2025.

 

Mr. Trachtenberg, 43, previously held positions at Lubert-Adler, an institutional real estate investment manager, from 2005 until February 2025, including most recently as President from 2024 and Managing Partner from 2020. Since February 2025 he has served as a consultant for Lubert-Adler.

 

Mr. Trachtenberg holds a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from New York University.

 

Mr. Trachtenberg has no family relationships with any director, executive officer or person nominated or chosen by the Company to become a director or executive officer of the Company, and there is no arrangement or understanding between Mr. Trachtenberg and any other person pursuant to which Mr. Trachtenberg was selected as an officer. Mr. Trachtenberg is not a party to any transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.

 

Mr. Trachtenberg will receive an annual base salary of $500,000 and he will be eligible for an annual bonus with a target opportunity of $1,500,000 subject to the attainment of performance objectives, which may be payable in the form of cash, equity-based awards, or a combination thereof, under the Company’s incentive compensation program. He will receive an initial, one-time signing cash bonus of $250,000 and a grant of 50,000 Caret Units that will vest pro rata annually over a five-year period, subject to Mr. Trachtenberg’s continued employment and the terms and conditions of the Caret Incentive Plan and applicable award agreement. For a period of up to one-year following his start date, the Company will provide Mr. Trachtenberg with a corporate housing and relocation allowance not to exceed $200,000 for the year.

 

Mr. Trachtenberg will be eligible for a one-time sign-on award of 93,076 restricted stock units (“RSUs”) that will vest in substantially equal installments on each of the five annual anniversaries of Mr. Trachtenberg’s start date, subject to his continued employment through each vesting date (the “Signing Bonus RSUs”). Mr. Trachtenberg will be also be eligible for two performance-based RSU awards, a grant of 60,000 RSUs that will vest based on the dollar value of commitments for the Company’s affordable housing business (“Affordable Housing Plan Commitments”) over a three-year performance period and subject Mr. Trachtenberg’s continuous employment through the end of the performance period (the “Affordable Housing Plan RSUs”), and a grant of 700,000 RSUs that will be earned, if at all, based on the Company’s attainment of certain stock price hurdles (with the last stock price hurdle equaling to 249% increase over the closing stock price on November 28, 2025) over a five-year performance period and will vest subject to Mr. Trachtenberg’s continuous employment through the end of the performance period and the Company’s attainment of an origination threshold (the “Shareholder Success Plan RSUs”). The Shareholder Success Plan RSUs are also subject to sale restrictions for six-months following the vesting date. The vesting of the RSUs will accelerate upon certain involuntary terminations of employment or if the awards are not assumed in a change of control. In the case of the Affordable Housing Plan RSUs, the portion that will accelerate will be based on the attainment of the Affordable Housing Plan Commitment goals as of the termination or change of control date, as applicable, and in the case of the Shareholder Success Plan RSUs the portion that will accelerate will be based on the attainment of the stock price hurdles as of the termination or change of control date, as applicable.

 

The RSU awards are intended to qualify for the inducement award exception under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange as an inducement material to Mr. Trachtenberg’s entering into employment as President of the Company.

 

Mr. Trachtenberg has agreed to certain post-employment restrictive covenants, including non-competition for a period of two years and non-solicitation for a period of two years following the date Mr. Trachtenberg terminates employment with the Company.

 

Mr. Trachtenberg is eligible to participate in the Company’s previously disclosed Amended and Restated Severance Plan consistent with the terms available for all other employees. On December 1, 2025, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company also approved an Executive Change in Control Severance Plan that provides the Company’s executive officers, including Mr. Trachtenberg, severance protection, including payments equal to two times their base salary and prior year annual bonus, in the event their employment is involuntarily terminated within the 3 month period prior or the 12 month period immediately following a Change in Control.

 

 

 

 

Item 7.01Regulation FD Disclosure.

 

On December 1, 2025, the Company issued a press release relating to Mr. Trachtenberg’s appointment. A copy of such press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

The information furnished pursuant to this Item 7.01, including the attached exhibit, shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of such section, nor shall such information or exhibit be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing by the Company with the SEC.

 

Item 9.01Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No.Description

 

Exhibit 99.1Press Release, dated December 1, 2025

 

Exhibit 104Cover Page Interactive File (the cover page tags are embedded with the Inline XBRL document)

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.

 

  Safehold Inc.
   
  By: /s/ Brett Asnas
    Name: Brett Asnas
    Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

Date: December 1, 2025

 

 

 

FAQ

What did Safehold Inc. (SAFE) announce in this Form 8-K?

Safehold Inc. announced the appointment of Michael Trachtenberg as President, effective December 1, 2025, along with details of his compensation and severance arrangements.

What is the compensation package for Safeholds new President Michael Trachtenberg?

Michael Trachtenberg will receive a $500,000 annual base salary, a target annual bonus of $1,500,000, a one-time signing cash bonus of $250,000, and up to $200,000 in corporate housing and relocation support during his first year.

What equity awards will Michael Trachtenberg receive from Safehold (SAFE)?

He will receive 50,000 Caret Units vesting over five years, be eligible for a one-time grant of 93,076 RSUs vesting over five years, 60,000 RSUs tied to Affordable Housing Plan Commitments over three years, and 700,000 RSUs under a Shareholder Success Plan tied to stock price hurdles and an origination threshold over five years.

How are the Shareholder Success Plan RSUs for Safeholds President structured?

The 700,000 Shareholder Success Plan RSUs will be earned, if at all, based on Safeholds attainment of specified stock price hurdles, with the last hurdle equal to a 249% increase over the November 28, 2025 closing stock price, and require continuous employment and an origination threshold, plus six-month sale restrictions after vesting.

Does Michael Trachtenberg receive special severance or change in control protection at Safehold?

Yes. He is eligible under Safeholds Amended and Restated Severance Plan and the new Executive Change in Control Severance Plan, which provides executive officers, including him, with payments equal to two times base salary and prior year annual bonus if involuntarily terminated within three months before or 12 months after a change in control.

Are there non-compete or non-solicitation restrictions on Safeholds new President?

Michael Trachtenberg agreed to two-year post-employment restrictive covenants, including non-competition and non-solicitation, following the date his employment with Safehold terminates.

How will the RSUs granted to Safeholds President vest in a change of control or termination scenario?

The vesting of his RSUs may accelerate upon certain involuntary terminations or if the awards are not assumed in a change of control, with the Affordable Housing Plan RSUs and Shareholder Success Plan RSUs accelerating based on goal and stock price hurdle attainment as of the relevant date.
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