Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

x QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2012

or

o 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: 001-33294

Fortress Investment Group LLC

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(212) 798-6100

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

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 x   No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulations S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). x  Yes    No   o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o   No x

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the last practicable date.

Class A Shares: 214,134,201 outstanding as of May 1, 2012.

Class B Shares: 300,273,852 outstanding as of May 1, 2012.

Table of Contents

FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC

FORM 10-Q

INDEX

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

As used in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, unless the context otherwise requires:

‘‘Management Fee Paying Assets Under Management,” or “AUM,” refers to the management fee paying assets we manage, including, as applicable, capital we have the right to call from our investors pursuant to their capital commitments to various funds. Our AUM equals the sum of:

(i)                                   the capital commitments or invested capital (or NAV, if lower) of our private equity funds and credit PE funds, depending on which measure management fees are being calculated upon at a given point in time, which in connection with private equity funds raised after March 2006 includes the mark-to-market value of public securities held within the funds,

(ii)                                 the contributed capital of our publicly traded alternative investment vehicles, which we refer to as our “Castles,”

(iii)                              the net asset value, or “NAV,” of our hedge funds, including the Value Recovery Funds and certain advisory engagements which pay fees based on realizations (and on certain managed assets and, in some cases, a fixed fee); and

(iv)                             the NAV or fair value of our managed accounts, to the extent management fees are charged.

For each of the above, the amounts exclude assets under management for which we charge either no or nominal fees, generally related to our principal investments in funds as well as investments in funds by our principals, directors and employees.

Our calculation of AUM may differ from the calculations of other asset managers and, as a result, this measure may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other asset managers. Our definition of AUM is not based on any definition of assets under management contained in our operating agreement or in any of our Fortress Fund management agreements. Finally, our calculation of AUM differs from the manner in which our affiliates registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission report “Regulatory Assets Under Management” on Form ADV and Form PF in various ways.  Significantly, Regulatory Assets Under Management, unlike Management Fee Paying Assets Under Management, is not reduced by liabilities or indebtedness associated with assets under management and it includes assets under management and uncalled capital for which Fortress receives no compensation.

‘‘Fortress,” “we,” “us,” “our,” and the “company” refer, collectively, to Fortress Investment Group LLC and its subsidiaries, including the Fortress Operating Group and all of its subsidiaries.

‘‘Fortress Funds” and “our funds” refers to the private investment funds, alternative asset companies and related managed accounts that are managed by the Fortress Operating Group. The Fortress Macro Fund is our flagship liquid hedge fund and the Drawbridge Special Opportunities Fund is our flagship credit hedge fund.

“Fortress Operating Group” refers to the combined entities, which are in part owned directly by the principals and one senior employee, and in part owned indirectly by Fortress Investment Group LLC, and whose equity interests are comprised of Fortress Operating Group units (“FOGUs”).

‘‘principals” or “Principals” refers to Peter Briger, Wesley Edens, Robert Kauffman, Randal Nardone and Michael Novogratz, collectively, who prior to the completion of our initial public offering and related transactions directly owned 100% of the Fortress Operating Group units and following completion of our initial public offering and related transactions own a majority of the Fortress Operating Group units and of the Class B shares, representing a majority of the total combined voting power of all of our outstanding Class A and Class B shares. The principals’ ownership percentage is subject to change based on, among other things, equity offerings and grants by Fortress and dispositions by the principals.

Table of Contents

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some of the statements under Part II, Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” Part I, Item 2, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” Part I, Item 3, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q may contain forward-looking statements which reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, future events and financial performance. Readers can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking words such as “outlook,” “believes,” “expects,” “potential,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “predicts,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “anticipates” or the negative version of those words or other comparable words. Any forward-looking statements contained in this report are based upon the historical performance of us and our subsidiaries and on our current plans, estimates and expectations. The inclusion of this forward-looking information should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the future plans, estimates or expectations contemplated by us will be achieved. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, financial results, financial condition, business prospects, growth strategy and liquidity. If one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from those indicated in these statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this report. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING EXHIBITS

In reviewing the agreements included as exhibits to this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, please remember they are included to provide you with information regarding their terms and are not intended to provide any other factual or disclosure information about the Company or the other parties to the agreements.  The agreements contain representations and warranties by each of the parties to the applicable agreement.  These representations and warranties have been made solely for the benefit of the other parties to the applicable agreement and:

·                  should not in all instances be treated as categorical statements of fact, but rather as a way of allocating the risk to one of the parties if those statements prove to be inaccurate;

·                  have been qualified by disclosures that were made to the other party in connection with the negotiation of the applicable agreement, which disclosures are not necessarily reflected in the agreement;

·                  may apply standards of materiality in a way that is different from what may be viewed as material to you or other investors; and

·                  were made only as of the date of the applicable agreement or such other date or dates as may be specified in the agreement and are subject to more recent developments.

Accordingly, these representations and warranties may not describe the actual state of affairs as of the date they were made or at any other time.  Additional information about the Company may be found elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the Company’s other public filings, which are available without charge through the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

The Company acknowledges that, notwithstanding the inclusion of the foregoing cautionary statements, it is responsible for considering whether additional specific disclosures of material information regarding material contractual provisions are required to make the statements in this report not misleading.

Table of Contents

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)

(dollars in thousands)

See notes to consolidated financial statements

1

Table of Contents

FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)

(dollars in thousands)

See notes to consolidated financial statements

2

Table of Contents

FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Unaudited)

(dollars in thousands)

3

Table of Contents

FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY (Unaudited)

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2012

(dollars in thousands)

See notes to consolidated financial statements

4

Table of Contents

FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)

(dollars in thousands)

See notes to consolidated financial statements

5

Table of Contents

FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)

MARCH 31, 2012

(dollars in tables in thousands, except share data)

1. ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Fortress Investment Group LLC (the “Registrant,” or, together with its subsidiaries, “Fortress”) is a leading, highly diversified global investment management firm whose predecessor was founded in 1998. Its primary business is to sponsor the formation of, and provide investment management services for, various investment funds and companies, including related managed accounts (collectively, the “Fortress Funds”). Fortress generally makes principal investments in these funds.

Fortress has three primary sources of income from the Fortress Funds: management fees, incentive income, and investment income on its principal investments in the funds. The Fortress Funds fall into the following business segments in which Fortress operates:

1)              Private equity:

a)              Private equity funds, which make significant, control-oriented investments in debt and equity securities of public or privately held entities in North America and Western Europe, with a focus on acquiring and building asset-based businesses with significant cash flows; and

b)             Publicly traded alternative investment vehicles, which Fortress refers to as “Castles,” which are companies that invest primarily in real estate and real estate related debt investments.

2)              Liquid hedge funds, which invest globally in fixed income, currency, equity and commodity markets, and related derivatives to capitalize on imbalances in the financial markets. In addition, this segment includes an endowment style fund, which invests in Fortress Funds, funds managed by external managers, and direct investments.

3)              Credit funds:

a)              Credit hedge funds, which make highly diversified investments globally in assets, opportunistic lending situations and securities throughout the capital structure, with a value orientation, as well as non-Fortress originated funds for which Fortress has been retained as manager as part of an advisory business; and

b)             Credit private equity (“PE”) funds which are comprised of a family of “credit opportunities” funds focused on investing in distressed and undervalued assets, a family of ‘‘long dated value’’ funds focused on investing in undervalued assets with limited current cash flows and long investment horizons, a family of “real assets” funds focused on investing in tangible and intangible assets in four principal categories (real estate, capital assets, natural resources and intellectual property), a family of Asia funds, including Japan real estate funds and an Asian investor based global opportunities fund, and a family of real estate opportunities funds.

4)              Logan Circle Partners, L.P. (“Logan Circle”), which represents our traditional, fixed income asset management business.

5)              Principal investments in the above described funds.

Financial Statement Guide

6

Table of Contents

FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)

MARCH 31, 2012

(dollars in tables in thousands, except share data)

7

Table of Contents

FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)

MARCH 31, 2012

(dollars in tables in thousands, except share data)

In May 2011, the FASB issued new guidance regarding the measurement and disclosure of fair value, which became effective for Fortress on January 1, 2012. This guidance did not have a material direct impact on Fortress’s financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

The FASB has recently issued or discussed a number of proposed standards on such topics as consolidation, the definition of an investment company, financial statement presentation, revenue recognition, leases, financial instruments, hedging, and contingencies. Some of the proposed changes are significant and could have a material impact on Fortress’s financial reporting. Fortress has not yet fully evaluated the potential impact of these proposals, but will make such an evaluation as the standards are finalized.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes of Fortress have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial reporting and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of Fortress’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows have been included and are of a normal and recurring nature. The operating results presented for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the entire year. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with Fortress’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2011 and notes thereto included in Fortress’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2012.  Capitalized terms used herein, and not otherwise defined, are defined in Fortress’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2011.

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period’s presentation.

8

Table of Contents

FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)

MARCH 31, 2012

(dollars in tables in thousands, except share data)

2. MANAGEMENT AGREEMENTS AND FORTRESS FUNDS

Fortress has two principal sources of income from its agreements with the Fortress Funds: contractual management fees, which are generally based on a percentage of fee paying assets under management, and related incentive income, which is generally based on a percentage of profits subject to the achievement of performance criteria. Substantially all of Fortress’s net assets, after deducting the portion attributable to principals’ and others’ interests, are a result of principal investments in, or receivables from, these funds. The terms of agreements between Fortress and the Fortress Funds are generally determined in connection with third party fund investors.

The Fortress Funds are divided into segments and Fortress’s agreements with each are detailed below.

Management Fees, Incentive Income and Related Profit Sharing Expense

Fortress recognized management fees and incentive income as follows:

(A) See “Deferred Incentive Income” below.

9

Table of Contents

FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)

MARCH 31, 2012

(dollars in tables in thousands, except share data)

Deferred Incentive Income

Incentive income from certain Fortress Funds, primarily private equity funds and credit PE funds, is received when such funds realize profits, based on the related agreements. However, this incentive income is subject to contingent repayment by Fortress to the funds until certain overall fund performance criteria are met. Accordingly, Fortress does not recognize this incentive income as revenue until the related contingencies are resolved. Until such time, this incentive income is recorded on the balance sheet as deferred incentive income and is included as “distributed-unrecognized” deferred incentive income in the table below. Incentive income from such funds, based on their net asset value, which has not yet been received is not recorded on the balance sheet and is included as “undistributed” deferred incentive income in the table below.

Incentive income from certain Fortress Funds is earned based on achieving annual performance criteria. Accordingly, this incentive income is recorded as revenue at year end (in the fourth quarter of each year), is generally received subsequent to year end, and has not been recognized for these funds during the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011. If the amount of incentive income contingent on achieving annual performance criteria was not contingent on the results of the subsequent quarters, $35.9 million and $53.0 million of additional incentive income from affiliates would have been recognized during the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Incentive income based on achieving annual performance criteria that has not yet been recognized, if any, is not recorded on the balance sheet and is included as “undistributed” deferred incentive income in the table below.

During the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, Fortress recognized $7.4 million and $8.1 million, respectively, of incentive income distributions from its credit PE funds which represented “tax distributions.” These tax distributions are not subject to clawback and reflect a cash amount approximately equal to the amount expected to be paid out by Fortress for taxes or tax-related distributions on the allocated income from such funds.

Deferred incentive income from the Fortress Funds was comprised of the following, on an inception to date basis. This does not include any amounts related to third party funds, receipts from which are reflected as Other Liabilities until all contingencies are resolved.

(A)      All related contingencies have been resolved.

(B)        Reflected on the balance sheet.

(C)        At March 31, 2012, the net undistributed incentive income is comprised of $404.1 million of gross undistributed incentive income, net of $94.9 million of intrinsic clawback (see next page). The net undistributed incentive income represents the amount that would be received by Fortress from the related funds if such funds were liquidated on March 31, 2012 at their net asset values.

(D)       From inception to March 31, 2012, Fortress has paid $348.8 million of compensation expense under its employee profit sharing arrangements (Note 7) in connection with distributed incentive income, of which $27.9 million has not been expensed because management has determined that it is not probable of being incurred as an expense and will be recovered from the related individuals. If the $404.1 million of gross undistributed incentive income were realized, Fortress would recognize and pay an additional $179.5 million of compensation expense.

10

Table of Contents

FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)

MARCH 31, 2012

(dollars in tables in thousands, except share data)

The following tables summarize information with respect to the Fortress Funds, other than the Castles, and their related incentive income thresholds as of March 31, 2012: