Filed Pursuant to Rule
Registration No. 333-284601

 

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

(To Prospectus dated January 30, 2025)

 

 

$850,000,000

Blackstone Private Credit Fund

5.950% Notes due 2031

 

and

non-diversified,

closed-end

sub-adviser,

“Sub-Adviser”

“Sub-Administrator”

Sub-Administrator,

Sub-Administrator

sub-administration

Sub-Administrator

“Sub-Administration

pre-empt

 

S-12

503-2100

 

THE NOTES ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OTHER OBLIGATIONS OF A BANK AND ARE NOT INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

Neither the SEC, any state securities commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Delivery of the Notes in book-entry form only through The Depository Trust Company for the accounts of its participants, including Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear System, and Clearstream Banking S.A., will be made on or about April 27, 2026.

 

 

 

The date of this prospectus supplement is April 22, 2026.

 

---

This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the terms of this offering of the Notes and also adds to and updates the information contained in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. The second part is the accompanying prospectus, which provides more general information about us and related matters. To the extent the information contained in this prospectus supplement differs from the information contained in the accompanying prospectus or any document filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus supplement and incorporated herein by reference, the information in this prospectus supplement shall control. Generally, when we refer to this “prospectus,” we are referring to both this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus combined, together with any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering.

You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us that relates to this offering of Notes. The Company has not, and the underwriters have not, authorized any other person to provide you with different information or to make any representations not contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us that relates to this offering of Notes. We take no responsibility for and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. The Company is not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information appearing in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or in any such free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than their respective dates, or that any information incorporated by reference herein or therein is accurate as of any date other than the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus supplement or sale of the Notes offered hereby. The Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects may have changed since such dates.

 

S-1

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some of the statements included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and any related free writing prospectus contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors and undue reliance should not be placed thereon. You can generally identify forward-looking statements by our use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue” or other similar words. These statements include our plans and objectives for future operations (including plans and objectives relating to future growth and availability of funds), expectations for current or future investments, and expectations for market and other macroeconomic trends, and are based on current expectations that involve numerous risks and uncertainties. Assumptions relating to these statements involve judgments with respect to, among other things, future economic, competitive and market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to accurately predict and many of which are beyond our control. Although we believe the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements, and the forward-looking statements themselves, are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate and, therefore, there can be no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and our actual results, performance and achievements may be materially different from that expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in these forward-looking statements, the inclusion of this information should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that our objectives and plans, which we consider to be reasonable, will be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors including, but not limited to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

S-2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although we believe that the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of those assumptions could prove to be inaccurate, and as a result, the forward-looking statements based on those assumptions also could be inaccurate. In light of these and other uncertainties, the inclusion of a projection or forward-looking statement in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any documents we may incorporate by reference herein and any related free writing prospectus should not be regarded as a representation by us that our plans and objectives will be achieved. The factors listed under “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, as amended or supplemented in any subsequent filings with the SEC, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, as well as any cautionary language included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus provide examples of risks, uncertainties and events that may cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations we describe in our forward-looking statements. The occurrence of the events described in these risk factors and elsewhere in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial position. These forward-looking statements apply only as of the dates of this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any documents we may incorporate by reference herein and any related free writing prospectus. Moreover, we assume no duty and do not undertake to update the forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. You are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we make directly to you or through reports that we have filed or in the future will file with the SEC including registration statements on Form annual reports on Form quarterly reports on Form and current reports on Form

Because we are an investment company, the forward-looking statements and projections contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any documents we may incorporate by reference herein and any related free writing prospectus are excluded from the safe harbor protection provided by Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

 

S-3

 

as a creditor of one or more of our subsidiaries, our claims would still be effectively subordinated to any security interests in the assets of any such subsidiary and to any indebtedness or other liabilities of any such subsidiary senior to our claims. Consequently, the Notes are structurally subordinated, or junior, to all existing and future indebtedness and other obligations (including trade payables) incurred by any of our subsidiaries, financing vehicles or similar facilities and any subsidiaries, financing vehicles or similar facilities that we may in the future acquire or establish. Our subsidiaries may incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future, all of which would be structurally senior to the Notes.

Our amount of debt outstanding may increase as a result of this offering and we may incur additional debt in the future. Our current or future indebtedness could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to meet our payment obligations under the Notes and our other debt.

As of December 31, 2025, our total consolidated indebtedness, at par value, was approximately $35.1 billion, $23.2 billion of which was secured, and $20.1 billion of which was indebtedness of our subsidiaries. The Notes will be ranked

pari passu

to the approximately $11.8 billion of our outstanding unsecured senior debt as of December 31, 2025, which (i) includes the £250 million aggregate principal amount of 4.875% Notes due 2026 that matured on April 14, 2026 and are no longer outstanding and (ii) does not include the issuance of subsequent senior debt since December 31, 2025, including the issuance of $210 million aggregate principal amount of the 5.94% Series 2026A Senior Notes due January 8, 2032 on January 8, 2026, the issuance of $700 million aggregate principal amount of the 5.350% Notes due 2031 on January 12, 2026, the issuance of $500 million aggregate principal amount of the 6.58% Series 2026B Senior Notes due April 9, 2031 on April 9, 2026 or the issuance of $500 million aggregate principal amount of the 6.61% Series 2026B Senior Notes due July 9, 2031 on April 9, 2026. We also have the ability under our existing debt agreements to incur additional indebtedness, and we may from time to time incur additional debt through capital raising activities including, but not limited to, additional public and private debt offerings. See “

Capitalization

.”

The use of debt could have significant consequences on our future operations, including:

 

•

making it more difficult for us to meet our payment and other obligations under the Notes and our other outstanding indebtedness;

 

•

resulting in an event of default if we fail to comply with the financial and other restrictive covenants contained in our financing arrangements, which event of default could result in substantially all of our debt becoming immediately due and payable;

 

•

reducing the availability of our cash flow to fund investments, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes, and limiting our ability to obtain additional financing for these purposes;

 

•

subjecting us to the risk of increased sensitivity to interest rate increases on our indebtedness with variable interest rates, including borrowings under our financing arrangements; and

 

•

limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, and increasing our vulnerability to, changes in our business, the industry in which we operate and the general economy.

Any of the above-listed factors could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to meet our payment obligations under the Notes and our other debt.

Our ability to meet our payment and other obligations under our financing arrangements depends on our ability to generate significant cash flow in the future. This, to some extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative and regulatory factors as well as other factors that are beyond our control.

We cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future borrowings will be available to us under our Revolving Credit Facility (as defined in this prospectus supplement) or otherwise in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay our indebtedness, including the Notes, or to fund our

 

S-13

other liquidity needs. We may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness, including the Notes, on or before it matures. We cannot assure you that we will be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we cannot service our indebtedness, we may have to take actions such as selling assets or seeking additional equity. We cannot assure you that any such actions, if necessary, could be effected on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or on terms that would not be disadvantageous to our shareholders or on terms that would not require us to breach the terms and conditions of our existing or future debt agreements, including our payment obligations under the Notes.

A downgrade, suspension or withdrawal of the credit rating assigned by a rating agency to us or the Notes, if any, or change in the debt markets could cause the liquidity or market value of the Notes to decline significantly.

Our credit ratings are an assessment by rating agencies of our ability to pay our debts when due. Consequently, real or anticipated changes in our credit ratings will generally affect the market value of the Notes.

These credit ratings may not reflect the potential impact of risks relating to the structure or marketing of the Notes. Credit ratings are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security, and may be revised or withdrawn at any time by the issuing organization in its sole discretion. Neither we nor any underwriter undertakes any obligation to maintain our credit ratings or to advise holders of Notes of any changes in our credit ratings.

The Notes are subject to periodic review by independent credit rating agencies. There can be no assurance that their respective credit ratings will remain for any given period of time or that such credit ratings will not be lowered or withdrawn entirely by the applicable ratings agency if in its judgment future circumstances relating to the basis of the credit rating, such as adverse changes in our business, financial condition and results of operations, so warrant.

An increase in market interest rates could result in a decrease in the market value of the Notes.

The condition of the financial markets and prevailing interest rates have fluctuated in the past and are likely to fluctuate in the future, which could have an adverse effect on the market prices of the Notes. In general, as market interest rates rise, debt securities bearing interest at fixed rates of interest decline in value. Consequently, if you purchase Notes bearing interest at fixed rates and market interest rates increase, the market values of those Notes may decline. We cannot predict the future level of market interest rates.

The indenture governing the Notes contains limited protection for holders of the Notes.

The indenture governing the Notes offers limited protection to holders of the Notes. The terms of the indenture and the Notes do not restrict our or any of our subsidiaries’ ability to engage in, or otherwise be a party to, a variety of corporate transactions, circumstances or events that could have an adverse impact on your investment in the Notes. In particular, the terms of the indenture and the Notes do not place any restrictions on our or our subsidiaries’ ability to:

 

•

issue securities or otherwise incur additional indebtedness or other obligations, including (1) any indebtedness or other obligations that would be pari passu , or equal, in right of payment to the Notes, (2) any indebtedness or other obligations that would be secured and therefore rank effectively senior in right of payment to the Notes to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness, (3) indebtedness or other obligations of ours that are guaranteed by one or more of our subsidiaries and which therefore are structurally senior to the Notes and (4) indebtedness or obligations (including trade payables) incurred by our subsidiaries, financing vehicles or similar facilities that would be senior to our equity interests in those entities and therefore rank structurally senior to the Notes with respect to the assets of those subsidiaries, in each case other than an incurrence of indebtedness or other

 

S-14

obligations that would cause a violation of Section 18(a)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act as modified by Section 61(a) of the 1940 Act or any successor provisions, as such obligations may be amended or superseded, giving effect to any exemptive relief granted to us by the SEC;

 

•

pay dividends on, or purchase or redeem or make any payments in respect of, capital stock or other securities ranking junior in right of payment to the Notes;

 

•

sell assets (other than certain limited restrictions on our ability to consolidate, merge or sell all or substantially all of our assets);

 

•

create liens (including liens on the shares of our subsidiaries) or enter into sale and leaseback transactions;

 

•

enter into transactions with affiliates;

 

•

make investments; or

 

•

create restrictions on the payment of dividends or other amounts to us from our subsidiaries.

Furthermore, the terms of the indenture and the Notes do not protect holders of the Notes in the event that we experience changes (including significant adverse changes) in our financial condition, results of operations or credit ratings, as they do not require that we or our subsidiaries adhere to any financial tests or ratios or specified levels of net worth, revenues, income, cash flow or liquidity.

Our ability to recapitalize, incur additional debt and take a number of other actions that are not limited by the terms of the Notes may have important consequences for you as a holder of the Notes, including making it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to the Notes or negatively affecting the trading value of the Notes.

Certain of our current debt instruments include more protections for their holders than the indenture and the Notes. In addition, other debt we issue or incur in the future could contain more protections for its holders than the indenture and the Notes, including additional covenants and events of default. The issuance or incurrence of any such debt with incremental protections could affect the market for and trading levels and prices of the Notes.

The optional redemption provision may materially adversely affect your return on the Notes.

The Notes are redeemable in whole or in part upon certain conditions at any time or from time to time at our option. We may choose to redeem the Notes at times when prevailing interest rates are lower than the interest rate paid on the Notes. In this circumstance, you may not be able to reinvest the redemption proceeds in a comparable security at an effective interest rate as high as that of the Notes being redeemed.

If we default on our obligations to pay our other indebtedness, we may not be able to make payments on the Notes.

Any default under the agreements governing our indebtedness, including a default under our credit facilities or under the Existing Senior Notes, or under other indebtedness to which we may be a party, that is not waived by the required lenders or holders and the remedies sought by the holders of such indebtedness could make us unable to pay principal, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes and substantially decrease the market value of the Notes.

If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow and are otherwise unable to obtain funds necessary to meet required payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest on our indebtedness, or if we otherwise fail to comply with the various covenants, including financial and operating covenants, in the instruments governing our indebtedness, we could be in default under the terms of the agreements governing such indebtedness. In the event of such default, the holders of such indebtedness could elect to declare all the funds borrowed thereunder to be

 

S-15

due and payable, together with accrued and unpaid interest, the lenders under our credit facilities or other debt we may incur in the future could elect to terminate their commitments, cease making further loans and institute foreclosure proceedings against our assets, and we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation.

If our operating performance declines, we may in the future need to seek to obtain waivers from the required lenders or holders under the agreements governing our indebtedness, or other indebtedness that we may incur in the future, to avoid being in default. If we breach our covenants under the agreements governing our indebtedness and seek a waiver, we may not be able to obtain a waiver from the required lenders or holders. If this occurs, we would be in default and our lenders or debt holders could exercise their rights as described above, and we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation.

If we are unable to repay debt, lenders having secured obligations, including the lenders under our Revolving Credit Facility (as defined herein), could proceed against the collateral securing the debt. Because our credit facilities and Existing Senior Notes have, the indenture will have, and any future debt will likely have, customary cross-default provisions, if the indebtedness thereunder, hereunder or under any future credit facility is accelerated, we may be unable to repay or finance the amounts due. See “

Description of Notes

” in this prospectus supplement and “

Description of Our Debt Securities

” in the accompanying prospectus.

We may not be able to repurchase the Notes upon a Change of Control Repurchase Event.

We may not be able to repurchase the Notes upon a Change of Control Repurchase Event because we may not have sufficient funds. Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Repurchase Event, as defined in the indenture that governs the Notes, as supplemented, subject to certain conditions, we will be required to offer to repurchase all outstanding Notes at 100% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, to but not including, the repurchase date. Our failure to purchase such tendered Notes upon the occurrence of such Change of Control Repurchase Event would cause an event of default under the indenture governing the Notes and a cross-default under the agreements governing certain of our other indebtedness, which may result in the acceleration of such indebtedness requiring us to repay that indebtedness immediately. If a Change of Control Repurchase Event were to occur, we may not have sufficient funds to repay any such accelerated indebtedness and/or to make the required repurchase of the Notes. The source of funds for that purchase of Notes will be our available cash or cash generated from our operations or other potential sources, including borrowings, investment repayments, sales of assets or sales of equity. We cannot assure you that sufficient funds from such sources will be available at the time of any Change of Control Repurchase Event to make required repurchases of Notes tendered. The terms of the credit facilities provide that certain change of control events will constitute an event of default thereunder entitling the lenders to accelerate any indebtedness outstanding under the credit facility at that time and to terminate the credit facility. In addition, the indentures governing our Existing Senior Notes each contain a provision that would require us to offer to purchase the respective Existing Senior Notes upon the occurrence of a fundamental change.

Any failure to comply with these provisions would constitute an event of default under each of the other agreements governing our indebtedness, including the indenture. Our future debt instruments also may contain similar restrictions and provisions. If the holders of the Notes exercise their right to require us to repurchase all the Notes upon a Change of Control Repurchase Event, the financial effect of this repurchase could cause a default under our future debt instruments, even if the Change of Control Repurchase Event itself would not cause a default. It is possible that we will not have sufficient funds at the time of the Change of Control Repurchase Event to make the required repurchase of the Notes or our other debt. See “

Description of Notes — Offer to Repurchase Upon a Change of Control Repurchase Event.

”

We cannot assure that an active trading market will be maintained for the Notes.

The Notes are a new issue of debt securities for which there currently is no trading market. We do not intend to apply for listing of the Notes on any securities exchange or for quotation of the Notes on any automated dealer

 

S-16

quotation system. If no active trading market develops, you may not be able to resell your Notes at their fair market value or at all. If the Notes are

tra

ded after their in

iti

al issuance, they may trade at a discount from their initial offering price depending on prevailing interest rates, the market for similar securities, our credit ratings, general economic conditions, our financial condition, performance and prospects and other factors. Although certain of the underwriters have informed us that they currently intend to make a market in the Notes, as permitted by applicable laws and regulations, they are not obligated to do so and may discontinue any market-making in the Notes at any time without notice and at their sole discretion. In addition, any market-making activity will be subject to limits imposed by law. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that a liquid market for the Notes will develop or be maintained, that you will be able to sell your Notes at a particular time or that the price you receive when you sell will be favorable. To the extent an active trading market does not develop or is not maintained, the liquidity and trading price for the Notes may be harmed. Accordingly, you may be required to bear the financial risk of an investment in the Notes for an indefinite period of time.

 

(1)

The above table reflects the principal amount of indebtedness outstanding as of December 31, 2025. As of April 20, 2026, the principal amount of indebtedness outstanding was approximately $34.6 billion, which (i) does not include £250 million aggregate principal amount of 4.875% Notes due 2026 that matured on April 14, 2026 and are no longer outstanding and (ii) includes the issuance of $210 million aggregate principal amount of the 5.94% Series 2026A Senior Notes due January 8, 2032 on January 8, 2026, the issuance of $700 million aggregate principal amount of the 5.350% Notes due 2031 on January 12, 2026, the issuance of $500 million aggregate principal amount of the 6.58% Series 2026B Senior Notes due April 9, 2031 on April 9, 2026 and the issuance of $500 million aggregate principal amount of the 6.61% Series 2026B Senior Notes due July 9, 2031 on April 9, 2026. The net proceeds may be used to repay outstanding indebtedness. We also have the ability under our existing debt agreements to incur additional indebtedness, and we may from time to time incur additional debt through capital raising activities including, but not limited to, additional public and private debt offerings. See “ Use of Proceeds ” and “ Risk Factors — Risks Related to this Offering — Our amount of debt outstanding may increase as a result of this offering and we may incur additional debt in the future. Our current or future indebtedness could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to meet our payment obligations under the Notes and our other debt. ” in this prospectus supplement.

*	See Note 6 in our notes to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2025, incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement.

**	See Note 3 in our notes to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2025, incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement.

***	See Note 9 in our notes to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2025, incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement.

****	See Note 8 in our notes to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2025, incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement.

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(1)

accept for payment all Notes or portions of Notes properly tendered pursuant to our offer;

(2)

deposit with the paying agent an amount equal to the aggregate purchase price in respect of all Notes or portions of Notes properly tendered; and

(3)

deliver or cause to be delivered to the trustee the Notes properly accepted, together with an officers’ certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes being purchased by us.

recent Quarterly Reports on Form for a general discussion of our and our subsidiaries’ indebtedness, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement. Our and our subsidiaries’ future financing arrangements may contain similar restrictions and provisions. If the holders of the Notes exercise their right to require us to repurchase Notes upon a Change of Control Repurchase Event, the financial effect of this repurchase could cause a default under our and our subsidiaries’ future financing arrangements, even if the Change of Control Repurchase Event itself would not cause a default. It is possible that we will not have sufficient funds at the time of the Change of Control Repurchase Event to make the required repurchase of the Notes and/or our and our subsidiaries’ other debt. See “” in this prospectus supplement for more information.

The definition of “Change of Control” includes a phrase relating to the direct or indirect sale, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of “all or substantially all” of our properties or assets and those of our subsidiaries taken as a whole. Although there is a limited body of case law interpreting the phrase “substantially all,” there is no precise, established definition of the phrase under applicable law. Accordingly, the ability of a holder of Notes to require us to repurchase the Notes as a result of a sale, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of less than all of our assets and the assets of our subsidiaries taken as a whole to another person or group may be uncertain.

For purposes of the Notes:

“Below Investment Grade Rating Event” means the Notes are downgraded below Investment Grade by both of the Rating Agencies on any date from the date of the public notice of an arrangement that results in a Change of Control until the end of the period following public notice of the occurrence of a Change of Control (which period will be extended so long as the rating of the Notes is under publicly announced consideration for possible downgrade by either of the Rating Agencies); that a Below Investment Grade Rating Event otherwise arising by virtue of a particular reduction in rating will not be deemed to have occurred in respect of a particular Change of Control (and thus will not be deemed a Below Investment Grade Rating Event for purposes of the definition of Change of Control Repurchase Event hereunder) if the Rating Agencies making the reduction in rating to which this definition would otherwise apply do not announce or publicly confirm or inform the trustee in writing at its request that the reduction was the result, in whole or in part, of any event or circumstance comprised of or arising as a result of, or in respect of, the applicable Change of Control (whether or not the applicable Change of Control will have occurred at the time of the Below Investment Grade Rating Event).

“Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following:

 

 

 

 

S-26

“Change of Control Repurchase Event” means the occurrence of a Change of Control and a Below Investment Grade Rating Event.

“Controlled Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of Blackstone Private Credit Fund, 50% or more of the outstanding equity interests of which are owned by Blackstone Private Credit Fund and its direct or indirect subsidiaries and of which Blackstone Private Credit Fund possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies, whether through the ownership of voting equity interests, by agreement or otherwise.

“Investment Grade” means a rating of Baa3 or better by Moody’s (or its equivalent under any successor rating categories of Moody’s) and or better by S&P (or its equivalent under any successor rating categories of S&P) (or, in each case, if such Rating Agency ceases to rate the Notes for reasons outside of our control, the equivalent investment grade credit rating from any Rating Agency selected by us as a replacement Rating Agency).

“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service or any successor thereto.

“Permitted Holders” means (i) us, (ii) one or more of our Controlled Subsidiaries and (iii) the Advisers, any affiliate of an Adviser or any entity that is managed by an Adviser that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction located in the United States and in the business of managing or advising clients.

“Rating Agency” means:

 

 

“S&P” means S&P’s Global Ratings Services, or any successor thereto.

“Voting Stock” as applied to stock of any person, means shares, interests, participations or other equivalents in the equity interest (however designated) in such person having ordinary voting power for the election of a majority of the directors (or the equivalent) of such person, other than shares, interests, participations or other equivalents having such power only by reason of the occurrence of a contingency.

 

S-28

Events of Default

Each of the following will be an event of default for the Notes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

If an event of default occurs and is continuing, then and in every such case (other than an event of default specified in item (6) above) the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Notes may declare the entire principal amount of the outstanding Notes to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), and upon any such declaration such principal or specified portion thereof will become immediately due and payable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of the events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization described in item (6) above, 100% of the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes will automatically become due and payable.

At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to the Notes has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes, by written notice to us and the trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if (i) we have paid or deposited with the trustee a sum sufficient to pay all overdue installments of interest, if any, on all outstanding Notes, the principal of (and premium, if any, on) all outstanding Notes that have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and interest thereon

 

S-29

at the rate or rates borne by or provided for in such Notes, to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful interest upon overdue installments of interest at the rate or rates borne by or provided for in such Notes, and all sums paid or advanced by the trustee and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the trustee, its agents and counsel, and (ii) all events of default with respect to the Notes, other than the nonpayment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) or interest on such Notes that have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived. No such rescission will affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.

No holder of Notes will have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy under the indenture, unless:

 

 

 

 

 

Notwithstanding any other provision in the indenture, the holder of any Note will have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest, if any, on such Note on the stated maturity or maturity expressed in such Note (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date or, in the case of repayment at the option of the holders, on the repayment date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights will not be impaired without the consent of such holder.

The trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by the indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders of the Notes unless such holders have offered to the trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction. Subject to the foregoing, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the Notes, that (i) such direction may not be in conflict with any rule of law or with the indenture, (ii) the trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the trustee that is not inconsistent with such direction and (iii) the trustee need not take any action that it determines in good faith may involve it in personal liability or be unjustly prejudicial to the holders of Notes not consenting.

The holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes may on behalf of the holders of all of the Notes waive any past default under the indenture with respect to the Notes and its consequences, except a default (i) in the payment of (or premium, if any, on) or interest, if any, on any Note, or (ii) in respect of a covenant or provision of the indenture which cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each outstanding Note affected. Upon any such waiver, such default will cease to exist, and any event of default arising therefrom will be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose, but no such waiver may extend to any subsequent or other default or event of default or impair any right consequent thereto.

We are required to deliver to the trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, an officers’ certificate as to the knowledge of the signers whether we are in default in the performance of any of the terms, provisions or conditions of the indenture.

 

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Within 90 days after the occurrence of any default under the indenture with respect to the Notes, the trustee must transmit notice of such default known to the trustee, unless such default has been cured or waived; , , that, except in the case of a default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) or interest, if any, on any Note, the trustee will be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors of the trustee in good faith determines that withholding of such notice is in the interest of the holders of the Notes.

Meetings of Noteholders

The indenture contains provisions relating to meetings of holders of the Notes, voting rights, conduct and adjournment of meetings, quorums, and actions that can be taken at such meetings.

Satisfaction and Discharge

We may satisfy and discharge our obligations under the indenture by delivering to the security registrar for cancellation all outstanding Notes or by depositing with the trustee or delivering to the holders, as applicable, after the Notes have become due and payable, or otherwise, moneys sufficient to pay all of the outstanding Notes and paying all other sums payable under the indenture by us. Such discharge is subject to terms contained in the indenture.

Defeasance

In addition, the Notes are subject to defeasance and covenant defeasance, in each case, in accordance with the terms of the indenture.

If certain conditions are satisfied, we can make the deposit described below and be released from some of the restrictive covenants in the indenture under which the Notes were issued. This is called “covenant defeasance.” In that event, you would lose the protection of those restrictive covenants but would gain the protection of having money and government securities set aside in trust to repay your Notes. In order to achieve covenant defeasance, we must do the following:

 

 

 

If we accomplished covenant defeasance, you can still look to us for repayment of the Notes if there were a shortfall in the trust deposit or the trustee is prevented from making payment. For example, if one of the remaining Events of Default occurred (such as our bankruptcy) and the Notes became immediately due and payable, there might be a shortfall. Depending on the event causing the default, you may not be able to obtain payment of the shortfall.

 

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If there is a change in U.S. federal income tax law, as described below, we can legally release ourselves from all payment and other obligations on the Notes (called “defeasance” or “legal defeasance”) if we put in place the following other arrangements for you to be repaid:

 

 

 

If we ever accomplished legal defeasance, as described above, you would have to rely solely on the trust deposit for repayment of the Notes. You could not look to us for repayment in the unlikely event of any shortfall. Conversely, the trust deposit would most likely be protected from claims of our lenders and other creditors if we ever became bankrupt or insolvent.

Trustee

U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association is the trustee, security registrar and paying agent. U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, in each of its capacities, including without limitation as trustee, security registrar and paying agent, assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information concerning us or our affiliates or any other party contained in this document or the related documents or for any failure by us or any other party to disclose events that may have occurred and may affect the significance or accuracy of such information, or for any information provided to it by us, including but not limited to settlement amounts and any other information. U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association’s address is 111 Fillmore Ave., St. Paul, MN 55107. We may maintain banking relationships in the ordinary course of business with the trustee and its affiliates.

Governing Law

The indenture provides that it and the Notes will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to principles of conflicts of laws that would cause the application of laws of another jurisdiction.

Book-Entry, Settlement and Clearance

The Notes will be initially issued in the form of one or more registered Notes in global form (the “Global Note”). Upon issuance, the Global Note will be deposited with the trustee as custodian for DTC and registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of DTC.

 

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Ownership of beneficial interests in a Global Note will be limited to persons who have accounts with DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream or DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream participants or persons who hold interests through DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream participants. We expect that under procedures established by DTC:

 

 

Beneficial interests in Global Notes may not be exchanged for Notes in physical, certificated form except in the limited circumstances described below.

All interests in the Global Notes will be subject to the operations and procedures of DTC. We provide the following summary of those operations and procedures solely for the convenience of investors. The operations and procedures of DTC are controlled by that settlement system and may be changed at any time. Neither we nor the underwriters are responsible for those operations or procedures.

DTC has advised us that it is:

 

 

 

 

 

DTC was created to hold securities for its participants and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between its participants through electronic book-entry changes to the accounts of its participants. DTC’s participants include securities brokers and dealers, including the underwriters; banks and trust companies; clearing corporations and other organizations. Indirect access to DTC’s system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies; these indirect participants clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC participant, either directly or indirectly. Investors who are not DTC participants may beneficially own securities held by or on behalf of DTC only through DTC participants or indirect participants in DTC.

Euroclear and Clearstream hold securities for participating organizations. They also facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between their respective participants through electronic book-entry changes in the accounts of such participants. Euroclear and Clearstream provide various services to their participants, including the safekeeping, administration, clearance, settlement, lending and borrowing of internationally traded securities. Euroclear and Clearstream interface with domestic securities markets. Euroclear and Clearstream participants are financial institutions such as underwriters, securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies and certain other organizations. Indirect access to Euroclear and Clearstream is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a Euroclear and Clearstream participant, either directly or indirectly.

So long as the Notes are held in global form, Euroclear, Clearstream and/or DTC, as applicable, (or their respective nominees) will be considered the sole holders of Global Notes for all purposes under the indenture. As such, participants must rely on the procedures of Euroclear, Clearstream and/or DTC and indirect participants

 

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must rely on the procedures of Euroclear, Clearstream and/ or DTC and the participants through which they own interests in the Notes, or book-entry interests, in order to exercise any rights of holders under the indenture.

So long as DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream’s nominee is the registered owner of a Global Note, that nominee will be considered the sole owner or holder of the Notes represented by that Global Note for all purposes under the indenture. Except as provided below, owners of beneficial interests in a Global Note:

 

 

 

As a result, each investor who owns a beneficial interest in a Global Note must rely on the procedures of DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream to exercise any rights of a holder of Notes under the indenture (and, if the investor is not a participant or an indirect participant in DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream, on the procedures of the DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream participant through which the investor owns its interest).

Payments of principal and interest with respect to the Notes represented by a Global Note will be made by the trustee to DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream’s nominee as the registered holder of the Global Note. Neither we nor the trustee will have any responsibility or liability for the payment of amounts to owners of beneficial interests in a Global Note, for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of those interests by DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records of DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream relating to those interests.

Payments by participants and indirect participants in DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream to the owners of beneficial interests in a Global Note will be governed by standing instructions and customary industry practice and will be the responsibility of those participants or indirect participants and DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream.

Transfers between participants in DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream will be effected under DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream’s procedures and will be settled in funds.

Cross-market transfers of beneficial interests in Global Notes between DTC participants, on the one hand, and Euroclear or Clearstream participants, on the other hand, will be effected within DTC through the DTC participants that are acting as depositaries for Euroclear and Clearstream. To deliver or receive an interest in a Global Note held in a Euroclear or Clearstream account, an investor must send transfer instructions to Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, under the rules and procedures of that system and within the established deadlines of that system. If the transaction meets its settlement requirements, Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, will send instructions to its DTC depositary to take action to effect final settlement by delivering or receiving interests in the relevant Global Notes in DTC, and making or receiving payment under normal procedures for funds settlement applicable to DTC. Euroclear and Clearstream participants may not deliver instructions directly to the DTC depositaries that are acting for Euroclear or Clearstream.

Because the settlement of cross-market transfers takes place during New York business hours, DTC participants may employ their usual procedures for sending securities to the applicable DTC participants acting as depositaries for Euroclear and Clearstream. The sale proceeds will be available to the DTC participant seller on the settlement date. Thus, to a DTC participant, a cross-market transaction will settle no differently from a trade between two DTC participants. Because of time zone differences, the securities account of a Euroclear or Clearstream participant that purchases an interest in a Global Note from a DTC participant will be credited on the business day for Euroclear or Clearstream immediately following the DTC settlement date. Cash received in Euroclear or Clearstream from the sale of an interest in a Global Note to a DTC participant will be reflected in

 

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the account of the Euroclear of Clearstream participant the following business day, and receipt of the cash proceeds in the Euroclear or Clearstream participant’s account will be back-valued to the date on which settlement occurs in New York. DTC, Euroclear and Clearstream have agreed to the above procedures to facilitate transfers of interests in the Global Notes among participants in those settlement systems. However, the settlement systems are not obligated to perform these procedures and may discontinue or change these procedures at any time. Neither we nor the trustee will have any responsibility or liability for the performance by DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream or their participants or indirect participants of their obligations under the rules and procedures governing their operations, including maintaining, supervising or reviewing the records relating to, or payments made on account of, beneficial ownership interests in Global Notes.

Notes in physical, certificated form will be issued and delivered to each person that DTC, Euroclear or Clearstream identifies as a beneficial owner of the related Notes only if:

 

 

 

 

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CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The following is a summary of certain United States federal income tax considerations of the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Notes. This summary deals only with Notes held as capital assets (within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code) by persons who purchase the Notes for cash upon original issuance at their “issue price” (the first price at which a substantial amount of the Notes is sold for money to investors, excluding sales to bond houses, brokers or similar persons or organizations acting in the capacity of underwriter, placement agent or wholesaler).

As used herein, a “U.S. holder” means a beneficial owner of the Notes that is, for United States federal income tax purposes, any of the following:

 

 

 

 

As used herein, a holder” means a beneficial owner of the Notes (other than an entity or arrangement classified as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes) that is not a U.S. holder.

If any entity or arrangement classified as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes holds Notes, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partnership or a partner in a partnership considering an investment in the Notes, you should consult your own tax advisors.

This summary does not represent a detailed description of the United States federal income tax considerations applicable to you if you are a person subject to special tax treatment under the United States federal income tax laws, including, without limitation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This summary is based on the Code, United States Treasury regulations, administrative rulings and judicial decisions as of the date hereof. Those authorities may be changed, possibly on a retroactive basis, so as to result in United States federal income tax considerations different from those summarized below. We have not sought and will not seek any rulings from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) regarding the matters discussed below. There can be no assurance that the IRS will not take positions concerning the tax considerations of the purchase, ownership or disposition of the Notes that are different from those discussed below.

This summary does not represent a detailed description of the United States federal income tax considerations for you in light of your particular circumstances, and does not address any United States federal taxes other than income taxes (such as estate and gift taxes), the Medicare tax on certain investment income or any state, local or tax laws. It is not intended to be, and should not be construed to be, legal or tax advice to any particular purchaser of Notes. We expect, and this summary assumes, that the Notes will be issued with less than a de minimis amount of original issue discount.

If you are considering the purchase of Notes, you should consult your own tax advisors concerning the particular United States federal income tax considerations for you of the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Notes, as well as the consequences to you arising under other United States federal tax laws and the laws of any other taxing jurisdiction.

Certain Tax Considerations for U.S. Holders

The following is a summary of certain United States federal income tax considerations that will apply for U.S. holders of the Notes.

Stated interest on the Notes generally will be taxable to you as ordinary income at the time it is received or accrued, depending on your method of accounting for United States federal income tax purposes.

Upon the sale, exchange, retirement, redemption or other taxable disposition of a Note, you generally will recognize gain or loss equal to the difference, if any, between the amount realized upon the sale, exchange, retirement, redemption or other taxable disposition (less any amount attributable to accrued and unpaid stated interest, which will be treated in the manner described above) and the adjusted tax basis of the Note. Your adjusted tax basis in a Note will, in general, be your cost for that Note. Any gain or loss will generally be capital gain or loss and will generally be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held the Note for more than one year. Long-term capital gains of U.S. holders (including individuals) are eligible for reduced rates of taxation. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

In certain circumstances, United States Treasury regulations require losses in excess of a threshold amount to be reported to the IRS. U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors to determine any reporting obligations they may have with respect to the sale, exchange, retirement, redemption or other taxable disposition of a Note.

 

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