To seek to enhance our returns, we employ leverage as market conditions permit and at the discretion of the Advisor, but in no event will leverage employed exceed the maximum amount permitted by the 1940 Act. Prior to June 14, 2019, in accordance with the 1940 Act, we were allowed to borrow amounts such that our asset coverage, calculated pursuant to the 1940 Act, was at least 200% after such borrowing. Effective June 15, 2019, following approval by our stockholders, our asset coverage requirement was reduced from 200% to 150%.
As a BDC, we are subject to certain regulatory restrictions in making our investments. For example, BDCs generally are not permitted to co-invest with certain affiliated entities in transactions originated by the BDC or its affiliates in the absence of an exemptive order from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. However, BDCs are permitted to, and may, simultaneously co-invest in transactions where price is the only negotiated term. In an order dated January 5, 2021, the SEC granted exemptive relief permitting us, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, to co-invest in certain privately negotiated investment transactions, including investments originated and directly negotiated by the Advisor or KKR Credit Advisors (US) LLC, or KKR Credit, with our co-investment affiliates. We believe this relief enhances our ability to further our investment objectives and strategy. We believe this relief may also increase favorable investment opportunities for us in part by allowing us to participate in larger investments, together with our co-investment affiliates, than would be available to us if such relief had not been obtained.
Reverse Stock Split
On June 15, 2020, we filed Articles of Amendment to our Articles of Incorporation, or the Reverse Stock Split Amendment, with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland to effect a 4 to 1 reverse split of our shares of common stock, or the Reverse Stock Split. The Reverse Stock Split became effective in accordance with the terms of the Reverse Stock Split Amendment on June 15, 2020. As a result of the Reverse Stock Split, every four shares of our common stock issued and outstanding were automatically combined into one share of our common stock, and the number of outstanding shares of our common stock was reduced from approximately 495.0 million to approximately 123.8 million as of June 15, 2020. The Reverse Stock Split did not modify the rights or preferences of our common stock. We also filed a separate Articles of Amendment to its Articles of Incorporation with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland to provide that there would be no change in the par value of $0.001 per share as a result of the Reverse Stock Split.
FS KKR Capital Corp. II Acquisition
On June 16, 2021, we completed our acquisition of FS KKR Capital Corp. II, or FSKR, pursuant to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, or the 2020 Merger Agreement, dated as of November 23, 2020, by and among the Company, FSKR, Rocky Merger Sub, Inc., a former wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, or Merger Sub, and the Advisor. Pursuant to the 2020 Merger Agreement, Merger Sub merged with and into FSKR, with FSKR continuing as the surviving company and as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, or the First Merger, and, immediately thereafter, FSKR merged with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving company, or together with the First Merger, the 2021 Merger. In accordance with the terms of the 2020 Merger Agreement, each outstanding share of FSKR common stock was converted into the right to receive 0.9498 shares of our common stock. As a result, we issued an aggregate of approximately 161,374,028 shares of its common stock to former FSKR stockholders. Following the consummation of the 2021 Merger, we entered into a new investment advisory agreement with the Advisor, dated as of June 16, 2021, or the investment advisory agreement.
About the Advisor
The Advisor is a Delaware limited liability company, located at 201 Rouse Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19112, registered as an investment adviser with the SEC under the Advisers Act. The Advisor is a partnership between an affiliate of Franklin Square Holdings, L.P. (which does business as FS Investments), or FS Investments, and KKR Credit. Our chairman and chief executive officer, Michael C. Forman, serves as the Advisor’s chairman and chief executive officer.
The Advisor has significant experience in private lending and private equity investing, and has developed an expertise in using all levels of a firm’s capital structure to produce income-generating investments, while focusing on risk management. The Advisor also has extensive knowledge of the managerial, operational and regulatory requirements of publicly registered alternative asset entities, such as BDCs. We believe that the active and ongoing participation by the Advisor, FS Investments, KKR Credit and their respective affiliates in the credit markets, and the depth of experience and disciplined investment approach of the Advisor, will allow the Advisor to successfully execute our investment strategies.
Our board of directors, which is comprised of a majority of independent directors, oversees and monitors our investment performance, and beginning with the second anniversary of the effective date of the investment advisory agreement, will review the investment advisory agreement to determine, among other things, whether the fees payable under such agreement are reasonable in light of the services provided.
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