How to read this matrix

The mechanisms that convert best — fill the SPV, grow the RIA book — tend to carry the worst legal and compliance risk. That tension is what the ranking surfaces. Each row scores 1–5 on nine axes; the four risk axes (Cplx / Brand / Legal / Burden) enter the total as negative penalties, with hard legal risk weighted heaviest (−3.0) because a §15(a)/Ranieri hit is business-ending, not a cost. The recommended spine — HoldCo equity + flat media + qualified-lead fees + advisory-fee share — clusters at the top; the capital-movers sink under the legal weights even though they are the only mechanisms that actually fill the SPV; the anti-pattern is pinned to the floor by construction. Every column header is a dotted-underline term — hover or focus for its definition and weight, or follow it to Methodology.

answered inferred proxy-used not-applicable newly identified

The overall DRIL badge on each row is the weakest of its three legal axes (hard legal, compliance, brand) — the strength of the primary law behind the legal grade. 0 answered · 10 inferred · 4 proxy-used across the 14: no mechanism is answered on all three legal axes, because there is no SEC action directly on point for a creator-fed RIA/SPV platform. See the DRIL legend. Rows flagged new were added in a coverage-gap review (why). Spine rows carry a brass edge; the anti-pattern is shown in red.

Ranked matrix — nine axes, weighted total, overall evidence

Sorted by weighted total, descending. SPVa / RIAa / Comb = alignment (higher better); Cplx / Brand / Legal / Burden = risk (higher worse); RIAc / SPVc = conversion (higher better). Column headers link to Methodology.

Mechanism SPVaSPV alignment (+1.0). Does it advance the deal engine / sourcing? 1 = decoupled from deals by design; 5 = paid on realized deal outcomes / at-risk in the deal. Higher = better. RIAaRIA alignment (+1.5). Does it advance wealth AUM / advisory conversion? 1 = aimed at capital not advisory relationships; 5 = paid on advisory clients delivered. Higher = better. CombCombined-entity fit (+1.0). Does it advance the HoldCo flywheel as one? 1 = needs a BD/CAB build or a second adviser; 5 = runs cleanly inside one adviser + MediaCo. Higher = better. CplxComplexity risk (−1.0). Operational / structural machinery to run. 1 = one-time grant/disclosure only; 5 = build-and-supervise a BD/CAB or a multi-doc external GP stack. Higher = WORSE. BrandBrand risk (−1.5). Personal-brand / securities exposure to the creator. 1 = minimal; 5 = creator becomes an unregistered broker with bad-actor taint + personal liability. Higher = WORSE. LegalHard legal risk (−3.0). Is it a Ranieri / Van Eck / 15(a) transaction-based-comp pattern? 1 = no transaction nexus; 5 = the Exchange Act 15(a) violation itself. Higher = WORSE. BurdenCompliance burden (−1.5). Recurring upkeep. 1 = grant-then-passive; 5 = continuous point-of-endorsement disclosure + 506(d) re-screening + adviser/FINRA supervision. Higher = WORSE. RIAcRIA conversion (+2.0). How much it drives creators to deliver advisory clients. 1 = pulls toward capital/deals; 5 = directly incentivizes delivering advisory clients. Higher = better. SPVcSPV conversion (+1.0). How much it drives deal participation. 1 = decoupled from deals by design; 5 = built to move deal capital / fill allocations. Higher = better. TotalWeighted total. The nine-component weighted sum; risk axes enter as negative penalties. Higher = better all-in fit under the default weights. EvidenceOverall DRIL evidence status — the weakest of the mechanism's three legal axes (hard legal, compliance, brand). Records how well-grounded the legal grade is in archived primary law.
M1 · HoldCo profits-interest / platform equity (service-vested) 3 3 5 1 2 1 1 3 1 11.0 inferred
M2 · Flat / audience-based media & content fees 1 3 5 1 2 1 2 3 1 7.5 inferred
M3 · Co-invest / GP-commit (at-risk capital — NOT compensation) 5 1 4 2 2 1 2 1 5 6.5 inferred
M4 · Qualified-lead fees (flat, brand/adviser-directed) 1 5 5 2 2 3 3 5 1 6.0 proxy-used
M5 · Registered IAR employment (creator becomes a licensed adviser rep) new 2 5 4 4 2 2 5 5 2 5.0 proxy-used
M6 · Per-qualified-member funnel fee (flat, success-decoupled qualified-lead fee) 1 5 4 2 3 3 3 5 1 3.5 inferred
M7 · MediaCo revenue share (media/sponsorship/events P&L) new 1 2 5 2 2 1 2 2 1 3.0 inferred
M8 · Creator-holdco equity purchase (platform buys into the creator's business; Slow-inverted) new 2 2 4 3 2 1 2 2 1 2.0 inferred
M9 · Advisory-fee share on bona-fide RIA clients delivered (Marketing Rule promoter) 1 5 5 4 4 3 5 5 1 -2.0 inferred
M10 · Registered-rep commission via third-party placement agent 4 1 2 4 2 2 4 1 5 -4.5 inferred
M11 · Registered-rep placement commission via affiliated BD / CAB 5 1 2 5 3 2 5 1 5 -7.5 proxy-used
M12 · Bona-fide co-GP / origination carry for genuine GP work 5 1 3 5 3 3 4 1 5 -8.0 proxy-used
M13 · Scout-style carry on sourced deals 5 1 3 5 3 3 4 1 5 -8.0 inferred
M14 · ANTI-PATTERN baseline — unregistered creator paid on capital raised 5 1 1 2 5 5 4 1 5 -16.0 inferred

Totals are computed from the canonical formula in Methodology §weighting; re-weight the axes live in the interactive model and the ranking re-sorts. Every legal characterization is counsel-gated — this matrix organizes the analysis, it does not replace outside-counsel sign-off.

Continue