Digital Realty Trust 10-K 2024-12-31

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

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DIGITAL REALTY TRUST, INC.

DIGITAL REALTY TRUST, L.P.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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(214) 231-1350

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

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

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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

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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.

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

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

Digital Realty Trust, Inc.:

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Digital Realty Trust, L.P.:

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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.

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.

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If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.

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Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to § 240.10D-1(b).

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).

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The aggregate market value of the common equity held by non-affiliates of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. as of June 28, 2024, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second quarter, totaled approximately $50 billion based on the closing price for Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s common stock on that day as reported by the New York Stock Exchange. Such value excludes common stock held by executive officers, directors and 10% or greater stockholders as of June 28, 2024. The identification of 10% or greater stockholders as of June 28, 2024 is based on Schedule 13G and amended Schedule 13G reports publicly filed before June 28, 2024. This calculation does not reflect a determination that such parties are affiliates for any other purposes.

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There is no public trading market for the common units of Digital Realty Trust, L.P. As a result, the aggregate market value of the common units held by non-affiliates of Digital Realty Trust, L.P. cannot be determined.

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

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Digital Realty Trust, Inc.:

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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

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Part III incorporates by reference portions of Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s Proxy Statement for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders which the registrants anticipate will be filed no later than 120 days after the end of their fiscal year pursuant to Regulation 14A.

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EXPLANATORY NOTE

This report combines the annual reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 of Digital Realty Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation, and Digital Realty Trust, L.P., a Maryland limited partnership, of which Digital Realty Trust, Inc. is the sole general partner. Unless otherwise indicated or unless the context requires otherwise, all references in this report to “we,” “us,” “our,” “our Company”, or “the Company” refer to Digital Realty Trust, Inc. together with its consolidated subsidiaries, including Digital Realty Trust, L.P. In statements regarding qualification as a REIT, such terms refer solely to Digital Realty Trust, Inc. Unless otherwise, all references to the “Parent” refer to Digital Realty Trust, Inc., and all references to “our Operating Partnership,” “the Operating Partnership” or “the OP” refer to Digital Realty Trust, L.P. together with its consolidated subsidiaries.

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The Parent is a real estate investment trust, or REIT, for U.S. federal income tax purposes and the sole general partner of the OP. As of December 31, 2024, the Parent owned an approximate 98.2% common general partnership interest in Digital Realty Trust, L.P. The remaining approximate 1.8% of the common limited partnership interests of Digital Realty Trust, L.P. are owned by non-affiliated third parties and certain directors and officers of the Parent. As of December 31, 2024, the Parent owned all of the preferred limited partnership interests of Digital Realty Trust, L.P. As the sole general partner of Digital Realty Trust, L.P., the Parent has the full, exclusive and complete responsibility for the OP’s day-to-day management and control.

We believe combining the annual reports on Form 10-K of the Parent and the OP into this single report results in the following benefits:

It is important to understand the few differences between the Parent and the OP in the context of how we operate the Company. The Parent does not conduct business itself, other than acting as the sole general partner of the OP and issuing public equity from time to time and guaranteeing certain unsecured debt of the OP and certain of its subsidiaries and affiliates. The OP holds substantially all the assets of the business, directly or indirectly. The OP conducts the operations of the business and is structured as a partnership with no publicly traded equity. Except for net proceeds from equity issuances by the Parent, which are generally contributed to the OP in exchange for partnership units, the OP generates capital required by the business through the OP’s operations, incurrence of indebtedness and issuance of partnership units to third parties.

The presentation of noncontrolling interests, stockholders’ equity and partners’ capital are the main areas of difference between the consolidated financial statements of the Parent and those of the OP. The differences in the presentations between stockholders’ equity and partners’ capital result from the differences in the equity and capital issuances in the Parent and in the OP.

To highlight the differences between the Parent and the OP, separate sections in this report, as applicable, individually discuss the Parent and the OP, including separate financial statements and separate Exhibit 31 and 32 certifications. In the sections that combine disclosure of the Parent and the OP, this report refers to actions or holdings as being actions or holdings of the Company.

As general partner with control of the OP, the Parent consolidates the OP for financial reporting purposes, and it does not have significant assets other than its investment in the OP. Therefore, the assets and liabilities of the Parent and the OP are the same on their respective consolidated financial statements. The separate discussions of the Parent and the OP in this report should be read in conjunction with each other to understand the results of the Company on a consolidated basis and how management operates the Company.

In this report, “properties” and “buildings” refer to all or any of the buildings in our portfolio, including data centers and non-data centers, and “data centers” refers only to the properties or buildings in our portfolio that contain data center space. In this report, “Global Revolving Credit Facility” refers to our Operating Partnership’s $4.1 billion equivalent

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senior unsecured revolving credit facility and global senior credit agreement; “Yen Revolving Credit Facility” refers to our Operating Partnership’s ¥42,511,000,000 (approximately $270 million based on exchange rates at December 31, 2024) senior unsecured revolving credit facility and Yen credit agreement; and “Global Revolving Credit Facilities” refer to our Global Revolving Credit Facility and our Yen Revolving Credit Facility, collectively.

In this report, the “Euro Term Loan Agreement” refers to a term loan agreement which governs (i) a €375,000,000 three-year senior unsecured term loan facility (the “2025 Term Facility”), the entire amount of which was funded on such date, and (ii) a €375,000,000 five-year senior unsecured term loan facility (the “2025-27 Term Facility” and, together with the 2025 Term Facility, collectively, the “Euro Term Loan Facilities”), comprised of €125,000,000 of initial term loans, the entire amount of which was funded on such date, and €250,000,000 of delayed draw term loan commitments that were funded on September 9, 2023.

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In this report, the “USD Term Loan Agreement” refers to a term loan agreement for a $740 million senior unsecured term loan facility (the “USD Term Loan Facility”).

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In this report, Digital Core REIT (“DCREIT”) is a standalone real estate investment trust formed under Singapore law, which is publicly traded on the Singapore Exchange under the ticker symbol “DCRU”.

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DIGITAL REALTY TRUST, INC. AND DIGITAL REALTY TRUST, L.P.

FORM 10-K

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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PART I

The Company

Digital Realty Trust, Inc., through its controlling interest in Digital Realty Trust, L.P. and the subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership, is a leading global provider of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions for customers across a variety of industry verticals. The Parent operates as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Operating Partnership is the entity through which the Parent conducts its business of owning, acquiring, developing and operating data centers. The Parent was incorporated in the state of Maryland on March 9, 2004. The Operating Partnership was organized as a limited partnership in the state of Maryland on July 21, 2004.

As of December 31, 2024, our portfolio consisted of 308 data centers (including 78 data centers held as investments in unconsolidated entities), of which 121 are located in the United States, 112 are located in Europe, 36 are located in Latin America, 16 are located in Africa, 16 are located in Asia, six are located in Australia and three are located in Canada.

Our principal executive offices are located at 2323 Bryan Street, Suite 1800, Dallas, Texas 75201. Our telephone number is (214) 231-1350. Our website is www.digitalrealty.com. The information found on, or otherwise accessible through, our website is not incorporated by reference into, nor does it form a part of, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Industry Background

The digital economy continues to grow and change how enterprises across all industries create and deliver value. Companies increasingly need to operate ubiquitously, on-demand and with real-time intelligence serving customers, partners and employees across multiple channels, business functions and points of business presence. Computational processing power requirements continue to advance, data traffic is growing, and the volume of data that enterprises generate, transmit, process, analyze, monitor and manage is expanding dramatically. The Internet of Things, 5G, autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence, among other technological advancements, are driving this digital transformation.

We believe that enterprise data growth is accelerating due to the growing digital economy and emerging technological advances. As enterprises analyze and process this accelerating data mass, they create more data. As this mass of data continues to grow, it needs to be analyzed and processed: a task which we believe is becoming increasingly challenging to replicate and relocate. This phenomenon is called Data Gravity. We believe that enterprise decisionmakers will need to increasingly consider how Data Gravity impacts their enterprise IT architectures and, accordingly, we have developed the Data Gravity Index: a global forecast that measures the intensity and gravitational force of enterprise data growth.

As the largest global provider of cloud- and carrier-neutral data center, colocation and interconnection solutions, we believe the data center industry is poised for sustainable growth. The demand for data center infrastructure is being driven by this digital transformation which is contributing to the explosive growth of data, rapid growth of cloud adoption and greater demand for IT outsourcing. The power requirements and financial costs to support this growth in data, traffic and storage are substantial and growing accordingly. We believe data centers will continue to play a critical role in the digital economy and enabling business transformation strategies.

We believe cloud solutions and hybrid cloud solutions will remain significant drivers of demand for data center infrastructure. The hybrid cloud, which combines public and private cloud solutions, has gained traction because it enables corporate enterprises to achieve efficiencies and contain costs, as well as scale and secure their most sensitive information. In addition, the leading cloud service providers are generally mature, well-capitalized technology companies, and cloud platforms are among the fastest-growing business segments. Data center providers that can solve global coverage, capacity and connectivity needs, and coordinate and aggregate diverse customer and application demand, are poised to benefit from these cloud-specific industry drivers.

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These diverse and secular industry dynamics are driving greater demand for data center capacity not only from global cloud service providers, but also from businesses across other industries, including IT service firms, social media, content providers and the financial services sector. As companies focus on their core competencies and rely on outsourcing to meet their IT infrastructure needs, they are prioritizing colocation for their data center solutions for various reasons, including to reduce latency in data transfer and increase global presence and connectivity. New technologies need a fast, reliable and flexible foundation to operate, and the importance of offering a full spectrum of power, space and connectivity solutions on a global platform continues to grow.

Our Business

We provide a global data center platform that supports our customers’ digital infrastructure and enables our customers to interconnect with their customers and partners. We solve global coverage, capacity and connectivity needs for companies of all sizes, including the world’s leading enterprises and services providers, through PlatformDIGITAL®, a global data center platform for scaling digital business which enables customers to deploy their critical infrastructure with a global data center provider.

PlatformDIGITAL® combines our global presence with our Pervasive Data Center Architecture (PDx®) solution methodology for scaling digital business and efficiently managing data gravity challenges. Digital Realty gives its customers access to the connected communities that matter to them with a global data center footprint of over 300 facilities with over 227,000 cross connects in over 50 metros across more than 25 countries on six continents.

Fundamentally, we bring together foundational real estate and innovative technology expertise around the world to deliver a comprehensive, dedicated product suite to meet customers’ data and connectivity needs. We represent an important part of the digital economy that we believe will benefit from powerful, long-term growth drivers.

We believe that the growth trends in the data center market, technology, the cloud, internet traffic and internet-based services, combined with cost advantages in outsourcing data center requirements, provide attractive growth opportunities for us as a data center solutions provider. Leveraging deep expertise in technology and real estate, we have an expansive global footprint, impressive scale and a full-spectrum fit-for-purpose product offering in key metropolitan areas around the world. These advantages simplify the contracting process for multinational enterprises, eliminating their need to negotiate with multiple local data center solutions providers. In addition, in areas where high data center construction and operating costs and long time-to-market prohibit many of our customers from building their own data centers, our global footprint and scale allow us to meet our customers’ needs quickly and efficiently.

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Our Data Center Portfolio

Our portfolio of high-quality data centers provides secure, highly connected and continuously available environments for the exchange, processing and storage of critical data. Data centers are used for digital communication, disaster recovery purposes, transaction processing and housing mission-critical corporate IT applications. Our internet gateway data centers are highly connected, network-dense facilities that serve as hubs for internet and data communications within and between major metropolitan areas. We believe internet gateways are extremely valuable, and a high-quality, highly interconnected global portfolio such as ours could not be easily replicated today on a cost-competitive basis.

We are diversified across major metropolitan areas characterized by a high concentration of connected end-users and technology companies. At December 31, 2024, we owned or had investments in properties, on a wholly-owned basis or through unconsolidated entities, in the following geographies:

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As of December 31, 2024, our portfolio, including investments in unconsolidated entities, contained a total of approximately 54.9 million rentable square feet, including approximately 8.9 million square feet of space under active development and 4.7 million square feet of space held for development. As of December 31, 2024, the 78 data centers held as investments in unconsolidated entities had an aggregate of approximately 9.2 million rentable square feet. In addition, as of December 31, 2024, we estimate that our land and other space held for, or actively under, construction could accommodate over 3,500 megawatts of additional data center capacity, including more than 1,000 additional megawatts developable in Northern Virginia. From time to time, we may look to sell individual assets or portfolios that we do not consider to be core to our business and growth strategy.

A significant component of our current and future growth is expected to be generated through the development of our existing space held for future development and acquisition of new properties. As of December 31, 2024, our portfolio, including the 78 data centers held as investments in unconsolidated entities, was approximately 84.1% leased. From time to time, we may look to sell individual assets or portfolios that we do not consider to be core to our business and growth strategy.

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Through strategic investments, we have expanded our footprint into Latin America, enhanced our data center offerings in strategic and complementary U.S. metropolitan areas, established our colocation and interconnection platform in the U.S. and expanded our colocation and interconnection platform in Europe and Africa, with each transaction enhancing our presence in top-tier locations throughout North America, Europe, Latin America and Africa. In addition, on August 1, 2022, we completed our acquisition of a majority interest in Teraco, the largest and most densely interconnected data center platform in South Africa, with an in-service portfolio of seven state-of-the-art data centers strategically located in the key South African metro areas of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. In addition, we are investing in our consolidated and unconsolidated portfolio to organically expand our capacity. As of December 31, 2024, we had 644 megawatts of projects underway across multiple metropolitan areas around the world, and 70% percent of this data center activity was pre-leased.

The locations of and improvements to our data centers, the network density, interconnection infrastructure and connectivity-centric customers in certain of our facilities, and our comprehensive product offerings are critical to our customers’ businesses, which we believe results in high occupancy levels, longer average lease terms and customer relationships, as well as lower turnover. In addition, many of our data centers contain significant improvements that have been installed at our customers’ expense. The tenant improvements in our data centers are generally readily adaptable for use by similar customers.

Our data centers are physically secure, network-rich and equipped to meet the power and cooling requirements of smaller footprints up to the most demanding IT applications. Many of our data centers are located on major aggregation points formed by the physical presence of multiple major telecommunications service providers, which reduces our customers’ costs and operational risks and enhances the attractiveness of our properties. In addition, our strategically located global data center campuses offer our customers the ability to expand their global footprint as their businesses grow, while our connectivity offerings on our campuses enhance the capabilities and attractiveness of these facilities. Further, the network density, interconnection infrastructure and connectivity-centric customers in certain of our data centers have led to the organic formation of densely connected data communities that are difficult for competitors to replicate and deliver added value to our customers.

Our Product Offerings

We provide a flexible, global data center platform that allows our customers to achieve infrastructure deployments and controls matched to their business needs. Our data centers and comprehensive suite of product offerings are conceived to scale, from a single cabinet up to multi-megawatt data halls, complemented by connectivity and partnered solutions to support their requirements. We strive to provide a product mix that appeals to leading technology companies and enterprises, especially those seeking to support a greater portion of their data center requirements through a single provider. Our Critical Facilities Management® services and team of engineers and data center operations experts provide 24/7 support for these mission-critical facilities.

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PlatformDIGITAL® Solution Model**.** The PlatformDIGITAL® solution model is based on our patented Pervasive Data Center Architecture (PDx®) methodology, which brings users, networks, clouds, controls and systems to the data, removing barriers, creating centers of data exchange to accommodate distributed workflows and scaling digital business. PlatformDIGITAL® offers solutions for service providers and enterprises supporting their IT architecture requirements with features such as:

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Capacity

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The PlatformDIGITAL® solution model is available in our colocation and scale data centers, which are move-in ready, physically secure facilities with the power, cooling and interconnection capabilities to support customers requiring a cabinet, cage, suite or entire hall or building. We believe our colocation facilities are effective solutions for customers who may lack the bandwidth, capital budget, expertise or desire to provide their own extensive data center infrastructure, management and security. We believe our offerings are also well-suited for those customers who seek to efficiently exchange data with others in our connected data communities lowering their costs and creating value for their business. For customers who possess the ability to build and operate their own facility, our Powered Base Building® solution provides the physical location, requisite power and network access necessary to support a state-of-the-art data center.

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Additionally, our data center campuses offer our customers the opportunity to expand in or near their existing deployments within our data center campuses.

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Connectivity

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Through investments and strategic partnerships, we have significantly expanded our capabilities as a leading provider of interconnection and cloud-enablement services globally. We believe interconnection is an attractive line of business that would be difficult to build organically and enhances the overall value proposition of our data center product offerings. Through product offerings such as our ServiceFabric™ and partnerships with cloud service providers, we can support our customers’ hybrid cloud architecture requirements.

Our Global Customers

Our portfolio has attracted a high-quality, diversified mix of customers. We have more than 5,000 customers, and no single customer represented more than approximately 11.5% of the aggregate annualized recurring revenue of our portfolio as of December 31, 2024.

Global Customer Base across a Wide Variety of Industry Sectors**.** We use our in-depth knowledge of requirements for trends impacting cloud and information technology service providers, content providers, network and communications providers, and other data center users, including enterprise customers, to market our data centers to meet these customers’ specific technology needs. Our customers are increasingly launching multi-regional deployments and growing with us globally. Our largest customer accounted for approximately 11.5% of our aggregate annualized recurring revenue as of December 31, 2024. No other single customer accounted for more than approximately 6.4% of the aggregate annualized recurring revenue of our portfolio. Our customers represent a variety of industry verticals, ranging from cloud and information technology services, communications and social networking to financial services, manufacturing, energy, gaming, life sciences and consumer products.

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Proven Experience Attracting and Retaining Customers**.** Our specialized data center salesforce, which is aligned to meet our customers’ needs for global, enterprise and network solutions, provides a robust pipeline of new customers, while existing customers continue to grow and expand their utilization of our technology-enabled services to support a greater portion of their IT needs.

Our Design, Engineering and Construction Program

Our extensive development activity, operating scale and process-based approach to data center design and construction result in significant cost savings and added value for our customers. We have leveraged our purchasing power by securing global purchasing agreements and developing relationships with major equipment manufacturers, reducing costs and shortening delivery timeframes on key components, including major mechanical and electrical equipment. See "We and our customers may experience supply chain or procurement disruptions, or increased supply chain costs, which may lead to delays." in Item 1A. Risk Factors for further discussion. Utilizing our innovative modular data center design, we deliver what we believe to be a technically superior data center environment at significant cost savings and reduced time frames. Our access to capital and investment-grade ratings allow us to provide data center solutions for customers who do not want to invest their own capital.

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Our Investment Approach

We have developed detailed, standardized procedures for evaluating acquisitions and investments, including income-producing properties as well as vacant buildings and land suitable for development, to ensure that they meet our strategic, financial, technical and other criteria. These procedures, together with our in-depth knowledge of the technology, data center and real estate industries, allow us to identify strategically located properties and evaluate investment opportunities efficiently and, as appropriate, commit and close quickly. Our investment-grade ratings, along with our broad network of contacts within the data center industry, enable us to effectively capitalize on acquisition and investment opportunities.

Our Management Team and Organization

Our senior management team has many years of experience in the technology and/or real estate industries, including experience as investors in and advisors to technology companies. We believe that our senior management team’s extensive knowledge of both the technology and the real estate industries provides us with a key competitive advantage. Further, a significant portion of compensation for our senior management team and directors is in the form of common equity interests in our Company. We also maintain minimum stock ownership requirements for our senior management team and directors, further aligning their interests with those of external stockholders, as well as an employee stock purchase plan, which encourages our employees to have ownership in the Company.

Our Business and Growth Strategies

Our primary business objectives are to maximize: (i) sustainable long-term growth in earnings and funds from operations per share and unit, (ii) cash flow and returns to our stockholders and our Operating Partnership’s unitholders through the payment of dividends and distributions and (iii) return on invested capital. We expect to accomplish these objectives by achieving superior risk-adjusted returns, prudently allocating capital, diversifying our product offerings, accelerating our global reach and scale, and driving revenue growth and operating efficiencies.

Superior Risk-Adjusted Returns. We believe that achieving appropriate risk-adjusted returns on our business, including on our development pipeline and leasing transactions, will deliver superior stockholder returns. We may continue to build out our development pipeline when justified by anticipated returns. We have established robust internal guidelines for reviewing and approving leasing transactions, which we believe will drive risk-adjusted returns. We also believe that providing an even stronger value proposition to our customers, including new and more comprehensive product offerings, as well as continuing to improve operational efficiencies, will further drive improved returns for our business.

Prudently Allocate Capital. We believe that the strategic deployment of capital at sufficiently positive spreads above our cost of capital enables us to increase cash flow and create long-term stockholder value.

Strategic and Complementary Investments. We have developed significant expertise at underwriting, financing and executing data center investment opportunities. We employ a collaborative approach to deal analysis, risk management and asset allocation, focusing on key elements, such as market fundamentals, accessibility to fiber and power, and the local regulatory environment. In addition, the specialized nature of data centers makes these investment opportunities more difficult for traditional real estate investors to underwrite, resulting in reduced competition for investments relative to other property types. We believe this dynamic creates an opportunity for us to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns on our capital.

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Preserve the Flexibility of Our Balance Sheet. We are committed to maintaining a conservative capital structure. Our goal is to average through business cycles the following financial ratios: 1) a debt-to-Adjusted EBITDA ratio around 5.5x, 2) a fixed charge coverage of greater than three times, and 3) floating rate debt at less than 20% of total outstanding debt. In addition, we strive to maintain a well-laddered debt maturity schedule, and we seek to maximize the menu of our available sources of capital, while minimizing the cost. Since Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s initial public offering in 2004, we have raised approximately $74 billion of capital through common (excluding forward contracts), preferred and convertible preferred equity offerings, exchangeable debt offerings, non-exchangeable bond offerings, our Global Revolving Credit Facilities, our term loan facilities, a senior notes shelf facility, secured mortgage financings and re-financings, joint venture partnerships and the sale of non-core assets. We endeavor to maintain financial flexibility while using our liquidity and access to capital to support operations, our acquisition, investment, leasing and development programs and global campus expansion, which are important sources of our growth.

Leverage Technology to Develop Comprehensive and Diverse Products. We believe we have one of the most comprehensive suites of global data center solutions available to customers from a single provider.

Global Service Infrastructure Platform. With our acquisitions, which extended our footprint further across Latin America, Europe and Africa, enhanced our portfolio of scale and hyper-scale data centers in the U.S. and furthered our position as a leading provider of colocation, interconnection and cloud-enablement services globally, we are able to offer one of the industry’s broadest range of data center solutions to meet our customers’ needs, from a single rack or cabinet to multi-megawatt deployments. We believe our products like ServiceFabric™ and our partnerships with managed services and cloud service providers further enhance the attractiveness of our data centers.

Provide Foundational Services to Enable Customers and Partners. We believe that the platform, through which we offer the foundational services of space, power and connectivity, will enable our customers and partners to serve their customers and grow their businesses. We believe our Internet gateway data centers, individual data centers and data center campuses are attractive to a wide variety of customers and partners of all sizes. Furthermore, we believe our colocation and interconnection offerings, as well as the densely connected data communities that have developed within our facilities, and the availability and scalability of our comprehensive suite of products are valuable and critical to our customers and partners.

Accelerate Global Reach and Scale. We have strategically pursued international expansion since our IPO in 2004 and now operate across six continents. We believe that our global multi-product data center portfolio is a foundational element of our strategy and our scale and global platform represent key competitive advantages difficult to replicate. Customers and competitors are recognizing the value of interconnected scale, which aligns with our connected campus strategy that enables customers to “land and expand” with us. We expect to continue to source and execute strategic and complementary transactions to strengthen our data center portfolio, expand our global footprint and product mix, and enhance our scale.

Drive Revenue Growth and Operating Efficiencies. We aggressively manage our properties to maximize cash flow and control costs by leveraging our scale to drive operating efficiencies.

Leverage Strong Industry Relationships. Our global market leadership position and strong industry relationships provide us with a unique vantage point to detect and capitalize on secular trends as they emerge globally. We focus our industry relationship efforts towards market sensing, market shaping and helping to set open standards that benefit companies of all types to derive value from digital infrastructure and multi-tenant datacenters. Industry collaboration includes engagements with industry associations, IT industry analysts, venture capitalists, technology incubators, technology service providers, telecommunications providers, systems integrators and large multi-national companies across segments including manufacturing, transportation and logistics, financial services, healthcare, pharmaceutical and digital media. These relationships help us forge new product capabilities, inform investment decisions, develop new routes to market and create differentiated value for customers and drive long-term growth and yield for stockholders.

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Maximize Cash Flow. We often acquire operating properties with substantial in-place cash flow and some vacancy, which enables us to create upside through lease-up. We control our costs by negotiating expense pass-through provisions in customer agreements for operating expenses, including power costs and certain capital expenditure. We have also focused on centralizing functions and optimizing operations as well as improving processes and technologies. We believe that expanding our global data center campuses will also contribute to operating efficiencies because we expect to achieve economies of scale on our campus environments.

Sustainability. We believe that addressing sustainability by driving environmental efficiency through the implementation of cost-effective design features and the use of carbon-free and renewable energy serves as a key differentiator enabling us to deliver products that help attract and retain customers, generate cash flow, and manage operational risks. In 2024, for the eighth consecutive year, we received the Nareit “Leader in the Light” award for data centers, recognizing our sustainability and energy-efficiency achievements.

The Real Estate Sustainability Accounting Standard guidance, issued by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, outlines proposed disclosure topics and accounting metrics for the real estate industry. We provide data on energy and water management metrics that we believe best correlate with our business and industry as indicated in the following sections. Energy and water data receive third party assurance as part of our annual environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) report development process.

Energy Management

a) 2023 Energy Data (1)

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b) Sustainable Data Center Ratings

We seek to certify new construction and major redevelopment projects in accordance with recognized sustainable building standards including the U.S. Green Building Council LEED rating system and the BREEAM rating scheme. We may also certify certain properties in accordance with recognized sustainable operations standards. Our data center space receiving third-party sustainable ratings in 2024 totaled 1.2 million square feet. We received the following sustainable data center ratings for the following sites:

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For existing buildings, we seek to benchmark 100% of applicable U.S. properties in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and pursue EPA ENERGY STAR certification for eligible U.S. properties. In 2024, we achieved ENERGY STAR for Data Centers recognition for 39 data centers, representing 52% of our U.S. managed data center portfolio by square feet. We may also certify certain properties outside the U.S. in accordance with regionally recognized energy performance rating standards, such as the NABERS rating scheme in Australia, the Switzerland Data Center Efficiency Association rating scheme and others. In total, 37% of our total global managed portfolio by square feet had an energy rating as of December 31, 2024, excluding Powered Base Building® space, space under active development, space held for development and non-managed assets.

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c) Energy management considerations

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Energy and resource management considerations are integrated into our business decisions and strategy. For our operating portfolio, annual capital expense investment planning identifies and evaluates resource efficiency project opportunities alongside non-resource-impacting capital investments. For acquisitions and new development activity, resiliency risks, resource availability, and renewable energy access are considered. Our design and construction process incorporates sustainable features that support resource efficiency during construction as well as during the operational lifecycle of the sites.

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We seek to proactively identify and support opportunities to efficiently utilize resources, such as energy and water, throughout our operating portfolio. We set annual power usage effectiveness targets for assets. Forty-six of our data centers in EMEA participate in the European Union’s Code of Conduct for Energy Efficiency in Data Centers, a voluntary initiative which addresses airflow management, cooling system efficiency and capital plant replacement.

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Globally, we conduct external technical building assessments as well as utilize ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager scores to prioritize efficiency opportunities. Energy efficiency measures typically affect building management systems, operational practices, HVAC and lighting improvements and building commissioning. In 2023, energy efficiency measures implemented totaled over 19,800MWh in projected energy saving.

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Index to Financial Statements

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We set a global carbon reduction target that has been validated by the Science-Based Target Initiative to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions 68% per square foot and Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services and fuel- and energy-related activities 24% per square foot by 2030, from a 2018 baseline. In 2023, we showed a 38% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and 58% reduction in Scope 3 emissions against our baseline. Additionally, we are a signatory to the EU Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, a Self-Regulatory Initiative committing to climate neutrality by 2030 and setting additional goals around energy efficiency, carbon-free energy sourcing, water conservation and waste heat recycling. We continue to match the energy consumption of our European portfolio and the U.S. colocation business unit with renewable energy. Our six operational U.S. renewable energy purchase agreements produced 1,209 GWh of renewable energy credits in 2023.

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We implement ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) and ISO 50001 (Energy Management) to measure, manage and improve the energy and environmental performance of our data centers. In 2023, 49% of our global portfolio had ISO 14001 certifications and 31% of our global portfolio was covered under ISO 50001. Additionally, 100% of our Singapore portfolio was certified under the SS564 Green Data Centres standard for Energy and Environmental Management Systems.

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Water Management

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a) 2023 Water Data (1)

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b) Water Management Risks and Mitigation Strategies

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Our global water strategy addresses the strategic role that water plays in our operations and regions where water quality and scarcity pose the greatest interruption risk to our business. Some of our assets are in regions of high or extremely high baseline water stress and may face future risk of water scarcity, higher water costs, and regulatory constraints on water consumption. We consider water availability, cost, and alternate supply solutions to potable water such as municipally supplied non-potable water, which accounted for 43% of our total water usage in 2024. We also consider cooling system designs to maximize ‘free cooling’ and reduce or eliminate reliance on water for cooling.

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Climate Change Adaptation

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a) Properties exposed in 100-Year Flood Plains

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Two U.S. data centers totaling approximately 0.5 million square feet are exposed to 100-year flood zones designated by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency as special flood hazard areas. An additional three properties in Europe totaling approximately 0.1 million square feet are exposed to 100-year flood zones.

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Index to Financial Statements

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b) Climate Change Risks and Mitigation Strategies

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We evaluate potential risks and opportunities as a result of climate change and have implemented strategies to mitigate risks and capitalize on opportunities. Climate change risks that we have identified include acute and chronic physical risks, as well as transition risks such as market, policy, reputational, and technology risks. Management of climate-related risks and opportunities is a company-wide effort, delivered through an interdisciplinary effort with contributions from our global operations team, risk management, environmental occupational health and safety, compliance, information security, physical security and other functions, with oversight by our executive management team and governed by our Board of Directors. We manage potential risks first via our siting and design standards, then by implementing recommendations to proactively mitigate losses related to short-term acute weather events as well as long-term climate-related changes. Climate resilience measures include maintaining appropriate levels of insurance for each asset, performing climate risk scenario analyses for a selection of our global portfolio, and implementing operational risk reduction measures at the site level. We continue to align our ESG Report with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures to disclose specific climate-related financial risks and opportunities, mitigation strategies, and associated metrics and targets.

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Competition

We compete with numerous data center providers globally, many of whom own or operate properties similar to ours in some of the same metropolitan areas where our data centers are located, including Equinix, Inc. and NTT; various private operators in the U.S.; as well as Global Switch Holdings Limited and various regional operators in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and Australia. See "We face significant competition, which may adversely affect the occupancy and rental rates of our data centers." in Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Regulation

General

Our properties are subject to various laws, ordinances and regulations, including regulations relating to common areas. We believe each of our properties as of December 31, 2024 has the necessary permits and approvals to operate.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Our properties must comply with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or the ADA, to the extent that such properties are “public accommodations” as defined by the ADA. We believe our properties are in substantial compliance with the ADA and that we will not be required to make substantial capital expenditures to address the requirements of the ADA. However, non-compliance with the ADA could result in imposition of fines or an award of damages to private litigants. The obligation to make accommodations in accordance with the ADA, as well as other applicable laws and regulations is an ongoing one, and we will continue to assess our properties and make alterations as appropriate in this respect. See “We may incur significant costs complying with applicable laws and governmental regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act.” in Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Environmental Matters

We are exposed to various environmental risks that may result in unanticipated losses and could affect our operating results and financial condition. Either the previous owners or we have conducted environmental reviews on a majority of the properties we have acquired, including land. While some of these assessments have led to further investigation and sampling, none of the environmental assessments have revealed an environmental liability that we believe would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. See "We could incur significant costs related to environmental matters, including from government regulation, private litigation, and existing conditions at some of our properties." in Item 1A. Risk Factors for further discussion.

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Index to Financial Statements

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Climate Change Legislation

There continue to be numerous international, U.S. federal and state-level initiatives and proposals to address domestic and global climate issues. Climate change effects, if they occur, and governmental initiatives, laws and regulations to address potential climate concerns, could increase our costs and have a long-term adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Future legislation or regulatory activity in this area remains uncertain, and its effect on our operations is unclear at this time. See "We could incur significant costs related to environmental matters, including from government regulation, private litigation, and existing conditions at some of our properties." in Item 1A. Risk Factors for further discussion.

Insurance

We carry commercial general liability, property and business interruption insurance, and other insurance coverage on all of the properties in our portfolio. We select coverages, policy specifications and insured limits which we believe to be appropriate given the relative risk of loss, the cost of coverage, and industry practice. Insurance is maintained through a combination of commercial insurance, self-insurance and wholly-owned captive insurance entity. We believe the properties in our portfolio are adequately insured. We do not carry insurance for generally uninsured exposures such as loss from war or nuclear reaction. In addition, we carry earthquake insurance on our properties in an amount and with deductibles we believe are commercially reasonable. See “Potential losses may not be covered by insurance.” in Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Human Capital Resource Management

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As of December 31, 2024, we had 3,936 full-time employees. The geographic distribution of our global employee base as of December 31, 2024 is summarized in the following table.

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Compensation, Benefits and Employee Wellbeing

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To attract and retain the best-qualified talent and to help our employees maintain healthy and balanced lives, and meet their financial and retirement goals, we offer market-competitive compensation and competitive benefits, including healthcare, vacation benefits, parental leave, 401(k)/pension company match, an employee stock purchase plan, fitness reimbursement program, commuter benefits, tuition reimbursement, employee skills development and leadership development. Employee surveys are conducted annually to solicit feedback and to help prioritize and improve employee engagement.

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We also encourage our employees to give back to the community by matching their contributions to eligible charitable organizations through our Matching Gifts Program. Additionally, our Donate 8 Program grants paid time off each year to employees for the purpose of volunteering for eligible organizations.

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We prioritize providing programs and benefits that promote healthy and productive lifestyles. We offer a company-wide wellness program that invests in the health, fitness, financial wellness and overall quality of life for our employees through education, challenges, incentives and reimbursements.

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During 2024, we sought to play an active role in supporting the communities we operate in across North America, EMEA and APAC. This included companywide giving focused on our areas of philanthropic focus (disaster relief, STEM education and sustainability).

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Index to Financial Statements

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Workplace Belonging

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It is our Company’s policy to recruit talent based on merit, without discrimination on the basis of any legally protected characteristic. Digital Realty’s Together@Digital workplace program aims to unlock innovation, enhance decision-making, attract top talent and better serve our customers. Together@Digital also runs a philanthropic program with charitable giving to non-profit groups that support a range of programs from veterans to cultural institutions.

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In 2023, we published our EEO-1 report, providing transparency on the racial and gender composition of our U.S. workforce. We disclose our inclusion strategy and initiatives annually in our ESG Report.

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Available Information

All reports we file with the SEC are available free of charge via EDGAR through the SEC website at www.sec.gov. We will also provide copies of our Forms 8-K, Forms 10-K, Forms 10-Q, Proxy Statements and amendments to those documents at no charge to investors upon request and make electronic copies of such reports available through our website at www.digitalrealty.com as soon as reasonably practicable after filing such material with the SEC. The information found on, or otherwise accessible through, our website is not incorporated by reference into, nor does it form a part of, this report or any other document that we file with the SEC.

Offices

We have regional U.S. offices in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Northern Virginia and San Francisco and regional international offices in Amsterdam, Dublin, London, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Reports to Security Holders

Digital Realty Trust, Inc. is required to send an annual report to its securityholders and to our Operating Partnership’s unitholders.

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For purposes of this section, the term “stockholders” means the holders of shares of Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s common stock and preferred stock. Set forth below are the risks that we believe are material to Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s stockholders and Digital Realty Trust, L.P.’s unitholders. You should carefully consider the following factors in evaluating our Company, our properties and our business. The occurrence of any of the following risks might cause Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s stockholders and Digital Realty Trust, L.P.’s unitholders to lose all or a part of their investment. Some statements in this report, including statements in the following risk factors, constitute forward-looking statements. Please refer to the section entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” starting on page 46.

Overview

Our business, operations and financial results are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including those described below, that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and the trading price of our common stock and preferred stock. The following material factors, among others, could cause our actual results to differ materially from historical results and those expressed in forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf in filings with the SEC, press releases, communications with investors and oral statements. The risks that we describe in our public filings are not the only risks that we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently consider immaterial, also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Risk Factors Summary

The following is a summary of the principal risks that could adversely affect our business, operations and financial results.

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Index to Financial Statements

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Risk Related to Our Business and Operations

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Index to Financial Statements

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Risks Related to the Organizational Structure

| | ● | The interests of Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s stockholders may conflict with the interests of

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None.

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Cybersecurity Risk Management and Strategy

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We have developed and implemented cybersecurity risk management processes intended to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our information systems.

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We utilize the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology, Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) in considering the design and in assessing our processes. This does not imply that we meet any particular technical standards, specifications, or requirements, only that we use the NIST CSF as a guide to help us identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks relevant to our business.

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Index to Financial Statements

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We have integrated aspects of our cybersecurity risk management processes into our overall risk management program through, for example, common methodologies, reporting channels and governance processes that apply across the overall risk management program to other risk areas.

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Our cybersecurity risk management processes include, but are not limited to:

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We have not identified risks from known cybersecurity threats as a result of any prior cybersecurity incidents that have materially affected us, including our operations, business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. We face complex risks from cybersecurity threats that, if realized, are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our operations, business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition_. See “Risk Factors—We and our third-party providers are vulnerable to cyberattacks and security breaches that could materially disrupt or compromise our operations, data and results.”_ There can be no assurance that our cybersecurity risk management processes, including our policies, controls or procedures, will be fully implemented as currently anticipated, complied with or effective in protecting our systems and information or in allowing us to recover from a cybersecurity incident.

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Cybersecurity Governance

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Our Board considers cybersecurity and other information technology risks as part of its risk management and compliance oversight function. The Board oversees management’s implementation of our cybersecurity risk management processes and receives reports from management on our cybersecurity risks at least twice a year. In addition, management updates the Board, as necessary, regarding any material cybersecurity incidents, as well as any incidents with lesser impact potential. The Board receives briefings from management on our cyber risk management processes, and it receives presentations on cybersecurity topics from our Chief Technology Officer, Chief Information Security Officer and Chief Information Officer, internal security staff or external experts as part of the Board’s continuing education on topics that impact public companies.

​ Our management team has overall responsibility for assessing and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats, and for executing on our cybersecurity risk management processes. Our Chief Technology Officer, Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer, among others, have decades of combined experience in areas such as information technology, compliance, and cybersecurity program design and management. Additionally, certain leaders and personnel within the cybersecurity operations team hold industry certifications, such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional or Certified Information Security Manager. Our management team works closely with our cybersecurity operations team to stay informed about and monitor efforts to prevent, detect, mitigate, and remediate cybersecurity risks and incidents through various means, which may include briefings from internal security personnel, threat intelligence and other information obtained from governmental, public or private sources, including external consultants engaged by us, and alerts and reports produced by security tools deployed in the IT, Operational Technology (OT), and products and services environments.

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Index to Financial Statements

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General

In addition to the information in this Item 2, certain information regarding our portfolio is contained in Schedule III (Financial Statement Schedule) under Part IV, Item 15(a)(2) and which is included in Part II, Item 8.

Our Portfolio

The following table presents an overview of our portfolio of properties, including the 78 data centers held as investments in unconsolidated entities and developable land, based on information as of December 31, 2024 (amounts in thousands). All data centers are held in fee simple except as otherwise indicated. Please refer to Note 11. “Debt of the Operating Partnership” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a description of all applicable encumbrances as of December 31, 2024.

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Index to Financial Statements

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Note: Table excludes data centers held for sale. Individual items may not add up to total due to rounding.

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We lease space from third parties under noncancellable leases for: our corporate headquarters, several regional office locations, certain data centers, and certain equipment. In addition, we are subject to ground leases at certain data centers primarily in Europe and Singapore.

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Index to Financial Statements

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Customer Diversification

The following table sets forth information regarding the 20 largest customers in our portfolio based on annualized recurring revenue as of December 31, 2024 (dollar amounts in thousands).

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Note: Represents consolidated portfolio in addition to our managed portfolio of unconsolidated entities based on our ownership percentage. Our direct customers may be the entities named in the table above or their subsidiaries or affiliates.

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Index to Financial Statements

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Lease Distribution

The following table sets forth information relating to the distribution of leases in the properties in our portfolio, based on size (in megawatts), excluding approximately 8.9 million square feet of space under active development and approximately 4.7 million square feet of space held for development at December 31, 2024, under lease as of December 31, 2024 (dollar and square feet amounts in thousands).

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Note: Represents consolidated portfolio in addition to our managed portfolio of unconsolidated entities based on our ownership percentage.

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Lease Expirations

The following table sets forth a summary schedule of the lease expirations for leases in place as of December 31, 2024 plus available space for ten calendar years and thereafter at the properties in our portfolio. The table excludes space that is currently under active development or held for development. Unless otherwise stated in the footnotes to the table below, the information set forth in the table assumes that tenants exercise no renewal options and early termination rights (amounts in thousands, except per square foot amounts).

Note: Represents consolidated portfolio in addition to our managed portfolio of unconsolidated entities based on our ownership percentage. Individual items may not add up to total due to rounding.

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Index to Financial Statements

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In the ordinary course of our business, we may become subject to various legal proceedings. As of December 31, 2024, we were not a party to any legal proceedings which we believe would have a material adverse effect on our operations or financial position.

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Not applicable.

PART II

Digital Realty Trust, Inc.

Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s common stock has been listed, and is traded, on the New York Stock Exchange, or the NYSE, under the symbol “DLR” since October 29, 2004.

Subject to the distribution requirements applicable to REITs under the Code, Digital Realty Trust, Inc. intends, to the extent practicable, to invest substantially all of the proceeds from sales and refinancings of its assets in real estate-related assets and other assets. Digital Realty Trust, Inc. may, however, under certain circumstances, make a dividend of capital or of assets. Such dividends, if any, will be made at the discretion of Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s Board of Directors.

As of February 18, 2025, there were approximately 66 holders of record of Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s common stock. This figure does not reflect the beneficial ownership of shares held in nominee name.

Digital Realty Trust, L.P.

There is no established trading market for Digital Realty Trust, L.P.’s common units of limited partnership. As of February 18, 2025, there were 65 holders of record of common units, including Digital Realty Trust, L.P.’s general partner, Digital Realty Trust, Inc.

Digital Realty Trust, L.P. currently intends to continue to make regular quarterly distributions to holders of its common units. Any future distributions will be declared at the discretion of the Board of Directors of Digital Realty Trust, L.P.’s general partner, Digital Realty Trust, Inc., and will depend on our actual cash flow, financial condition, capital requirements, the annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Code, and such other factors as the Board of Directors may deem relevant.

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Index to Financial Statements

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STOCK PERFORMANCE GRAPH

The following graph compares the yearly change in the cumulative total stockholder return on Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s common stock during the period from December 31, 2019 through December 31, 2024, with the cumulative total returns on the MSCI US REIT Index (RMS) and the S&P 500 Market Index. The comparison assumes that $100 was invested on December 31, 2019 in Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s common stock and in each of these indices and assumes reinvestment of dividends, if any.

COMPARISON OF CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURNS

AMONG DIGITAL REALTY TRUST, INC., S&P 500 INDEX AND RMS INDEX

Assumes $100 invested on December 31, 2019 and

dividends reinvested

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To fiscal year ending December 31, 2024

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Index to Financial Statements

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SALES OF UNREGISTERED EQUITY SECURITIES

Digital Realty Trust, Inc.

None.

Digital Realty Trust, L.P.

During the year ended December 31, 2024, our Operating Partnership issued partnership units in private placements in reliance on the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, in the amounts and for the consideration set forth below:

During the year ended December 31, 2024, Digital Realty Trust, Inc. issued an aggregate of 392,050 shares of its common stock in connection with restricted stock awards for no cash consideration. For each share of common stock issued by Digital Realty Trust, Inc. in connection with such awards, our Operating Partnership issued a restricted common unit to Digital Realty Trust, Inc. During the year ended December 31, 2024, our Operating Partnership issued an aggregate of 392,050 common units to Digital Realty Trust, Inc., as required by our Operating Partnership’s partnership agreement. During the year ended December 31, 2024, an aggregate of 117,271 shares of its common stock were forfeited to Digital Realty Trust, Inc. in connection with restricted stock awards for a net issuance of 274,779 shares of common stock.

All other issuances of unregistered equity securities of our Operating Partnership during the year ended December 31, 2024 have been disclosed previously in filings with the SEC. For all issuances of units to Digital Realty Trust, Inc., our Operating Partnership relied on Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s status as a publicly traded NYSE-listed company with over $45 billion in total consolidated assets and as our Operating Partnership’s majority owner and general partner as the basis for the exemption under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.

REPURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Digital Realty Trust, Inc.

None.

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Digital Realty Trust, L.P.

None.

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Index to Financial Statements

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The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in Item 8. of this report and the matters described under Item 1A. Risk Factors. We make statements in this section that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. For a complete discussion of forward-looking statements, see the section in this report entitled “Forward-Looking Statements.”

A discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for 2024 as compared to 2023 is presented herein. Information on 2022 is presented in graphs and other tables only to show year-over-year trends in our results of operations and operating metrics. Our financial condition for 2022 and results of operations for 2022 – and also 2022 as compared to 2023 – can be found under Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 23, 2024.

Business Overview and Strategy

Digital Realty Trust, Inc., through its controlling interest in Digital Realty Trust, L.P. and its subsidiaries, delivers comprehensive space, power, and interconnection solutions that enable its customers and partners to connect with each other and service their own customers on a global technology and real estate platform. We are a leading global provider of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions for customers across a variety of industry verticals. Digital Realty Trust, Inc. operates as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and our Operating Partnership is the entity through which we conduct our business and own our assets.

Our primary business objectives are to maximize:

We expect to accomplish our objectives by achieving superior risk-adjusted returns, prudently allocating capital, diversifying our product offerings, accelerating our global reach and scale, and driving revenue growth and operating efficiencies. A significant component of our current and future internal growth is anticipated through the development of our existing space held for development, acquisition of land for future development, and acquisition of new properties.

We target high-quality, strategically located properties containing the physical and connectivity infrastructure that supports the applications and operations of data center and technology industry customers and properties that may be developed for such use. Most of our data center properties contain fully redundant electrical supply systems, multiple power feeds, above-standard cooling systems, raised floor areas, extensive in-building communications cabling and high-level security systems. Fundamentally, we bring together foundational real estate and innovative technology expertise around the world to deliver a comprehensive, dedicated product suite to meet customers’ data and connectivity needs. We represent an important part of the digital economy that we believe will benefit from powerful, long-term growth drivers.

We have developed detailed, standardized procedures for evaluating new real estate investments to ensure that they meet our financial, technical and other criteria. We expect to continue to acquire additional assets as part of our growth strategy. We intend to aggressively manage and lease our assets to increase their cash flow. We may continue to build out our development portfolio when justified by anticipated demand and returns.

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Index to Financial Statements

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We may acquire properties subject to existing mortgage financing and other indebtedness or we may incur new indebtedness in connection with acquiring or refinancing these properties. Debt service on such indebtedness will have a priority over any cash dividends with respect to Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s common stock and preferred stock. We are committed to maintaining a conservative capital structure. Our goal is to average through business cycles the following financial ratios: 1) a debt-to-Adjusted EBITDA ratio around 5.5x, 2) a fixed charge coverage of greater than three times, and 3) floating rate debt at less than 20% of total outstanding debt. In addition, we strive to maintain a well-laddered debt maturity schedule, and we seek to maximize the menu of our available sources of capital, while minimizing the cost.

Summary of 2024 Significant Activities

We completed the following significant activities in 2024 as described in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements:

| | o | completed the sale of an additional 24.9% interest in a data center facility in Frankfurt, Germany to DCREIT for total consideration of approximately $126 million, and DCR

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Our future income, cash flows and fair values relevant to financial instruments depend upon prevalent market interest rates. Market risk refers to the risk of loss from adverse changes in market prices and interest rates. We do not use derivatives for trading or speculative purposes and only enter into contracts with major financial institutions based on their credit ratings and other factors.

Analysis of Debt between Fixed and Variable Rate

We use interest rate swap agreements and fixed rate debt to reduce our exposure to interest rate movements. As of December 31, 2024, our consolidated debt was as follows (in millions):

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Sensitivity to Changes in Interest Rates

The following table shows the effect if assumed changes in interest rates occurred, based on fair values and interest expense as of December 31, 2024:

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Index to Financial Statements

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Interest risk amounts were determined by considering the impact of hypothetical interest rates on our financial instruments. These analyses do not consider the effect of any change in overall economic activity that could occur in that environment. Further, in the event of a change of that magnitude, we may take actions to further mitigate our exposure to the change. However, due to the uncertainty of the specific actions that would be taken and their possible effects, these analyses assume no changes in our financial structure.

Foreign Currency Exchange Risk

We are subject to risk from the effects of exchange rate movements of a variety of foreign currencies, which may affect future costs and cash flows. Our primary currency exposures are to the Euro, Japanese yen, British pound sterling, Singapore dollar, South African rand and Brazilian real. Our exposure to foreign exchange risk related to the Brazilian real is limited to the impact that currency has on our share of the Ascenty entity’s operations and financial position. We attempt to mitigate a portion of the risk of currency fluctuations by financing our investments in local currency denominations in order to reduce our exposure to any foreign currency transaction gains or losses resulting from transactions entered into in currencies other than the functional currencies of the associated entities. We also utilize cross-currency interest rate swaps, designated as net investment hedges, which effectively convert a portion of our U.S. dollar-denominated fixed-rate debt to foreign currency-denominated fixed-rate debt, to hedge the currency exposure associated with our net investment in our foreign subsidiaries. In addition, we may also hedge well-defined transactional exposures with foreign currency forwards or options, although there can be no assurances that these will be effective. As a result, changes in the relation of any such foreign currency to U.S. dollar may affect our revenues, operating margins and distributions and may also affect the book value of our assets and the amount of stockholders’ equity.

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Index to Financial Statements

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INDEX TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

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Index to Financial Statements

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Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

The management of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (the Company) is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15(d)-15(f). Our internal control system was designed to provide reasonable assurance to the Company’s management and board of directors regarding the preparation and fair presentation of published financial statements.

All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation.

Under the supervision and with the participation of management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024. In making this assessment, we used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013). Based on our assessment, management concluded that as of December 31, 2024, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective based on those criteria.

Our independent registered public accounting firm has issued an audit report on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. This report appears on page 87.

Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

The management of Digital Realty Trust, L.P. (the Operating Partnership) is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15(d)-15(f). Our internal control system was designed to provide reasonable assurance to the Operating Partnership’s management regarding the preparation and fair presentation of published financial statements.

All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation.

Under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of our general partner, we assessed the effectiveness of the Operating Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024. In making this assessment, we used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013). Based on our assessment, management concluded that as of December 31, 2024, the Operating Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting was effective based on those criteria.

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Index to Financial Statements

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors

Digital Realty Trust, Inc.:

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Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the related consolidated income statements, and statements of comprehensive income, equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2024, and the related notes and financial statement schedule III, properties and accumulated depreciation (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2024, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, and our report dated February 24, 2025 expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

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Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

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We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included per

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Our Management’s Reports on Internal Control over Financial Reporting for Digital Realty Trust, Inc. and Digital Realty Trust, L.P. are included in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data on page 84.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures (Digital Realty Trust, Inc.)

The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its reports filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to its management, including its chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, the Company’s management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and its management is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Also, the Company has investments in certain unconsolidated entities, which are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. As the Company does not control or manage these entities, its disclosure controls and procedures with respect to such entities may be substantially more limited than those it maintains with respect to its consolidated subsidiaries.

As required by Rule 13a-15(b) or Rule 15d-15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, management of the Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with participation of its chief executive officer and chief financial officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of its disclosure controls and procedures that were in effect as of December 31, 2024. Based on the foregoing, the Company’s management concluded that its disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There has not been any change in our internal control over financial reporting during the three months December 31, 2024, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures (Digital Realty Trust, L.P.)

The Operating Partnership maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its reports filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to its management, including the chief executive officer and chief financial officer of its general partner, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, the Operating Partnership’s management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and its management is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Also, the Operating Partnership has investments in certain unconsolidated entities, which are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. As the Operating Partnership does not control or manage these entities, its disclosure controls and procedures with respect to such entities may be substantially more limited than those it maintains with respect to its consolidated subsidiaries.

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As required by Rule 13a-15(b) or Rule 15d-15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, management of the Operating Partnership carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with participation of the chief executive officer and chief financial officer of its general partner, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of its disclosure controls and procedures that were in effect as of December 31, 2024. Based on the foregoing, the Operating Partnership’s management concluded that its disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There has not been any change in our internal control over financial reporting during the three months ended December 31, 2024, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

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None.

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PART III

The information concerning our directors, executive officers and corporate governance required by Item 10 will be included in the Proxy Statement to be filed relating to our 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and is incorporated herein by reference.

We have filed, as exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, the certifications of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer required under Section 302 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the quality of our public disclosure. We have furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission as exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, the certifications of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer required under Section 906 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act. In addition, as required by Section 303A.12 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, our Chief Executive Officer made his annual certification to the NYSE stating that he was not aware of any violation by the Company of the corporate governance listing standards of the NYSE.

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The information concerning our executive compensation required by Item 11 will be included in the Proxy Statement to be filed relating to our 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and is incorporated herein by reference.

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The information concerning the security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management and related stockholder matters (including equity compensation plan information) required by Item 12 will be included in the Proxy Statement to be filed relating to our 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and is incorporated herein by reference.

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The information concerning certain relationships, related transactions and director independence required by Item 13 will be included in the Proxy Statement to be filed relating to our 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and is incorporated herein by reference.

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The information concerning our principal accounting fees and services required by Item 14 will be included in the Proxy Statement to be filed relating to our 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and is incorporated herein by reference.

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PART IV

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

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POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Andrew P. Power, Jeannie Lee and Matthew R. Mercier, and each of them, with full power to act without the other, such person’s true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign this Form 10-K and any and all amendments thereto, and to file the same, with exhibits and schedules thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing necessary or desirable to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

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POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Andrew P. Power, Jeannie Lee and Matthew R. Mercier, and each of them, with full power to act without the other, such person’s true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign this Form 10-K and any and all amendments thereto, and to file the same, with exhibits and schedules thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing necessary or desirable to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

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