UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): June 2, 2025

VIPER ENERGY, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

001-36505

46-5001985

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

(Commission

File Number)

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)


500 West Texas Ave.
Suite 100
Midland, TX				79701
(Address of principal executive offices)				(Zip code)

(432) 221-7400

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the Registrant under any of the following provisions:

☒

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:

Title of each class

Trading

Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange

on which registered

Class A Common Stock, $0.000001 Par Value

VNOM

The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

(NASDAQ Global Select Market)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

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. ☐

Item 7.01.

Regulation FD Disclosure.

On June 2, 2025, Viper Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Viper”) and Viper Energy Partners LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Viper Opco”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Sitio Royalties Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Sitio”), Sitio Royalties Operating Partnership, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“Sitio Opco”), New Cobra Pubco, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Viper (“New Parent”), Cobra Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of New Parent (“Viper Merger Sub”), and Scorpion Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of New Parent (“Sitio Merger Sub”).

Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, Viper will acquire Sitio in an all-equity transaction through: (i) the merger of Sitio Merger Sub with and into Sitio, with Sitio continuing as the surviving corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of New Parent, (ii) the merger of Viper Merger Sub with and into Viper, with Viper continuing as the surviving corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of New Parent, and (iii) the merger of Sitio Opco with and into Viper Opco, with Viper Opco continuing as the surviving entity, in each case on the terms set forth in the Merger Agreement (collectively, the “Mergers”).

Upon consummation of the Mergers, former Viper and Sitio stockholders will own approximately 80% and 20%, respectively, of New Parent on a fully diluted basis.

On June 3, 2025, Viper and Sitio issued a joint press release announcing the Mergers. A copy of the press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference. Viper also made available an investor presentation relating to the Mergers on the investor relations section of its website (a copy of which is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.2 and is incorporated herein by reference).

The information contained in this Item 7.01, including Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2, is being furnished and shall not be deemed “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference into any registration statement or other filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference to such filing.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication relates to a proposed business combination transaction between Viper and Sitio and the information included herein includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause the results to differ materially from such statements. All statements, other than historical facts, that address activities that Viper or Sitio assumes, plans, expects, believes, intends or anticipates (and other similar expressions) will, should or may occur in the future, or statements regarding the proposed Mergers, the likelihood that the conditions to the consummation of the Mergers will be satisfied on a timely basis or at all, Viper’s and Sitio’s ability to consummate the Mergers at any time or at all, the benefits of the Mergers and the post-combination company’s future financial performance following the Mergers, the post-combination company’s strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues, and losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management, are forward-looking statements. When used herein, the words “may,” “could,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project” and similar expressions and the negative of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. The forward-looking statements are based on Viper’s and Sitio’s management’s current beliefs, based on currently available information, as to the outcome and timing of future events.

Factors that could cause the outcomes to differ materially include (but are not limited to) the following: the risk associated with Sitio’s ability to obtain the approvals of its stockholders required to consummate the Mergers; risks related to the timing of the closing of the Mergers, including the risk that the conditions to the Mergers are not satisfied on a timely basis or at all or the failure of the Mergers to close for any other reason or to close on the anticipated terms, including the anticipated tax treatment; the risk that any regulatory approval, consent or authorization that may be required for the Mergers is not obtained or is obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; the post-combination company’s ability to successfully integrate Viper’s and Sitio’s businesses and technologies; the risk that the expected benefits and synergies of the Mergers may not be fully achieved in a timely manner, or at all; the risk that Viper or Sitio will not, or that following the Mergers, the post-combination company will not, be able to retain and hire key personnel; unanticipated difficulties or expenditures relating to the Mergers, the response of business partners and retention as a result of the announcement and pendency of the Mergers; ability to finance the combined company on acceptable terms or at all; uncertainty as to the long-term value of the post-combination company’s common stock; the diversion of Viper’s and Sitio’s management’s time on transaction-related matters; and those risks described in Viper’s periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including in Item 1A of Viper’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2025, subsequent Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings Viper makes with the SEC, which can be

obtained free of charge on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and Viper’s website at https://www.viperenergy.com/investors/overview, and in Sitio’s periodic filings with the SEC, including in Item 1A of Sitio’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2025, subsequent Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings Sitio makes with the SEC, which can be obtained free of charge on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and Sitio’s website at investors.sitio.com.

In light of these factors, the events anticipated by Viper’s and Sitio’s forward-looking statements may not occur at the time anticipated or at all. Moreover, Viper and Sitio conduct their businesses in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment and new risks emerge from time to time. Viper and Sitio cannot predict all risks, nor can they assess the impact of all factors on their businesses or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by any forward-looking statements they may make. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this communication or, if earlier, as of the date they were made. Viper and Sitio do not intend to, and disclaim any obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements unless required by applicable law.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the Mergers, New Parent will file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4, which will include a proxy statement of Sitio, an information statement of Viper and a prospectus of New Parent. The Mergers will be submitted to Sitio’s stockholders for their consideration. Viper, Sitio and New Parent may also file other documents with the SEC regarding the Mergers. After the registration statement has been declared effective by the SEC, a definitive joint information statement/proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to the stockholders of Viper and Sitio. This communication is not a substitute for the registration statement and joint information statement/proxy statement/prospectus that will be filed with the SEC or any other documents that Viper, Sitio or New Parent may file with the SEC or send to stockholders of Viper or Sitio in connection with the Mergers. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF SITIO AND VIPER ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND JOINT INFORMATION STATEMENT/PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE AND ALL OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE MERGERS AND RELATED MATTERS.

Investors and stockholders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement and the joint information statement/proxy statement/prospectus (when available) and all other documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by Viper, Sitio or New Parent, through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.

Participants in the Solicitation

Viper, Sitio, New Parent and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Sitio stockholders in connection with the Mergers.

Information regarding the directors and executive officers of Viper, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in Viper’s definitive proxy statement for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, including under the headings “Proposal 1: Election of Directors”, “Executive Officers”, “Compensation Discussion and Analysis”, “Compensation Tables”, “Stock Ownership” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions,” which was filed with the SEC on April 10, 2025 and is available at https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1602065/000119312525077960/d884560ddef14a.htm. To the extent holdings of Viper’s securities by its directors or executive officers have changed since the amounts set forth in Viper’s definitive proxy statement for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, such changes have been or will be reflected on Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership of Securities on Form 3, Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership on Form 4, or Annual Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership on Form 5 filed with the SEC, which are available at EDGAR Search Results https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=0001602065&type=&dateb=&owner=only&count=40&search_text=.

Information regarding the directors and executive officers of Sitio, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in Sitio’s definitive proxy statement for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, including under the headings “Proposal 1 - Election of Directors”, “Executive Officers”, “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management”, “Certain Relationships and Interested Transactions”, “Compensation Discussion and Analysis”, “Summary Compensation Table” and “2024 Director Compensation”, which was filed with the SEC on March 28, 2025 and is available at https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1949543/000162828025015343/
str-20250328.htm. To the extent holdings of Sitio’s securities by its directors or executive officers have changed since the amounts set forth in Sitio’s definitive proxy statement for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, such changes have been or will be reflected on Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership of Securities on Form 3, Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership on Form 4, or Annual Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership on Form 5 filed with the SEC, which are available at EDGAR Search Results https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=
getcompany&CIK=1949543&type=&dateb=&owner=only&count=40&search_text=.

Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the joint information statement/proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available. You may obtain free copies of these documents through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, pursuant to the Mergers or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act.

Item 9.01.

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)

Exhibits.


Exhibit Number		Description of Exhibit

99.1		Press Release, dated June 3, 2025.*

99.2		Investor Presentation, dated June 3, 2025.*

104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

*	Furnished, not filed.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

VIPER ENERGY, INC.

Date: June 3, 2025

/s/ Matt Zmigrosky

Matt Zmigrosky

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Viper Energy, Inc. 8-K