@denk12
Yes, the performance fee determines how distributions are made to fund investors. A performance fee is usually expressed as two numbers:
1) The priority/hurdle return: this is the minimum return investors must get before the performance fee is activated; if returns are below this number, the manager doesn't get a performance fee.
2) The share: this is the share of excess profits the manager pockets if the priority/hurdle rate is exceeded.
We don't know what (1) is in IMF's vehicle, but we know that (2) is 15%.
To take a very simplified example: let's assume the hurdle rate is, say, 10%. Let's say Fortress invested their $150m immediately all on day 1, the fund makes zero distributions along the way, and then sells everything after exactly 4 years. The priority return to Fortress is simply 150*(1.1)^4, = $220m, meaning that the fund has to distribute a minimum of $220m before any performance fee is paid to IMF. Let's say IMF did a fantastic job and invested that $150m at 30%, so there's 150*1.3^4 = $428m to distribute. The fund pays to Fortress its priority return of $220m, then there's $208m remaining; IMF then pockets 15% of that $208m, meaning it gets a $31m performance fee, and the other 85% ($177m) goes to Fortress.