SPGPJ Simon Property Grp. Prfd J

PROXY SUMMARY

SUMMARY OF 2018 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

This summary provides highlights of certain information in this Proxy Statement. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider, and therefore you should read the entire Proxy Statement before voting. For more complete information regarding the Company's 2018 performance you should review the Company's Form 10-K for

the year ended December 31, 2018 and Form 8-K furnished to the SEC on February 1, 2019.

In 2018, the Company continued to deliver consistent strong growth across our key financial metrics.

In 2018, we generated funds from operations ("FFO") of $12.13 per share, the highest we have ever reported. See "Where do I find reconciliation of Non-GAAP terms to GAAP terms?" in the section of this Proxy Statement titled "Frequently Asked Questions and Answers" on page 57. Our FFO compound annual growth rate ("CAGR") for the period from 2010 through 2018 was 11.7%.

SUMMARY OF 2018 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

BOARD LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

In March of 2014, Larry C. Glasscock was appointed by our independent directors to serve as our Lead Independent Director. The Lead Independent Director performs the duties specified in the Governance Principles described below and such other duties as are assigned from time to time by the independent directors of the Board. We believe that our Lead Independent Director is performing his duties in an effective manner. Under our Governance Principles, the Lead Independent Director is empowered to:

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preside at all meetings of the Board at which the Chairman of the Board ("Chairman") is not present, including executive sessions of the independent directors;

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serve as a liaison between the Chairman and the independent directors, including by facilitating communication and sharing of views between the independent directors and the Chairman;

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approve materials sent to the Board and advise on such information;

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approve meeting agendas for the Board and coordinate with the Chairman with respect to developing such agendas;

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approve meeting schedules for the Board to assure there is sufficient time for discussion of all agenda items and coordinate with the Chairman with respect to developing such schedules;

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call meetings of the independent directors;

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if requested by major shareholders, ensure that he or she is available for consultation and direct communication; and

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retain outside advisors and consultants to report directly to the Board on Board-wide matters.

Mr. David Simon has served since 2007 as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") and since February 15, 2019, also as our President. The Board believes that having Mr. David Simon fill these leadership roles is an appropriate and efficient leadership structure. Together, our Lead Independent Director and the CEO deliver clear leadership, responsibility and accountability, effective decision-making and a cohesive corporate strategy.

Ten of our director nominees are independent under the requirements set forth in the NYSE Listed Company Manual. All of the members of the Audit Committee, Governance and Nominating Committee, and Compensation Committee are independent directors under the listing requirements and rules of the NYSE and other applicable laws, rules, and regulations.

We recognize the importance of refreshing our Board. Consistent with this belief, in the last five years we have appointed four new directors, including two new directors in the last two years.

Today 40% of our independent directors have been on the Board for fewer than five years compared to 12.5% in 2015.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

THE BOARD BELIEVES THAT ITS MEMBERS SHOULD:

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exhibit high standards of independent judgment and integrity;

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have a strong record of achievements;

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have an understanding of our business and the competitive environment in which we operate;

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have diverse experiences and backgrounds, including racial and gender diversity; and

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be committed to enhancing shareholder value on a long-term basis and have sufficient time to carry out their duties.

In addition, the Board has determined that the Board, as a whole, should strive to have the right mix of characteristics and skills necessary to effectively perform its oversight responsibilities. The Board believes that directors with one or more of the following professional skills or experiences can assist in meeting this goal:

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leadership of large and complex organizations;

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accounting and finance;

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e-commerce related Internet-based businesses;

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capital markets;

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retail marketing;

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strategic planning;

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real estate acquisitions, development, and operations;

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banking, legal, and corporate governance;

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government and governmental relationships;

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international business; and

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human capital management

THE BOARD'S ROLE IN OVERSIGHT OF RISK MANAGEMENT

While risk management is primarily the responsibility of our management, the Board provides overall risk oversight focusing on the most significant risks we face. We have implemented a Company-wide enterprise risk management process to identify and assess the major risks we face and to develop strategies for controlling, mitigating, and monitoring risk. As part of this process, we gather information throughout our Company on an annual basis to identify and prioritize management of these major risks. The identified risks and risk mitigation strategies are validated with management and discussed with the Audit Committee on an ongoing basis.

The Audit Committee reviews our risk management programs and reports on these items to the full Board. Our Vice President of Audit Services is responsible for supervising the enterprise risk management process and in that role reports directly to the Audit Committee. Other members of senior management who have responsibility for designing and implementing various aspects of our risk management process also regularly meet with the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee discusses our identified financial and operational risks with our CEO and Chief

Financial Officer and receives reports from other members of senior management with regard to our identified risks.

The Compensation Committee is responsible for overseeing risks relating to our compensation policies and practices. Specifically, the Compensation Committee oversees the design of incentive compensation arrangements for our executive officers to implement our pay-for-performance philosophy without encouraging or rewarding excessive risk-taking by our executive officers.

Our management regularly conducts additional reviews of risks, as needed, or as requested by the Board or Audit Committee.

DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

The Board has adopted standards to assist it in making determinations of director independence. These standards incorporate, and are consistent with, the definition of "independent" contained in the NYSE Listed Company Manual and other applicable laws, rules and regulations in effect from time to time regarding director independence. These standards are included in our Governance Principles, which are available at governanceprinciples.simon.com . In March 2014, the Board amended and restated the Governance Principles to strengthen the role of the Lead Independent Director. The Board has affirmatively determined that each person nominated by the Board for election as a director by the holders of voting shares of common stock and listed in this Proxy Statement meets these standards and is independent.

Mr. David Simon, Mr. Richard S. Sokolov and Mr. Herbert Simon are our employees and are not independent directors.

POLICIES ON CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Good corporate governance is important to ensure that the Company is managed for the long-term benefit of its shareholders and to enhance the creation of long-term shareholder value. Each year, the Governance and Nominating Committee reviews our Governance Principles and recommends to the Board any suggested modifications. Also, the Audit Committee obtains reports from management and the Company's senior internal auditing executive that the Company and its subsidiaries are operating in conformity with the Company's Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which can be found at codeofconduct.simon.com , and advises the Board with respect to the Company's policies and procedures regarding compliance with the Company's Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. In addition, each of the Board's standing committees reviews its written charter on an annual basis to consider whether any changes are required. These charters are located on our website at committeecomposition.simon.com . In addition to clicking on the preceding links, the current version of each of these documents is available by visiting www.simon.com and navigating to "Governance" by clicking on "Investors", or by requesting a printed copy without charge upon written request to our Secretary at 225 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

We will also either disclose on Form 8-K and/or post on our Internet website any substantive amendment to, or waiver from, a provision of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to any of our directors or executive officers.

PROXY ACCESS

Our Amended and Restated By-Laws (the "By-Laws") provide for the ability of a shareholder, or a group of up to 20 shareholders, owning at least three percent of the Company's outstanding Class A common stock continuously for at least three years, to nominate and include in the Company's proxy materials director nominees constituting up to the greater of two nominees or 20% of the number of directors on the Board that the Class A common shareholders are entitled to elect, provided that the shareholders and the nominees satisfy the requirements in our By-Laws.

MAJORITY VOTE STANDARD FOR ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Our By-Laws provide for a majority of votes cast standard for the election of directors in an uncontested election. The majority of votes cast standard for purposes of the election of director nominees means that in order for a director to be elected, the number of votes cast FOR a director's election must exceed the number of votes cast AGAINST that director's election. Any director who, in an uncontested election, receives a greater number of AGAINST votes than FOR votes must promptly tender his or her resignation to the Board, subject to its acceptance. The Governance and Nominating Committee will promptly consider the tendered resignation and recommend to the Board whether to accept or reject it. Both the Governance and Nominating Committee and the Board may consider any factors they deem appropriate and relevant to their actions. The Board will act on the tendered resignation, taking into account the Governance and Nominating Committee's recommendation. The affected director cannot participate in any part of the process. We will publicly disclose the Board's decision by a press release, a filing with the SEC or other broadly disseminated means of communication within 90 days after the shareholders' vote has been certified.

In a contested election (in which the number of nominees exceeds the number of directors to be elected), the standard for election of directors will be a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of shares entitled to vote on the election of directors, provided a quorum is present.

NOMINATIONS FOR DIRECTORS

The Governance and Nominating Committee will consider director nominees recommended by shareholders. A shareholder who wishes to recommend a director candidate in this manner should send such recommendation to our Secretary at 225 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204, who will forward it to the Governance and Nominating

Committee. Any such recommendation shall include a description of the candidate's qualifications for Board service, the candidate's written consent to be considered for nomination and to serve if nominated and elected, as well as the addresses and telephone numbers for contacting the shareholder and the candidate for more information. A shareholder who wishes to nominate an individual as a director candidate at an annual meeting of shareholders, rather than either recommend the individual to the Governance and Nominating Committee as a nominee or utilize the proxy access process described above and set forth in Section 1.11 of our By-Laws, shall comply with the advance notice requirements for shareholder nominations set forth in Section 1.10 of our By-Laws.

Our Governance Principles provide that all candidates for election as members of the Board should possess high personal and professional ethics, integrity and values and be committed to representing the long-term interests of our shareholders and otherwise fulfilling the responsibilities of directors as described in our Governance Principles. In 2016, we amended our Governance Principles to clearly reflect and communicate the Board's long-standing diversity goals including, without limitation, the pursuit of racial and gender diversity taking into account the skills and other attributes the Board believes are required for any new director. Our Governance Principles further provide that if our directors simultaneously serve on more than four boards of public companies, including our Board, then the Board or Governance and Nominating Committee must determine that serving on more than four public company boards does not impair the ability of the director to serve as an effective member of our Board. In recommending candidates to the Board for election as directors, the Governance and Nominating Committee will consider the foregoing minimum qualifications as well as each candidate's credentials, keeping in mind our desire, as stated in our Governance Principles, to have a Board representing diverse experiences and backgrounds, as well as expertise in or knowledge of specific areas that are relevant to our business activities. Although we do not have term limits or a mandatory retirement age for our directors, we do believe that periodic board refreshment is beneficial. Consistent with this belief, in the last five years we have appointed four new directors, including two new directors in the last two years.

COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE BOARD

The Board has implemented a process by which our shareholders and other interested parties may communicate with one or more members of our Board, its committees, the Lead Independent Director, or the independent directors as a group in a writing addressed to Simon Property Group, Inc., Board of Directors, c/o Secretary, 225 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204. The Board has instructed our Secretary to promptly forward all such communications to the specified addressees thereof.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE OF THE COMPANY

SHAREHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH

The Company has continued to reach out to and engage with shareholders, over the course of the past year, representing well over 50% of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote at the 2019 Annual Meeting, concerning, among other things, executive compensation and sustainability. In addition, since our 2018 annual meeting and before mailing this Proxy Statement, our executive officers have considered the input received from shareholders (in face-to-face discussions, conference calls, and/or written communication).

SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") requires our directors, executive officers and beneficial owners of more than 10% of our capital stock to file reports of ownership and changes of ownership with the SEC and the NYSE. Based on our records and other information, we believe that during the year ended December 31, 2018, all applicable Section 16(a) filing requirements were met.

TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS

On an annual basis, each director and executive officer is obligated to complete a director and officer questionnaire, which requires disclosure of any transactions with us in which the director or executive officer, or any member of his or her immediate family, has or will have an interest. Pursuant to our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics at codeofconduct.simon.com , which is also available in the Governance section of our website at investors.simon.com , the Audit Committee must review and approve all related person transactions in which any executive officer, director, director nominee or more than 5% shareholder of the Company, or any of their immediate family members, had, has or will have a direct or indirect material interest. Pursuant to the charter of the Audit Committee, which is available in the Governance section of our website at investors.simon.com , the Audit Committee may not approve a related person transaction unless (1) it is in, or not inconsistent with, our best interests and (2) where applicable, the terms of such transaction are at least as favorable to us as could be obtained from an unrelated third party. Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation requires that at least a majority of our directors be neither our employees nor members or affiliates of members of the Simon family. Our

Restated Certificate of Incorporation further requires that transactions involving the Company, individually or in our capacity as general partner of our subsidiary, Simon Property Group, L.P. (the "Operating Partnership"), and any entity in which any of the Simons has an interest must, in addition to any other vote that may be required, be approved in advance by a majority of such independent directors. We currently have ten independent directors serving on the Board.

Our General Counsel is charged with reviewing any conflict of interest involving any other employee.

TRANSACTIONS WITH THE SIMONS

Pursuant to management agreements that provide for our receipt of a management fee and reimbursement of our direct and indirect costs, we have managed since 1993 two shopping centers owned by entities in which Mr. David Simon and Mr. Herbert Simon have ownership interests that were not contributed to the Operating Partnership. In addition, in 2018 we assisted Melvin Simon & Associates, Inc. ("MSA") and certain of its affiliates with placement of the property and casualty insurance programs required for certain retail and other commercial buildings and improvements owned by MSA or its affiliates. MSA is owned 30.94% by trusts for the benefit of Mr. Herbert Simon, 3.04% by a trust for the benefit of Mr. David Simon, and by certain other shareholders. In 2018, we received $3,960,053 in fees and reimbursements from MSA and its affiliates for rendering management and insurance-related services to MSA and its affiliates. These agreements have been reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee. In 2018, we reimbursed Mr. David Simon $2,644,038 for the Company-related business use of his personal aircraft. Our reimbursement for use of Mr. David Simon's personal aircraft is based upon a below-market hourly cost of operating the aircraft and the verified number of hours used for Company business, plus reimbursement for certain out-of-pocket expenses. These reimbursements were reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee.

We provide MSA with office space and legal, human resource administration, property specific financing and other support services, and MSA paid us $600,000 for these services in 2018, which is net of our reimbursement of Mr. Herbert Simon for costs incurred to operate his personal aircraft when used for Company related business purposes. These payments and reimbursements were reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee.

PROPOSAL 1:      Election of Directors

PROPOSAL 1:      Election of Directors

MEETINGS AND COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD

MEETINGS AND ATTENDANCE

Our business, property and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board. Members of our Board are kept informed of our business through discussions with our Chairman and CEO, other executive officers, and our Lead Independent Director, by reviewing materials provided to them concerning the business, by visiting our offices and properties, and by participating in meetings of the Board and its committees. Directors are also expected to use reasonable efforts to attend the annual meeting of shareholders.

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All of our directors attended the 2018 annual meeting. During 2018, the Board met five times, including one telephonic meeting.

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All of our directors participated in more than 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of the Board and the committees on which they served in 2018.

EXECUTIVE SESSIONS OF INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS

The independent directors meet in executive session without management present in connection with each regularly scheduled non-telephonic Board meeting as well as when the need arises. During 2018, the independent directors had meetings after four Board meetings. The Lead Independent Director presided over three of these meetings. The Chairman of the Audit Committee presided over one of these meetings.

The Board's Lead Independent Director is appointed by the independent members of the Board and the responsibilities of the Lead Independent Director are discussed in the section of this Proxy Statement titled "Corporate Governance of the Company—Board Leadership Structure."

PROPOSAL 1:      Election of Directors

PROPOSAL 1:      Election of Directors