RBCT Chapter 162 Unexpected Hostility
Chapter 162 Unexpected Hostility
Chapter 162 Unexpected Hostility
John Reed left, a lingering sense of bewilderment on his face. He felt that being with Ernst had shaken his worldview.
John Reed would have cursed the other man's business thinking as "what an idiot he is" if he weren't named Ernst.
The price offered by the other party was simply a pipe dream for Citibank, and there was absolutely no possibility of them agreeing to it.
Staying there would only plunge him into endless self-doubt, and the business principles he had believed in for years would crumble at this moment.
However, John Reed's departure did not make the corner where Ernst was located quieter.
On the contrary, the place is bustling with guests, and waves of Wall Street tycoons come to chat.
Although he was sitting in the corner, it was as if he was the main character, attracting everyone's attention and even overshadowing today's protagonist, Jeff Bezos.
However, what puzzled many of the guests present was, what were those expressions on your faces?
The leaders of Wall Street giants left in high spirits, but their faces were filled with confusion and bewilderment as they departed. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they were questioning the meaning of life.
As the last visitor left, the noise in the banquet hall seemed to subside somewhat.
Henry Paulson, president of Goldman Sachs and host of the party, finally walked over slowly.
Holding a glass of champagne with a professional smile, he said, "I heard MGM is looking to raise funds? As an old friend, it would be a bit dishonest not to approach Goldman Sachs at this time."
Ernst put down his knife and fork again and gently pushed his plate aside. It seemed that this dinner was destined to be anything but peaceful.
He looked up, gave a friendly smile, shrugged, and replied in a relaxed tone, "Actually, I only informed John Reed because he had the chips I wanted."
"Marvel?" Henry Paulson reacted almost immediately, a look of understanding flashing in his eyes.
Ernst's smile faded slightly, replaced by a bitter one.
He only realized just now that he had been tricked by that old man, John Reed.
At the time, the other party claimed that Citigroup held more than $400 million in Marvel's debt, enough to determine Marvel's life or death.
But after talking with those financial giants, he learned that although Citibank's Marvel debt was not small, it was definitely not as much as four hundred million dollars.
Everyone was tricked by John Reed.
Because of the disappointing box office performance of "Titanic," the old man also abandoned his original intention to acquire their Marvel shares.
These people on Wall Street aren't stupid; they quickly realized that Ernst was clearly interested in Marvel.
Their purpose in coming here was twofold: firstly, because of MGM's financing, they wanted to take advantage of the situation and get a share of the profits.
Secondly, it was for Marvel's sake; they wanted to test the waters to see what kind of offer Ernst might make.
While Ernst's offer from Marvel didn't meet their expectations, it was still within an acceptable range.
The reason they felt it didn't meet their expectations was mainly because the other party was Ernst, a man who held countless desirable things in his hands.
Everyone wanted to take this opportunity to see if they could get a piece of the pie from him.
Whether it's MGM, Google, or Leap Games, any equity swap with any of them would be a highly profitable deal for them.
However, this is clearly wishful thinking; they wouldn't agree to it in their own situation.
When the topic of MGM's financing came up, everyone reacted in the same way as John Reed, feeling that Ernst was playing them for a fool.
According to their sources, negotiations between MGM and Citigroup have stalled, with the two sides stuck on a $65 billion valuation.
Ernst is now asking for $75 billion, something they never expected before they came here.
Even though they were mentally prepared for Ernst's insistence on a $65 billion valuation, this sudden price increase really baffled them.
You lost money.
And then you raised the price?
Where is justice?
"So I think it's better not to bother Goldman Sachs. You're unlikely to accept my terms anyway." Ernst's voice was calm and very firm.
Henry Paulson, however, thought Ernst's condition concerned Marvel shares, and he immediately replied, "Although Goldman Sachs does not own Marvel shares, it can make up for it elsewhere, such as through valuation."
Ernst smiled, a hint of mockery on his face.
He crossed his legs, leaned back slightly in his chair, and said slowly, "They own shares in Marvel. I valued MGM at $75 billion. I wonder what Goldman Sachs is planning to value them at?"
"Uh—" Henry Paulson was speechless for a moment, as if he had suddenly choked on a fishbone, and the smile on his face froze.
Before coming, he made thorough preparations, estimating that others would value MGM at no more than $55 billion.
He even considered acquiring MGM's shares for a final price of $60 billion, a price he considered quite generous.
But now, upon hearing Ernst's offer of $75 billion, his mind went completely blank.
Another person lost in confusion was added to the world; Henry Paulson eventually left with a belly full of bewilderment.
Ernst turned his gaze to the center of the venue, where Jeff Bezos, having just finished his speech, was strolling confidently through the crowd, chatting and laughing with guests, his face beaming with pride.
The other person was one of his targets when he attended this party.
For PayPal to achieve rapid growth and solidify its dominant position in the online payment field, e-commerce is the sole determining factor.
No matter how popular the gaming industry is, its audience size and reach cannot compare with e-commerce.
It's impossible for the gaming industry to get everyone—men, women, young and old—to open and use PayPal, but e-commerce can, at least in a broad sense.
In Ernst's mind, PayPal plays a vital role, its status being no less important than Ernst Asset Management.
His purpose in coming here was to see if it was possible to acquire some Amazon shares, thereby establishing a partnership with Amazon and paving the way for future integration of the PayPal system with Amazon.
According to information obtained by Ernst, the development of paypaI has made great progress and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, it will be fully developed within a month, followed by internal testing.
Unlike other software, security is always the top priority for online payment, so the internal testing period will be relatively longer.
However long it may take, it will definitely be released this year. Optimistically, it might be officially launched in September or October.
Ernst was lost in thought about the layout of the Internet until Henry Paulson brought Jeff Bezos to him, which snapped him out of his reverie.
"What are you thinking about? You seem so engrossed in your thoughts?" Henry Paulson asked with a smile, seemingly unaffected by their previous conversation.
Ernst smiled, stood up, and did not explain what he had been thinking.
Henry Paulson didn't press further, but instead stepped aside and introduced, "Let me introduce you—"
"No need, Jeff Bezos, I still know him," Ernst said first, his tone calm.
He originally intended to extend goodwill, but to his utter surprise, he was met with Jeff Bezos's undisguised hostility.
"Mr. Ernst Garfield, the infamous American playboy, who doesn't know him?" Jeff Bezos's words were barbed.
In his view, the man in front of him was here to cause trouble tonight.
Despite hiding in a corner, it became increasingly conspicuous due to the successive visits from major Wall Street giants, like a firefly in the dark, whose light, even in darkness, seemed determined to rival the sun and moon.
And Ernst's absent-minded look just now, in Bezos's eyes, was intentional, a way of putting him in a bad light.
In particular, the outside media were hyping him up as "the second Ernst," which made Jeff Bezos want to smash those newspapers in their faces.
Ernst frowned slightly, but his tone remained restrained. "That's just tabloids trying to ride the wave. I still prefer the title of 'Internet upstart.'"
"Indeed, the Internet is an industry with unlimited future potential, but it's not something everyone can understand. At the very least, making a profit is something that 99% of Internet companies haven't figured out yet."
Jeff Bezos's words were pointed, almost explicitly referring to Google.
Ernst was puzzled, not understanding why the other party had such a strong opinion about him.
However, there was no point in saying more when the conversation was not going well. He glanced at Henry Paulson, who seemed a little embarrassed beside him, and smiled calmly, "I have something to attend to, so I won't disturb your conversation any longer."
Talking big is useless; in the end, actions speak louder than words.
Ernst didn't even glance at Jeff Bezos again before turning and walking away.
I had originally intended to explore the possibility of cooperation, but now it seems there's no need for that at all.
Amazon?
Ernst turned around and a cold, mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips.
Since that's the case, then I'll just stomp you to death in the mud. What can you do about it?