The reason Brian is clinging so tightly to William is because he understands that William is a super genius capable of developing artificial intelligence on his own. In William's mind, there must be some promising but low-profit inventions that are too troublesome to manage.
William may not care about these minor inventions, but it's a different story for Brian and his group. Even if the company's future market value is only a few hundred million or even a few billion dollars, once it goes public, they'll immediately transition from doing dirty and tiring work to being board members of a publicly listed company. This transformation in status is far more attractive to Brian than William offering him a political position.
No one turns down money. At the end of the day, politicians are just collaborators serving interest groups, and some are even their spokespersons.
Being a spokesperson or a master? Now over 50 years old and having spent half his life doing dangerous jobs, Brian clearly understands the distinction.
So when William responded to him, Brian was both anxious and excited. After a few minutes of waiting, William finally said, "Let's test your abilities with this USB project, buddy. Running a company is very different from protecting people or killing them. If you can show me your management skills, then cooperation isn't impossible."
Brian, suppressing his excitement, calmly said, "How about we name the company Devonshire Tech, Boss?"
Upon hearing this, William couldn't help but roll his eyes. This old guy, Brian, is indeed a seasoned veteran. Naming the company Devonshire Tech is not only flattering William but also using his name to boost the company's reputation.
However, giving Brian and his group 25% of the shares was exactly what William had in mind. William was confident that if he had demanded 90%, Brian and the others would have had no choice but to agree. Without him, this company wouldn't exist.
At first glance, it might seem like 25% is generous, but during the startup phase, if you don't give your subordinates a stake in the future, no one will work hard. William wasn't lacking in technology or capital, but he did need people he could trust. Moreover, this company wasn't his main focus, and he didn't plan to invest much time in it.
If the company grows and Brian's management ability isn't up to par, William plans to initiate a financing round. With his 75% controlling interest, he'll bring in more suitable management while diluting the shares of Brian's group.
"The initial capital for the new company is $100 million. Can the five of you contribute $25 million?"
"Heh, Boss, forget $25 million, we could easily put together $100 million," Brian grinned.
"Fk," William said, surprised. "I had no idea you guys were this loaded."
"Boss, Barney, Felix, and I, along with our teams, took your advice and set up a company in Switzerland. My team has five people, Barney's has six, and Felix, along with ten other operators, totals 22 people. Together, we have over $200 million. After setting aside $100 million for the ski resort you mentioned, we still have over $100 million available for investment. This time, I plan to partner with you through the Swiss company rather than just our small team."
"You're quite loyal," William said, somewhat impressed by Brian's words. Twenty-two people pooling $200 million was no small feat.
With all the money William had made in the stock market, his personal fortune had already exceeded $5 billion, and these 22 people only got a bit over $200 million combined.
That 2.5% cut isn't much, but William didn't feel guilty. If they thought it was too little, they could leave—there were plenty of people eager to join.
Still, after a brief moment, William shook his head. "Too many people would make things complicated down the line, and I don't want the traders at Swiss National Bank involved with my company. After all, they're still bank employees. Barney and his group are pure mercenaries; unless they're planning to retire, making them shareholders isn't beneficial to any of us. It might even be a worse decision for them. Let's keep the commando unit straightforward."
"Alright, then it's just Felix. Are you planning to make him the company's CEO?" Brian asked.
"It's too early to talk about that," William replied with a smile. "Let him invest some money and give him a small stake. If the company grows under your management, we can make Felix the CFO."
"Understood," Brian nodded.
"However," William added with a smile, "I want to make one thing clear: if your management skills can't keep up with the company's growth, I'll consider bringing someone else in to take over your role."
"Haha, don't worry, Boss. I wouldn't turn down money. If I can't manage the company well, I'll step aside willingly. After all, I'm a shareholder too," Brian said with a grin.
William nodded, satisfied. But he wasn't going to trust Brian solely based on his sweet talk. Everything would depend on results. If there were penalties for failure, then success should come with rewards.
"Good. For now, I'm placing my bet on you. If you can lead the company to an IPO, I'll personally give you 3% of the shares as a reward. In ten years, that 3% might be worth $300 million."
"God," Brian said, shaking his head. "Add that to my other shares, and I could become a billionaire!"
"No," William stared into Brian's eyes. "The moment you convinced me to start Devonshire Tech with you, you were already a billionaire. Brian, your team members will all become rich, but whether you can keep up with the company's growth is up to you. Who knows, maybe one day you can even dream of becoming a senator or the head of the department you used to work for."
William wagged his finger. "Anything is possible."
"Boss, that's impossible," Brian was nearly shocked by William's words. "If I ever became a senator, it would be a miracle. My past is my biggest stain. It's not happening."
"Who knows? Nine months ago, I was just a university student working night shifts for a few pounds to help my mom. And now?"
William's words made Brian laugh so hard that wrinkles crinkled his face.
"And half a year ago, you were a retired old man buying a hundred-dollar outdated speaker for your daughter's birthday because you couldn't afford anything better. And now?"
"You're richer than your ex-wife's husband, aren't you?"
"Haha, more or less," Brian said modestly.
Seeing the teasing look on William's face, Brian quickly remembered how William once encouraged him to win his ex-wife back, so he hurriedly changed the subject. "How about Sam and I head to China tomorrow to negotiate with that company?"
"Do as you please," William waved dismissively. "I only care about the results. Whenever you close the deal, that's when the new company will be established. When negotiating, you can use the promise of helping them file patents as a bargaining chip. If necessary, feel free to drop my name."
Alright, comrades, for the sake of these five chapters, please shower me with votes! Thank you!
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