[Chapter 214: Make the Most of Every Opportunity]
After hearing the guest list for that party, Ian had a clearer understanding. It likely had something to do with Pixar Animation Studios.
Earlier this year, Ian had negotiated many deals with various companies, most of which closed successfully, even securing rights to Pirates of the Caribbean. The only deal that hadn't gone through was with Pixar, which meant the money originally set aside for buying Pixar was instead used for expansions with Lino Bank.
Steve Jobs had initially accepted Ian's offer, but the renewed success of Monsters, Inc. made Jobs think Pixar could demand a higher price. Especially with Finding Nemo, a film Jobs was highly optimistic about, set to release the following year.
Disney probably shared that optimism. Simply put, Disney might have wanted to swoop in. No company cared more about animation films than Disney. For them, box office revenue was secondary to merchandising, which brought massive profits.
For example, Cars only earned about $200 million at the box office but generated over a billion dollars from merchandise -- and the profits from merchandise far exceeded those from ticket sales. Box office earnings only accounted for about a third of the total, while merchandise profit margins could reach over 60%, lasting much longer.
So, Cars might not rank high in Disney's box office records, but they could release sequels one after another. Some animation films might earn seven or eight hundred million, but if the merchandise sales were poor, there wouldn't be a sequel.
Finding Nemo was similarly valuable for extensive merchandise development, so Disney definitely wouldn't want to miss out. But Steve Jobs wouldn't agree easily because Ian's offer -- a permanent holding of 15% equity -- was too tempting.
No one understood Jobs' attachment to Apple. To reclaim his throne, he had promised a lot -- including paying minimal fees and offering shares, even selling Pixar. Under these circumstances, Jobs kept his cards close to his chest and wasn't in a hurry to reach a deal with Ian. Meanwhile, Ian was busy with various news reports, acquisitions, and fulfilling commitments, so he didn't have time to focus on this either.
When Ivanka brought this up, Ian understood. Either his return to Hollywood had rattled the big players, or it was the Pixar issue... With so many people involved, it was probably a tangled web of interests.
That's why the Jewish financier arranged for Natalie Portman to approach him as a corporate spy. That explained why Natalie had used Ivanka to hint at something. The problem was, Ian was alert and saw through it immediately -- he wasn't falling for that trap.
Ha, Pixar... Ian wasn't that invested in Pixar anyway. After all, with the money to buy Pixar, he could just buy more Apple shares, which was even sweeter.
But Ian followed a principle of shared interests, avoiding one company or person taking too much. Plus, he needed a reason to target Apple -- directly buying large amounts on the stock market could alarm Apple's executives and trigger defensive measures that would spike the acquisition price.
Especially since Steve Jobs cared deeply about Apple! Ian Carr wasn't from the film circle; his ultimate goal in buying Pixar was resale. Even with Apple, he wouldn't wait until it reached a $3 trillion valuation to sell -- $1 trillion would be enough. From a ratio standpoint, $1 trillion to $3 trillion was only a threefold increase, but from $50 billion to $1 trillion was a two-hundredfold leap!
And Apple's growth from $50 billion to $1 trillion took just a few years, much faster than $1 trillion to $3 trillion. So as long as there were excellent investment targets available, Ian wouldn't wait for the peak.
Knowing that Natalie Portman "wanted to get close" to him, Ian realized it wouldn't be long before a beautiful woman would come knocking.
Natalie Portman was notorious for being manipulative -- she had even stolen scripts and roles from her close friends. But who cared? Ian only wanted her body; her inner self didn't matter.
Ivanka's heart wasn't clean either -- just that Ian had trained her to be loyal. Even so, she was completely devoted to Ian but not necessarily kind to others.
Compared to simply taking Natalie Portman, Ian was more interested in how to leverage this opportunity.
---
That afternoon, Ian met with Gaskill and Lena to discuss the situation. When Lena heard Natalie Portman was going to make a move, her eyes nearly popped out.
"Damn Ian! Don't you have enough women already? I have to wait days just to get a date with you! You say I'm the one you love most!"
Thankfully, Ian explained promptly, "I don't like her, and while I can't guarantee I won't see her, she definitely won't be my lover. She's like a company with hidden value -- after acquisition, it gets stripped and sold off, not held long-term."
Though a harsh metaphor, it comforted Lena -- she wouldn't care who Ian slept with, but she must be his greatest love, after all, she was the mother of his eldest son!
Gaskill chuckled, "I can't advise you on how to use this woman until you engage with her. But regarding Afghanistan, I already have a plan."
Ian's eyes lit up. Recently, he had done several deals in Afghanistan -- not huge, but his most profitable so far. He desperately needed more funds to relieve his "cash hunger".
Without wasting time, Gaskill handed him a copy of The Wall Street Journal. The front page featured Bernard Madoff's grinning face as a headline.
Reading carefully: "Madoff Investment Securities Company yields impressive returns, once again proving his sharp vision."
"Huh?" Ian looked at Gaskill, stunned. "Madoff?"
Gaskill nodded, "Yes, I think we can use Madoff."
Unlike the Madoff of the previous timeline, this version not only managed financial markets but also made investments. These investments weren't really for profit but to bolster his reputation as an investment guru like Buffett, encouraging more people to lend him money -- otherwise, how could he offer 20% returns?
Over the past year, Ian had sent people to investigate Madoff, even doing some digging himself. Though cautious, Madoff maintained some private connections with companies he invested in. For example, those companies had to show high yields during his investment period so Madoff could showcase his skill and sell at high prices if needed.
Profitability wasn't the point -- the company had to appear profitable, and Madoff might even secretly subsidize the profits.
"How do we use him?" Ian asked.
Gaskill said, "Get him to invest in Redstone."
Redstone was a company Ian had set up through the Crips Gang to trade arms and drugs with Afghanistan. Gaskill's idea was if Madoff invested in Redstone, then when Madoff eventually blew up, Redstone would conveniently declare bankruptcy and default.
Usually, a bankruptcy requires liquidation and asset assessment; you can't just say bankrupt and pay nothing. But if the creditors are in jail, collecting debts becomes impossible!
Thinking this through, Ian laughed. This scheme would grab money from both Afghanistan and Madoff -- a brilliant plan!
He looked at Gaskill, "The question is, how do we convince him to agree?"
*****
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