I’m in Hollywood

It's still a difference in the company's development philosophy, Eric replied. I hope AOL can stick to its corporate positioning as an Internet service provider, but Steve wants AOL to become a comprehensive Internet media company.

As far as I know, Judith Miller looked down at the notepad and said, At the beginning, as the largest shareholder of AOL, Firefly Investment held 32.6% of aol's shares, and all of them had votes. Firefly has enough strength to oust Steve Case, why didn’t you insist on doing so, just because you were threatened with resignation from Steve Case and the core management of aol?”

Eric nodded and said, Basically.

So, Judith Miller looked at Eric, and the question became bitter again: Don't you think you've been too weak in handling this?

Eric shook his head in a flat tone and said, This has nothing to do with toughness or weakness. It is the stupidest thing to be emotional in the business process. I think I have made the most beneficial choice for myself. Get 30% of AOL, and six years later, just sell 25% of it, and we get back $10 billion. A 200-fold return, even on an investment in Yahoo, is nowhere near that.”

Even after paying attention to the whole process of Firefly's investment transfer of AOL shares, Judith Miller still had an amazing feeling when he heard this data comparison from Eric's mouth.

However, this emotion did not affect the next question, she glanced at the watch without a trace, and she quickly said: Mr. Williams, AOL has entered the Internet media industry with the advantages of the largest Internet service provider in North America. Are you concerned that this will threaten Yahoo's market position?

Eric shook his head and said, Actually, I'm more worried about AOL.

This answer was obviously far beyond Judith Miller's expectations. She was stunned for a while before asking, Why?

Although he has cashed out 10 billion US dollars, he still holds a large number of AOL shares in his hands. Eric can't analyze the reasons too thoroughly and affect AOL's stock price. Field. My personal investment philosophy is to let the right people do the right things, and a series of fast-growing companies under Firefly Investments over the years have also proved the correctness of my insistence.”

Compared with Eric's answers to a series of questions just now, Judith Miller keenly felt Eric's reservations about this question, she asked: So, you are not optimistic about the future of AOL?

Eric shook his head lightly: It doesn't matter whether you like it or not, because I can't see the future of AOL.

Does this mean that Firefly will continue to reduce its 7.6% AOL stock in the future?

Eric hesitated for a moment and said: In order to have unnecessary disputes in the future, I must clarify that the current shareholding ratio of the entire Firefly system in AOL should be 10.7%. In addition to Firefly's investment, we have a year ago. , and successively absorbed another 3.1% of AOL shares through the Clover Fund under Firefly Group. However, according to the federal securities law, the shareholding ratio is less than 5%, and relevant shareholders do not need to disclose the amount of shares held by their opponents. Report. Our purpose in doing this was to strengthen the control of AOL at the right time. Of course, it is no longer necessary. Finally, my answer to your question just now is yes. However, the Firefly system Not in the short term.”

Judith Miller recalled the data she had seen, with a clear expression of surprise on her face, and she believed that AOL would be even more surprised after this interview was released.

According to the shareholding ratio of 7.6%, Firefly should have been the seventh largest shareholder of AOL.

Moreover, in the process of the last equity transfer transaction, other AOL shareholders will definitely impose various restrictions on the remaining 7.6% of Firefly Investments. Firefly Investments giving up the seat on the AOL board of directors is probably one of the relevant dark market conditions. one.

But if you count the other 3.1% free holdings that are completely unconstrained by AOL, the entire Firefly system will not only become one of the top five shareholders of AOL again. Moreover, the Firefly system still has enough strength to intervene in the management of AOL at any time as long as it is willing.

After digesting the information just received, Judith Miller quickly said: Mr. Williams, according to your statement, can I think that you are still very optimistic about the Internet service provider business?

Of course, this is the cornerstone of the development of the entire Internet industry. When people use the Internet, they may be interested in portals, e-commerce, or instant messaging, but the first thing they have to do is to have to Connect to the Internet first.

MSn, which is owned by Microsoft, has already begun to expand its business in this area. So, does Yahoo have the same plan in the future?

This goes back to my investment philosophy just now. I won't let Ian and the others do things that they are not good at. Yahoo will always focus on the Internet media business. Of course, at the right time, Firefly Investment will do this, just It's like taking a stake in AOL.

Judith Miller pressed: When do you say the right time?

Eric shook his head solemnly: We have no plans for this for the time being, because this time, we will be more cautious.

Judith Miller did not see any flaws in Eric's expression, so he turned the topic to Yahoo itself: Mr. Williams, Yahoo is currently involved in almost all the Internet business models that have appeared, portal websites, instant messaging , email, search engine, social blog, etc., which business are you most optimistic about?”

Eric's expression became more serious and his tone was firm, and said: Of course it is a portal website. When a user accesses the Internet, it is just like building a road to this virtual world, but if you want to enjoy the online space, you cannot do without it. The help of the portal website. Moreover, in my opinion, e-mail, search engine, social blog and a series of network services are only supplements and continuations of the portal website, they are actually one.”

Judith Miller nodded slightly, but immediately added: However, Mr. Williams, it is not difficult for us to find that the operating model of the portal website is very easy to replicate. What do you think of this issue?

With a confident smile on his face, Eric said, A lot of good engineers have the ability to assemble a propeller plane in their garage, but there is only one Boeing group in the Commonwealth.

Judith Miller clearly agreed with this simple but convincing analogy. She glanced at her watch again and realized that she was running out of time, so she glanced at the notepad in her hand and began to speed up her questions. .

In the smooth answer, the study door was suddenly knocked a few times, Mayer pushed open the door, and said softly: Mr. Williams, it's almost time.

After that night in London, the female assistant began to go the iceberg girl route, and Eric had always wondered if a group of goblins had done anything that night that made Mayer doubt his life, but he didn't ask much.

Hearing the reminder, Eric got up and stretched out his hand to Judith Miller: Then, Ms. Miller, it's nice to see you again.

Although he was a little unfulfilled, Judith Miller had to stand up and shake hands with Eric, and said, Me too, Mr. Williams, I look forward to our next chance to meet.

...

Throughout the weekend, major media in North America and abroad were crazy about Yahoo's ipo miracle, and heated discussions about Yahoo's stock price next week. Almost all media believe that after the peak of the first day, Yahoo's stock price will fall by a large margin in the new week.

Although Yahoo's management has done a lot of work over the weekend and two days, and even announced some good news in advance that has not been fully implemented. However, even within the Firefly system, they are psychologically prepared for a drop in Yahoo's stock price in the new week.

However, on the new Monday, when some stock managers who have not had time to pay attention to the media trends of the new week are sitting in front of their computers, anxiously considering whether to sell their Yahoo stock and other technology stocks next, at 9:30 Very much, when the stock market opened, Yahoo's stock trend did not appear to be in a downturn as they imagined, but began to rise strangely.

In just ten minutes, Yahoo's stock rose more than 3% to $74.73 relative to Friday's closing price of $72.56.

It is not difficult to imagine that if this rate of increase continues, in just one day, Yahoo's market value is likely to exceed $100 billion.

After sitting in front of the computer for a while, these stockbrokers who were kept in the dark came to their senses and began to frantically search for what happened?

So when they turn on the TV, or log on to the portal, they find that the screen is full of discussions around a name that everyone is all too familiar with.

Two economists on cnn are arguing over Eric Williams' optimism about the dotcom bubble.

Commentary on whether the federal government should continue to deregulate new media hangs high on the front page of the Yahoo portal.

ABC TV's morning news broadcasts a special broadcast discussing the globalization of the Internet.

AOL CEO Steve Case frantically rebutted Eric Williams' remarks about AOL in a New York Times interview in a phone interview.

A federal Justice Department spokesman was exhausted by media quoting Eric Williams on whether the Justice Department was being too hard on Microsoft.

And, most importantly.

Eric Williams said in a New York Times interview that in just a few hours he was quoted countless times by the media: In a huge market with a 1 billion top-quality user base , what else is impossible?

In a short sentence, countless investors who were already full of worries and doubts about Internet technology stocks once again boosted their confidence.

Since the rapid development of human society, almost all traditional industries have formed a very stable industrial structure, and countless remaining wealth of the whole society are always looking for new investment hotspots.

At this time, a young man who has created a series of miracles of wealth suddenly stood up and told everyone loudly that a huge market with a billion or even billions of consumer groups that needs to be developed is just around the corner. How can we not let this happen? Countless capital is boiling with enthusiasm.

The Nasdaq gained another 35 percent throughout Monday, fueled by The New York Times' personal interview with Eric Williams and the ensuing media storm.

However, in the following days, the media discussions surrounding Eric's personal interview showed no signs of cooling down.

The Internet bubble, federal regulation of new technology companies, Microsoft, America Online, the future of portals, and a series of topics that Eric mentioned in his interview have all become the focus of intense debate among various media.

Even in the end, every paragraph and every sentence of Eric's interview has become a tangled target for many people.

Although I am very dissatisfied with Eric's comment about 'Bill's arrogant guy' and the behavior of the New York Times to actually publish this sentence, it has been in the shadow of the federal Justice Department's antitrust investigation for several years. Microsoft, however, decisively quoted Eric's point of view in the interview and launched a counterattack, claiming that the federal government is strangling a 'new global corporate giant' and harming the 'fundamental interests' of the federal government.

In the face of Microsoft's accusations and the media criticism driven by this trend, Attorney General Janet Reynolds had to press conferences as usual to explain in detail the specific reasons why the Justice Department launched an antitrust investigation of Microsoft. At the same time, Janet Reynolds also used her own way to do her own thing. Based on Eric's remarks in the interview, she asked Microsoft to abandon the extremely selfish and closed market strategy and make more openings that are conducive to the healthy development of the entire industry. action.

Still haunted by the impeachment case, Clinton, when asked about the New York Times interview at that week's White House press briefing, made a series of poignant comments, summed up as 'Eric is right. , Microsoft is doing wrong, the White House will unswervingly support the new technology industry', Barabara.

At the same time, when Yahoo's stock price officially reached US$79.68 on the third trading day of Thanksgiving Week, and its market value broke through the 100 billion mark, AOL's management and major shareholders were saying to Eric 'I can't see AOL's future' And the chickens fly.

Although AOL's stock price did not fall sharply again, in the face of continuous fluctuations in AOL's stock price, John Mark, who holds a large number of AOL stocks, had to call Eric himself, hoping that he would personally speak for AOL. After all, Firefly System also holds a 10.7% stake in AOL. AOL's stock price falls, and Firefly's system will also suffer heavy losses.

Overseas, as reminded by Eric's exclusive interview article, the media in many European and Asian countries also began to follow up, calling on the government to strengthen support for new technology companies in their countries and limit the invasion of North American Internet giants.

Under the turbulence, the matter developed to the end, and every paragraph and every sentence of Eric's interview became the tangled target of many people.

I don’t know if it was because of someone’s entrustment, Intel’s newly appointed CEO and CEO Craig Barrett specifically said in an interview with CNN that the gate classmates are very approachable in private, have a hearty personality, like to joke, absolutely Not the cocky guy that Eric Williams claims.

However, it's good that Craig Barrett doesn't explain, but this explanation has the opposite effect. I don't know why, 'Arrogant Bill' quickly became a lot of media's ridicule for Damen classmates. This nickname eventually accompanied Damen classmates for many years and did not completely dissipate.

In addition, several major airlines in North America do not know why they are also involved.

In an interview, the president of Lockheed Martin said very resentfully: The Federation not only has Boeing, but also Lockheed Martin.

A helicopter company that was overlooked in the corner also showed its presence weakly: Eric Williams' favorite VH-60 helicopter was built by us.

Over the years, although the accumulation of wealth has become larger and larger, Eric has become more and more low-key to the public.

Most people's personal impressions of Eric are big directors, super rich and lace news, but not many people have a deep and intuitive impression of Eric's wealth and power.

But in just one week, with the wave of world-class media discussion caused by Eric Williams' exclusive interview with the New York Times, countless people finally realized that Eric personally had accumulated unknowingly. What a terrifying influence.

This young man who reached the top of the world's wealth at the age of only 28 is like a giant dragon who is used to keeping calm. However, when the other party casually flaps his wings, the whole world begins to turmoil.