I’m in Hollywood

Manhattan, AOL headquarters.

The equity transfer signing ceremony ended, and Steve Case finally breathed a sigh of relief.

With the completion of this equity transaction, the pressure that the Firefly system has brought to Steve Case for a long time has finally disappeared.

As long as the merger of AOL and Time Warner goes ahead smoothly, the 7.6% stake held by Firefly Investments will be compressed again. The new AOL-Time Warner Group will be completely a public-owned company. Without a large shareholder with sufficient shareholding and influence, the control of the new company will also be completely in the hands of the board of directors and management.

As the established chairman and CEO of the new company in the future, there is no doubt that Steve Case will be the powerful head of this upcoming comprehensive media giant.

Every time he thinks of this, Steve Case can't help but feel a little more complacent. He believes that as long as the merger is completed, AOL-Time Warner Group will definitely surpass Yahoo and become the leading Internet media giant in North America with the synergy effect of one plus one greater than two.

Waiting for the waiter to serve champagne to everyone, Steve Case took a glass of wine and walked to the heads of several Wall Street investment funds who helped him this time with a smile.

After negotiation, the stock transaction price of the equity transfer was finally determined at $93, which is only $0.69 lower than the average share price of AOL in the last week. AOL's stock has undergone a stock split. The current total share capital is 825 million shares. The number of shares held by the Clover Fund is about 25.57 million shares. According to the transaction price of 93 US dollars, the scale of the transaction reaches 2.378 billion. Ten thousand U.S. dollars.

Steve Case originally hoped that Eric could give a discount like the previous transactions, but Eric's attitude this time was very firm, only agreeing to erase a dispensable fraction, so that the profit scale is less than 1% of the stock price is basically equal to no concession at all.

Recently, with the Nasdaq index exceeding 2,800 points, Wall Street's concerns about the collapse of the Nasdaq have become more and more intense, and many investment institutions are trying their best to sell technology stocks to cash out. If it is not optimistic about the development potential after the merger of AOL and Time Warner, Wall Street will not make a move this time.

Eric was unwilling to budge, but Steve Case had no choice. After promising an additional board seat, several Wall Street investment funds finally agreed to take over the shares of Clover Fund.

The New York Times interview at the end of last year, coupled with the dispute over the transaction price, the good relationship that Steve Case and Eric had established since the Firefly system invested in AOL has completely dissipated. Although AOL and Yahoo still have some cooperation, it is conceivable that the relationship between the two parties will be more inclined to competition and confrontation in the future.

Therefore, at the simple reception after the signing ceremony, Steve Keyes didn't even bother to maintain his superficial harmony. While chatting and laughing with the heads of several Wall Street funds, he completely regarded the representatives of the Firefly System who participated in the signing ceremony as a passerby.

Eric can understand Steve Case's emotions quite well. If this kind of thing falls on him, he may not be able to maintain his demeanor.

However, since the other party regarded himself as a passerby, Eric was not bored enough to continue to stay, and quickly left with Chris and others.

Since selling AOL shares last year, Eric has decided to use all the cash he has cashed out in the next year or two to invest in short-term convertible bonds that are both valuable and insured. The funds obtained this time do not need to be discussed too much. . The Nasdaq market has fallen into a state of utter elusive madness,

Although Eric is full of confidence in the Nasdaq getting out of the previous curve, and tries his best to restrain from selling the stocks hoarded by the Clover Fund in advance, but at this time, he does not dare to enter the market to buy technology stocks again.

Today happens to be the last day of New York's autumn and winter fashion week. Gisele will be the finale of the calvin-klein brand's fashion week closing show tonight. Eric promised to join her.

However, the closing show started at 6 o'clock in the evening, and it was only after 2 o'clock in the afternoon. After Eric and Chris parted, they rushed to a building on 46th Street. The TV production company Cindy and Linda founded together is in in this building.

Seeing Eric appearing, the bright blonde at the front desk personally led him to the door of a conference room. Seeing that Eric had never said anything, he turned and left unwillingly.

Eric pushed open the door and found that Linda was not there, but another supermodel, Tyra Banks and Cindy, were sitting at the conference table and discussing something in a low voice. When they heard the movement, the two women turned their heads together, and suddenly revealed With a surprised expression, he got up and greeted him.

Eric gently hugged the two girls, and asked Tyra Banks with a smile, Tera, didn't you go to the show today?

No, Tyra Banks shook her head, but added as if pointing, We can't compete with today's young people.

Eric just smiled, sat down at the conference table, looked at the information on the table, and said, What are you discussing, and what about Linda?

Tara's talk show plan, Cindy sat down beside Eric, and said, Linda is outside, I just had a call to find her, didn't you see it?

Before Eric could shake his head, the conference room door was pushed open again, and Linda Evangelinsta, who was still holding the phone, walked in. Tyra Banks just sat down on the other side of Eric, and saw Linda walking directly to her position, so she had to let it go.

Before she could sit down, Linda started 'inquiring about sins': You bastard, you seduce girls from our company as soon as you come. I didn't even see me standing nearby. I've already fired her.

Eric said helplessly: Is it really good for you to be a boss like this?

Hum, Linda snorted twice, then changed her style in a blink of an eye, and said, Cindy and I have seen the preview of your Iron Man, although the beard is ugly, but Eric, You're really going to dye your hair dark, blond hair doesn't look mature at all.

Eric shook his head and said, I don't like dyeing my hair.

After chatting for a few words, Tyra Banks said goodbye in advance, and Linda eagerly found a laptop and showed Eric her electronic account: $168 million, I think this is It's been enough for my whole life. However, Cindy's is even more frightening, more than 280 million US dollars, I get angry when you think about it. When you pointed Cindy to invest, you didn't tell me, otherwise I must have more than her now. money.

During this time, following Eric's advice, both Cindy and Linda sold all the stocks they held, and the two women also became the rare supermodels in the fashion industry with a net worth of over 100 million.

Although the income of the top supermodels has increased significantly in recent years, even if the income that can be expected in the future is counted, very few can finally accumulate a net worth of over 100 million. Just this, Cindy and Linda will be able to solidify themselves in the long run. The status of the big sister in the fashion industry.

Very good, Eric smiled while looking at the laptop screen: Have you figured out what to do next?

Linda said: No, can you help us plan?

Eric thought about it seriously with one hand on his cheek, then shook his head and said with a smile: It's too little, I can't do anything, let's keep it as pocket money.

Hearing Eric's words, the excited Linda finally remembered the terrifying wealth of the man in front of her, she hugged Eric and shook her arm in dissatisfaction, and said, I have read the reports, many media It's no big deal to say that more than half of your assets are just a bunch of bubbles.

The new Forbes Rich List will be released next month. Eric really hopes that everyone will think so by then, and the pressure on him will definitely be relieved a lot.

After joking, Eric seriously helped the two women with investment consulting.

The combined funds are less than $500 million, which is really too little for Eric. Most of the firefly systems require Eric's personal attention, such as the ongoing '4200' plan, or projects that have already begun to be built. Firefly Studios Park is not something that a mere $500 million can support.

However, if it is not compared with the Firefly Group, this money is definitely a huge sum of money that cannot be ignored for most companies in the world.

While discussing carefully with the two girls, Eric's cell phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, but Eric didn't avoid it either. , nothing to do, I'm on Cindy's side... Of course, I'll definitely be there on time, and I'll bring Cindy and Linda to cheer for you at that time... Well, that's it, goodbye.

After Eric and Giselle finished talking, Linda just hung up the phone and said, I didn't promise to cheer for her.

Eric glanced at Linda's expression, then turned to look at Cindy: Did you quarrel with Giselle?

No, Cindy shook her head and said, However, you can't expect us to live in harmony with them, right?

You, they, Eric sharply caught two key words and smiled: It sounds like a story.

Cindy just smiled and said nothing.

Linda couldn't hide her words, but said, You don't know, your brazilian candy is amazing now. A few months ago, wm launched a newcomer, and the foundation is very good. It's just that wm designed her for her. The development route of Bundchen is exactly the same, they are all in a healthy and natural image style, and they also compared her with Bundchen in a magazine, and then the girl is unlucky.

Eric didn't understand something, what does wm mean?

Looking at Cindy, the girl picked up the pen very understandingly, and wrote two words in the blank of a document: women-management.

wm, women-management, women's management company.

It should be a model agency, but its scale and reputation cannot be compared with the giants in the modeling agency industry such as elite, img, and ford.

Linda caught a glimpse of Cindy's little gesture, and said, wm is women-management, which needs to be explained, Kate Moss's North American brokerage contract is in this company, but now Hailuo is out of fashion because of the beauty of the style, they I'm in a hurry to transform. Well, where did I just say?

Eric smiled and said, That girl is unlucky.

Yes, Linda nodded and said, wm originally arranged 15 shows for that girl during this New York Fashion Week. Guess how many shows she ended up going?

zero?

Linda tapped Eric's shoulder lightly, and then raised three fingers: Oh, 3 games, I heard that the girl collapsed immediately after knowing that her dior had been taken away at the beginning, it's so funny.

Eric looked at Linda's sad expression, but he didn't feel much in his heart.

In fact, he is a very short-sighted person. The fight between his own kitten and other people's family can't be biased towards outsiders, right?

Moreover, Eric has always liked women with strong personalities, and women who are too soft won't stay by his side for long. This is like riding a horse. The most powerful knight will naturally choose a fierce horse with a hot personality.

Reaching out and pinching Linda's chin, Eric smiled and said, Don't be so pitiful, haven't you ever bullied others?

No, Linda shook her head boldly, then pointed at Cindy again, and began to rebel against the revolution: She did this, thierry-mugler's fall show in 1991, she directly pushed other models on the runway. Got up and ruined the whole show. Hehe, I remember the thierry-mugler designer was crying.

Hearing Linda dig up her own dark history, Cindy looked indifferent and said, Everyone knows that Naomi Campbell picked it up first, and the scene was already chaotic when I walked on the runway. already.

Linda said: Then the fashion news the next day was all about Cindy Crawford pushing other models.

Cindy glanced at her proudly: This shows that I am the most famous, not comparable to any kitten or puppies.

The two women fought for a while, and Linda suddenly became interested again, holding Eric's arm and saying, By the way, I'm really going to cheer for your Brazilian honey tonight, ck also invites this time. After seeing that girl, it seems that I haven't heard the news that she has been squeezed out, and the scene will be very lively by then, and maybe there will be a fight.

Linda was gloating at her office on 42nd Street, in Bryant Park, in the tent where ck's closing show was about to be held, and the scene was already very lively.

Seeing Giselle hang up Eric Williams, Tom Corey, the ck operation director in charge of the show, looked sadly at the man who was sitting at the dressing table and letting the makeup artist touch up his makeup. The girl said: Giselle, it's just a very inconspicuous appearance, everyone won't notice her at all, and it's too late to adjust now, so you just think she doesn't exist, okay?

Giselle didn't give in at all, looked behind her through the vanity mirror, and said, She shouldn't exist in the first place, you decide for yourself, either I quit, Phil and Qusi also quit with me, or, You made her disappear, I don't want to see her backstage.

Tom Corey thought for a while and said, In this way, I will let her put on makeup elsewhere alone, and leave immediately after walking, and she will never appear in front of you.

Giselle waved her hand for the makeup artist to go away first, turned her head to look at Tom Corey, the girl was sitting, but she looked condescending, and said, Tom, this is the closing show, I really don't want to make trouble, However, Eric will come over tonight, you should understand what I mean, I don't want to see a Madou with a similar style to me on the runway, this matter is not discussed.