Hong Kong's new giants

But Lin Zuhui knew that Richman was just working for him.

The Rolls-Royce convoy crossed a bridge into Canary Wharf.

It is located in a peninsula-shaped plot in the Isle of Dogs area, surrounded by the Thames on three sides, with an area of ​​0.35 square kilometers (380 million square feet, equivalent to 1.6 Hong Kong Taikoo Shing).

Canary Wharf is part of the Docklands district of London and is located 5 kilometers east of downtown London. The Docklands area covers an area of ​​8.5 square kilometers; in the future, Doug Island will have most of the commercial buildings in the area, and Canary Wharf will be the de facto core of the Docklands business district.

At present, the Canary Wharf project has completed 8 high-rise buildings with an office area of ​​about 650 million square feet, less than half of which has been developed.

The motorcade came to a building and stopped, and Lin Zuhui got out of the car. This time, Liang Zhenxun, Gao Yi, and of course Lin Zuhui's personal consultant team and lawyer team were also accompanying him on the inspection.

Under the guidance of the staff, a group of people came to a huge meeting room, and there were already a lot of people in it.

Richman greeted him enthusiastically, and said with a smile: "Mr. Lin, welcome to Canary Wharf!"

Lin Zuhui shook his hand and responded enthusiastically: "In the past six months, every time I come to London, I will come to see it once, and I am no stranger at all!"

"Ha ha"

Then, Lin Zuhui greeted people from HSBC and Citibank, who are also the second investors of this project.

There are three tall buildings in Canary Wharf, which are also the three tallest buildings in the UK. They are: the 235.1-meter-high First Canada Square (also known as "Canary Wharf Tower"), and the 199.5-meter-high Eighth Canada Square. (also known as "HSBC Tower"), and the Citigroup Center.A large number of landmark commercial properties represented by three super high-rise buildings provide a strong appeal for the new district.

These two banks themselves are also the largest creditor banks of the collapsed Olympia York Company, and it is only logical that they now participate in the Canary Wharf project.

Also at the meeting was Clem, chairman of Transport for London, who is also now chairman of the project, while Richman is the actual manager.

The reason for this is that London does not want this project to be unfinished, which is related to the image of the government.This close connection also enables the development of Canary Wharf to keep pace with the development of London's urban transport from now on.

After everyone sat down, Richman started his speech, introducing the project in detail. Everyone listened carefully. After all, Richman was the chief planner of the project at the beginning. It can be said that without him, no matter who takes over, it will It's hard to convince people.

After the project introduction, Lichtman continued: "The London government decided to complete the extension of the Jubliee Line before the millennium, and open an important station in Canary, which will be incorporated into the existing Bay Area light rail system. This development plan It will activate the commercial value of this area."

Clem added: "If Canary Wharf is restructured, then we hope that the Canary Wharf Group will invest 24 million pounds in the next 5 years to develop the transport infrastructure in this area and provide guarantee for transport construction. "

A lot of investors are talking about it. Canary Wharf is only a part of this area, with an area of ​​only 0.35 square kilometers.

In the late 20s, a new phenomenon appeared in large British cities headed by London: large blank or semi-blank land characterized by abandoned industries or warehouse ruins Continue to develop.Most of this land is public or semi-public, and local municipalities planned to use it for housing or roads but were unable to do so because of financial cutbacks or public opposition.

In short, in the inner city of London, there is also a large amount of land that is not developed and is publicly owned.This makes Hong Kong, a city where every inch of land is expensive, how to think about it. Hong Kong does not lack funds, but it lacks land. Of course, the premise is private development.

Richman then said loudly: "The current restructuring of the Canary Wharf project requires a redemption fund of 15 billion pounds. Today we are going to discuss who is willing to be his investor. First of all, my good friend Mr. Lin Zuhui, Willing to invest 60% equity.”

For a moment, dozens of people in the conference room looked at Lin Zuhui, a little incredulous.

Clem immediately asked: "Then this project will be implemented in the future, will Mr. Lin Zuhui participate in it!" He was a little bit unsure about Lin Zuhui's ability to plan and build this project, thus destroying the overall layout of London.

Lin Zuhui immediately said: "I decided to invest in this project because of Mr. Richman's face, so I only believe that he has the ability to complete this project. Moreover, I have a proposal. When the time is right, we can put the canary The terminal will be listed to raise funds to continue investing in this area and contribute more to London’s business.”

Damn, that's a bit against my will.It should be said to continue to engage in real estate in London and make a lot of money.

(PS: In the previous life, this area included 37 high-end office buildings, 4 shopping centers, more than 400 retail stores and more than 300 restaurants, with a population of more than 15 employees in various industries. Among them, the office and retail area reached 140 million square meters, At present, 60 square meters of office buildings are being developed; there are also internationally renowned brands such as Four Seasons Hotel, Marriott Hotel, Fraser Palace Hotel and Ibis Hotel.)

When Clem and other government officials heard this, they immediately nodded and felt relieved.First of all, they are eager to restart the project, so as not to cause adverse effects on the government. Although Lin Zuhui holds a large share, he is only an investor after all, and Richman is still the person in charge of the project.

They also knew that the reason why Richman brought Lin Zuhui in to invest must be some benefit.

Citibank and HSBC have approved Lin Zuhui's investment and expressed their willingness to invest 15% of the equity each.Citibank supports Lin Zuhui's shareholding because Lin Zuhui is the second largest shareholder of Citibank, and the two parties have a deep cooperation; as for HSBC, which is the largest creditor bank of New Times Group, it naturally supports New Times Group and borrows from them.

Of course, the most important thing is that Richerman insisted on letting New Era Group invest the bulk of the investment, which puzzled many people and speculated that there must be some secret deal between the two parties.

The remaining 10% stake was subscribed by three American investment institutions and Richman himself.

After preliminary negotiations, everyone is ready to discuss in detail, the first is the redemption of 'Canary Wharf' details.As for the subsequent development, that is a matter of the future.

Chapter 489 [Chateau Latour]

The next day.

Witnessed by the media, Richman led a group of investors to redeem the unfinished 'Canary Wharf' project from major creditor banks at a price of 15 billion pounds.

Of course, what caught the media's attention the most was that Hong Kong-funded 'New Era Group' invested 60% of the equity in the entire project.

For a while, European and American journalists were in an uproar, and Chinese journalists were encouraged.

As the new richest man in the world, he was also chased by reporters for interviews.

"The Times": "Mr. Lin, this is the second time you bought a commercial real estate in London after you bought eight office buildings in Manhattan, New York. With the economic sluggishness in Europe and the United States, what made you make such a decision?"

Lin Zuhui: "I have an investment philosophy, that is - I am greedy when the market panics, and I panic when the market is greedy. Therefore, when the European and American economies have been declining for several years, I personally think that there will be a turnaround soon. The economy will bottom out. Of course, the Canary Wharf project is worth investing in at any time, and I have reason to believe that it will be another commercial CBD in London.”

The New York Post, which always prefers to dig holes, also asked questions.

"Mr. Lin invests heavily in European and American industries, is there any worry?"

"At present, investment in Europe and the United States only accounts for about 15% of our company, which is a reasonable arrangement."

He quickly declined to continue the interview and asked the reporter to interview Richman, the 'Canadian brat'.No matter where Lin Zuhui goes, he is the most popular with reporters. The most important factor is that he is too young, which makes people feel very legendary.And now, as a Chinese, he started from a very small city and became the richest man in the world. Naturally, he can be called a "legend among legends".

For this investment in the 'Canary Wharf' project, New Era Group needs to contribute 9 million pounds, approximately HK$105 billion.

With so much money, it is naturally impossible not to lend. HSBC and Citigroup have agreed to provide a total of 30 billion Hong Kong dollars in loans.

And Lin Zuhui planned to borrow 55 billion, so Liang Zhenxun asked Liang Zhenxun to go back to Hong Kong to talk to various banks for the remaining 25 billion. I believe it will not be a big problem.

What's more, New Era Group actually has a cash flow of nearly 40 billion Hong Kong dollars in its accounts, and it has just paid nearly [-] billion for the 'Diamond Mountain King' fee.

As a result, the debt of New Times Group has reached 210 billion Hong Kong dollars, which is not counted as bonds (convertible bonds will basically be converted into stocks in the end, so debts are not counted and no interest will be incurred).

The annual interest is only about 20 billion Hong Kong dollars, which is quite heartbreaking.

However, New Era Group's profit has soared this year. If the rental income of Fuli Real Estate is included, Lin Zuhui once again gave 150 billion Hong Kong dollars as an "overestimate".

As for the Canary Wharf project, it is impossible to get back a penny before the 21st century.

At present, eight office buildings (60 square meters) have been completed, and the occupancy rate is only 40%, and the price is relatively low.Even if there is any profit, it will be used to restart the project and support the government's infrastructure.

According to Lin Zuhui's idea, when the rent collection rate reaches 1999% in 99, it will be listed, and the funds raised will be used to repay debts and continue to invest.

Then, dividends can be distributed every year.Dividends are second, and Lin Zuhui can take advantage of the opportunity of listing, and then strengthen his control of this group (increase his shareholding).

The next step is to continue to develop Canary Wharf and surrounding projects.

Lin Zuhui's every move in London quickly spread to the world through the media here. He has just been promoted to the richest man in the world and is now also known as the largest investor in Canary Wharf. He immediately caused great repercussions around the world .

Many media have used exaggerated techniques like 'the world's richest man bought New York and London' to attract people's attention.

And the Hong Kong mainland is even more shocking to the public opinion, no less than dropping a depth bomb on the calm water surface, causing huge waves.

Of course, there are still rave reviews, and it is more of Chinese pride.

……

London, Division of the LEIT Group.

In the conference room, Lin Zuhui was having a meeting with some senior executives of the LEIT Group, including Chen Shiwen, CEO of LEIT Group, Ian, Vice President of LEIT Group, and Joseph, CEO of Harvey Knicks Department Store, and others.

The LEIT Group is now internationalized and has a large number of foreign designers and some foreign executives, because this is conducive to the internationalization of the company.

Of course, 90% of the LEIT Group's business is in Asia, which is the result of Lin Zuhui's insistence on developing in Asia.Maybe after the millennium, Lin Zuhui will let the fast-selling brand 'Jeanswest' open a flagship store on Fifth Avenue, not to make money, but to increase his social status and receive and release trends in the first place.

Lin Zuhui asked, "How is the situation of Harvey Department Store?"

Joseph reported earnestly: "The business is very satisfactory. Its current turnover ranks second among the three major boutique department stores in the UK, and its annual profit can reach 800 million pounds..."

It was purchased for 5200 million pounds, and it looks like it will pay back in 7 years, which is still very good.If bank interest is considered, it may take longer to pay back.

However, we must also consider that the European and American economies are booming, which will drive consumption levels to increase, and profits will also increase.

To achieve such impressive results, it is natural that this department store has changed its business strategy, otherwise it will be at a loss.

Lin Zuhui nodded and said: "The situation is very good, continue to optimize business, improve service, and strive to achieve better results."

"Okay, BOSS!"

It is not Lin Zuhui's style to expect normal profits to recover his investment.

Wait another three or four years, take advantage of the booming economies in Europe and the United States, list it, and then cash out the part is the right way.

In the 21st century, department stores will be fully replaced by shopping malls, which is inevitable.

Then, Lin Zuhui asked: "How is the acquisition of Chateau Latour going?"

Yes, Lin Zuhui is acquiring 93% of the shares of Chateau Latour from the British company 'United Leon Group'.

Château Latour is one of the five first-growth wineries in France.The listed wineries selected by France in 1855 are divided into five levels. Even the fifth-level wineries are also national treasures of France. They are regarded as French culture and are rarely sold to foreigners.

There are only 65 wineries that can be selected as classified wineries, and there are 7000 red wine estates in the entire Bordeaux region of France, which shows the rarity of listed wineries.

So how did Château Latour come into the hands of the British?

In 1962, the British Pearson Group acquired a 53% stake in Latour and became the largest shareholder of the family winery.In addition, the British Harvey Group also acquired a 25% stake.At that time, it caused a huge sensation in France, and even the media and the public described the seller as a 'traitor'.

Shortly thereafter, the Harvey Group was acquired by the Unilion Group. In 1989, the United Leon Group made persistent efforts to acquire the shares of Latour owned by the British Pearson Group, and occupied the Chateau Latour with an absolute advantage of 93%, while the descendants of Siegel (French family) only had 7% left. equity.

In 1989, the United Leon Group acquired the shares of Pearson Group at a sky-high price of US$2 million in the "Latour Total Price". Each vine is worth 1400 francs, making it the most expensive winery in the world and a well-deserved national treasure winery in France.

After buying Chateau Latour, the European and American economies are sluggish. Red wine is a luxury, and Bordeaux winery is an industry with a very low rate of return. Very thorny.

Historically, probably this year, the United Leon Group sold Latour to François Pinault, the founder of the French luxury goods giant Kering Group, for only 1.25 million US dollars, and it was also considered to be its owner.

In fact, Chateau Latour was owned by the British hundreds of years ago, because the area where it was located was a buffer zone for the Anglo-French war.

Ian, vice president of the LEIT Group, said: "We offered a price of 1.25 million US dollars, and the United Leon Group was a little hesitant, probably worried about offending the French. But it can be seen that they are very willing to sell."

Got it, I despise less money!

Lin Zuhui nodded and said, "Make an appointment with their CEO for me, I want to talk to them personally!"

Ian immediately said: "Okay, I will arrange it right away!"

At this time, Chen Shiwen became worried. He knew the boss's style, that is to achieve the goal, and generally he would not care whether the purchase was expensive or not.

Therefore, Chen Shiwen reminded: "Boss, 1.25 million US dollars is already a great pressure on the company's finances. Although our profit exceeded 1.25 million US dollars last year, we have been buying stores and expanding our business, so the funds are not abundant. It is half Prices are under pressure."

Lin Zuhui smiled and said: "Chateau Latour, I plan to let Harvey Department Store cooperate with me to buy it personally. Ian, you still need to continue to search for suitable wineries in the Bordeaux area, preferably classified wineries, large wineries It can also be considered."

Everyone was taken aback, but quickly realized that their boss was the richest man in the world, so buying a winery was nothing; as for the so-called cooperation, it was just a cover. Harvey Department Store didn't have a high shareholding, but it could be at the front.

"Ok."

United Leone Group, formerly a large state-owned group of the London government, mainly produces related military equipment for the London military and the defense of European countries.With the constant changes in the economic and political situation and the infiltration of capital from various countries, its system and business operations have also changed accordingly.In the 90s, with the approval of the London government, it officially changed its name to the British Leon International Investment Group. Now, except for a small number of product production controlled by the government, most of its business is aimed at industrial investment and related securities industries in the global field.

Chateau Latour is undoubtedly a loss-making business for the United Leon Group.

……

United Leon Group, London headquarters.

President Lahm met with the Wertheimer brothers behind Chanel (Chanel). He couldn't help but sigh that the French would really pick an opportunity. At this time, they came to ask about the sale of Chateau Latour, no doubt they wanted to take advantage of the low price.

Unilion did want to sell the asset, which would result in substantial losses, but could cost even more if it was not sold in time.

Ram said: "To tell the truth, Mr. Wertheimer, the British high-end department store 'Harvey' is also negotiating with us. They offered 1.25 million US dollars, but we did not agree. Do you know why?"

Gerard Wertheimer said: "Why?"

Ram thought he took good care of the feelings of the French brothers, so he said proudly: "Because the owner of this department store is already a Chinese, and Chateau Latour is a first-class red wine estate in France, it should not be reduced to Therefore, we also attach great importance to the relationship between the two countries." After speaking, he looked at the Wertheimer brothers, hoping to hear words of thanks.

It's a pity that the Wertheimer brothers are businessmen, and they can see in each other's eyes that they don't believe Lahm's words.

They believed that the reason why Ram said this was nothing more than to let the brothers pay a higher price and kill them both.

Therefore, Gerald Wertheimer said: "Really? We still think that 1.25 million US dollars is too expensive. Mr. Ram should know that the European and American economies have been sluggish for many years, and the sales of Chateau Latour are not optimistic. It's still going up...so, we're looking at $1.15 million for acquisitions."

Ram was dumbfounded, and couldn't help cursing in his heart, the French deserved to lose Chateau Latour.

"Since this is the case, it is impossible to conclude this deal for the time being. If you two figure it out, let's talk again!"

"If the price is right, we can close the deal at any time."

"please!"

Ram wished he could drive the Wertheimer brothers out, he was so ignorant!

After a while, Ram's assistant came in and said, "President Ram, the owner of Harvey Department Store and the richest man in the world, Mr. Lin Zuhui, would like to meet with you to discuss matters concerning Chateau Latour."

Ram was taken aback. He actually wanted to continue selling the Latour Hotel to the French. Of course, the price must be 1.25 million US dollars. Although this price is a lot of losses, it is at least reasonable for now.

As for the sale to 'Harvey Department Store', Ram was still very worried about causing protests from the French, so he did not agree.

However, Lin Zuhui is the richest man in the world, and he has just invested another 9 million pounds in London, and he is in the limelight; therefore, he agreed to meet no matter what.

"Arrange your time, I'm free anytime."

"Ok"