Chapter 295: Chapter 295: Billionaire Bill Gates
"Filson, heard anything from Boeing yet?"
"Probably not much. The big boss isn't in the mood to switch planes right now."
"Ugh. Nothing is reliable these days. Has my plane been serviced?"
"All checked. The people over there seem to be cutting corners on repairs."
"Nonsense! They're just pinning the blame on Boeing. What company would skimp on costs for a plane that can carry 488 passengers?"
"True. At a 70% capacity, airlines make money. They won't care about small parts costs. The maintenance manager is a bit of a scapegoat here."
"Ugh, these folks are unreasonable. If no one with clout steps up and takes the fall, it seems there's no solving the problem. If all goes as expected, it'll be another scapegoat."
...
The start of this year has clearly been rough for Americans. The launch at the beginning of the year was supposed to showcase their power, but instead, it ended in disaster.
As for the Russians, they didn't seem fazed; their accidents numbered beyond count.
Accidents?
Thinking about those Russian incidents, William White felt his hair stand on end. It seemed like this year, their nuclear power plant went haywire -- much worse than any shuttle accident.
William White's plane orders still made Boeing quite happy. Losing a 747-200 had indeed raised doubts among many clients.
While others had doubts, William White didn't. As far as he remembered, only one 747 had gone down; the quality was generally very reliable.
After all, four engines are better than two. In extreme cases, as long as one engine worked, the plane could still come back.
...
"William, are you trying to pull one over on the boss?" Bush Jr. joked with a smirk.
"Pfft, who's got the time for that? Just a coincidence. Honestly, I've never thought the other plane had maintenance issues."
"You can't be that scared, right?"
"Come on, the planes are the same model. You tell me how I'm not concerned. My yacht hasn't been built yet, or else I'd be taking a boat everywhere."
Bush Jr. felt speechless; he could tell William White was genuinely worried. For a standard cowboy, a little teasing was a must.
As for William White's claim about quality issues, Bush Jr. was at a loss for a counterargument. It's common knowledge that you can't pinpoint an accident's cause that quickly. Are you some sort of psychic?
...
"Ha, the kid's got a point. Maintenance was indeed lacking, and they didn't have the guts to cover it up."
"Is that so?" Bush Jr. seemed doubtful of his father's words.
"You have to understand, discovering a hidden danger is one thing; it may just cost money. If it's a deliberate cover-up, that's a whole different ball game. Not only could there be jail time, but you might go bankrupt. Who's that foolish?"
Bush Sr.'s point had merit. The law worked that way; if it was an accident, there was nothing to discuss -- fix it. But if it's a willful cover-up, congratulations; you'd definitely face fines that'd make you question your life.
With such laws in place, U.S. companies often confess errors readily. After all, mistakes can be forgiven.
...
Microsoft went public. As a major investor, William White's shares were diluted and now only accounted for around 4%. Meanwhile, Bill Gates, with a 45% stake, easily controlled the situation. Naturally, William was not pleased with this state of affairs; he wished he could have around 10% of the shares.
However, Bill was quite cunning and had no intention of reducing his own stake. He knew very well that if he wanted to acquire William White's office software, he would have to use his stock for the trade.
After Jobs, Silicon Valley continued to thrive on wealth myths. Bill Gates was held up as the standard. As for Jobs, well, the market tended to forget the losers.
Bill didn't particularly care for the billionaire label. His background was different from Jobs'; although he was proud of his current achievements, he was far from satisfied.
The truth was clear: that bastard William White spent $250 million on just one plane, and those accomplishments of his were nothing to brag about.
Bill Gates's real target was never Jobs; it was William White that he chased after. Even if he couldn't match White's fortune, he had to surpass his software company.
As for completely surpassing him, that was not part of his plans. The Forbes list made it clear: William White's wealth exceeded that of the Walton family by more than ten times.
In fact, since the inception of that list, the first position was never in doubt. The public believed that for a certain duration, this guy's spot was solid.
As for the second position, there was plenty of intrigue; the Walton family was merely leading temporarily.
For all the criticism, William White didn't take it to heart. He didn't really consider himself the world's richest man.
The so-called Forbes list was really a sunshine wealth ranking. It had a unique feature: its data sources were all public information. Otherwise, that Ferdinand Marcos guy would've certainly overshadowed the Walton family.
...
"Bill, congratulations on becoming a billionaire."
"What's there to congratulate? What, no one congratulated you?"
"I was born one, so it kinda takes away from the fun."
Well, someone was feeling mischievous again and planned to tease this relatively new billionaire.
"Go on, William; when someone else congratulates me, I feel a bit proud. But when it's you, it feels like a mockery."
"Do you really have to be so harsh? Bill, when are you planning to increase your capital? I won't agree to any more dilution this time."
"I know the company isn't short on funds right now; your shareholding won't go down anymore. But aren't you worried about the Justice Department coming after you again?"
"Worried? All those shares are in a charitable foundation; I don't need a board seat."
"True, I get it now."
"Good, then it's a deal."
This guy was downright clever; William had to be wary. If his shares were diluted again, there'd be no future gains to speak of.
Bill Gates had 45%, while his best friend held 25%. Given that these two wouldn't reduce their stakes, it hardly counted as a public company.
*****
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