章 296: Chapter 296: Scattered Investments
The troubles with the space shuttle had ended, and the stocks of related companies took a hit. Forget about compensation; the real issue was the launch delays.
It was the Cold War era; the two superpowers were practically in a race to launch spacecraft. The so-called space debris was mostly a product of this time.
The Soviets had just accomplished the remarkable feat of a space crew exchange, while the Americans' shuttle crashed. To the Soviets, their Star Wars program suddenly seemed plausible.
...
The term "wealth effect" was being widely thrown around. In Silicon Valley, no one cared how many unfortunate souls fell by the wayside; they were simply witnessing one miracle after another.
Seeing such opportunities, Wall Street finally shed its reserve. They found that the engineers here were quite tough and completely indifferent to their threats.
"Dude, you actually dared to ask for a million for a project? Have you lost your mind?"
"What about fixed assets?"
"None!"
"What about patent technology?"
"Doesn't exist."
The issue was that people were really investing. Wall Street elites were in a tailspin; their professors hadn't taught them this kind of stuff. They thought the odds were worse than gambling.
They didn't know how to play, but a bunch of venture capital firms sure did. Companies led by William White were thriving in Silicon Valley.
"Why invest in your company?"
"Simple. The boss saw your resume and thought you looked good, so we invested."
Leonard Bossack was at a loss for words; the little company he and his wife owned had easily snagged a cool million in venture capital.
"Are you sure Mr. White knows about me?"
"Yes, I'm sure. The boss really likes your theory."
"Okay, I agree. I hope the richest man won't regret it."
Regret? William White would wake up laughing from that. Although this company wouldn't explode until the 1990s, investing heavily now was just right.
...
"Sir, that kind of investment feels like gambling; we really don't know how to judge."
"What about William White?"
A subordinate sighed and said, "That guy has invested in over a hundred companies already."
"And how much did he invest?"
"The amounts aren't large, usually around a million or so. There are already over ten companies that couldn't hold on. That fake IBM from a few years back has already shut down."
"Ha, if they all succeeded, wouldn't he be a fortune-teller?"
...
William White wasn't sick; how could he be so foolish? If every investment he made succeeded, he'd be a monster. It's hard to believe anyone wouldn't be interested in studying him.
That so-called IBM was just a way for him to swindle people. So what if he knew the next big gamble? The guy just wanted to buy small.
William White's investments actually hid many of his own companies.
In fact, such blatant actions made countless Wall Street tycoons look down on him. How could the companies he split off even be compared to those smaller firms? Did he think he was fooling the Department of Justice?
"Sir, how much does he fear the Department of Justice?"
"Ha! Isn't this normal? What we can resolve with cross-holding, for him, turns into a huge problem. By the way, hasn't the issue with that game company been resolved yet?"
"William White lost a round, but he doesn't seem to care that much."
"What does he care about? When the Department of Justice wins, it might mean the game market completely collapses."
"Sir, he can't really release that many games at once, can he?"
"Ha! He definitely will. Sigh, he's just a madman."
William White was openly playing the game, making it clear what he was doing. Faced with such a deadlock, the Department of Justice had to bite the bullet and move forward.
The game market was in total chaos. These American gaming companies could never obtain any rights.
If you had a game they were interested in, it was either a direct takeover or pressure to register overseas. Such outrageous behavior had never occurred under White's umbrella.
As for his moves in Europe?
He even came up with a support plan.
As a result, American companies were in serious trouble. They never thought they would face discrimination in their own country.
Any complaints?
Feel free to report them; the guy is still in litigation, and the Department of Justice needs your help. May God bless you.
Edwin Meese was in pain -- his ideals seemed impossible to achieve.
Rules?
Ha! William White knew how to use the rules to his advantage.
...
Sitting in the White House, the big boss wasn't in the best of moods. I need jobs, and you're pushing American companies out. Fine, even if you could create some jobs, it didn't look like that was happening.
"What did you say? Lay off two thousand first? Isn't the Department of Justice's conclusion pending?"
"Sir, I'm afraid the conclusion won't change. William White will definitely lose; it's just a matter of time."
"You mean, this is just the beginning."
"Afraid so. We expect their layoffs could exceed five thousand."
"Is there any chance to ease this?"
"No chance. William White's company is fragmented; he might not even know how many companies there are."
"John, as my chief advisor, tell me -- is this antitrust thing really about breaking big companies into many little ones?"
"That's not how it started, but now it's merely a tool for suppression and profit. The problem is, William White would rather destroy everything than back down."
"He's a madman."
"Ha, that's true and not true."
"You have a different explanation?"
"Yes, we found that he has the ability to make a comeback, but--"
"But what?"
"This company likely won't belong to American enterprises anymore, or at least, its future boss won't be an American, which does nothing for our jobs or taxes."
"So this is what the Department of Justice intends to do?"
"I'm afraid it can't be reversed now. I believe Edwin Meese is having a headache over this too."
"How did someone like him get to this position?"
Usually, a president's second term is quite a free ride. There's no need to consider re-election, and one can even snag some perks.
A former president still has expenses, often more than when they were in office.
As for ways to make money, they're pretty simple. You either write memoirs or give speeches.
If you've got some juicy gossip, like a Lewinsky story, those memoirs could fly off the shelves. Without that, they might only gain attention posthumously.
As for speaking engagements, it depends on how you performed over the last four years. The alumni behind those U.S. universities are often tycoons, and if you offend them, you'll be left to speak in kitchens with only your wife as an audience.
While others lived comfortably, everything turned strange for him.
Kick William White while he's down?
He isn't insane yet. After the Challenger incident, NBC was a huge help; if something goes wrong for him now, it wouldn't end well.
*****
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