readease Chapter 65 The Stepping Stone to High Society
Chapter 65 The Stepping Stone to High Society
Chapter 65 The Stepping Stone to High Society
"What are your thoughts on this board re-election?"
Wenger got down to business, which was also the reason he returned from Mountain View.
With the employees collectively pressuring for a resignation, a change of leadership at MGM is inevitable, and everything will be carried out according to Ernst's nominations.
As long as MGM shows no signs of decline and Ernst can lead the giant to continued success, shareholders will not dare to utter a sound in the future. This is the tacit exchange between the two parties.
"Kenting is a good employee representative, he will definitely stay."
Ernst picked up his coffee and slowly began to comment on the current state of the board of directors.
"Of the five shareholder directors, I won't touch the others except for Cole. For these people, it's all the same whoever comes in; it's better to maintain the status quo than to make enemies."
These guys are complete opportunists. No matter who's in power, as long as there's money to be made, they'll fawn over them. But if their source of income is cut off, they'll turn into wolves in no time, ready to bite you and deliver a fatal blow at the crucial moment.
The reason for targeting Cole is that this guy is actually an independent director of Forlsman, a company founded by Stephen Knox, the younger brother of Carlyle Group.
For now, we can't beat Carlyle Capital, a big shot, and we can't touch the main person, so we'll start with the people around him and make our stance clear first.
After all, Ernst was no pushover; he was a vengeful person who held grudges.
"As for the six independent directors, they should all be fired, not one of them."
Wenger hadn't expected Ernst to be so ruthless. He had thought that he would only lay a hand on the three who were on good terms with Korkrian, but instead, he wiped them all out in one fell swoop.
Although the other three were also chosen during the Cocklean era, they have always been relatively impartial.
"Do you have enough people? Who else do you have besides me?"
Of the six independent director nominees, Wenger will take one, but the selection of the remaining ones is also a question.
To become an independent director of MGM, one must have a certain reputation in society; not just anyone can do it.
Ultimately, it was because his rise to power was too short-lived and Ernst's network of connections was not strong enough.
Galin does have some connections, but judging from Ernst's recent behavior, he clearly doesn't want to have much interaction with these people.
Ernst already had a plan in mind. Counting on his fingers, he said, "Craig will take one spot, and I've already spoken to Sergey Brin, so he'll join us too. The remaining three are Professor Snape from Stanford, and I'll go back to USC for the last two."
Ernst is a graduate of USC and is now considered a distinguished alumnus; it's time for him to give back to his alma mater.
In the United States, it is very common for university scholars, social celebrities, and corporate executives to serve as independent directors of unrelated companies.
A careful examination of the board of directors of large corporations reveals that executives from Company A often serve as directors of Company B.
The company's senior executives are also directors of Company C, so their interactions are extremely frequent.
Presidents of universities like Stanford are not only academics and social celebrities, but they can also provide great assistance to the development of enterprises. They are highly sought after, and each of them holds independent director positions in more than a dozen large companies.
For entrepreneurs, it's reassuring to use products from their own companies. For universities, these large listed companies bring significant prestige and influence, creating a mutually beneficial situation.
Upon hearing Craig's name, Wenger's brow furrowed so deeply it could trap a fly, and he said with some concern, "The rest is fine, but Craig..."
It's worth noting that the circle of independent directors is jokingly referred to as an elite club, as each of them is a person of social standing and prestige.
But Craig, this guy who used to be a paparazzi who hung out in the streets and was associated with gossip news and paparazzi every day, isn't he just making a fool of himself?
"He's now the CEO of Dolly Copyright, so he's someone with some influence," Ernst said coldly. "And do they even have a choice?"
Wenger thought for a moment and nodded with a smile. Just as Ernst said, for the sake of huge profits, these shareholders would even agree to let a dog walk by.
The key is that this guy is trustworthy. At least when Ernst was obsessed with Hollywood, fell into a money pit, and lost himself in a life of debauchery, Craig still stayed by his side.
This is why, even though Ernst's status has risen several notches, Craig, with his poor background, low education, various bad habits, and ties to gangs, is no longer worthy of Ernst's status.
Wenger did not advise the other party to change their agent or assistant.
The assistant's identity is so special that they have access to more private matters, making them more trustworthy than anything else.
Otherwise, not only your property, but you might also lose both your money and your life.
"I don't object to your decision, but it would be best to keep him away from those people in the future."
Which group? Of course, it's those underground rats.
Craig has become a bit arrogant lately since he got money, and he's been hanging out with those people a lot. Treating them to meals is a regular thing for him, and he even has a bunch of underlings around him who are just trying to make a living off him.
This is actually a very common community culture in America. Just look at those Black sports stars; they're all surrounded by followers.
Ernst knew that Wenger was kindly reminding him.
Once Craig's cronies are dealt with, their various relationships will be exposed. Given the nature of the media, they'll try their best to associate themselves with anyone who has no direct connection to them, which will severely damage Ernst's reputation.
Ernst readily agreed, saying, "I'll remind him."
But he didn't take it seriously at all and had no intention of interfering.
Although Craig has met all sorts of people, he is very clear-headed, has not been completely swayed, and knows his limits.
Ernst had also learned about the underlings he had recruited; they were all bad boys who had just gone astray. They weren't like seasoned veterans; their hearts had been corrupted, rotten to the bone.
Craig's main job now is to help Dolly Copyrights collect various copyrights. He also helps with some miscellaneous tasks and needs to be able to handle some manpower.
Another thing is information channels, which Ernst needed.
Despite their long-standing presence in the shadows, these gang members are better informed than anyone else. If someone were to attempt a sniper attack, Ernst would know immediately through them.
How's the funding situation at Google?
Ernst changed the subject and inquired about Google.
Wenger has been in charge of Google's fundraising recently, and no one knows it better than him.
"How should I put it?" Wenger thought for a few seconds. "I'd say it's a sweet problem."
"The companies offering the best terms have valued Google at between $4.5 million and $5 million, but as you said, they haven't budged and are sticking to their $12 billion valuation."
"Right now, all the Wall Street capital is furious, it's so angry they're itching to leave, but they're reluctant to go."
Wenger couldn't help but laugh when he thought of those high-and-mighty elites on Wall Street. They were all gritting their teeth, but they couldn't do anything to him. They could only swallow their anger. Wenger had never felt so relieved in his life.
Another month has passed, and Google's user base has grown to over 1600 million.
Although the growth rate has been halved compared to the first month after its launch, how many internet users are there in the United States?
A search engine that was only launched two months ago has already captured nearly 40% of the market share.
Google's growth potential is simply too great, coupled with the internet's incomprehensible market capitalization growth, no Wall Street giant would give up this lucrative opportunity, not even with the slightest possibility.
"Oh, right," Wenger said, taking the briefcase from the table and handing over an invitation.
"This is for you."
Ernst took it and jokingly asked, "You haven't found love again and are here to send me a wedding invitation, have you?"
Wenger glared at him. "You should take a look at the contents first."
The invitation was simple yet very elegant, with a gold-flecked pattern printed on the black cover, clearly indicating its high cost.
Upon opening, there were only two short lines of small text inside.
A charity gala?
"That's right, this is a charity gala that Citibank holds every year. Every invited guest is a socialite and a billionaire. Some people have even given it a name: the key to high society."
Ernst scoffed at this, saying that Wall Street people only know how to do these empty platitudes, and that it's all fake.
These charity banquets are basically held by every Wall Street giant, and I've never seen a president attend one. Are the big bosses of America so despicable?
Ernst sneered and mocked, "So you're trying to bully the younger generation because you can't get past the elders."