Chapter 129: Chapter 129: The Spokesperson
At Daenerys Media's headquarters.
Jennifer Redfield gently knocked on the editing room door and, upon receiving a response, pushed it open to address Simon, who was busy at the editing console: "Boss, it's already four o'clock."
Simon merely nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on the monitor screen, his hands busy, replying, "Just a minute, almost done."
Jennifer didn't say anything more. She quietly stepped inside, closed the door behind her, and silently watched Simon work. "Pulp Fiction" had a generous budget, and there was no need for Simon to be hands-on with everything. The rough cut of the film was completed by a professional editor, but Simon had decided to take on the fine cutting himself.
Since returning to Los Angeles, Simon had spent most of his days holed up in the company's editing room.
After a while, Simon saved the footage and began to organize the tapes and notes on the editing console. Jennifer approached and, with practiced movements, helped Simon store everything in the safe in the corner of the room.
After spending a brief, quiet moment together, they left the editing room, and Jennifer began to discuss the day's work: "I've gathered information from some of the major record labels and second-tier brands in North America and placed it on your office desk. This morning, Mr. Steve Jobs' secretary responded, indicating that Jobs has no intention of selling Pixar. Silicon Graphics CEO Ed McCracken has invited you to visit their headquarters in San Francisco soon. Mr. Bill Gates' assistant called to say that Gates plans to be in Los Angeles next Monday and hopes to have lunch with you. Also, there's an invitation to speak at Stanford University."
Walking through the corridor, Simon took the invitation from Stanford from her, glanced at it, and handed it back, saying, "Decline any more of these invites. Giving a lecture there would just be spreading negativity: look, that guy is the same age as us, life isn't fair."
Jennifer chuckled softly, placing the invitation back into her folder and holding it to her chest as she looked up and asked, "What about Mr. McCracken and Mr. Gates' invitations?"
"I'll definitely visit San Francisco, but I can't anytime soon; we'll have to push that back. As for Gates, book a restaurant; we should be hospitable as the hosts. Also, I thought of something today. Now that those stocks have been exposed, given Westeros Corporation's stake, I'm entitled to board positions in these companies. Ask your dad if he's interested in serving on the boards for me. I don't have the time myself. So, my idea is, George handles the companies on the West Coast, and your dad takes those on the East Coast."
Westeros Corporation's 4.9% stake in 26 tech companies was substantial enough to grant Simon entry into the circle of major shareholders.
Had these holdings not been disclosed, Simon would have preferred to remain a quiet individual shareholder, silently observing the companies' progress. Now that his holdings were public, Simon decided to claim the rights due to him as a shareholder.
In theory, the board of directors is the direct mechanism through which shareholders exercise their powers, with most corporate management appointments made through board votes. Having a seat on the boards of these companies would allow Simon to influence their future direction.
Jennifer walked beside Simon, noting down the restaurant reservation in her memo as she listened to his plans. Her expression revealed a mix of surprise and a vague shyness. Just as she was about to speak, they entered a conference room and had to temporarily abandon the discussion, taking their seats at the conference table.
Her mind, however, was far from settled.
The direct power of American conglomerates is often represented by controlling hundreds of board positions across global corporate giants.
Simon's wealth, although not comparable to any of the top ten American financial groups, would be formidable if he managed to secure board seats in all 26 companies.
If Simon truly positioned his father and uncle on these boards, leveraging his vast wealth as a spokesperson and the influence of these board positions, the Redfield and Norman families could instantly leap from well-regarded legal households to one of the most influential layers in the nation.
After all, billions in wealth were not just a simple string of numbers.
Simon and Jennifer sat down at the conference table, joined by only two others: Amy and her assistant, Vanessa Lind. When Amy was first recruited by Daenerys Media, the company was so strapped for cash that Amy had to pay Vanessa's salary out of her own pocket.
That wouldn't happen now.
Still, the small number in the conference room underscored the reality that Daenerys Media was still essentially a boutique operation. On a typical day, including Simon and his team, the two-story office building housing Daenerys Media's finance, dispatch, and logistics staff comprised only fifteen permanent employees. Film production was entirely managed by Simon and
Amy Pascal.
It was now December 16, a Wednesday.
Of the three film projects planned by Daenerys Media for 1987, "Final Destination" was nearing the end of its theatrical run.
From its opening on October 23, over seven and a half weeks, "Final Destination" had accumulated a total box office of $67.53 million. Simon becoming a billionaire in November inadvertently boosted the film's box office, allowing it to easily surpass the expected $60 million.
Currently, "Final Destination" sat temporarily at seventh place in the North American box office rankings for the year, just behind Sean Connery's summer release "The Untouchables." The film still garnered $1.06 million in box office revenue during the weekend of December 11 to 13 and was expected to easily break the $70 million mark before ending its run.
Simon had specifically kept an eye on the year-end releases.
Based on his memory, "Three Men and a Baby," which had released on November 25, and the upcoming "Moonstruck" on December 18, and "Good Morning, Vietnam" on December 25, were likely to break into the top ten annual rankings, but none were a threat to "Final Destination."
Thus, "Final Destination" unexpectedly entered the top ten of the North American box office from a projected top fifteen finish. If no other box office surprises occurred, the film would likely finish tenth for the year.
Including the firmly first-placed "Run Lola Run" and the currently fourth-placed "The Butterfly Effect," all three films associated with Simon for the year had made it into the top ten of the North American box office.
Even though Simon's billion-dollar financial market maneuvers had shocked the world in recent weeks, the ongoing success of "Final Destination" surpassing films like "Eastwick Witches," "Lethal Weapon," and "Road to Perdition" to claim seventh place for the year still made Hollywood take notice.
Therefore, although "Pulp Fiction" and "When Harry Met Sally" were still in post-production, Simon's billion-dollar personal wealth and the halo of three consecutive top-ten box office films finally opened the doors of the capital market to him.
Simon also firmly believed in not using his own money to fund films.
In any industry, using other people's money to make one's own profit is the absolute rule. However, even before his fortune was revealed in November, Simon hadn't reached the point where others would fund his ventures.
Now, Daenerys Media had finally obtained the same status as the second-tier elite companies like the Big Seven and Orion Pictures, able to secure loans from banks just on brand recognition alone.
Clearly, the brand guarantee for Daenerys Media was Simon himself.
Inside the conference room.
As Simon and Jennifer sat down, Amy Pascal passed a folder to him, saying, "Simon, it's all settled, here's the draft contract. Wells Fargo is willing to provide Daenerys Media with a $100 million loan for a five-year term at an interest rate of 6.5%."
Simon opened the folder and couldn't help commenting, "6.5% is still a bit high."
"If it were before the stock crash, we might have secured 5%," Amy looked at Simon, explaining, "Banks are generally tightening their lending now. 6.5% was the result of long negotiations. You know, Paul Olson initially offered an interest rate of 8%. Also, the $10 million loan for 'Basic Instinct' isn't included in this amount; it's still mortgaged against 'Final Destination's' profit-sharing contract at an interest rate of 5% for three years."
Paul Olson was the Wells Fargo Senior Vice President Simon had dealt with during the previous $20 million loan, and given their prior contact, this partnership came together naturally.
Simon smiled and nodded, continuing to review the draft contract in his hand.
With less than an hour to the end of the workday, Amy didn't wait for Simon to finish reading, instead continuing, "Simon, I've spoken with Wes Craven; he's eager to collaborate on another film with us. However, he would like to see the script first."
While everyone knew that "Final Destination's" entry into the top ten was largely due to Simon's personal script and popularity, as a director, Wes Craven, like Brian De Palma returning to his career peak, had also risen to the status of a top-tier director.
"I've got a good idea, probably a campus thriller. I'll find time to write a story outline in the next few days. But right now, I don't have time to polish the script. Discuss it with Wes later and hire another writer."
Amy, catching the implication in Simon's words, instinctively asked, "What about the credit?"
Simon chuckled, saying, "Three films this year is enough, Amy. What do you think, how interested would the audience be if there were seven or eight Simon Westeros
-scripted films a year in Hollywood?"
Amy caught the deeper meaning in Simon's words, propping her arms on the conference table and gesturing, "Simon, are you saying we're going to produce seven or eight films next year?"
"Of course, and not just films, TV shows too," Simon tapped on the contract in front of him, adding, "Otherwise, why would we need so much money? So, you can continue hiring staff. Next year, we're not only entering the TV industry but also trying our hand at distributing films independently."
Though she had anticipated this, Amy couldn't help feeling that Simon was somewhat too eager. Yet, considering the miracles this young man had achieved over the year, she quickly nodded in agreement.
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