hollywood billionaire

Chapter 476 Confidence
“Thank you, thank you! Thank you for your enthusiastic support. Although this is the first time I have met most of you, I have already had a great impression of this team.”

“I will use the rest of this evening to get to know you as much as I can, and I sincerely hope that we can work together seamlessly in the future and create one miracle after another.”

"But before that..."

"Let's put all that aside and get the cake out first!"

After Lionel Richie finished his speech, the only thing left to do in Han Yi's surprise party was cutting the cake.

Two staff members from Wolfgang Puck Catering Company, wearing white chef uniforms and black aprons around their waists, pushed out a three-layer cream cake on a cart.

As the co-planner of this party, Madison Beer originally wanted to customize a uniquely shaped fondant cake for Han Yi, but finally gave up after being dissuaded by Xu Yiru.

Xiaoru obviously considered more than McGrady. Han Yi owns nearly half of the shares of the world's third largest performing arts agency and is the helmsman of an emerging music group. This birthday party will invite many of his employees and contracted artists, as well as most of his partners. For such a grand and formal occasion, a balanced and stable solution is the most appropriate solution.

Therefore, Xiaoru and Maddie finally commissioned the catering company they selected to make a simple, plain, creamy cake with even the icing made of milky white cream.

There are no blessings written on the surface of the cake, and the candles don’t need to have numbers on them. It’s just a simple straight red candle, nothing more.

There are many ways to express one's feelings, but the one that should be chosen in the end must be the one that will not have a negative impact on his career.

Xu Yiru, Zhao Youzhen and Madison Beal were all very clear about this. So when blowing out the candles, the three of them tacitly did not move closer, but gave the seats next to Han Yi to Dr. Dre and Lionel Richie, so that the people who rushed to 864 Stradella Road to attend the banquet could see a rising entertainment empire.

Han Yi noticed the girls' deliberate distance and understood their intention, but in such a lively and noisy occasion, he couldn't find an opportunity to thank them for their good intentions.

After the candles were blown out and electronic music once again enveloped the mansion, Han Yi began to greet each group of guests in batches.

The first people he greeted were Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson. Although they were both partners, they were in the film and television industry, which was far from the frontier in Han Yi's career.

We don’t communicate much on weekdays, so when we get together, we need to be more enthusiastic so that the other person doesn’t feel that you are cold and distant.

“Congratulations, man, this foundation sounds like a real game changer!”

Kevin Hart's voice is as ups and downs as ever, as if every word is as tense as his carefully choreographed stand-up comedy.

“I just wish there was something similar in the film industry that actors could use as a bargaining chip with studios.”

"Hasn't there been something similar in the film industry? Record companies won't allow you to invest in your own records, but actors can. Isn't that what we did in Jumanji?" Han Yi smiled and patted Kevin's shoulder. He found that it was easier to pat him than Corey because the former was two centimeters shorter than the latter. "Speaking of this, how was the filming of Jumanji? Did everything go well?"

"We can invest in a movie. Of course, if you are big enough, the production company will be happy to give you this option. But we can't buy out the copyright of these movies after 50 years, and the revenue we get from streaming on Netflix will never reach %... Don't mind me, I'm just thinking out loud." Kevin waved his hand and continued, "Getting back to the point, the filming of "Jumanji" went very smoothly. Three days ago, we just finished all the filming tasks in Hawaii. Next, we will rest in Los Angeles for a week, and finally go to Atlanta to finish the filming of the Middle East market. Around the beginning of December, our main filming will be completed."

"Yes." Dwayne Johnson added, "Originally there was no rest time, but the construction of the set in Atlanta is a little behind schedule... But it doesn't matter, it won't exceed the budget, and it won't affect the overall production cycle."

"That's great news." Han Yi nodded slightly. "So I guess... I'll meet with you again before Christmas to discuss in depth the other projects we've been tracking?"

"If by discussion you mean making a decision, then yes, I guess we'll just have to wait until Kevin and I have more free time." At this point, Johnson leaned over and put his hand on the arm of his ex-wife Dany Garcia, "But we... Dany has put together an investment profile with Kevin's team. Maybe you'd like to take a look and form a preliminary opinion on them."

"Some of these projects are led by us internally, while others are initiated by other companies, but we think they have great potential, especially on streaming platforms." Dany Garcia calmly put her arms around her waist, avoiding the physical contact of Dwayne Johnson, and maintained a decent and charming smile. She said, "If you want to see it, I can send the proposal to your office... Antoine over there is responsible for the investment field of your family office, right?"

"Yes."

Han Yi glanced at Antoine Gachet not far away. He was having a serious discussion with Jordan Bromley, Lionel Richie and Dr. Dre. It was not difficult to guess that their topic was definitely centered around the Inspur Music Foundation.

This was the only thing that required the participation of the four of them at the same time.

"Have you seen Antoine yet?"

"We talked for a while before you arrived," Dany nodded.

"Great, then yes, just forward the proposal to him, he will review it in detail, and then discuss the feasibility with Lou Taylor. After that, we can hold a meeting in New York before Christmas, or a remote meeting will be fine, either way is fine, what do you think?"

"I agree."

"I'm OK."

"Just do it."

After chatting with Kevin and his group for a few more words about the Sony Pictures Slate Deal, Han Yi, who still had many tasks to complete, pulled himself away from the conversation and came to the next group of guests waiting for him.

The guests were Han Yi's two business managers, Lou Taylor and Todd Gelfand. Todd was in charge of the music group's finances, while Lou was in charge of artist management and film and television investment.

Since the cooperation, their performance has been very satisfactory. They can effectively align creative projects with commercial plans, while respecting artistic vision and ensuring the profitability of the projects to the greatest extent. They have a deep understanding of the Hollywood ecosystem accumulated over decades, including intellectual property laws, royalty distribution rules and related regulations, distribution channels, and even the audience's aesthetic preferences and popular trends.

More importantly, Lou and Todd are more than just financial advisors. These elite managers who have been immersed in the industry for many years often play multiple roles - they are confidants to whom Hollywood stars are willing to confide their secrets, their closest partners, the first mediators that celebrities think of after various situations, and the healers who soothe the broken hearts of the Vanity Fair.

Take Lou Taylor, for example. No matter how famous she is or how many fans accuse her of making a fortune from Britney Spears, she is the most trusted gatekeeper of wealth for countless Hollywood A-listers, from Justin Bieber to Jennifer Lopez, from Bruno Mars to Justin Timberlake, and even P. Diddy, the flagship of East Coast hip-hop, all are loyal to her.

The reason why this happens is definitely not just because her company's accounts are well managed. In fact, very few stars will favor their business managers and work with them for many years just because they have sorted out their financial situation. Most stars value whether their business managers can use their accumulated connections to help them find more sources of income.

Lou Taylor does a great job in this regard.

The most typical case is her cooperation with Planet Hollywood Hotel in Las Vegas. The tone of Planet Hollywood Hotel determines that they need stars from Los Angeles to perform here all year round, and Lou Taylor's client list just meets the requirements of Planet Hollywood. So, starting with Britney, Lou basically introduced all the clients who signed with her to Planet Hollywood, and obtained a lucrative resident income, and she herself made a lot of money.

From Justin Timberlake, Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Lopez to Bruno Mars who was just announced this year, the lineup of performers at the Planet Hollywood Hotel is almost entirely Lou Taylor's big-money operation.

Even Lionel Richie, who just completed his residency agreement, was able to complete the collaboration through Lu's matchmaking between the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Red Light Artist Management Company.

Although she personally doesn't like Lou Taylor's style in some aspects, such as she doesn't mind helping clients deal with "messes". No matter how dirty the business is, as long as it is profitable, she is willing to take the risk. For example, the monthly payment of Puff Daddy to sex workers is from Lou Taylor's Samsung Sports and Entertainment Company. However, Han Music and Ren Yu Management are lacking in building a network of relationships in their early stages, so they are in great need of industry seniors with extensive connections to escort them. In this case, Han Yi will naturally not exclude resource-based talents like Lou Taylor who walk on the edge of black and white.

He is not a moralist and has no interest in helping to clean up Hollywood. The moral standards of the American entertainment industry are not of any concern to him. As long as nothing happens in his own little corner, it will be fine.

What's more, a woman like Lou Taylor, who has a good reputation and is equally feared by people despite having many differences with Kara Lewis, can help Han Yi suppress some troublemakers that ordinary managers cannot suppress.

For example, 21 Savage and Migos.

These two groups of artists are all devils who were honed in the notorious valley of evil in the Atlanta slums. They have all the bad habits you can think of, and they also have bad habits you can't think of. Their moral level and behavior style are not much different from the celebrities of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. In addition to taking medicine, they just look for fun and have some fun when they are in the mood, but their conversation is more rhymed.

If the rich and powerful played with these, history books would praise them as famous and romantic. But if the black men from the slums played with these, their chances of going into debt, being thrown in jail, or dying on the street would increase dramatically.

Frankly speaking, Han Yi doesn't really care whether these rappers from the Temple label go to jail, how long they will die, or how they will die. Even if he were to live again, he doesn't want to get involved in the cause and effect of these people, and he doesn't even want to care about the Takeoff incident, because everything they are about to encounter is basically their own fault.

Three hip-hop stars worth tens of millions of dollars gambled with people on the street, and when they lost the bet, they refused to pay the money, pulled out guns and started a fight, and ended up being killed by a stray bullet. How could he help with this abstract plot? If you stop them from gambling on the streets of Houston today, they may come to Dallas to perform the same drama for you tomorrow.

As long as Migos is still Migos and Quavo is still Quavo, Takeoff may not be able to escape this fate.

In the 1980s and 1990s, record companies and copyright distribution companies were still worried about negative social opinions, and they would admonish and stop artists, especially hip-hop singers, who behaved inappropriately. But as hip-hop music gradually became mainstream, the image of rappers as criminal gangs was gradually fixed by the mass media, and the capital behind them no longer tried to restrict their behavior.

What’s even more ridiculous is that record companies have discovered that every time a rapper commits a crime, goes to jail or dies, the number of plays of their music will increase exponentially, bringing the label greater profits.

Living only causes trouble and annoyance, but being dead is quiet, well-behaved and can make more money. The record companies and copyright distribution companies have shown to be kind by not hiring killers to kill the signed rappers. How can they discipline them?

However, the situation of the artists signed by the Temple label is slightly different. Hip-hop singers like 21 Savage and Migos are still in the early stages of their careers and their commercial potential has not yet been fully tapped. Han Yi still needs someone to keep an eye on them so that they don't spend all the advance money they just received on luxury cars and jewelry, or squander it on drugs and women.

He needs someone to help him manage the financial situation of these hip-hop singers, because Han Yi knows very well what ridiculous things these rappers will do once they are short of money.

There is no need to associate it with a federal felony - rappers secretly take performances without the knowledge of their management companies and record companies, take the money and then disappear without fulfilling their contracts, or even arrive at a local place and find a random reason to cancel the performance and fly away overnight. This kind of thing is not uncommon in the hip-hop circle.

Migos often does this. For example, in the original time and space, in 2018, they canceled their performance at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona because they had too much fun the day before and missed the flight to Barcelona. In 2022, they took on a performance at the Breakout Festival in Vancouver, and they were the headlining performers, giving it enough face. As a result, with only minutes left, the three of them canceled the performance without any warning, without giving any explanation, and refused to refund the fees they had already received.

In order to avoid this situation from happening and thus affect the reputation of UTA and HMG, Han Yi really needs a gray figure who knows how to use both soft and hard tactics and can handle both black and white to help him resolve these problems. Strong women like Lou Taylor and Kara Lewis are undoubtedly the most suitable options.

"Lou, Todd, thank you for taking the time to attend my party today."

"I am also very honored to be invited here, Mr. Han."

The first person to answer was Todd Gelfand, the financial advisor of Han Music Group. He had all the physical characteristics that a seasoned accountant should have. Boring black-framed glasses, boring side-parted hair, boring light blue shirt and dark blue plaid suit, even the upward curve of his mouth seemed so dull.

This kind of boredom is obviously a trait condensed by the long years - Todd Gelfand, who is at the helm of Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman, a business management company co-founded by his father 51 years ago. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in accounting, Todd first worked in the London office of the internationally renowned accounting firm Coopers & Lybrand for two years, and then moved to Los Angeles to take over his father's mantle and began to serve Hollywood entertainment industry clients.

The Gelfand family's stable and watertight work style has won the trust of many old-school clients. They have been the official auditing company of the Recording Industry Association of America for decades, and have long provided services to legendary superstars such as Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond and Will Smith. It is worth mentioning that Lionel Richie, the chairman of the Inspur Music Foundation selected by Han Yi, is also his old client.

That’s right, after Lou Taylor acted as a go-between for Red Light Artist Management, it was Todd Gelfand who was responsible for negotiating the details of the Las Vegas residency agreement.

This is what has been mentioned repeatedly before, the multifaceted qualities that a business manager must possess in order to succeed in Hollywood. The reason why Han Yi chose Todd Gelfand to be in charge of the entire Han Music Group's financial affairs is first because he is very good at dealing with institutional clients, and secondly, because of his relationship with the Recording Industry Association of America.

With Todd Gelfand's mediation, the future cooperation between Han Music and RIAA has laid a solid foundation. This cooperation is not just as simple as Han Music donating to RIAA's action committee and RIAA issuing sales certification to Han Music.

Han Yi's goal is to make Dr. Dre, the group's CEO, one of the 27 members of the Recording Industry Association of America's board of directors, to further consolidate Han Music's position in the industry. In addition, he is also preparing to use RIAA as one of the lobbying groups in accordance with the strategy provided by Jordan Bromley to gain greater influence in the drafting and clause modification process of the Music Modernization Act.

Every person he keeps in his core circle can perform multiple functions at the same time.

“I am also particularly pleased to be here today to hear all of the plans you have for the Music Group and the Foundation, which I am sure will play an important role in the music industry and show everyone the path to a brighter future.”

"None of this would have happened without your help, Todd."

Even his compliments were so old-fashioned and boring, as dry as the paper spit out by an old fax machine. Through his flat tone, Han Yi could even vaguely see the piles of tax returns on Todd Gelfand's desk, and the gray-green filing cabinets behind his desk that were built tightly like a city wall.

But Han Yi still smiled and responded to Todd enthusiastically, because this old-fashioned person who can immerse himself in the digital ocean for decades is the most stable safety net that every enterprising startup can find for itself.

"With more tours underway, hopefully we won't put too much pressure on you and your team."

"Mr. Han, we will never be overwhelmed by pressure." Todd Gelfand adjusted his glasses. "We will only get excited as the numbers come in."

"Nothing is more exciting than seeing artists and companies continue to grow. It reminds me of the first time I worked with Britney and Justin." Lou Taylor rolled her eyes in her heart and interjected. In her opinion, the real art of finance is not a rigid number game, but a carefully planned battle. And she herself is the most outstanding female general in this battle.

How could someone who always follows the rules and acts like a puppet according to the textbook hold RIAA, Bob Dylan and Lionel Richie firmly in his hands?
She couldn't figure it out.

But there is one thing she is very clear about - Han Music is a big fish, and Han Yi is a bigger and fatter fish. She does not intend to let Todd Gelfand gradually eat away at his business segments.

Basically, each transaction will exceed $100 million. The Inspur Music Fund, which is rising strongly and trying to compete with Live Nation, and the Red Light Artist Management Company, which is said to be negotiating an acquisition with Han Yi... Lou Taylor doesn't want to miss any of these cakes.

“I don’t know if our artists are growing at the rate of Britney or Justin right now…but one thing I do know is that we’ll never be half as good as they are without your help.”

The organization itself needs a ballast like Todd Gelfand, and the artists who act as boosters need powerful fuel like Lou Taylor. Apart from other things, she has introduced no less than 20 performance cooperation consultations for Madison Beer and Holch to the management, and all of them are well-known and powerful organizers from all over the world.

There are business managers who can manage money, raise money and love money, and the more they can, the better, at least in the field of artist management.

"Based on the speed we are at now, our development speed is much faster than theirs at that time!" Lou Taylor laughed heartily. "Bieber fever has swept the world for five years, but I personally think that the money he has actually made cannot be compared with the amount of money Lionel Richie made from the copyright acquisition. Am I right, Todd?"

"Most of the details of this deal have not been finalized yet, and we are currently in talks with more artists. Lu, you know, there are a lot of established artists who would be happy to sell their music copyright royalties to significantly improve their financial situation. Maybe... it's better to complete those deals first rather than directly announcing the Lionel deal, because people are likely to think that the latter is our internal trick to attract capital attention."

Han Yi did not lie. The valuation, price and final transaction price of Lionel Richie's music copyrights have not yet been determined. Lionel publicly announced at the party that he would sell the rights and interests of the music copyright to Inspur Music Fund. On the one hand, it may be his goodwill for cooperation, and on the other hand, it may be a strategic test.

First release the news that Inspur Fund is going to acquire Lionel Richie's copyright, confirm the deal within a small range, and then slowly negotiate on this basis. This will undoubtedly give Lionel more initiative.

Han Yi was very clear about the motivation behind Lionel's speech and the official announcement, but he did not feel much resentment towards it. Because for him, all problems that can be solved with money are not problems. As long as Lionel is willing to tie himself to the Inspur Music Fund, it is a good thing. The specific details of this transaction can be left to his subordinates to slowly polish.

Anyway, he and Lionel Richie’s “men” are pretty much the same group, coming and going, especially since he’s planning to acquire Red Light Artist Management.

Your personal manager and business manager will have to work for me at that time. What does it matter whether the official announcement is made early or late?

This is the solid confidence that the huge wealth gives Han Yi.

Similarly, he could see that Lou Taylor was very interested in the Wave Music Fund. Han Yi himself did not want to give this piece of cake directly to Todd Gelfand. Who said that he must be the financial advisor of the foundation just because he was Lionel Richie's business manager? In Han Yi's opinion, the best way is for everyone to show their talents. If everyone wants to have a piece of cake, then everyone should show their true abilities and use their familiar relationships to provide Wave Music Fund with a steady stream of acquisition targets.

Anyway, this piece of cake is getting bigger and bigger. As long as new copyrights continue to come in, you will never be able to finish it.

"Indeed! Although I cannot speak for them right now, many of my clients would be very interested in such an arrangement." Lou Taylor understood the implication in Han Yi's words. She has many veteran artists who have passed their prime, such as Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, who would be very interested in such a one-time acquisition of future rights. After all, Steven Tyler, who was born in 48, will be 69 next year. How many more years does he have to wait for the music distribution royalties that are settled every six months?
not to mention……

As long as the money is in place, Justin Bieber's copyright library can be brought out for negotiation.

Wouldn’t it be profitable to cash in on the copyright interests currently held at a high point?
"Then I'll wait for more good news from your side, Lu."

"Speaking of good news, I have received a lot of good news recently... but it seems that most of them came from you, Yi." Lou Taylor continued to show Han Yi her warm and dazzling smile, "'Closer' is still number one on the list, Lil Yachty is back in the top five, 'Cold Water' remains in the top ten, and another new song by McGrady is about to enter the top thirty... and recently, it seems that 'Bad and Boujee' has also become popular on YouTube?"

"My office phone is about to explode with calls from 'Transfer Han Music'."

"It seems like I took really good care of you in the second half of 2016."

(End of this chapter)