America: My Time

Chapter 287 Struggle for Interests
Chapter 287 Struggle for Interests

Who can forget the existence of NBC? It's just that they can't directly target them now, since this is a media issue that plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion. Doing anything could easily provoke a fierce counterattack from this little guy, just like Warner Bros. and Disney.

"How could we forget NBC? It's just that we're powerless to do so right now. We can't force them to hand it over, can we? Besides, isn't this a big move by Morgan? If it weren't for Morgan's push, how could this little fox have gotten control of such an important media tool as NBC!"

Faced with the accusations, Morgan Stanley calmly said, "This has nothing to do with us. Even if we didn't intervene, this kid could get everything he wanted. It's just that NBC's market value is different now. Doubling it would be a small number. NBC is now the largest television network in the United States, with the highest viewership. This kid won't keep such a public television network under his control forever. Going public and raising funds is inevitable. But after raising funds, he will have a large amount of money at his disposal. Have you all thought about that?"

"Double? If I remember correctly, you acquired Universal and NBC for four billion dollars back then. That means NBC alone is now worth four billion dollars. How is that possible?"

“Nothing is impossible. In your eyes, media and entertainment are insignificant, but in the hands of this little fox, it’s a completely different story. Four billion dollars is just the initial market value. It’s impossible to get this little fox to accept such a price. It has much greater potential. This is also the confidence that Legendary Entertainment has in daring to go to war with Warner and Disney. It can be said that as long as NBC goes public and raises funds, this little guy will have a large amount of money in his hands, so the previous calculations may all fall through.”

"Morgan, wait a minute. I want to ask you, what is the current market value of Legendary Entertainment? You need to give us a specific number. We want to know how high its market value is in this little guy's hands!"

"Legendary Entertainment today is not as insignificant as you think. Tens of billions of dollars is the minimum. In terms of profits, it is no less than Game World. Moreover, it is different from Game World. It has a large number of assets such as NBC, cable television networks, and Universal Pictures. Tens of billions of dollars is just the minimum valuation. This is only the information we have. After all, Legendary Entertainment is a private company with no corporate financial statements, and all its profits are used for expansion."

"Ten billion US dollars, that's insane! Such an amazing change in just one year is unbelievable. Why can't Warner Bros. and Disney do it?"

"People are different. Although the CEO of Legendary Entertainment is quite good, the reason for this change is John's ability and vision. It is because of this that I am worried that the previous plan will fail. If this kid has the same vision and skills in the aviation industry, perhaps we will not only not get the desired results, but the little fox's development will also accelerate rapidly. You all need to think carefully. Don't wait until the plan fails and then push all the responsibility onto Morgan. That's all I have to say. The decision is your own business."

"Give it to him, what's there to worry about? Even if he really has the same ability in the aviation industry, we don't need to worry. At least the profit margin in the aviation industry is much lower than in other industries! We're not afraid of his greed, we're afraid of him refusing. Capital is profit-driven, and I believe everyone would like to see such a deal!"

Despite Morgan's 'warning,' these old guys still chose to abandon Pratt & Whitney. They weren't worried about John being able to revive the airlines or the development of his aviation industry, but they were afraid that John would focus his energy on the expansion of semiconductors and finance, and that he could directly defeat Lehman Brothers. This made them have to be cautious.

John paid no attention to the thoughts and schemes of these old guys and Morgan, nor did he need to. He could easily figure out what they were plotting, and soon the Japanese side responded. Although the matter came suddenly, the six Japanese banks reacted quickly, all deciding to come to New York to meet with John. Such an acquisition was no simple matter, and they were all on high alert in the face of such temptation.

While his Japanese counterparts were communicating with each other, John had already completed the takeover of the two major airlines, and everything went very smoothly. No one caused trouble, and there was no excessive media attention, because John was still in New York, waiting for further 'cooperation' with these guys in Japan!
Hughes Aircraft Company is no ordinary company. Those guys in Japan understand how important it is. This company is far more powerful than John's previous acquisition of Sikorsky. And once this acquisition is complete, John's Gulfstream will truly stand at the top of the helicopter industry. Utility helicopters and attack helicopters possess absolute power, which is what makes them so important. You can't just acquire a company like this, but this young John did it.

The arrival of these six Japanese banks was neither concealed nor necessary. Their arrival was naturally known to Morgan and Rockefeller, who were also amazed by John's abilities. Such a large loan did not require them to go to Japan to negotiate with various banks. With just one phone call, the banks arranged for professionals to come to their door. This shocked the entire Wall Street and truly demonstrated how strong John's reputation was in Japan.

"Gentlemen, I need to acquire Hughes Aircraft Company, which requires five billion US dollars. This is a lot of pressure for any bank, so I'd like to ask you all to jointly undertake this loan. What are your thoughts? If you don't object, I hope to complete this acquisition as soon as possible." "Five billion US dollars is nothing. In fact, Sanhe can handle it on its own. We can manage this pressure!" At this moment, Sanhe immediately jumped in, wanting to take all the loan business for themselves!

"Hehe, Sanhe really has a big appetite, aren't you afraid of overeating them!"

“That’s right, Sanhe is too arrogant. It’s just fifty billion US dollars. It won’t put much pressure on anyone. Sanhe wants to take all the benefits for itself. It can only be said that you are too greedy and do not take us seriously.”

"Since you all have no problems, that's good. Since you all still have room for maneuver, I wonder if you would be willing to accept Yixiao Loan again? Rockefeller and the others intend to sell Pratt & Whitney to me, which also requires a considerable amount of capital. If you are not under financial pressure, I hope to obtain more loans from you to complete the acquisition of Pratt & Whitney!"

"Hiss!" At this moment, the guys from the neon all gasped. The acquisition of Hughes Aircraft Company had already shocked them, but they did not expect John to have another big move, to complete the acquisition of Pratt & Whitney as well. They did not understand what Rockefeller and the others were thinking, how could they sell such important assets to this little guy John.

“Mr. John, are you sure it’s Puhui? If so, we have no problem with it. Just tell us how much funding you need, and we can jointly take on these two loans!” At this moment, Sanhe once again took the initiative to step forward.

Doesn't such a loan put any pressure on Sanhe at all? No, it does, but Sanhe believes in John's abilities and in the development of Pratt & Whitney and Hughes Aircraft Company without any problems!
"It is Pratt & Whitney, the American aircraft engine manufacturer you are thinking of. However, there is something I need to explain to you in advance. After the acquisition of these two companies is completed, some businesses will need to be spun off, just like the acquisition of Universal Pictures. Some unnecessary businesses that take up too much energy will need to be spun off to other companies. At that time, it may affect the company's market value. You should consider it carefully to avoid unnecessary trouble in the future."

"We have no problem with Sanhe. We trust Mr. John's abilities. If anyone has concerns, we can take full responsibility!"

Not all Japanese banks have the same determination as Sanwa. This isn't just a small loan; it's a multi-billion dollar loan. Although they know what happened when Global broke up, they still want to figure out John's thoughts.

“Mr. John, I wonder if, after the company is split up, the original company or the company that takes over the loan repayment will be responsible for it? As you know, we need to give an explanation to the company's senior management.”

"Both Hughes and Pratt & Whitney will become part of Gulfstream Aerospace, and the loans will be borne by their respective companies. It is precisely because the company needs to be split and restructured that I am informing you in advance to avoid affecting your judgment. Of course, if you feel the pressure is too great and cannot accept it, you can also give up. After all, after completing all the acquisitions, Gulfstream Aerospace will need to change, that is very clear, and change will inevitably have some growing pains, and perhaps some unexpected situations will occur!"

"Mr. John, could we know your detailed plans for Gulfstream Aerospace, and how large the assets will be after the spin-off?"

"It's a big deal. Hughes will only integrate the helicopter business into Gulfstream Aerospace. The aerospace and communications businesses will need to be separated, and Pratt & Whitney will also need to be separated. However, how to separate them will depend on their own circumstances. After all, Gulfstream Aerospace also needs to be restructured, and many things need to be discussed and decided together. So we can't give you any guarantees right now!"

(End of this chapter)