America: My Time

Chapter 768 Splitting Western Energy
Chapter 758 Dismantling Western Energy

"Interesting, very interesting. These guys are still not giving up, actually trying to test me at this time. What do they want?" After receiving the invitation, John's face showed a faint smile. Knowing his own situation, yet choosing to extend the invitation at this time, what are these guys on Wall Street up to, or rather, what does Buffett want to do?

Yes, it was Warren Buffett who invited John, but the timing made John sneer. It was the last day of January. The timing was really clever. Was this Buffett's scheme, or the scheme of those old guys, or Mellon, who wanted to get involved but failed? John dared not take these old guys lightly.

John refused. Whatever their schemes, his choice was simple: a direct refusal. For the time being, John didn't want any dealings with these guys, didn't want to give them an excuse to plot against him, and with the situation in the Middle East becoming increasingly tense, he was even less inclined to have anything to do with them, lest it jeopardize his next steps.

Of course, John couldn't afford to offend the entire Wall Street community. He had to maintain a certain level of courtesy, so he contacted Morgan directly to inquire about the details of the private reception and asked Morgan to refuse on his behalf. This was a way of giving them face.

"John, I knew you'd call. I bet you got those guys' invitations, right?"

"That's right, I received this unexpected invitation, which I don't quite understand. What are they trying to do? Why did they choose this time to invite me? I have no idea what they're planning, so I'm asking here."

"I don't know. I haven't received any useful information either. On the surface, it seems like a sudden invitation, but I always feel that something is not normal. Perhaps it was the idea of ​​those old guys behind it. Because from what I understand, this is not entirely an internal party, but some outsiders are involved. It's more like a forum. Perhaps it's because you haven't participated in their Davos Forum that some guys are getting restless, especially after what happened before!"

"Heh, they think I have to participate just because they invited me? They're being too presumptuous. I don't have time to play with them. I'm not interested in their ideas and I don't want to care. I have my own plans, and their thoughts have nothing to do with me. My development in Europe has been suppressed by these guys."

Morgan was well aware of the suppression John was facing in Europe. Unfortunately, those guys had tried everything but failed and paid a considerable price. Most importantly, John's determination shocked them! The devastation the British had left them with the realization that John was not someone to be trifled with, and that if an economic confrontation were to break out, they might not be so confident of victory.

"John, they might be looking for you to reconcile!"

"Reconciliation? Choosing this time? Do you think I'd believe it? If they truly want reconciliation, they need to show some sincerity. They don't think I'll accept it just because they bow their heads a little. What a joke! These guys are still intoxicated by past glories. Europe is no longer the dominant power. I don't think I need to compromise with them, nor is it necessary. At worst, I'll give up the European market. I just don't know if these guys can bear the consequences. I originally thought it was the work of those old Rockefellers, and I even wanted you to refuse, just to save them some face. Since it's these guys, I don't need to give them any face at all. The British compromised and paid the price, but those bastards didn't!"

John faced considerable resistance to the European acquisition, all orchestrated by those guys. How could John possibly accept their settlement now? Besides, these guys showed no sincerity whatsoever; their so-called settlement was just a facade, a mere test.

"Mr. Morgan, Western Energy has begun the process of splitting up. The Asian and European parts will be spun off, and the power and gas division is also planned to be spun off into a new company. I heard that some people are already dissatisfied with Western Energy's expansion, so the split has to be brought forward. After the split is completed, the power and gas company is preparing to go public. I wonder if you can take over?"

"That's not the problem. The only question is, are you sure you want to split it up like this? If you split it up like this, Western Energy will be severely damaged and lose its ability to expand." Morgan was shocked by John's decision. The method of splitting it up was too crazy. It made his scalp tingle. After splitting it up like this, Western Energy would only have the potential of the US oil fields left, and its value would plummet instantly.

“There’s no other way. Otherwise, those old guys wouldn’t be at ease. They think Western Energy is developing too fast, so we have to split it up like this. I believe that this way, they won’t pay attention to Western Energy anymore, and I won’t have to be watched so closely by those old guys.” “John, you don’t need to split it up like this. You’ll suffer a lot of losses. It will have a significant impact on your European operations. Without funding from the US, the pressure will be immense.”

“I know, so I plan to talk to the Japanese bank again and get a loan from them. I believe they won’t refuse. Moreover, this split will give the electricity and gas sectors more market value, which are truly high-quality assets.”

"Alright, since you've made your decision, I can't say anything more. But I still think it's a bit too crazy. There's absolutely no need to split it up so big. Even if you wanted to plan ahead, there was no need to suffer such a huge loss!"

"There's no real loss, at most it'll just be a bit slower development, nothing serious. Besides, we've made progress in Europe, so I don't feel much pressure. It's just that the nature of the European and Asian parts will change! But this suits them perfectly, they no longer need to worry about Western Energy posing a threat to them. I'll put Western Energy into the family fund next, so they can feel more at ease!" John didn't see anything wrong with Morgan seeing through his plans, because he had no intention of hiding it. It wasn't his fault; the blame lay with those old Rockefellers for being so petty, always worried that he would take their jobs.

"Hiss!" Upon hearing John's words, Morgan gasped. He instantly understood John's intentions: using Rockefeller and other old guys as shields to pressure them into transferring his assets. Now that Western Energy had been split up, the overseas assets would change instantly, and John would simply disappear from the domestic assets. This tactic, this scheme, was truly masterful.

Before Morgan could speak, John continued, "Mr. Morgan, the first round of financing will remain the same: 20% of the shares. As for the IPO, Morgan will handle that. I believe they will be very satisfied with the spin-off of Western Energy. Once the gas and power are separated, there will be nothing left for them to care about in the entire Western Energy."

John's statement is also true. Although Western Energy still has considerable assets, none of them would be of concern to Rockefeller and his group. What worried them most was Western Energy's development in electricity and gas. Now, with this split and subsequent listing, everything else vanishes in the face of profit. However, John directly spun off the overseas assets and hid them away.

John's decision to split the company into four was incredibly shrewd, even surprising Morgan. Such boldness is rare. Such a split could easily cripple a company, leaving it unable to recover. Yet John seemed unconcerned, leaving Morgan with a sense of loss. He felt that Rockefeller and his ilk might have made a mistake. While the split might temporarily impact John's energy strategy, the long-term consequences would be far more severe.

On the surface, it seems that after the spin-off, Western Energy will be responsible for domestic development, and its development may not be able to accelerate for a long time. After all, its high-quality assets have been spun off, and electricity and gas are considered valuable assets, while wind and solar power are less significant, or at least not many people care about them. But is this really the case?
Morgan didn't think it would turn out that way. This meant that Western Energy would be completely privatized and would no longer be able to go public. It would go into the family trust, which clearly meant that it would never be taken out again and would directly become one of the family's assets.

The European part seems to have just begun, but there have been no gains or profits yet. So as long as there is sufficient financial support, development is still possible. In particular, John has made it clear that he wants to increase energy development in Europe, and it has already been fully launched. Given enough time, it is not difficult to grow and expand.

Needless to say, Asia is home to almost all oil refineries, making it the center of oil refining and petrochemicals. Moreover, with less pressure and constraints, it can operate with unbridled freedom. Going public is out of the question; this is another company that directly builds its foundation, not giving others the opportunity to share profits.

European companies might have a chance to go public, but Asian companies are out of the question. With this split, Morgan Stanley discovered that most of Western Energy's assets had already been transferred, causing him to sigh. If John continued with the same methods, his assets would likely dwindle until he had almost nothing left. His assets had already been transferred gradually to offshore companies and funds through legitimate means, successfully diverting his wealth and making him disappear from public view.

(End of this chapter)