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Chapter 384 A Powerful Family's Inheritance Dispute

On the soft sofa, almost the instant Ernst stepped in, a blonde woman to Hugh Hefner's right reacted first.

She flashed a sweet smile that could melt ice and snow, and rose from the sofa with nimble yet elegant movements, making room for Ernst.

She even thoughtfully wiped the seat gently with a velvet tissue, as if to brush away any possible dust for the young tycoon who could determine her future.

This happened so quickly that the other brown-haired woman on the other side of the sofa didn't have time to react at all.

When she saw the blonde woman already standing smilingly to the side, waiting for Ernst to sit down, her lips, which were originally painted with bright red lipstick, instantly pursed into a straight line. A trace of annoyance and jealousy flashed across her eyes, and even her cheeks turned faintly ashen.

She cursed herself inwardly: Damn it! How could I be so slow to react! That little bitch stole such a good opportunity.

This is Ernst, the perfect eligible bachelor template.

Whether it's wealth, status, or health, he's far superior to that old geezer next to me. If I had been the one to offer my seat earlier, I would be the one feeling Ernst's presence up close right now, instead of that bitch.

The brown-haired woman stared intently at the blonde woman, the resentment in her eyes almost tangible.

The blonde woman didn't even glance at her. After Ernst sat down, she skillfully picked up the whiskey bottle on the table, poured him a glass of whiskey with a charming gesture, and then went even further, gently taking Ernst's arm and leaning her body closer to him in a subtle way.

That clingy behavior made the brown-haired woman so angry she wanted to grind her teeth.

"You little slut! Your sluttyness is practically oozing from your eyes!" the brown-haired woman thought viciously. "All you do is play the victim and fawn over people. You're practically glued to them after just a drink. What good does it do? Do you even have the looks to back it up?"

She subconsciously puffed out her chest, trying to overwhelm the other person with her presence, but when she thought about the opportunity she had missed, she couldn't help but feel deflated.

At this moment, Ernst was clearly unaware of the undercurrent of conflict between the women. He turned his gaze to Hugh Hefner and asked in a calm but inquisitive tone, "What happened?"

Upon hearing this, Hugh Hefner's smile faded slightly. He gently swirled the whiskey in his glass, the amber liquid rotating within.

After a moment, he slowly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible weariness: "Kimberley and I have separated."

The person who reacted most strongly to this statement was not Ernst, but the distressed brown-haired woman from before.

The annoyance and jealousy in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by undisguised excitement and anticipation. Her expression became radiant, as if she had stepped from a cloudy, overcast day into a bright, sunny one.

What good is Ernst no matter how good he is? Even if you can get close to him, you'll most likely just be one of his many playthings, just like that self-righteous Gisele Bündchen.

Everyone else came tonight, but she's still in her room. To put it bluntly, isn't she just relying on Ernst's connections? What's with this bitch pretending to be so high and mighty?

Hugh Hefner is a different story. If you can please him, you might become his third wife and rise to the top in one step, entering the true upper class.

"What can I do to help you with?" Ernst's expression turned serious.

In the United States, the mere mention of separation is practically a euphemism for an unsustainable marriage, and what awaits them is likely a protracted divorce battle.

Hugh Hefner did not answer immediately, but instead raised his glass and gestured in Ernst's direction.

Ernst also raised his glass, and the two glasses clinked gently in the air, producing a crisp sound.

Hugh Hefner then downed the remaining whiskey in his glass and said with a determined look, "I want to sell this estate to MGM for one dollar. However, MGM has to agree to one condition. I must continue to live in this estate until the day I die; only then will the transaction be officially completed."

The women on the sofa, including the blonde who had been clinging to Ernst, were all stunned, their eyes wide open, as if they had heard something unbelievable.

They looked at each other, their faces filled with disbelief, and the same thought popped into their minds: Is Hugh Hefner having a bout of dementia?

Playboy Estate?

One dollar?

This mansion is valued at over $100 million by renowned magazines such as Forbes. In the current real estate market, even a premium of 20 to 30 million dollars would attract a large number of wealthy individuals eager to buy it.

Even if he wanted to divorce Kimberly and was worried about the division of assets, he wouldn't make such a bad deal, would he?

This manor is one of the symbols of the Playboy empire; countless people dream of owning it. Now Hugh Hefner is saying he'll sell it to MGM for one dollar? Isn't that just plain stupid?

Only Ernst's expression remained calm, and a hint of understanding even flashed in his eyes.

This seemingly lazy old man is shrewder than anyone else. The reason he proposed such transaction terms is not because of dementia, but because of the transfer of assets, in order to avoid his ex-wife Kimberly taking too much of his property in the divorce case.

Of the company shares he held, some were transferred to a family office he had previously established for management, while the rest were directly transferred to his children, Christie and David.

According to U.S. law, even if he and Kimberly divorce now, Kimberly will hardly receive a share of these shares, which have already been transferred and legally notarized. He will only have the right to enjoy the rights and benefits.

Of the remaining assets, the only one still in his personal name, of extremely high value, and easily targeted by Kimberly, is this Playboy estate.

If Hugh Hefner simply transfers the estate to someone else or mortgages it, and Kimberly appeals in the divorce proceedings and provides evidence that it is joint property acquired during their marriage, the court will likely award Kimberly half ownership of the estate, which is clearly unacceptable to Hugh Hefner.

But if the estate were sold to MGM, the situation would be completely different.

What does it mean that the deal is only complete when he dies?

This condition meant that, for every day Hugh Hefner was alive, MGM had to bear all the daily expenses of the estate, including but not limited to exorbitant property fees, utilities, gardener and servant wages, and staggering annual property taxes.

Property taxes alone amount to millions of dollars annually. Add to that daily maintenance costs, staff expenses, and so on, and it would be impossible to maintain normal operations without several million dollars each year.

If Hugh Hefner were to live another fifteen years, the total amount MGM paid for the estate over those fifteen years would essentially equal its current market value.

However, from both a personal and business perspective, Ernst had no reason to refuse the deal.

Needless to say, from a personal standpoint, he would definitely side with Hugh Hefner.

From a business perspective, this Playboy estate is no longer just an ordinary property for MGM.

Through the program's operation and promotion, all the perverts in the world know that Playboy Estate is the filming location for the popular show "Playboy Spy," and the place where angels are born in the hearts of countless men.

This manor has become a highly commercially valuable IP symbol with a huge brand effect.

If MGM can acquire this estate, it will generate a steady stream of revenue, whether for continuing to film shows, developing merchandise, or hosting high-end commercial events.

Ernst looked at Hugh Hefner with a hint of suspicion in his eyes. "So, this is why you called me tonight and asked me to come over?"

The members of this circle are all men in their seventies and eighties, around the same age as Hugh Hefner. They share a common hobby: a deep affection for young and beautiful women, and they openly share their prey with each other.

Every Monday night, they hold a men's night where a group of old men gather in a luxurious venue, drinking whiskey, watching beautiful women perform, and discussing all sorts of romantic matters.

Jerry Buss, owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, is one of the core members of this circle. In addition, many other celebrities who enjoy great fame in the entertainment, business and sports industries are also frequent visitors to this circle.

Given the situation today, he should have called up his good buddies.

Faced with Ernst's suspicion, Hugh Hefner first gave an awkward laugh, then made an excuse, saying, "It's too late, they're all asleep."

You and I, being old folks, can't stay up late, can we?

Do they realize it?

Seeing the obvious disbelief on Ernst's face, Hugh Hefner knew this excuse wouldn't fool him, and sighed helplessly, "Actually, Kimberly was originally the woman Bane had his eye on. But you know, love is a strange thing; sometimes it unknowingly veers off course—"

Noticing Ernst's expression turning somewhat unpleasant, he quickly changed the subject, explaining, "Actually, Bane had warned me long ago that Kimberly was too scheming and unsuitable to be a wife. Now that Kimberly and I have reached the point of separation and are in such a sorry state, if my old buddies in the circle saw me like this, wouldn't they laugh at me to death? I can't afford to lose face like that."

Ernst's expression softened slightly upon hearing this.

Ernst accepted the theory for the time being and stopped dwelling on it. Instead, he asked with interest, "What exactly caused things to turn out this way between you two?"

As he spoke, Ernst's gaze involuntarily drifted downwards, landing on Hugh Hefner's clitoris.

The meaning in his eyes was self-evident. For an old man nearing eighty, marital problems easily lead one to associate them with his physical health.

Hugh Hefner glared at Ernst instantly. "I have lots of little toys, I have a nimble mouth, and my fingers are very dexterous."

Ernst curled his lip. What the hell is there to be proud of?

If fake ones were really that effective, there wouldn't be so many female dogs in the world.

Hugh Hefner ignored him and sighed, "It's all about the money."

He turned to Ernst and asked, "Do you know how much wealth I have now?"

Ernst looked strange, and the women around him who had overheard him were dumbfounded.

You tell someone who is the fourth richest person in the US and the third richest person personally how much money they have.

"Forbes actually told me I have $14 billion in assets."

While others might wish for higher assets, the old man's expression was one of helplessness.

"There's a dispute over inheritance. The Playboy Group has grown so well that Kimberly is dissatisfied with the original distribution."

Ernst immediately understood the situation: it was a power struggle among wealthy families over inheritance, which was quite normal.

"I remember you used MGM's $50 million to buy back a significant amount of Playboy Holdings' shares. These shares?"

"In the hands of Christie and David." That's the key.

"The agreement was that I would put my MGM and Playboy shares in the family office, and the $50 million from MGM would be used to buy back a portion of the Playboy shares held by other shareholders, along with some of my other assets, and then distribute them to Christie and David."

"As for the cash and real estate I possess, they belong to Kimberly and her two children."

"How much Playboy Group stock do Christie and her team own now?" Ernst asked a crucial question.

Hugh Hefner took another sip of his drink. "Around 20%."

No wonder they're fighting over the inheritance.

According to institutional valuations, the Playboy Group is worth between $24 billion and $28 billion, and the shares held by the two individuals are worth $500 million.

And what about the assets held by Kimberley and her son? They amount to just over one hundred million US dollars.

I was quite satisfied with the initial allocation, but now, who could have imagined that Playboy Group would be merged into MGM and soar to new heights under Ernst's leadership?

If you're dissatisfied, then make a scene.

Having someone as your bedmate gives you a certain advantage.

However, this scheming woman probably never expected that Hugh Hefner would be so ruthless as to flip the table.

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