America's No. 1 financial conglomerate

Chapter 458 Tacit Cooperation

They got really worked up; anyone with eyes could see that.

Tens of millions of dollars! This is probably the most expensive letter in the world.

In the international art market, tens of millions of dollars represent considerable purchasing power. Even works by masters of great importance in the history of Western art, such as Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh, can generally be acquired for this price, unless they are among the most representative and widely circulated masterpieces of their careers.

The guests present all had different expressions, and their eyes unconsciously turned to the man who maintained a cold and aloof expression.

As a globally renowned business tycoon and the world's richest man, Bill Gates showed no emotion on his face at this moment, as if the fierce bidding in front of him had nothing to do with him.

But everyone knows that tomorrow, the headlines and homepages of major American media outlets will likely be dominated by the name of this tech giant.

A contemporary Picasso, a new century's Monet.

However, the other person used paintings, while he used words.

That letter was almost certainly written by the world's richest man to Winblad.

Everyone is now curious about what exactly Bill Gates wrote in that letter.

"1500 million US dollars!" Bill Gates's calm voice rang out in the banquet hall.

As soon as he finished speaking, the archbishop on the auction stage became incoherent, his excitement barely concealed, his voice trembling as he repeatedly confirmed the new bid.

The other guests present also turned their attention to him, and their previously scattered gazes instantly focused on Bill Gates again, with surprise, doubt, and curiosity spreading through the crowd.

"My God, this is unbelievable! Even a love letter carrying special emotions shouldn't cost $1500 million to bid for, right?" A woman in a gorgeous dress covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock, and couldn't help but whisper to her husband beside her.

"Could this letter contain evidence of Bill Gates' crimes? Otherwise, why would he be willing to pay such a high price to fight for it?"

Some people no longer understand the situation and feel that continuing to raise prices is a very unwise move.

"What do you know? The core of the matter is no longer the letter itself." The man sitting next to the woman frowned, clearly dissatisfied with his wife's words. His tone was impatient, as if he wanted her to shut up and thought she was ignorant and shameful.

"Is it about saving face?" The woman, oblivious to her husband's displeasure, continued to press.

"Do you think that super-tycoons of their caliber, even if they really value their reputation, would do something so childish?" The man shook his head helplessly. Seeing that his wife wanted to ask more questions, he quickly lowered his voice and patiently explained in her ear, "The key now is not the value of the letter itself, nor who will ultimately win the bid, but that Bill Gates and Ernst have tacitly turned what was originally an ordinary charity auction into a large-scale publicity show for the whole world."

"A large-scale promotional show? What does that mean?" His wife looked confused. Wasn't the dinner itself a show?

The man cursed inwardly, even feeling annoyed, wondering how he could have married such a clueless and brainless woman who couldn't even see the obvious situation.

But he suppressed his emotions and continued to patiently explain, "Don't forget, tonight's charity gala is being broadcast live the entire time. All viewers can see every single moment. After tonight, regardless of whether Bill Gates or Ernst wins the bid, they will both successfully cultivate a positive image as philanthropists and become synonymous with charity through this high-priced auction."

After listening to the man's explanation, the woman finally understood, a glint of realization flashing in her eyes. "So, regardless of the final auction result, both of them will gain immense fame through this auction, fully showcasing their passion for charity and their willingness to give, allowing the whole world to see it?"

Seeing her husband nod, the woman suddenly felt a surge of impulse and said somewhat eagerly, "Then let's participate in the bidding too? Just two rounds, and then we'll give up. Wouldn't that mean we can promote ourselves through this globally watched auction without spending a single penny?"

Upon hearing this, the man was so angry that he almost lost his temper on the spot, wishing he could slap her to bring her to her senses.

He suppressed his anger, lowered his voice, and said in a warning tone, "Are you crazy? Anyone who dares to get involved at this time is courting death!"

"Who do you think Bill Gates and Ernst are? One is the world's richest man, with a business empire spanning the globe; the other is hailed as the future world's richest man, a super-rising internet tycoon. How could they possibly tolerate someone interfering at this time and trying to ride on their coattails?"

"At this point, if anyone dares to make a bid and try to get a piece of the pie, Bill Gates and Ernst will immediately put aside their competition and tacitly join forces to let you win the bid for this astronomically priced handwritten letter."

"At that time, not only will we lose a huge amount of wealth, but we will also become a laughing stock in the entire upper class."

Trying to climb the social ladder by riding on their coattails? Do you think they're fools?

The woman then realized the absurdity of her thoughts and quickly shut her mouth, no longer speaking.

Just then, Ernst calmly loosened his tie and then spoke steadily, "Thirty million US dollars. If Mr. Gates is willing to raise the price further, then I will not take his offer."

There's no point in continuing this endless bidding; he doesn't want to end up buying the letter at a high price.

A publicity campaign of thirty million US dollars is enough to create a showy image for one's philanthropic endeavors.

If this competition continues, it won't be about promoting charity anymore; it will be telling viewers how these wealthy people don't value money and how they squander their wealth. This will damage their public image and turn a good thing into a bad one.

By getting Bill Gates to bleed money and gaining fame through the show, the goal has been achieved.

After Ernst finished speaking, the entire banquet hall fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Bill Gates, awaiting his final decision.

Richard, sitting next to Ernst, quietly gave Ernst a thumbs-up, then leaned close to his ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "You've put him on the hot seat. Even if he's unwilling, he has to buy it now, even if it means gritting his teeth. There's no turning back."

Although the attendees at tonight's charity gala are all top American political and business figures, each possessing enormous wealth and extensive networks, thirty million US dollars is still a considerable sum. Among those present, there are definitely no more than thirty people who can come up with this huge amount of cash flow without affecting the normal operation of their own businesses.

So everyone present was curious to know whether Bill Gates would continue to raise the price and how he would deal with Ernst's seemingly conceding but actually coercive move.

There's also the issue of his image. If he gives up now, the image he's worked so hard to build in the audience's mind will collapse instantly.

His reputation in America isn't good, and he'll have to pay for this big show today, whether he wants to or not.

The key point is that the celebrities present knew more, and in their eyes there was another layer of meaning: when faced with money and love, which would you choose?

If you let everyone in the room answer this question, everyone will tell you that money is important.

But in public, you must choose love.

Once a positive image has been established, you can't just destroy it yourself, can you?

What's more, the archbishop on the platform was almost hoarse from shouting, and he was being praised to the skies.

"$3500!"

Bill Gates finally spoke up, and instead of adding millions at a time, he went straight for $3500 million.

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Whether they wanted to or not, they had to give it a round of applause just to save face, and Ernst was no exception.

Just when everyone thought the auction was over, a waiter suddenly ran up to the archbishop who was giving his thanks and whispered a few words in his ear.

He cleared his throat, picked up the microphone, and addressed the audience with an even more impassioned tone than before: "I have incredibly exciting news to announce! Once again, thank you to Mr. Ernst Garfield for his generous support of this charitable cause! I just received word that Mr. Garfield has clearly stated that he will donate an additional amount equal to the direct donations made by all the guests tonight, to further support this charitable endeavor!"

"Let us once again give a warm round of applause to Mr. Garfield for his selfless support of charitable causes. We are deeply grateful for his generosity and dedication!"

Applause erupted again. Ernst smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. Richard, sitting next to him, looked at Ernst's calm and composed demeanor and really wanted to tear off his face to see if he was hiding a cunning and shrewd fox.

"You've won again." He had to admit that Ernst had once again gained the upper hand in this contest with Bill Gates.

For viewers watching on television, almost everyone would assume that Ernst's donation was the largest tonight, given that the Archbishop had just said he would donate the sum of everyone's donations.

But there's a concept involved here: donations and auctions.

Bill Gates' $3500 million is not included in this, but the audience is unaware of this.

In other words, Ernst spent three to five million dollars and achieved or even surpassed the effect that Bill Gates achieved by spending thirty to fifty million dollars.

Given the previous scenes of the two constantly increasing their charitable efforts, in the minds of ordinary people, his influence tonight definitely surpasses that of Bill Gates.