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Chapter 511 Las Vegas on the East Coast

On September 21, the early autumn in New England was already slightly chilly, but it did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm surging inside Foxborough Stadium.

The New England Patriots' home stadium once again hosted a long-awaited, high-energy match today, igniting the fans' long-awaited anticipation.

NFL games usually start in September each year, but this year it started a bit late. In addition, the New England team's game was the last game of the round, so it was delayed until the 21st.

However, good things come to those who wait. The delayed schedule did not dampen the fans' enthusiasm; on the contrary, it made their anticipation grow stronger with time.

In the VIP box at the stadium, Ernst stood by the window, watching the fans wearing Patriots jerseys pour into the stadium. They held up team flags, carried custom-made signs, and cheered and shouted incessantly, making one unconsciously immerse oneself in this sporting carnival.

Looking back, the VIP box was now full of people, with Robert Craft, the team's former owner, standing beside him.

Ernst Asset Management’s sports investment plan has begun, with the New England Patriots becoming the first target to be successfully acquired.

Robert Craft simply couldn't refuse the offer from Ernst Asset Management.

absolutely.

Ernst Asset Management has a small stake in his Craft Group, investing only $3000 million for an 18.6% controlling stake.

However, as a condition, Foxburg Stadium and the New England Patriots team became independent, with Ernst Asset Management becoming its largest shareholder, holding 51% of the shares and gaining absolute control over the team's operations and stadium management.

Correspondingly, Ernst Asset Management abandoned its pursuit of the Boston Red Sox and focused its efforts on acquiring the San Francisco Giants in Major League Baseball.

The issue between the two sides is quite simple: they're stuck on the price.

The two speculator owners of the San Francisco Giants are greedy and are fixated on the $2 million price tag, even though they only spent $1.15 million to buy the Giants four years ago.

In just four years, the prospect of achieving a nearly 100% premium was clearly beyond the expectations of Ralph's private equity division, leading to a stalemate in the acquisition negotiations.

"It is a bit old." After looking down at the entire stadium again, Ernst spoke slowly.

These words instantly struck a nerve with Kraft, who flashed a fleeting, almost imperceptible look of joy across his face, but quickly concealed it.

"Yes, I think this rising team deserves a better stadium."

"A rising team?" Ernst's lips curled into a faint, cold smile.

Perhaps so. A team with no foundation, which has been languishing among the bottom teams for years, has only made it to the Super Bowl once and the playoffs a few times. Is that what you call a rise?

In his view, the New England Patriots' so-called rise should be more accurately described as a flash in the pan.

It's worth noting that just a few years ago, from 1989 to 1993, this team had a dismal record, consistently ranking at the bottom of the regular season winning percentage, with playoff spots seemingly out of reach. Even their own fans were disappointed with the team, and would even give the middle finger to express their dissatisfaction when they saw the team's players on the street.

However, Kraft was not wrong, because this team is about to usher in its own dynasty.

Even Ernst, who hadn't watched much football, knew that in the NFL draft two years later, this team would select Tom Brady, the core of their dynasty.

It was this player, who would later be known as the god of football, who would lead the New England Patriots on a glorious two-decade journey.

During Tom Brady's tenure, the team won six Super Bowls, nine AFC Championships, and 16 AFC East Championships, and set the NFL record for the longest winning streak in the regular season at 21 games.

With this series of brilliant achievements, the New England Patriots have completely shed their "underdog" image and become one of the NFL teams with the most fans in the world, with their commercial value and brand influence growing exponentially.

Ignoring Kraft's words, Ernst looked at Massim on the other side. Seeing that he remained silent, he said with amusement, "This is Boston, don't you want to say something?"

The stadium is located in Foxburg, a suburb of Boston, only about 30 kilometers away.

In fact, the reason Kraft was willing to separate the New England Patriots and Foxburg Stadium from the Kraft Group and hand over control to Ernst Asset Management was because this small-time tycoon had limited resources and influence in the Boston area and could no longer manage the business.

Since acquiring the team in 1994, Kraft has been pushing for plans to build a new stadium.

He certainly couldn't have imagined the team's future achievements, so from the very beginning, he was aiming for real estate.

Despite the New England Patriots' lackluster record, their influence throughout the New England region and their substantial fan base make them a true market team that all other teams in the league envy.

Kraft's purpose in acquiring the team was to build a new stadium and simultaneously develop the surrounding commercial and residential areas. He aimed to leverage the foot traffic and popularity generated by the stadium to boost the sales and leasing of real estate projects, thereby achieving rapid wealth growth.

But so many years have passed, and the plan for the new stadium has still not been approved.

There must be something fishy going on here.

Who would believe that?

Just because he can't do it doesn't mean Ernst Asset Management can't.

Ernst's honeymoon relationship with the Boston consortium was not something he deliberately concealed; anyone in America with even a slight connection to the matter knew about it.

This is Boston, and for Kraft, getting approval for the new stadium is a major hurdle, but for Ernst, turning that hurdle into a smooth road is too easy; he has plenty of leverage.

At that time, it's possible that not only will the new stadium plan be approved, but it may even receive more policy support and resource allocation.

Facing Ernst's gaze, Massim knew he couldn't avoid it and retorted irritably, "You're trying to get something for nothing again? The interests involved are very complicated."

His words also suggest that the commercial interests brought by this stadium have been targeted by many people.

Otherwise, Kraft wouldn't have needed to wait for Ernst Asset Management to come to him; he could have just offered his shares and everyone would have made a fortune together.

Clearly, Kraft's acquisition likely disrupted their plans, and they were not satisfied with the shares he was able to offer.

They want to seize the entire fortune and may not be willing to leave Kraft any shares at all.

What does it mean to have complex interests?

This indicates a large number of participants, which also suggests a large appetite.

But Ernst didn't care; his food wasn't exactly easy to come by.

"I remember there was a very large wasteland in Everett," Ernst said casually, turning his gaze back to the stadium.

Ernst's words instantly changed the atmosphere in the private room.

Like Kraft, many people had their mouths slightly open, clearly taken aback by Ernst's appetite.

But at the same time, a glint of cunning flashed in Kraft's eyes.

Massim's eyes widened, and he instinctively asked, "What do you want to do?"

Ernst smiled calmly. "Nothing much. Since you said the situation is complicated and involves too many interests, let's just make this pie bigger."

He then declared confidently, "I'll be the host, and all those who want a piece of the pie are welcome."

Even Massim was awestruck by the imposing presence Ernst displayed at that moment.

Because the cake he made was extremely large, practically enormous.

The wasteland in Everett that he was referring to is located in the riverside area of ​​Everett, at the confluence of the Morton River and the Mystic River.

It is located north of Morton, south of Boston and Cambridge, and east of Logan Airport, making its geographical location extremely advantageous.

From here, you can quickly reach downtown Boston and surrounding cities by road.

With the help of the airport, it can connect to all parts of the United States.

It can even reach the Atlantic Ocean via rivers.

This geographical location offers unparalleled advantages for developing commerce, residential properties, or cultural tourism industries.

The reason it was abandoned is because this area used to be an industrial development zone.

To build skyscrapers here, one must not only invest huge sums of money to buy land, but also spend a lot of money on environmental remediation.

Over the past decade or so, many large corporations have wanted to develop this area, but none of them have reached an agreement.

One factor is the price of the land; the entire plot is priced at over $5.8 million.

Don't think it's expensive; this is a plot of land that covers more than 107 acres, and the price per acre is only about $550 million.

This price is significantly higher than that of pure commercial land in Boston, but considering its excellent location and ample development potential, it is actually very cost-effective.

It's important to understand that there isn't such a large contiguous area of ​​land available for development in downtown Boston, and the $5.8 million offer also includes ownership of three supporting docks.

The real estate companies that had previously been in contact with the authorities did not want to acquire the entire plot of land; they only wanted to acquire a portion of it.

The city of Everett had no objection to this, but they demanded that the city government fund the management of the land adjacent to the plots they purchased, which was impossible.

"Think about it, stadiums, upscale residential areas, resorts, commercial centers—we can turn this place into a new landmark in the Boston metropolitan area," Ernst said, standing in the VIP box, outlining his vision for the future.

With this land, you could build more than ten stadiums, let alone just one. The current Bernabéu stadium, including its interior and exterior, is only about ten acres in size.

With just one-tenth of the land, a luxurious, modern stadium can be built, and the remaining land is sufficient for other commercial developments.

Boston is a major city in the northeastern United States, and the New England region has the highest per capita income in the country. It is an economically developed and densely populated area with a strong demand for high-end housing, quality commercial and leisure resources.

Creating such a new landmark that integrates sports, residence, commerce, culture, tourism and entertainment will not only enhance Everett's urban image and economic vitality, but also further alleviate the population pressure and resource shortage in downtown Boston.

"Do you know how much money this will require?" Massim asked skeptically.

The $5.8 million for the land was actually the smallest part of the investment; the real bulk came from environmental remediation and engineering construction.

Ernst nonchalantly replied, "Forty billion dollars? Or fifty billion?"

After saying that, he turned to look at Massim again, his voice full of temptation, "What do you think would happen if there were a Las Vegas on the East Coast?"

This time, Massim's eyeballs almost popped out, and Kraft nearly suffocated because he forgot to breathe.

Behind the group of people, two young girls, not very old, stared intently at the man standing by the window, their restless bodies feeling as if a million ants were crawling all over them.

If the circumstances weren't so inappropriate, the two of them would definitely want to remove all their restraints and let each other experience what the allure of twin sisters truly meant.