American Medicine God: Starting by Inheriting a Pharmaceutical Company and Selling Medicine

Fifth Avenue, New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET).

Victor stood in New York's most sacred art temple, wearing a dark gray, bespoke Italian suit that was cleaner than his conscience.

"A little further to the left, that's an original Rubens piece; be careful of its gold-leaf border."

Sofia's voice echoed in the hall. She wore a champagne-colored evening gown, and the lines of her exposed shoulders and neck were so beautiful that she looked like a Greek goddess who had stepped out of a painting.

Several staff members wearing white gloves were carefully hanging a huge oil painting on the wall.

That is Peter Paul Rubens' "Peace and War." In the painting, Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, is driving away Mars, the god of war, to protect Pax, the goddess of peace.

But that's not the focus of this chapter.

The key feature is the brand-new bronze plaque beneath the painting. It bears a line of gold lettering:

"Gifted by: Victor and Sofia Corleone"

And the new name of this exhibition hall:

"The Corleone Wing".

This was a grand press conference. The hall was packed with reporters from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and major television networks. Flashbulbs went off constantly, illuminating the entire hall as if it were daytime. Every click of the shutter seemed to be recording history, or rather, rewriting history.

Victor stood half a step behind Sophia.

This was a carefully chosen position. He is now a model husband who supports his wife, and a low-key, refined philanthropist.

Over the past two months, although the FBI investigation has been temporarily stalled due to some unforeseen circumstances, public opinion has not completely let Vought Pharmaceuticals off the hook. Accusations of "aggressive marketing" persist, and several small newspapers have even begun serializing a series of reports about "pill killers," without directly naming names, but it's clear to everyone who they are.

Therefore, today's show is of paramount importance.

It was not just a donation, but a carefully planned counterattack.

"This is the highest level of artistic whitewashing."

Standing in the shadows at the edge of the crowd, Saul whispered to Enzo beside him, "See those reporters? They came here to question our financial scandals and marketing tactics, but now they can only look up to this painting, look up to this name. In this sacred temple, any question about dirty money seems out of place, even blasphemous."

Enzo was still wearing sunglasses, even indoors. His hands were habitually placed near the hem of his suit jacket.

“I don’t understand art,” Enzo said coldly, staring at the nude goddess in the painting, “but I know how many AK-47s or tons of C4 this painting could buy.”

“A lot.” Saul smiled, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. “But what this painting can buy is more important than guns. It can buy ‘social immunity.’ When people talk about Corleone, they won’t think of painkillers first, but of Rubens, of charity, of the guardian of human civilization.”

The press conference has officially begun.

Victor stepped onto the podium.

"Ladies and gentlemen, many people ask me why, as the owner of a pharmaceutical company, I spend so much money on paintings that can't cure diseases."

A soft chuckle came from the audience.

"My answer is: medicine can only heal physical pain, but art can heal the soul."

There was thunderous applause.

This line was written by Sofia. It's full of the hypocritical yet appealing humanistic concern that the middle class loves.

"To perpetuate this healing power, I am very honored to announce today the official establishment of the Walter Family Philanthropic Foundation."

Victor paused for a moment, allowing the flash to fully capture the moment.

"We will initially invest $100 million."

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

One hundred million dollars. In 1997, that was an astronomical figure. It could buy the best office buildings in Manhattan, or revive a bank on the verge of bankruptcy.

"This fund will be dedicated to two goals: to elevate the human spirit through art, and to alleviate human physical suffering through scientific research."

Victor smiled as he looked at the shocked faces below the stage.

What they didn't know was that this "one hundred million dollars" was originally intended to be paid to the IRS as corporate income tax.

Under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code, donations to charitable foundations are fully tax-deductible. Even more remarkably, Victor not only successfully avoided a huge amount of taxes but also retained control of the funds.

By law, private foundations are only required to allocate 5% of their assets annually to charitable projects, while the remaining 95% can continue to appreciate in value in the capital markets, completely tax-free. The foundation's board members can be family members, meaning the money remains under the control of the Corleone family and can even be used to purchase private jets and pay exorbitant "administrative expenses."

This is the game for the rich.

By simply transferring money from one pocket to another, they not only saved money but also gained prestige. Taxes that should have become public revenue, used for building bridges, roads, and public schools, have now become private property hanging on a museum wall, a lasting source of family glory.

However, not everyone is convinced.

During the Q&A session, a female reporter wearing black-rimmed glasses stood up.

She was an investigative journalist for The Washington Post, known for her sharp incisiveness. Her eyes held no trace of the usual adoration, only skepticism.

“Mr. Corleone,” her voice was sharp and grating, “that sounds touching. But, according to our information, Water Pharmaceuticals has faced more than thirty state-level lawsuits in the past year for aggressive marketing.”

The atmosphere on set froze instantly. All the cameras turned and focused on Victor.

"Are you establishing a charitable foundation at this time to divert public attention? Or are you buying yourself 'indulgence'? Do you believe that a donation of one hundred million US dollars can wash away the tears of those mothers?"

This is a trap. No matter how Victor answers, if he tries to defend himself, he will appear guilty.