People in other countries often think highly of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) because of some hearsay, and everyone thinks how powerful the IRS is, how not to provoke, in fact, the rich people with a little bit of assets in the United States are trying to avoid taxes, and the line between tax avoidance and tax evasion is very blurred. Baidu search literature network, more good free reading. Moreover, when tax evasion is discovered, it is usually just a matter of making up taxes, and few people go to jail for it.

Imagine if the IRS is really so pervasive and powerful, how can it leave so many loopholes for the rich to exploit, and even have a negative tax rate like Amazon's?

However, in another case, the IRS is really 'powerful'.

It's when it's used as an instrument of power.

This is actually the case all over the world, and Simon's memory is most familiar with the wave of industrial and commercial taxation, fire and health, and it is easy to get you to run a business.

On the side of the United States, the most talked about case of the gangster Al Capone who could not escape the IRS sanctions, was actually misunderstood by many people. It's not Al Capone evading taxes at all, it's the U.S. government's desire to clean up this overly arrogant gang leader, and the IRS is just a tool of power in the process.

Because all kinds of tax evasion and tax evasion in the United States are so common, the use of IRS is often very effective in the process of power tilting at the top.

Because one check is accurate.

Why did a certain golden retriever insist on refusing to publish his tax records before and after he was elected president? Is it just because of tax avoidance? Amazon has even made public negative tax rates, and if the tax avoidance methods are legitimate, what can be done publicly, anyway, the public's demand for its moral standards has really been reduced to a minimum.

The crux of the matter is still not investigated. Once publicly exposed, the media and political opponents who flocked to it will definitely pick up a microscope and scrutinize it little by little, and the slightest flaw will be magnified a thousand times, not to mention that the flaw is too obvious in the first place.

Now, the Levison Group, which Simon plans to acquire, is in a similar situation.

The Westeros system has already controlled the property of a certain golden retriever real estate developer, but Simon does not intend to support the other party too much, and slowly hangs it. However, Simon is very optimistic about the prospects of the real estate industry, which requires other real estate companies as expansion tools, and Levison Group is a good target.

With this company, Westeros Systems will have a very complete real estate development and operation team, as well as a large number of high-quality real estate projects, and at the same time, it will be able to further expand into North America and overseas with this company.

Thus, Simon, after the Levison Group rejected his terms of ownership, only put pressure on its huge debts, intending to force the Levison family to submit.

The IRS got involved without warning, and it was all about trying to bankrupt the Levison Group.

The traces of manipulation behind this incident are also very obvious.

Francis Levison was arrested for tax evasion of less than $2 million in a transaction three years ago.

$2 million is a drizzle for a super-rich person whose family assets reach the level of 1 billion, and under normal circumstances, the IRS will never make such a big move, often only making the rich pay back taxes, plus a fine at most.

Now, not only has Francis Levison been arrested, but the IRS has also used this as a reason to freeze the bank accounts of the Levison Group, and intends to conduct a further detailed review of the Levison Group's corporate accounts for five years. The situation of the Levison Group is not good, and if the IRS does this, those creditors will only be more anxious to recover the money, completely wanting the rhythm of the bankruptcy and liquidation of this old real estate company.

Some time ago, the contact of the Westeros system with the Levison Group became known.

When this kind of thing happens suddenly, everyone will only subconsciously think that this is Simon doing things behind his back.

If the deal fails, the other company will be cornered, if this kind of reputation spreads, it will be very unfavorable for the Westeros system, not to mention, this matter has nothing to do with Simon at all, he has no preference for carrying the black pot for others.

Using the strong network of contacts built up by the Westeros system in the federal government, Simon quickly found out what was going on.

Very simple.

Again, the point is to the Republican forces entrenched in the South, or, to be more precise, the Bush family.

It's also easy for Simon to figure out the ins and outs of the whole thing.

As early as 1986, before the elder Bush ran for president, Jeb Bush, the second son of the Bush family, gave up business and entered politics, and began to hold an important position as secretary of commerce in Florida, and tried to run for governor last year. Baidu search literature network, more good free reading.

All in an attempt to gain as much initiative as possible in the famously politically swing state for the White House.

In the past few years, because Simon secretly helped Clinton defeat Bush Sr. and enter the White House, and because he sensed the growing political influence of the Westeros system, the Bush family has made several small moves in a row, and the two sides can be described as back and forth.

After last year's midterm elections, Simon has asked the Westeros system's political lobby team to work hard in Florida, and this time he tried to take a stake in the Florida-based Levison Group, although the main purpose is to expand the real estate industry territory of the Westeros system, but even Simon himself has considered that investing in the Levison Group, which has a history of more than 100 years in Florida, will definitely be able to gather a large number of political forces in the local area.

The Bush family, who have been operating in Florida for many years, certainly won't allow that to happen.

Then the Levison Group was in huge trouble.

The black cauldron still has Simon to carry it.

If possible, Simon doesn't actually want to mess with politics at all, but this incident once again responds to the common saying in martial arts.

People are in the rivers and lakes, and they can't help themselves.

Three famous Wall Street snipers in the 80s, Ron Perelman, Carl Icahn and Michael Milken, why Milken ended up in prison, while the equally bad Ron Perelman and Carl Icahn were at large, obviously there were many signs of violations that could be traced, and in the end they were all gone, although there were many reasons, but one of the key points is that Ron Perelman and Carl Icahn were at large. Icahn is an active political activist and a big benefactor behind many politicians, actively participating in various election campaigns.

The Clinton and Lewinsky sex scandal is well known, but few people have noticed an inconspicuous detail, Monica Lewinsky, who was actually recommended by Ron Perelman to the White House as an intern.

Although things didn't turn out well, Clinton and Perelman were very good friends in private.

While Carl Icahn and Ron Perelman both have strong connections in Washington, Michael Milken is far from the political center of the United States. In order to live comfortably, the legendary financier who single-handedly brought the junk bond market to the peak also deliberately moved his bond department of Dechong Securities to Los Angeles on the west coast of the United States, and never had much interest in politics.

So, in the late 80s, in the storm of investigations of Wall Street's financial giants, Ron Perelman and Carl Icahn easily got out, but Michael Milken really took off a layer of skin.

Lesson.

If Simon was just a Hollywood filmmaker like Spielberg, then he would have to do whatever he wanted. However, with the current size of the Westeros system, if you don't support your political power as much as possible, you will only end up being a fat sheep that is constantly cut by people.

Even, Simon had to face all kinds of criticism to develop the military force controlled by the Westeros system alone, as well as the strong countermeasures that he had been planning in private.

Children with gold in the middle of the city are bound to be coveted.

The Westeros system, which has developed to such a large scale in just eight years, is actually the most typical child in the downtown with gold in his arms.

However, if the child is accompanied by a few strong bodyguards, the bodyguards still carry feared knives and guns, and the child himself even has one or two grenades on his body that if you dare to rob me, I will die with you, it is basically enough to take the eyes of most passers-by off the gold.

Simon's continuous layout in recent years is only to achieve this goal.

For this kind of small action of the Bush family, if it was a few years ago, Simon might have played with the other party to the end, even if it eventually changed the course of American political history.

Now, Simon doesn't plan to do that.

Simon hopes that the country's history will continue to develop according to its original trajectory, and that the Bush family will continue to toss and turn for eight years to empty all the vitality that Clinton has just recovered.

A weak country and a weak people are the best soil for the survival of powerful oligarchs.

Simon is a person who firmly believes in the inherent evil of human nature, and reading a certain Chinese book during this time has made him jump out of many misunderstandings in the past.

The way of being high and subordinate, it is not the best you give to others, and you will be rewarded accordingly.

Therefore, Simon decided to have a good talk with the Bush family in person.

The elder Bush, who is already 71 years old and basically in retirement, received a secret invitation from Simon, which was really a bit of a surprise.

Since the '92 election, the two sides have actually stood on opposite sides of each other.

In recent years, because of his lingering remembrance of the defeat in the 92 election and in order to pave the way for the future of his two sons, the elder Bush has secretly operated many small actions, and Simon, who is becoming more and more powerful and wealthy, has also become a key target of the Bush family.

I thought that the two sides would not have any chance to meet the king, but I didn't expect that the young man would personally send an invitation.

After thinking about it carefully, since last year's midterm elections, Simon Westeros has actually shown dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party, otherwise he would not bet on both sides.

Is this an attempt to turn completely?

Although the two sides have come and gone privately, if Simon Westeros intends to switch to the Republican side, the Bush family will definitely not be stupid enough to turn the other side away. Since the end of last year's midterm elections, a behemoth like the Westeros system has become a force that no politician dares to take lightly.

As for the contradictions accumulated by the two sides, if they can bring in a big arm to help, it is nothing at all.

Therefore, the day after receiving the invitation, the elder Bush secretly flew to Aspen, a ski resort in Colorado, in the central United States, in accordance with the other party's invitation.

As the former president of the United States, Bush Sr. still has the protection of the Secret Service by his side.

These people, to some extent, are actually eyeliner.

So, for the sake of the secrecy of this trip, I even tossed it hard. It's not easy for a 71-year-old man to travel from a warm southern state like Texas to central Aspen, which is the coldest time of the year.

Simon Westeros probably wanted to see their sincerity, and Bush Sr. took it for granted.

The other party is now qualified enough to put this kind of general.

It's Friday, January 20th.

Aspen's state of Colorado borders Utah, where Park City is located, and the distance between the two ski resorts is about 400 kilometers.

After attending the opening ceremony of the Sundance Film Festival yesterday, Simon still stayed in the snow-covered vacation villa in Park City on the surface, but in fact he quietly set off from Park City early this morning, bringing only a few henchmen, because it happened to be snowing in some areas on the way, and the car was very slow, and two ordinary cars of different models did not arrive at their destination until two o'clock in the afternoon. In order to avoid revealing his whereabouts, he didn't even stop for lunch halfway.

The meeting point is in a very ordinary mountain chalet.

Simon was alone with Neil Bennett, the other bodyguards were left in the city, and the elder Bush also had only two people.

Compared with Simon's dusty life, the elder Bush arrived by private jet was much more comfortable. Simon can actually fly by private jet, but he doesn't want to leave any flight records that could be pursued.

During the administration of Bush Sr., various invitations were sent to Simon, a young man who quickly became famous, but Simon was always refused. After saying hello, the two entered the holiday cabin, and the other two attendants took the initiative to guard the door.

When he came to sit down by the lit fireplace, Bush Sr. also prepared a bottle of tequila, which is said to be very old, and poured Simon a cup himself, which was another idle talk.

The veteran politician clearly wanted to learn more about Simon through a face-to-face conversation, and Simon was comfortable with it.

Finally, after discussing Simon's layout in Ukraine, Bush Sr. finally took the initiative to ask: "Simon, do you have anything to do with inviting me over this time?"

Simon took a sip of pure Mexican agave, looked at Bush Sr., and said bluntly: "George, I just want to talk to you face to face to avoid unnecessary conflicts between us in the future." ”

Bush's eyes narrowed slightly, but he said, "We have never had any conflicts. ”

Simon smiled, still looking directly at the other party: "George, there are some things that everyone knows, don't they? Actually, in the midterm elections last year, I revealed my wishes to Washington, and I don't have a penchant for getting too involved in political affairs, so I have increased my layout in Congress in order not to participate in the competition for the most competitive position." Moreover, I did all this only to protect myself, just to ensure that my personal interests would not be violated. ”

The elder Bush hesitated slightly, and then pointed out: "So, what about Florida?"

Simon was still direct: "This is my response to the Kevin Moorhouse incident in Pennsylvania, George, although the political strategy of the Westeros system is to protect itself, I am not the kind of person who does not fight back after being provoked. In order to prevent the fists from getting heavier and heavier in the future, I invite you to this meeting. ”

Bush Sr. stared at Simon, thought about it for a moment, and finally said, "Simon, I need to see your sincerity." ”

Simon said: "I can let my people completely withdraw from the layout of Florida, is this considered sincerity?"

Bush Sr. didn't expect Simon to be so talkative, and even a little doubtful that this kid was cheating. The matter of the Levison Group's tax audit was indeed arranged by him personally, but he didn't think that just this trick would make Simon Westeros take the initiative to compromise.

It doesn't make sense.

Simon felt the elder Bush's obviously suspicious gaze and said: "As I said earlier, the political strategy of the Westeros system is based on self-preservation, and I have not exerted too much ambition in Washington. So, that's my sincerity. In exchange, I don't want to see any targeting of the Westeros system from Southern Republican forces, oh, and, about the Levison clique farce, which I hope will be over next week. ”

Bush Sr. immediately said, "Didn't you say you were going to give up Florida?"

"I gave up the political layout in Florida, but the Levison Group is a business, and the Westeros system will increase investment in the real estate industry in the next stage, and the Levison Group is a very good platform. ”

The elder Bush fell silent, brought the tequila to his mouth, and after a while, said, "It's unlikely next week." Simon, you have to know that once some things are launched, it is not so easy to stop, at least for half a month, the IRS still has to be faced. ”

"Then let Levison out first. ”

"That's fine. Bush Sr. nodded, looked at Simon again, and suddenly asked, "Do you think Clinton can be re-elected?"

"Of course. ”

"So, what about 2000?"

Simon smiled and said, "As I said earlier, I have increased the layout of the Congress in order not to interfere in the competition for the position that is too sensitive. The 2000 election, that's your own business. ”

"Simon, I think you can be on our side. As you can see, the Democratic Party is simply scattered, and the Republican Party's governing philosophy is more suitable for the development of the Westeros system. ”

"You're right, George, but you always have to be a little persistent. Simon shook his head and said, "And, while I'm primarily going to support the Democrats, I'm not going to give up my friendship with the Republicans, and it may be a bit tactful to do that, and in my place, you know, I have to do that." ”

Bush Sr. certainly knows that.

The current Westeros system is too big.

After the stock price rise at the beginning of the year, the total value of the shares of Cisco, AOL, Daenerys Entertainment and Microsoft held by the Westeros system alone has exceeded $300 billion, and many media predict that Simon's personal net worth has reached $500 billion.

$500 billion, which is already 7% of the $7.2 trillion GDP of the United States in 1994, far exceeding the 1.5% of the federal GDP of the Rockefeller family at the peak of its wealth.

Standing in such a position, it is simply impossible to maintain some kind of pure position.

The tendency to settle has been neatly finalized, but in fact, it is just the beginning, and both parties will definitely have to see whether the other party will implement it.

However, the results of this meeting have been achieved.

The two of them were not in a hurry to leave, and continued to chat for more than an hour, and finally they both felt a little sympathetic to each other, and then the guests and hosts were happy.

Bush Sr. will stay in Aspen tonight.

After this meeting, Simon had no intention of spending the night in Aspen, and left in the evening, and did not return to Park City until about nine o'clock in the evening.