New York -- Even the countries most reluctant to recognize the international status of the United States have to recognize the centrality of New York as the capital of the world. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 With the exception of Londoners, of course.

In this cosmopolitan city, which has many nicknames such as "The Big Apple", "Gotham City" and "The City That Never Sleeps", every day can be described as a myriad of thrilling business stories and intriguing financial battles.

But now, at the Marriott Hotel in Manhattan, New York, a press conference is being held that has attracted the attention of the whole United States and even the world.

Steven Keys raised his eyebrows when he walked into the Marriott Hotel's conference room, which was now crowded with reporters and media. He only had to look casually and see that photojournalists from CNN, Agence France-Presse, the BBC, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal took the center of the room.

It can be said that the world's well-known media are present!

"Boss, let's get started. The assistant to the deputy ran over a little nervously.

"Yes, I see. But Steven Keys was more of an irrepressible excitement, and then he saw this time the partner, Jerry Levine, CEO of Time Warner.

He took the initiative to look over, and the other party nodded knowingly, and then the two sides walked to the rostrum of the press conference that had been prepared, and behind the rostrum was a media wall, on which were the logos of AOL and Time Warner.

Seeing Steven Case and Jerry Levine walk in, the reporters present immediately stirred, and the flash in the hands of the photographers immediately "clicked" non-stop. Although the reporters did not raise their hands to ask questions again, the "click" sound of the loud cameras immediately mobilized the atmosphere in the venue.

"Hello everyone, and welcome to the press conference on the merger of AOL and Time Warner. With the opening remarks of the master of ceremonies, today's press conference officially kicked off.

At the beginning of the millennium, and the curtain of the new millennium was kicked off by unprecedentedly strong news - AOL, the king of the Internet in North America's Silicon Valley, and Time Warner, the largest media group in Hollywood, announced a merger!

This earth-shattering news shocked the global IT and business worlds, and immediately made headlines in major media outlets, with AOL and Time Warner as leaders in their respective fields, with huge advantages that others cannot match. AOL is the world's leading Internet service provider, and his dial-up Internet service has led millions of families into the Internet era, and his online commerce and other businesses are also in Silicon Valley.

As for Time Warner, he has replaced Disney as the world's largest media conglomerate since completing the acquisition of Turner Broadcasting in 1996.

Now these two are going to merge into one!?

Whether it was Silicon Valley or Hollywood, they immediately felt the shock of shaking the earth. The largest business combination in history will create a seventh-largest supergiant in the world.

According to Wall Street estimates, the new company will have annual revenues of up to $30 billion, a total market capitalization of $286 billion, and an unprecedented $350 billion in total deals with unexercised options and warrants!

The two companies are proud to announce that they will form "the world's first fully integrated media and communications company for the Internet century."

AOL founder and CEO Steven Keys called the merger "a historic moment!"

The first earth-shattering thunder of the new millennium made the acquisition of Fox Group a few years ago, and the acquisition of CBS television network by Viacom Group for more than $30 billion, seem to be a big deal.

The name of the new company will be changed to AOL Time Warner, with Steven Case as chairman and Jerry Levine as CEO.

Media tycoon Ted Turner, the company's largest individual shareholder, will serve as vice chairman, rubbed his hands together excitedly and said, "The excitement of this merger is as exciting and wonderful as my first night more than 40 years ago!"

And that's because his stock is in the new company - worth $7.2 billion.

Of course, that's not all, because of the credit for leading "The Matrix", Barry Meyer has finally been appointed as the new CEO of Warner Bros. Pictures, and he is looking at the world of Hollywood with the most powerful media group in history.

On the other hand, Warner Records, one of the five major records, also announced that it will negotiate a merger with British record giant EMI EMI Records. For a time, Time Warner Group's news was full of news and periodicals large and small all over the world.

"So, what's going on now?" asked Sid, knocking on the table.

Since AOL and Time Warner announced their merger, the shares of the two companies have soared, especially AOL, which rose to $135 a share in just three days. Spencer said excitedly.

"What about our harvest?" Sid asked.

"The timing of our liquidation was very timely, just at a small high position. Spencer replied with a slight frown: "Last year's investment of $250 million, the final return after closing the position was $543 million, and the yield exceeded 100%. ”

"You seem to be worried all the time, Spencer. Sid quipped at Spencer.

"Mr. Leon, you know, I don't usually work in financial services, so my little heart is really ...... this time" Spencer explained with a slightly wry smile, after all, he is not a professional in financial business, so this stock roller coaster with more than 2 times the return in a year is still thrilling for him.

"I've said it all, don't worry. The NASDAQ's dot-com bubble didn't burst so easily. Sid said with a smile.

"That being said, people who speculate in stocks are crazy right now. Spencer pinched a cold sweat and smiled bitterly. Since the Nasdaq's Internet stocks doubled their surge a year ago, there have been occasional warnings about inflated stock markets, such as Warren Buffett.

However, the legend that "the so-called West is undefeated" and "the new economy triumphs over the old economy" has been hyped up countless times by various media and authorities, and almost no one doubts it anymore.

After all, even a "story" like "Ghost Shadow" made out of nothing will arouse the curiosity of the people who eat melons all over North America and even around the world after the three of them become tigers.

What's more, Internet stocks, which in themselves seem to be well-founded, and there are such living examples as Microsoft, Yahoo, and AOL?

But for a person like Spencer, who came from a commercial bank, the more frenetic the stock market becomes, the more unsettling it is for the conservative businessman.

"Let's get down to business. Sid said, he flipped through the information: "No matter how fragrant the NASDAQ is, after all, it is a game of chess for others, and the next thing is our real goal." ”

Hearing Sid's words, Spencer immediately regained his composure, and he also opened the information: "Victoria's Secret, now their market value has reached $1.62 billion, and their annual sales grew at a rate of 10% last year, Mr. Leon, are you sure you really want to do anything to this company?"

"It's not easy to force a takeover of a company that's growing too fast. Spencer asked with a worried look.

"Of course. Sid didn't explain much, but nodded briefly. Although it seems that Victoria's Secret's average annual growth is already very good compared to ordinary clothing companies, Sid knows that if he doesn't start now, he is afraid that he will have to spend more if he waits for a few more years.

What's more, what Sid wants is not to simply replicate the success of the historical Victoria's Secret.

"Okay, I see. Spencer nodded, "Then I'll go and practice a few private foundations first, and then you can choose." ”

"Yes, no problem. Sid added at the end: "As long as the top foundation, the cost is not a problem." ”

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Ali Emmanuel looked at Sid with a look of lovelessness. The reason is very simple, on the desk between the two of them, there is a neat pile of manuscripts, like an impassable tower.

"You ......" Ali (Emmanuel) felt a little dry in his throat, he coughed, and then said again: "Sid, aren't you, come again!?"

"Why, I didn't look for you last year, you don't think I forgot about it, do you? Sid smiled and patted the stacked manuscripts: "(Super) Hero", "Downton Abbey", "Pull Word Supremacy (Lace Edge)", "The Shield", "Mean Girl", "One Night with a Big Belly", "Summer of Jeans", "Million Dollar Baby", "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", "Frozen", "Mind Agent", "Pet Secret". ”

"Old rules, old routines, you know, Ali (Emmanuel). Sid said with a smile.

"It's been 48 books in three years. Ali (Emmanuel) scratched his hair, "Do you really want to send someone else's life's work in a few years?"

"It's 49 copies, and you forgot The Da Vinci Code. Sid corrected, "Besides, my main battlefield right now is not the book market, so I ......"

"So you want to just send out these well-written novels, I know, I understand. Ali (Emmanuel) waved his hand and said, "But it's also too wasteful, and some booksellers have complained to me that a lot of times, they publish your novels and compete with each other for readers, which is too wasteful." ”

"It's not easy. Sid knocked his chin and smiled: "Different types, wouldn't it be good to release them at the same time." ”

"Different types, released at the same time?" asked Ali (Emmanuel), confused.

"That's right. "Just as 'Summer in Jeans' is the standard teenage girl's book, and 'La Zimacy' is the lace-edged protagonist, gay and open-minded readers will be interested, and 'Downton Abbey' is a story of British aristocrats during World War I, so mainstream middle-class families will be interested." And "The Big Secret of Pets" is a standard children's fairy tale book. ”