Chapter 031 "Jin Yuan Prince"

The total market value of 5.3 billion US dollars naturally seems to be a very large number, but firstly, Qin Qin's current liquidity is very abundant, and secondly, the 5.3 billion is only Apple's market value, and Xinlan does not intend to swallow it all, as long as he can grasp the board of directors, it will be considered a success, so Huā Fei is far from needing so much. It can even be said that even if Xinlan wants to have an absolute controlling stake in Apple, it does not need to spend more than $3 billion, which is really not a big deal for the Xinlan consortium, which now has an absolute controlling stake in Cisco, Yahoo, Google, Amazon, eBay, Nokia and part of the shares of large technology stocks such as Motorola, IBM, and Oracle.

Xiao Chen was also stunned until this moment to discover that the Xinlan Consortium, a consortium that had no impression in his mind at all in his previous life, may have become a super-large consortium that can almost affect the world economic situation. If there is any flaw in Xinlan's wealth myth in the past ten years, it is probably only the failure of the conspiracy to control Intel the year before last, but it is not a mistake made by Qin Qin Capital, but the US government cannot allow such a company involved in national defense and security to be controlled in the hands of a pure Chinese consortium leader, even though the ancestors of this Chinese family have been serious Americans for three generations.

"I fully agree with the acquisition of Apple, and for Apple's future...... As long as Jobs is here, the future is extremely promising. Xiao Chen's words are really not red and his heart is not beating, because it is proved that Apple's market value of more than $320 billion in 2011 is even more than 100 billion more than Microsoft's market value of more than $210 billion at that time. This is almost a myth of 3 billion, and in six or seven years, it will double to 200 billion, why not do it?

"Must be Jobs?" Qin Qin asked.

"Yes, it has to be, it's a prerequisite, and his role for Apple is as important, if not more so, than Chambers's role for Cisco." Xiao Chen said affirmatively.

"Okay, I understand, I will follow the style that our Xinlan has been doing for the past ten years, hand over the apple to Jobs, and do whatever he wants." Qin Qin said with a smile.

Xiao Chen was slightly surprised when she heard her tone: "Auntie, judging from your tone, I feel that you have something more important than this that you haven't told me yet?" ”

"Good boy, that's smart......"

Xiao Chen broke out in a cold sweat.

"Okay, okay, good news for you."

"Huh?"

"But before I do that, I want to be sure of one thing." Qin Qin was not in a hurry, but asked, "You like cars very much?" ”

"Huh? Why do you ask that? There are very few men who don't like cars, just look at the little boys, men are naturally interested in guns, cars and the like, just like girls love Barbie dolls. Xiao Chen was a little strange, and suddenly had a little realization in his heart, could it be ......

"So, what kind of cars do you like? Noble and luxurious? Movement cào controlled? Or what's special? Qin Qin still asked.

Xiao Chen was a little sweaty, he was not an enthusiast, how could he be so particular, so he had to beg for mercy: "My good aunt, just let me go, it's true that I like cars, but it's more just because our country doesn't have a world-famous car brand, I care more about the automobile industry in Huaxia, rather than from personal interests." ”

"Okay, okay, I'm not going to tease you, I'm going to put together a car company." Qin Qin said indifferently.

"Oh? Which one? Which country? Xiao Chen asked.

"Naturally, the American automobile company is the core, otherwise where would I go to win the support of the American government? How can I get such a big plan without the influence of the US government? Qin Qin replied casually.

Xiao Chen was taken aback: "The United States? Pick one of the Big Three? He felt sweat in his head: "That's all giants with a net worth of tens of billions......"

"Don't worry, your aunt and I are not so stupid, GM and Ford are not so active, I went to buy Chrysler." Qin Qin smiled confidently.

"Chrysler has now merged with Daimler, Daimler is ambitious, will it sell?" Xiao Chen hesitated, DaimlerChrysler didn't break up until 07, and now it's only the end of 03, it shouldn't be exhausted, right?

"Daimler has been losing money since he bought Chrysler, and now it is losing more and more, and it has become a cancer on Daimler, and Daimler has long had the intention to sell it, but it is difficult to find buyers. At the beginning, Daimler spent $36 billion in order to merge Chrysler, and now it has lost more than 10 billion, and our Xinlan Fund Investment Department estimates that Chrysler's value will not exceed 15 billion now, and Chrysler still has more than 10 billion debts. Daimler is just crying now, and the world's luxury car boss is not so easy to do, if it weren't for Mercedes-Benz making real money, Daimler would now just be afraid that the world would cry and sell Chrysler. ”

Xiao Chen was sweating profusely again, how could it be as if the DaimlerChrysler in this world was worse than the situation in the original world? It's really strange that my butterfly wings have such a big impact?

Xiao Chen knew the situation of DaimlerChrysler in his previous life, which was probably Daimler's most failed cross-border merger.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Daimler AG Jürgen. On January 12, 1998, Schremp came to Chrysler Corporation Chairman Robert Brown Brown alone. Eaton's office, where Schrump left 17 minutes later, and Eaton didn't even invite Schremp to a cup of coffee. But this hurried meeting is just the beginning of a long story. Since then, they have finalized a $36 billion merger, the most important experiment in business history with a cross-cultural merger. What was once widely described as a "match made in heaven" did not deliver on the synergies that were evident on paper. On the contrary, it became a Shakespeare play that would not appear in MBA textbooks. It's a story of deceit, strife, and greed, as well as cowardice, self-sufficiency, and loss of control, and this human tragedy has not ended to this day.

Fundamentally, all business is driven by human nature. But few business practices have shown the human side of failure quite as much as the disastrous DaimlerChrysler merger.

The instigator of Chrysler's fate today is Robert. Eaton (Robert Eaton). In March 1992, he became Chrysler's successor. In the early 1990s, Chrysler overtook its rivals in Detroit. But at its peak, Chrysler was also a target for some hunters. Among them, Kirk Ryan, a former boxer, pilot and a billionaire who became involved in aviation, real estate and film and television, announced in a high-profile manner that he would buy shares in the hands of ordinary shareholders for $55 per share in cash.

Faced with a $22.8 billion acquisition, Eaton's attitude was to refuse, but Kirk Ryan not only made Eaton realize that Chrysler was not unbuyable, but also planted a seed of fear in the engineer's heart. The fear of the future had defeated Eaton, and he needed someone to stand with him. So Eaton, who had announced that he had "no idea of merging with other people or companies or being acquired," asked his deputy to find someone to approach.

In Eaton's vision, the best person on earth to merge would be Germany's Daimler-Benz. On the other side of the Atlantic, Daimler-Benz is also searching the world for possible partners, and the answer is clear: Chrysler. As a result, the chairman of Daimler-Benz, Jürgen. Schremp walked into Eaton's office.

The two men who will meet in Detroit are probably two of the most different creatures in the world. If Eaton is cold and wooden, Schremp is like an eternally burning engine. He was tall, stout, and extremely energetic. He once climbed the Italian Alps with Meisner, the first mountaineer to climb Mount Ioste without oxygen; He has been working frantically since early in the morning, smoking Marlboro cigarettes one after another all day, and in the middle of the night, he is not in a hurry to rest, but eats and drinks.

Fearlessness and energy have led Schremp from a truck mechanic (better known as a truck after-sales serviceman) to the leader of the German industrial giant. During his time in South Africa, he was a vocal opponent of apartheid and became friends with Nelson Mandela, the black leader of South Africa.

Facing Eaton, Schremp gets straight to the point as if he were talking to someone about a five-dollar deal: "You don't have much time, and so do I." So let's get straight to the point. I evaluated Chrysler and my own company. A lot of people in both of our companies are talking about the global automotive industry in 1995-1996. I've come to the conclusion that if our two companies merge together, it will be a good fit. The product, the geography, everything is a good match. Right? ”

After a pause, Schlump saw that Eton didn't say anything, and he continued: "Of course, if you think I'm a little too hasty, just let me know. If you don't think it's good, I'll be sorry but it's nothing. I just need an answer, what do you think? ”

Fear, as well as Schremp's direct expression, made the usually silent Eaton not hesitate much. It took only 17 minutes for the talks to end. After leaving the house, Schlump laughed to his own people and said, "It was so fast, he didn't even have time to invite me to a coffee." It's so bāng! Ten days later, Eaton called Schrump and said it was worth sitting down and talking.

It took eight days for the negotiators, including lawyers, legal advisers and bankers, to come to a clear conclusion: the best way to guarantee tax exemption to shareholders is to form a new German company. But "tax exemption" does not solve another problem - who puts the names of Daimler and Chrysler in front of the name of the new company?

The Americans again gave in. At 10 a.m. on May 7, 1998, Eaton and Schremp signed an agreement in London for the formal merger of Chrysler and Daimler-Benz.

In December of that year, DaimlerChrysler held the first big meeting of the German and American leaders, where everyone ate, drank and competed together to enhance mutual understanding. Because of the jet lag, Eton went back to his old place early to rest, but Schlenp led the people to party. He sang all the pop songs he could think of, and in the wee hours of the morning he carried his female secretary to his shoulder, picked up a bottle of champagne with his other hand, and returned to his room.

Like their leaders, the two companies are so different – all of these problems are not only difficult to complement, but even irreconcilable.

In a public speech, Eaton spoke of sacrifice. His eyes were gone, his face flushed, his voice choked, and he soon began to sobble in front of 300 company executives. As people applauded Eaton's self-indulgence, Schremp asked Chrysler President Strkamp, who was sitting next to him, "Do you know what he's doing?" I know, he's saying goodbye. ”

Yes, since then, Eaton has gradually faded out of the company's decision-making level.

In August 1999, Chrysler's head of marketing and sales, Jimholden, received a job offer to become president of Auto World, Inc., a chain of more than 400 dealerships. In order to keep Holden, Eaton ordered the company's president, Sterkamp, to leave, and a stunned Stercamp finally accepted the absurd request in order to protect his retirement compensation.

Chrysler posted a staggering $1.8 billion loss in the second half of 2000, its first operating loss in nine years. Schlenp dismissed Chrysler President Holden's decision and decided to immediately take over the American company by his close confidant, Dieterzetsche, then a 47-year-old head of the commercial vehicle division.

Of the 13-member company management committee at that time, there were only 2 Americans left, and among these two, Tom Brown, who was responsible for product development and design. Gal will retire at the end of the year.

Cai Che, who took office, wore small round glasses and a thick mustache, and looked amiable. At many Chrysler launches, he would rush into the venue with a guitar from behind a wall made of ice. This is a rarity among Germans. But if the biggest difference between Tsai Che and Eaton is to use the words of his former colleague: "He can be very strong when needed." ”

Just hours after arriving at Chrysler's headquarters in Detroit, Mr. Tsai fired three company executives, including the head of marketing and sales, the chief administrative officer and the head of public relations. And the smartest decision he ever made was when he led the company to develop two best-selling models: the 300C and the Dodge Charger. Chrysler made a profit of $1.8 billion in 2005 with the help of the 300C and Dodge Charger sales, while GM and Ford both suffered billions of dollars in losses.

Just as Chrysler was starting to get angry, in July 2005, at the age of 60, Schrump suddenly announced that he would retire at the end of the year, leaving the company where he had worked for 44 years. His work contract was supposed to last until 2008.

Schremp did run into trouble, as his blueprint for a global business empire saw an alliance with Japan's Mitsubishi Motors fail completely; While Chrysler's situation improved, Mercedes-Benz fell into the first loss in nearly 10 years. Eventually, the board of directors lost patience with Schrump and asked him to retire. And Chrysler, who has a sè performance, became Schremp's successor.

But the bad news is that Chrysler's sales are in trouble. In September 2006, Chrysler announced that it would cut production by 16 percent in the second half of the year. But it seems that the Germans did not consider themselves obligated or capable of saving Chrysler once again. So, the rumors that Chrysler was available for sale began to return to Dàng in the automotive industry.

There are a few key figures to remember about DaimlerChrysler:

—Eaton, merger sponsor. He had become the top leader of the American sign company because of Chrysler's high-level corporate politics, but the engineer had long lived in fear because of a hostile takeover. He was willing to pay anything for his own liberation, including his position, with Chrysler's soul.

—Schremp, Merger Leader. This chess player orchestrates a chess game that turns a "equal" merger into a heavily skewed acquisition. But the man who claimed to have nine lives ended up being the scapegoat for poor performance and was ousted by the board.

—Sterkamp, President of Chrysler. One of the few American executives who dared to confront Schlump directly, and repeatedly rejected Schlump's invitation to force Eaton to retire as soon as possible, but in the end he was ousted by Eaton in an inexplicable way.

—Holden, Strkamp's successor. Unlike his predecessors, he actively worked with Schlenp, but under him, Chrysler lost money for the first time in nine years, and was fired by Schremp for it.

- Cai Che, the one who cleaned up the mess. One of the most difficult protagonists to define, this German saved Chrysler from slipping, but now, it was he who tried to sell it. This time, Chrysler was valued at $8 billion, two-nineths of the original purchase price.

……

Of course, some of the above has not yet had time to happen, and the current situation is that the 300C and Dodge Charger that saved Chrysler have not yet been sold, and Chrysler is just a big cancer on Daimler-Benz, and Daimler's own situation is beginning to deteriorate because of Chrysler's poor performance, and some people have even begun to predict that if this continues, Daimler may lose money within two years.

This is a very critical moment, and Qin Qin's time is very accurate!

Xiao Chen couldn't help but sigh a little, he knew what was going on with his "magic plan", it was just a reliance, and this kind of tricky gaze of his aunt was the real ability of the helmsman of a consortium that started with venture capital.

"So, you're going to talk to Daimler about buying Chrysler back from them?"

Xiao Chen's words came out, and Qin Qin smiled hehehe: "How can it be so easy...... My plan wasn't that simple. ”

"Oh?" Xiao Chen was curious: "Then what are you going to do?" ”

"First of all, I will let the small 'grove' put pressure on Kuwait and let the Kuwaiti government sell their Daimler shares to me, so that I have 7% of Daimler's shares, don't underestimate this 7%, Daimler's shares are very dispersed, this is the largest shareholder." Qin Qin said with a smile.

Xiao Chen was stunned: "Who is Xiao Cong, who can he put pressure on a politician?" ”

"Uh......" Qin Qin was stunned for a moment, and then laughed: "You don't know the little bush children's shoes?" Isn't that the Republican Mr. President? Son of the old bush. ”

Xiao Chen was stunned, it turned out to be the president of the United States, Khan ...... However, Xiao Chenqi said: "Auntie, can you influence this little bush children's shoes?" ”

Qin Qin snorted: "Do you think that I have no influence on American politics because I failed to control Intel?" ”

Xiao Chen smiled stupidly, Qin Qin was even more annoyed, and said dissatisfiedly: "Look down on your aunt and me so much? Hmph, let me tell you the stinky boy, that time I was on Microsoft, that is, the last time you went back to Microsoft, I was also deceived by those 'technicians' once, and I was just used as a knife...... Forget it, it's all over, there's nothing more to say, Microsoft's account, I wrote it down, even if the U.S. government doesn't let me nòng kill Microsoft, sooner or later I have to let it out a few liters of blood, hum ......"

Xiao Chen couldn't help but feel a little stupid when he thought of his trip to Microsoft, although his aunt didn't say it, he could also guess that the reason why his aunt was "deceived" was because he was deceived and passed on some fake news to her.

"So, what about after the largest shareholder?" Xiao Chen let go of this matter and asked. As for whether the little bush children's shoes can handle the Kuwaiti government, Xiao Chen didn't bother to ask at all, when did the Kuwait government dare to say no to the American godfather?

"Daimler's stock price has also fallen a little now, but the 7% in the hands of the Kuwaiti government is estimated to be 4 billion to 5 billion euros, and in the exchange of dollars, I estimate that it will be 6 billion to 6.5 billion US dollars......"

"So expensive?" Xiao Chen was taken aback, Daimler-Mercedes-Benz is really expensive!

"It's tǐng expensive, so I'm not going to give money." Qin Qin said lightly.

Xiao Chen was stunned: "Don't give money?" …… Oh, a share swap? ”

Qin Qin said with a smile: "Good cub is so smart, the technology stocks in my hands are all good stocks, and now the market is very bullish, what do you say it is better for me to exchange with the Kuwaitis?" ”

Xiao Chenqi said: "This also has to be discussed with the Kuwaitis, it's useless to talk about it now, right?" ”

"Kuwaitis want a stake in Google, and I feel that Google is more promising, and it doesn't seem to be a good deal...... In fact, the Kuwaitis are easy to deal with, and they can actually see all the technology stocks in my hands, and I have a lot of choice. ”

"Oh, that's right." Xiao Chen thought for a while: "Then exchange Yahoo's shares for them, after the establishment of the Google empire, Yahoo's market will fall a lot, and now it is just right to exchange it to Kuwaitis." ”

Qin Qin hesitated slightly: "Yahoo is now making a lot of money, and Google has just made a profit, although the momentum is good, but will it really press Yahoo down?" ”

Xiao Chen shrugged: "Believe me, we Xinlan don't care about their respective operations, let them play for themselves, Yahoo is determined to play Google, and Google will step on Yahoo's shoulders sooner or later to achieve hegemony." ”

Qin Qin was surprised for a while, and finally chose to believe Xiao Chen: "Okay, I'll send someone to talk to those oil sellers in Kuwait, hum, Yahoo is very valuable now, but you can't give them more, you can't exceed 15%, and you can't affect Xinlan's absolute control." ”

Xiao Chen shrugged slightly: "I won't ask the specifics, you are an expert, I am a layman." ”

Qin Qin chuckled, and Xiao Chen asked again, "Then what are you going to do?" ”

"Then, as Daimler's largest shareholder, I became a savior and came out to help them." Reducing the burden', buying back Chrysler, this is naturally much easier, and to buy Chrysler back to the United States, the American government and the people are also very welcome, public opinion is extremely favorable, you must know, although Chrysler's current performance is a bit bad, but it is one of the symbols of the United States, don't look at the Americans did not say anything to the Germans to buy Chrysler, in fact, I am tired of it, although I am Chinese, I am a decent American, I can just meet those people's big Americanist ideas, that is, you Chinese ** The wolf-like ambitions of 'US imperialism'. ”

Xiao Chen couldn't help but smile: "After buying Chrysler, you can run Chrysler with peace of mind?" I said, Auntie, are you going to give me a Viper? ”

"Vipers? That cheap sports car? Qin Qinqi said: "How can I send you that car, I plan to send you an Aston Martin or Jaguar." ”

Xiao Chen was stunned: "Aston Martin and Jaguar? That's all owned by Ford, right? ”

Qin Qin smiled: "Yes, but Ford is not very happy now, I have already sent someone to contact it, Ford's current eight major car brands, including Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo, they are all willing to sell, and considering Ford's embarrassment, they can basically be won at a relatively cheap price." ”

"If you buy it, how much will it cost?" Xiao Chen was a little curious.

Qin Qin said very casually: "Aston Martin does not exceed 1.2 billion, Jaguar and Land Rover, Ford requires a package to sell, up to 2.5 billion, I think there is a lot of room for negotiation, maybe 20-2.2 billion, Volvo is slightly more expensive, estimated at 2 billion or more." ”

Xiao Chen now really admires his aunt's generosity: "In this way, if it is really like what you said, the four luxury brands are bought together, then it will not cost more than 5 billion at once?" ”

Qin Qin chuckled: "What's the matter, it's only more than five billion, do you think I can't take it out?" ”

Xiao Chen wiped his sweat: "U.S. imperialism is really rich. ”——

The first update, it's late, ask for votes, ask for votes, and there's one more......