Chapter 335: The Reputation of Americans
News came one after another about contacts with the four major grain traders ABCD.
As Milo expected, the news was not good.
Faced with Paladin Investment's repeated price increases, France's Louis Dreyfus Company rejected them without hesitation and declared that the company would not sell.
As for the American Cargill company, faced with the chips thrown by the Boston consortium, the McMillan family and the Cargill family also rejected it without hesitation.
They were also very alert. After rejecting the Boston consortium, they immediately contacted other small shareholders, hoping to acquire 12% of the shares outside the two major families and achieve 100% joint control of the two major families.
Another American company, ADM, was even more outrageous. It directly asked Morgan to respond to Boston's contact, indicating that they had already joined Boston.
Finally, as for the Dutch Bunge company, the company's owners, the Bunge family, also resisted fiercely and had a bad attitude. The head of the family, Hirsch Bunge, even said that no one could snatch Bunge from the Bunge family.
However, although the Bunge family holds the majority of shares, Bunge still has many small shareholders.
In addition to the more than 80 members of the Bunge family, there are more than 100 scattered small shareholders.
Paladin Capital successfully acquired 22.4% of the shares from these shareholders.
However, due to the issues of Hirsch Bunge, the acquisition came to a standstill.
But compared with the other three companies, Bunge has made a breakthrough, but it will be extremely difficult to move forward.
After knowing this situation.
Milo just has an attitude.
We must buy it! Even if Hirsch Bunge refuses to sell it, we must force him to do so! To achieve this, we can use any means!
Because he had just received news from his grandfather Herbert.
That was before Milo sent someone to approach Bunge about acquiring the company.
Hirsch Bunge has been in private contact with the Mellon Group and they want to become a member of the Mellon Group.
They want to be an American company! Or rather, the Americans want them to be an American company.
However, the price has not yet been agreed upon, and the Mellon Group has shown little interest.
Thinking about the parallel universe, Bunge will become an American company next year.
Milo knew that there was a high probability that they would reach an agreement in the end.
So basically the situation is now clear——
Louis Dreyfus belongs to France, unless France declines to the extreme, say in 20 or 30 years.
Otherwise, Louis Dreyfus will not compromise easily, and others will not be able to buy it even if they have money.
Because it concerns France's food security, international food hegemony, and the weapon they use to control many food-deficient countries in North Africa.
So it is impossible for Louis Dreyfus to buy it.
That leaves only three other companies.
ADM is basically owned by Morgan, and the Cargill family is connected to Rockefeller...
Then the only person Milo can attack with a high chance of success is Bunge, who has not yet completely surrendered to the United States.
Since Bungie can join Mellon, why can't he choose to join Blackburn?
Hirsch Bunge's fierce resistance may be due to personal interests or his contact with Mellon.
As the earliest of the four major grain traders in later generations, its history began with the grain trading company founded by Johann Peter Gottlieb Bunkey in Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 1818.
By 1859, Bunge had become a major grain supplier to the world.
In the 1970s, the company moved its headquarters to Brazil, the world's main soybean producing country, and further expanded into the North American, Asian and Australian markets.
In 1750, the Bunge family began to trade in animal hides, spices and rubber in the Dutch overseas colonies.
Compared to several others, their main roots are in South America.
They own large farms in South America. They sell fertilizers to farmers and buy their grain, which they then export to other countries or process further.
That’s why our current headquarters is in Brazil.
While still in France, Milo directly authorized all rights to the Blackburn Foundation.
That is to mobilize all the resources he can mobilize, and he must do it before Mellon or other American financial groups react.
Forced the Bunge family to surrender and brought Bunge Company under his own control.
so……
Less than two days later, the Bunge family was still discussing whether to contact their allies in the United States immediately.
The Americans came to the door.
Bunge corporate headquarters.
The Blackburn Foundation, which had contacted them before, and Milo's chief consultant Shabote led a team to Hirsch Bunge's office again.
Compared to the politeness of the last contact, this time Shabote came straight to the point: "Mr. Bunge, you should understand our purpose. One hundred and three hundred and sixty million US dollars, transfer all 67.9% of the shares held by your family to us!"
After that, Shabote placed the prepared acquisition agreement in front of Hirsch Bunge.
But Hirsch Bunge's face turned cold, and he pushed the acquisition agreement away without even looking at it. He said firmly: "Manager Shabote, I said that Bunge can't be sold. We have nothing to discuss!"
After saying this, Hirsch Bunge's heart was churning, he knew that Shabote was threatening him.
Bunge's total assets are currently $24.579 billion, of which total liabilities are $13.074 billion and net assets are $11.505 billion.
Last year, Bunge's turnover was US$13.823 billion and its net profit reached US$1.34 billion.
The price offered by Shabote, the valuation of Bunge, was exactly its net assets! Bunge was a private company, and its financial statements were kept confidential and not released to the public, but Shabote was clearly aware of it.
Shabotei remained calm, looked at him deeply, and said again: "Mr. Bunge, we offer a 20% premium, 14.3 billion US dollars, this is our final offer."
"I hope you will think about it carefully."
"Don't think about it. I won't sell it even if you double the price!" Hirsch Bunge snorted coldly and refused without hesitation.
“Boom boom!”
Shabote tapped his fingers on the table and said in a more serious tone, "Mr. Bunge, you have been doing business for more than 40 years. You should know that the assets you can hold in your hands are your assets."
"Now we come to you and want to make friends with you."
"With this money, you can definitely enter other industries. We are willing to help you. This is a bright path for you."
"If you want, you can stay at Bunge as a manager. Boston will embrace you and you will become real Americans."
At this point, Shabote paused. Seeing Hirsch Bunge's wandering eyes, he smiled and said, "You should understand that there are some things that you can't stop. If they are going to happen, they will definitely happen. And in Boston now, only Morgan and Rockefeller can stop it. Mellon, First Citigroup or anyone else can't do it."
"But I think Morgan has ADM and Rockefeller has Cargill. Even if they want you, you won't go to them."
"So there is no doubt that Boston is your best choice right now."
Hirsch Bunge's pupils shrank suddenly and he stared at Shabote, who looked at him calmly.
A ball of anger rose in Hirsch Bunge's chest and his expression kept changing.
Finally, he thought of the 67.9% stake held by his family, and he was not afraid of others taking it away, so he became ruthless and his face instantly turned cold.
"President Shabote, we will not sell Bunge, and no one can take it away!"
Shabote chuckled, stood up slowly, straightened his suit, motioned to his subordinates to put down a business card, then left after saying a few words.
"There is nothing in this world that is truly not for sale. Nothing is without value. Not money, but resources, or something else. You will soon understand, Mr. Bunge."
After watching Shabote leave with a cold face, Hirsch Bunge finally couldn't bear it anymore and smashed the pen holder on the table to the ground with anger.
"Bang!"
"Damn it, you actually threatened me!"
"Your Boston consortium is very powerful, but there are others that are stronger than you. If you force me into a corner, I can just sell the company to another consortium!"
After cursing a few times, Hirsch Bunge's anger subsided a little.
But after saying it, the pressure in his heart did not decrease at all.
After all, the Boston consortium was too prestigious. It participated in profiting from the Chicago consortium and joined forces with the California consortium. It was so powerful that both Morgan and Rockefeller retreated.
Compared to the Boston consortium, the Bunge family is just a child.
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He must take Shabote's threat seriously.
After pondering in the office for nearly an hour, Hirsch Bunge immediately made a phone call to communicate with his son Neil Bunge in the United States.
His son, Neil Bunge, who is 45 years old this year, is his right-hand man and the best member of the family. His position as heir has long been unshakable.
He has worked at Bunge for ten years and has served as vice president since taking over in 1988.
Rather than saying that Bunge was in control, it would be more accurate to say that it was the concerted efforts of the father and son.
Even the company's joining the Americans, moving its headquarters to the United States, and becoming an American company was always led by his son.
The situation is now so urgent that Hirsch urgently needs to discuss it with his son.
However, Hirsch Bunge had never expected that the attack from the Boston consortium did not fall on Bunge Company, but on his son Neil Bunge.
Just the next day, the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the U.S. Department of Justice entered Bunge USA and arrested 32 employees headed by Nell Bunge! The reason for the arrest - malicious manipulation of food prices! Nell Bunge was arrested directly. No matter how he explained and obstructed, he could not stop himself from being taken away.
Hirsch Bunge didn't receive the news until after the FBI car had left.
In Brazil, he immediately convened a meeting of company executives and asked Bunge’s global legal department to work on a solution.
"Bang!"
"Damn it, they are acting like robbers!"
In the conference room, Hirsch Bunge became more and more annoyed the more he thought about it, and he couldn't help but slapped the table hard and roared.
All the executives present were shocked.
But they were all confused and had no idea who the "they" Hirsch Bunge was referring to.
Because they are in Brazil, except Hirsch, no one else knows what is happening in the United States.
"Chairman, what happened? Who is harming us?"
An executive couldn't help but ask.
Hirsch Bunge saw that everyone was looking at him in confusion, so he took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
He talked to company executives and important family members about what was happening in the United States.
Finally, he added: "It must have been someone from Boston who did it."
"They were secretly buying up our company's shares before, but I intervened and stopped them after I discovered it. Yesterday, they came directly to the company and wanted to buy my shares, but I refused."
"Before they left, they threatened me, and then this happened today. This can't be a coincidence. It could only be them who did it!"
Hirsch Bunge said this in one breath, his chest rising and falling violently.
After getting the answer, many executives looked at each other in bewilderment. They did not expect that the enemy was the capital giant, the Boston Consortium.
An executive said solemnly: "With the power of the Boston Consortium, it can indeed accomplish this."
"Chairman, we must bail out the vice president and all other employees immediately."
"Once the truth is revealed, we will be in big trouble!"
"Bostonians are different from our previous enemies!"
Did Bunge manipulate food prices? The answer is clear: Yes!
One of the reasons why Bunge was able to rise so quickly was that it relied on its market position to manipulate food prices and make huge profits.
Or it should be said that none of the four major grain traders, ABCD, or other large grain traders, do not manipulate stock prices.
Otherwise how to make money?
Hirsch Bunge sets the strategy, his son Neil Bunge manages the business, his direct employees are responsible for execution, and other employees in the company are responsible for assistance. The division of labor in the entire process is very clear.
This kind of strategy was discussed at the company's high-level meetings. Even though no records were taken, the executives present were very clear about it.
They are afraid because they have done it.
Bunge has done this many times before, and has been reported by competitors. Bunge has always been plagued by scandals and troubles.
However, due to Bunge's size and its connections with Hirsch-Bunge, each case was dealt with hastily, and even if a fine was imposed, it was insignificant compared to the profits.
This is why Hirsch Bunge dared to let the company cross the line again and again.
"Yes, Chairman, the Boston Consortium is much stronger than us."
"We don't know how much evidence the enemy and the FBI have at this point."
"We must bail out the vice president immediately. The longer they are under investigation, the greater the danger we will face."
"I know. The Ministry of Justice has taken action now."
"The main purpose of calling everyone here is to make everyone more vigilant, to do their best to self-examine the situation in their respective areas of responsibility, to eliminate some traces that cannot be seen in the light, and to stabilize the employees below."
"Also, someone must go to the United States in person right now to contact Mellon. Members of the Bunge family cannot go there. If they go, they will most likely be arrested like my son. So I hope someone among you can go."
Who would go? The executives looked at each other, and suddenly no one spoke.
Because the situation is obvious.
The Americans wanted to get rid of Bunge, and even Neil Bunge, a second-generation leader who had a good relationship with the Americans, was kidnapped.
How could these executives get away with it in the past? The shamelessness of the United States in this regard is truly even greater than that of the United States.
Enjoying a great reputation throughout the world.
This way to America.
That's really bad news.
Is it necessary to take such a big risk for the Bungie family and the company? The executives were quiet.
(End of this chapter)