Chapter 174: A Big Event That Shocked the Music Industry

The sun shines down on the earth, and even though it is only a little after eight in the morning, the summer wind is already very hot.

But although the wind was hot, Howard Stringer seemed not to feel it, and his body felt cold.

The negative news and the stock price plunge in the past few days have caused Sony's headquarters in Tokyo to be very dissatisfied with him, and they demanded that he immediately stabilize the stock price and quickly resolve this big problem.

But things have developed to this point, how can it be resolved in just a few words?

Sony Music has been developing very well in recent years, and Howard Stringer is also very satisfied with Tom Mottola's work ability.

As for the conflicts and disputes between him and Michael Jackson, Howard Stringer was actually very clear about them. Since he took this position in 1997, he has always supported taking back the copyright from Jackson.

As for how to do it specifically, that's Tom Mottola's business. Howard Stringer wants results.

It was this kind of neglect that caused the situation to deteriorate step by step, and finally became irreversible and exploded completely.

Howard Stringer has already made up his mind: Tokyo must give an explanation, shareholders and investors must give an explanation, and Michael Jackson needs an explanation even more.

So in today's negotiations, in order to calm Jackson down, Tom Mottola must be thrown out to take the blame if necessary.

Most people can't carry such a big pot, but you are just the right size and height.

As long as Jackson is satisfied, the stock price will definitely go up sharply after the news is released.

As for the copyright issue, I will just ignore it and pass this hot potato to the next person.

This is called believing in the wisdom of future generations.

At the same time, Howard Stringer also noticed something unusual because this series of operations was so smooth.

Sony was obviously targeted. Michael Jackson didn't seem like such a manipulative person. There must be someone manipulating him behind the scenes.

Thinking of those details, his eyes naturally fell on MGM, and he would soon find out whether it was Eric Cooper.

If it was MGM that was behind this, the feud would be settled and Sony would definitely find an opportunity to retaliate.

Dream Manor, sitting in the sightseeing bus, he was not interested in appreciating the surrounding scenery. He soon came to the fountain and walked into the house.

Seeing people coming, Michael shook hands with Howard Stringer and sent away all the irrelevant people.

"Michael, nice to meet you. I'm Howard Stringer, you should know me."

Michael nodded. "Mr. Howard, your willingness to come forward at least shows that Sony is sincere in negotiating. I won't waste any more nonsense. I think with Sony's current stock price, you are not in the mood to exchange pleasantries with me."

Howard Stringer smiled unnaturally: "Then let's get started. Tell me what you want. What do you want?"

"No, it's not about what I want, but what Sony owes me. Over the years, I have created more than one billion dollars in profits and wealth for Sony, but the way you repay me makes me feel chilled and uneasy."

Howard Stringer cursed in his heart, Sony's market value has evaporated by billions of dollars in the past few days, who can I cry to?

But he still said with a serious face: "Michael, you can't believe the various conspiracies circulating in the market. Of course, I don't deny your contribution to the company."

"It's normal for you to feel dissatisfied. I can understand it, especially the conflict between you and Tom Mottola. I didn't know it before, but now I know it."

"I can promise you on behalf of Sony that the company will conduct an internal investigation, and as long as you are willing to announce the settlement to the public, Tom Mottola will be suspended immediately."

"Are you satisfied with the result?"

Michael pointed at his nose and said, "Mr. Howard, do I look so stupid? The way you described is what Sony should do, not to comfort me or compensate me. We must first understand this logic."

"Tom Mottola persecuted me, and I have shown enough restraint by not filing a criminal complaint against him. Firing him is the basis for our negotiations, not a bargaining chip you should use."

Howard Stringer listened to Michael Jackson's words quietly, feeling a little strange. From the information he learned, Michael Jackson was not such a person.

He should be a very kind and tolerant person, why is he so aggressive today?

However, one has to bow his head under the eaves, and Howard Stringer could only express his agreement.

"Michael, you have a point. Out of respect for you, I will make sure Tom Mottola leaves immediately."

"At the same time, in order to compensate for the damage done to you, Sony is willing to raise your salary to a higher level, including the recording, distribution, and holding of your songs."

"As for the stagnant sales of your album, I got the report. It's all Tom Mottola's fault. Sony will return the overdue amount to you."

"Here is a contract about your future treatment. Take a look. It is really generous. You are still our most valued artist."

Howard Stringer took out a document from his bag and said, "Michael, it's good for both of us to sign it. This is the best outcome."

After taking the document, Michael read it carefully. After reading it, he found that Howard Stringer did not lie to him. This was really a very generous treatment, if there was no small print at the end.

Throwing the document on the table, Michael said, "Mr. Howard, Sony wants to renew the contract with me for 15 years, and also has the right of first refusal to the copyright in my hands. I don't think this is a good idea."

Howard Stringer explained: "Michael, the conflict between you and the company is actually the conflict between you and Tom Mottola. You can rest assured that I promise that he will never appear in front of you again."

"We will provide you with the best resources just like we did in the 1990s. You will be able to return to the top and defend your title as the king of pop in the world, and defeat all challengers."

“That’s enough!”

Howard Stringer was interrupted by Michael Dunk before he could finish his persuasive words.

"Mr. Howard, there's no need to change the concept. We all know that this is not a conflict between Tom Mottola and me. Copyright is the core."

"Sony won't give up, and neither will I. You definitely know what I want."

"Let me be frank. Sony and I have terminated the contract, and I will leave with the copyright. Then I will release a settlement statement to the public to restore Sony's reputation and stock price."

"Michael, you can't."

"I've said enough! This is my only request. If the company doesn't agree, this war will not end."

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward, and Howard Stringer's eyes turned cold: "Michael, who is helping you behind the scenes, is it Eric Cooper from MGM? Or Plant Donde?"

Maikou's eyes did not give way at all: "There is no need to discuss such meaningless topics. I will give you two days to coordinate. I just want the results."

Howard Stringer clenched his fists instantly. He was actually ordered by a singer.

"Michael Jackson, you made a very wrong decision. Sony will never agree to your request, and players will never bow to a playing card."

"Then let the share price continue to fall. Let the whole group be dragged down because of the music. I wonder if those shareholders will have any objections."

Howard Stringer stood up, picked up his briefcase and walked toward the door.

"Michael, do you think you can force Sony to compromise by relying on the stock price? You are too naive. We have sufficient funds to protect the market. The stock price will rise over time because your fans and those who claim to be righteous will not pay attention to this matter for a long time."

"After the cold treatment is over, new hot spots will cover your case. The media will only chase traffic. When no one pays attention anymore, the stock price will return to normal."

"And that will be your death. You will be banned indefinitely. I swear no company will accept you."

"Your records will be removed from the shelves, and all your commercial performances will be cancelled. I heard that you are in debt now, and the bank will not let you go."

"This dream manor is really nice. When the bank auctions it off, I will definitely buy it and invite all the people you hate to have a party."

"Don't forget about those charitable organizations. Aren't you a great philanthropist? Don't you like to donate? If your funding chain is broken, what will you donate?"

"Those children and AIDS patients will no longer receive treatment and will die painfully on their hospital beds. All this is because of your selfishness!"

Having failed to achieve his goal, the mask of disguise was torn off, Howard Stringer's demeanor was gone, and he cursed viciously.

Maikou didn't care about being scolded, but his act of cursing the child made Maikou instantly angry.

"Howard Stringer, Sony does hold my economic lifeline, but don't forget that I also hold your lifeline."

"I will exercise half of my copyright power and suspend all commercial activities of all singers under Sony Music. Maybe I will go bankrupt, but Sony Music will not have an easy time either."

"I really want to see how many more singers will dare to sign with Sony in the future. Let's wait and see!"

Howard Stringer's eyes twitched violently, not expecting that Mike would dare to use such means to threaten him.

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"Michael Jackson, if you dare to do this, you will become the public enemy of the music industry!"

"You are wrong Howard. Sony and I have become public enemies in the music industry. If I cannot get my rights back, then we will perish together."

"you"

Howard Stringer's eyes widened.

Michael continued, "Also, I want to tell you one more thing. I will announce to the public that I am willing to give 5% more of the copyright income I control to other singers."

"I don't need to tell you what this means. Whether it's the singers or the fans, they will only be grateful to me. You are always the bad guys. Can Sony do this?"

"I'm just a person. Sony is a multinational listed company. You are talking about profits. You have to be responsible to your shareholders."

Howard Stringer suddenly felt a chill in his heart. He was 100% sure that this was a premeditated action and Sony had been trapped in it for a long time.

Michael also stood up: "Howard, there are only two options for Sony now."

"The first is that we will both perish, but Sony's loss will be much greater than mine."

"Second, we parted ways peacefully. Sony allowed me to leave with the copyrights, but I will abide by the rules and use the copyrights reasonably."

"And I can guarantee that you will not switch to Universal and Warner. You will still be the three major players in the music market, and the pattern will not be broken."

"On the other hand, if we lose everything, the only ones who will benefit in the end are other companies."

"Mr. Howard, you are an excellent businessman. Excellent businessmen will make the most appropriate decision."

"But again, I'll only give you two days to consider. If you don't give me a clear answer after two days, I'll regard it as Sony choosing the first option."

After saying that, Michael opened the door on his own initiative. Howard Stringer looked at him blankly for a while, then left without saying a word.

Watching Howard Stringer leave, Michael couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The decision just now was the result of a long discussion between him and Eric. If Sony still insisted, the result would be disastrous.

After leaving Neverland Ranch, even though the air conditioning in the car was turned on high, Howard Stringer still felt extremely hot.

It was a wrong move. He thought he could easily control Michael Jackson, but unexpectedly he was intimidated by him instead.

The most important thing is that the other party only gave two days, which is not enough to deal with it coldly.

Howard Stringer patted his forehead in annoyance and said, "Go to the airport. I want to fly to Tokyo right away!"

At the same time, Michael let in all the media gathered outside the Dream Manor and told them that there would be results in two days, which would be a big event that would shock the music industry.

Everyone was waiting anxiously, and two days passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, Japanese media photographed Sony holding a shareholders' meeting, and many wealthy people who hold shares were in attendance.

Eric and Michael also talked on the phone several times. He had all the revelations ready in his hands, and if things developed in a bad direction, he would release them all at once.

As the black Cadillac drove into Neverland Ranch, Howard Stringer, who was obviously in a bad mental state, walked into the room again and started negotiating with Michael just like he did two days ago.

Lawyer Meserio walked in halfway through the negotiation. The negotiation lasted until the evening, and the three people still did not come out of the room.

Looking at the food that had already gone cold, the black lady Siti sighed.

Creaky After a while, the door finally opened and three people walked out.

"Maikou, eat something. You've been hungry all day."

"Wait a minute Siti, I'll be right back."

The reporters who had been waiting for a day were allowed in again, and in front of everyone, Michael Dunk and Howard Stringer shook hands.

Reporters hurriedly pressed the shutter to capture this moment.

Howard Stringer cleared his throat and said, "After friendly consultation, we are convinced that everything is a misunderstanding and it is Tom Mottola's personal behavior."

"Sony and Mr. Jackson have reached an agreement to terminate his contract early."

"From this moment on, he is an independent musician, but we are still good friends and will continue to be close partners in the future."

The reporters looked at him in confusion. Do you want to listen to what you are saying? Aren't you going to court? Aren't you going to fight to the death? At this time, Michael looked at Meserio. He was still not thick-skinned enough to lie with his eyes open.

Meserio spoke up: "Mr. Howard Stringer is right. It's all Tom Mottola's fault. He will be punished accordingly."

"Sony is a great company. They chose to let Max leave with his copyright, which is a manifestation of their compliance with the spirit of the contract."

"We appreciate Sony's graciousness and generosity, and hope that the rumors stop. It's time to end this battle that hurts both sides."

At this moment, Howard Stringer's heart was bleeding. I am so graceful and generous, but that was all money, billions of dollars worth of wealth.

The reporters were all watching this in shock. Michael Jackson left Sony with half of the copyright, which meant he won.

It is unheard of that one can force capital to compromise by using personal power.

Does the fact that Maxwell holds these copyrights mean the rise of a new giant in the music industry?

As he said, this was a major event that shocked the music industry.

(End of this chapter)