Chapter 208 207. World's Richest People Ranking
Nasdaq Stock Exchange, one of the world's stock trading centers, has thousands of stocks traded here every day.
Although it cannot compare with the New York Stock Exchange in terms of history and heritage, as a rising star, Nasdaq was the first stock exchange to adopt electronic trading.
And the growth rate is astonishing, especially after the 1990s, when the Internet exploded.
Nasdaq, the main battlefield of technology stocks, soared to the sky, galloping like a wild horse, unstoppable.
Of course, investors around the world have seen what happens next. If the stock market goes too far, it becomes a bubble, and then the bubble bursts, leaving behind a mess and many investors in the process.
In other words, if the capital market did not engage in macro-control, otherwise the state would not have intervened forcibly, it would not have collapsed so badly.
Just like in the real estate and infrastructure sectors, using policies to prevent a big fall can at least temporarily support the bottom of the real estate and related infrastructure sectors, and the fall will not be so fast.
If this bottom line can be guaranteed, the bottom line in the fields of steel bars, cement, wooden building materials, quarrying and smelting can be guaranteed, and many people's jobs will not be lost.
In a few years, new economic growth points will be found to gradually replace the areas where the bubble has burst. As long as the finances can recover, there will be hope for a steady landing.
It’s just that the process will lead to a lot of dissatisfaction. After all, it involves fairness issues, and a group of people may suffer again.
Since Nasdaq is the main battlefield for technology stocks, and film companies are classified into the high-tech field, they are generally listed on Nasdaq.
As for why film companies are classified as technology companies, ask Industrial Light & Magic, Weta Digital, James Cameron and other people who like special effects to know the answer best.
Many of the innovative technologies in this field have fed back into the military, civilian and other fields, so they are of course technology companies.
New York, Manhattan, DC, not far from Times Square is the Nasdaq Stock Exchange.
A black Lincoln sedan drove slowly on the street and finally stopped in front of the exchange. Cooper and his son got out of the car.
Looking at this familiar building, Charlie Cooper sighed: "I left here more than a year ago, MGM's stock disappeared from the big screen, and everyone was laughing at me."
"I'm afraid they could never have imagined that MGM would make a comeback in such a short time."
Eric smiled and said, "Dad, those who laugh at you are just clowns. There are countless people watching us now. Even though they are not here, I can still feel those expectant eyes."
"Haha. Are you talking about those people in the company?"
"Not only that, there are hundreds of thousands of shareholders. We are now a blue chip stock."
"Eric, it's not wise to write your prospectus in that way. You directly announced that you would use the money to pay off debts. We still owe Kerkorian and the three major banks $2.1 billion."
"This is a huge sum of money. Shareholders buy our shares in the hope that we will use the money to expand our business, not to repay debts."
"Even if we have to do this, it's not good to say it publicly. At least don't pay so much at once. The bank can continue to owe the money."
Eric didn't take it seriously: "Dad, you told me that film is a storytelling industry, and our story is wonderful."
"The internal IPO a few days ago brought in $520 million. I thought Judy and her team could take in more."
"But let alone 15%, they couldn't even take 10% of the shares, and finally only took 8.7%."
"What does this mean? It means that the market has high expectations for us and our stocks are very valuable."
"This number was estimated before anyone thought that Transformers could exceed 900 million yuan in box office. Otherwise, it would be even more exaggerated."
"What will you do with the remaining 6.3% of the shares?"
“I originally planned to put them on the market together, but later I thought better of it and sold the shares to some good friends.”
"A good friend or a girlfriend?"
"Good friend and girlfriend."
Eric sold the 6.3% stake to Theron, Nicole, Gadot, and the Olsen sisters, with 1% each at an internal price.
However, Gadot has just become famous and is still very poor, so Eric paid the money for her.
With this 1% of the shares, it is enough to make them billionaires instantly.
Even the richest Nicole was shocked by Eric's generosity and unlocked a lot of poses.
Eric's actions also paved the way for everyone to be honest with each other in the future.
The remaining 1.3% of the shares were sold to Michael, who was a very lavish spender.
He was also in charge of the work of Meiyi Records, and Eric also held half of the shares, so this 1.3% was considered compensation.
Standing next to him, seeing his son's high-spirited look, Charlie Cooper wanted to say something, but after thinking it over he kept his mouth shut.
Reality is the best evidence. MGM is thriving under Eric's leadership and is much stronger than when it was in his own hands.
Looking at the rising sun in the distant sky, Charlie Cooper suddenly felt a little tired. Perhaps it was time for him to retire.
"Eric, an idea suddenly came to me. I can't say it was sudden. In fact, I've had this idea for a while, but I really want to tell you today."
"What?"
Eric looked at him and felt that his father's tone was a little strange.
"I think it's time to hand MGM over completely to you. Although you already have the real power, you should also be given the title."
"In fact, I was planning to continue doing this for a while, at least until your Lionheart is online. Although my father's ability is not outstanding, at least he can help you shield yourself from some storms."
"But it seems that it is not necessary now. I believe that you don't need these with your abilities. You should be worried about those guys."
Eric was caught off guard by his dad's sudden move.
It is true that he is the only one who has the final say in MGM now, but deep down, he still hopes that his father will continue to sit in this position.
Attracting firepower is not important. The key is that the presence of dad can help me share a lot of chores.
For example, attending cocktail parties, parties, charity events, etc., experienced people know that these things are very distracting.
If Eric were a little Karami, he would look forward to attending these events, hoping to expand his network.
But in fact, there are not many people worthy of Eric's personal friendship, and many invitations are too embarrassing to refuse.
Dad is equivalent to the King of England, and Eric is equivalent to the Prime Minister. This is roughly the positioning.
"But isn't it good for us to work together as father and son?"
"But you can do just as well without me, right?"
"Have you decided?"
"Um."
"when?"
"Just for a few days. Anyway, the outside world now knows that you are the real leader of MGM. If I continue to occupy the position, it may arouse suspicion."
"The market will certainly hope that you will become an absolute leader. When you become the president and chairman of the board of directors of MGM, the stock price will definitely rise sharply."
"It's my last contribution to the company."
"And you know Joshua's situation. He hasn't been a starter for the 76ers for half a year. It seems like it's time to change track."
"Your mother warned me not to be partial, so I plan to give him $10 million to start a business."
"I don't expect Joshua to be as good as you and have his own career, but it's good enough."
After listening to his father's true thoughts, Eric knew that he had made up his mind and could not change his decision to resign.
In this case, there is no need to force her to stay. It would be good to let the old lady have a rest, stay away from the temptation of Hollywood, and spend more time with her mother at church.
Eric and Charlie Cooper stand on stage at the Nasdaq Stock Exchange.
Boom! A bell rang, signaling MGM's return to the stock market.
Click, click, click Flashes flashed, and a large number of media captured this moment. The news release had already been written, waiting for this photo to be released.
Even though he was used to this scene, today the visitors included not only those from the entertainment field, but also those from the financial and social fields. There were so many flashing lights that Eric could hardly open his eyes.
As MGM re-entered the market, investors who had been unable to wait and were almost going crazy with hunger immediately rushed in to buy it, and the stock price immediately began to rise like the Maotai line chart in later generations.
Many investors who did not pay attention to the entertainment industry only noticed this at this time. A stock that had disappeared for a long time suddenly took off and its growth rate quickly rushed into the first tier.
The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!
“OMG! A high-quality stock suddenly appeared, buy it quickly, buy it quickly!”
"What's going on? This is just some kind of stock?"
"MGM? That movie company? Wasn't it acquired because of poor management?"
"Stupid! The Transformers that caused a movie-watching craze not long ago and the currently popular Blue Is the Warmest Color were both produced by this company."
"What! Buy it now!"
Looking at the spiraling stock price, Eric said confidently: "I told you they wouldn't care. We are telling a great story."
"Yes, it seems that many millionaires are going to be born!" Dad said with emotion.
What is happening in the stock market spreads quickly as if it has wings.
Soon, related financial, entertainment and other sections began to be reported on the Internet and television.
"On the morning of January 15, MGM Pictures, which had been delisted for 510 days, was relisted on the Nasdaq. The company's current president, Charlie Cooper, and vice president, Eric Cooper, completed the bell ringing ceremony."
“It is understood that since the Coopers took over MGM, the business has been in good condition and almost all the works produced by the company are profitable, so the market expectations are very good.”
"After evaluation, MGM's market value will reach US$7.127 billion, 2.3 times the value before delisting."
"In this re-listing, MGM will issue 30% of its shares for financing and debt repayment, with a total of 100 million shares issued at $21.35 per share."
"After the opening, investors were very enthusiastic and the stock price continued to rise. As of press time, it had risen by 31% to $27.96 per share."
"MGM's market value rose 31%, and the company's market value has surpassed Paramount, becoming the sixth of the seven major film and television companies."
Yeah! Yeah! The MGM building was instantly immersed in a sea of joy.
The company's listing is beneficial to everyone. The net worth of those who bought the stocks in advance will skyrocket and is still rising.
Although those who don’t buy stocks will earn less, they will definitely get a salary increase.
The bigger the company becomes, the higher the employees' salaries will naturally be, and the year-end bonuses will also increase.
Amid the excited gaze of countless pairs of eyes, MGM's stock price gradually slowed down its rise until noon.
At this time, the stock price had reached US$33.73 per share, up 58% from the opening price, and MGM's market value had also expanded to US$11.26 billion.
Not only surpassing Paramount, but also Universal and Sony Columbia.
It is second only to 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros., with the former having a market value of US$11.988 billion and the latter having a market value of US$13.56 billion.
However, it is still a bit far from Disney. Although Mickey Mouse’s market value is far less than that of later generations, it is still 22.7 billion US dollars thanks to more extreme copyright development and theme park income.
MGM can only reach half of their market value for the time being, and even this half of the market value is somewhat inflated.
After all, the film industry is about storytelling. A Transformers movie can make a stock price soar, but a big-budget flop can also cause a stock price to fall rapidly.
Perlmutter pumped his fists vigorously. This time his bet was right, even though he only held 3.6% of MGM's shares.
But according to the current stock price, if you sell it, you can cash out more than $400 million in an instant, but only a fool would cash out now.
Kevin Feige's eyes widened. No wonder the boss was so generous and started three projects at the same time. He felt that his future was brighter because he really had no shortage of money.
Women were cheering, good friends were cheering, best friends were cheering, and employees were cheering.
Of course not everyone is happy, if there is anyone who is unhappy, Harvey Weinstein is one of them, as is James Murdoch.
There are also people like Amy Am and Sony Group who have grudges against him.
Unfortunately, they were powerless in the face of the rise of MGM.
At this time, NBC's financial channel was broadcasting a program reviewing the Forbes rich list.
"Hello everyone, the 2003 World Billionaires List selected by Forbes magazine has been announced. There are 476 billionaires with a net worth of more than $1 billion worldwide, from 43 countries and regions."
"Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates continues to top the rich list with a net worth of $40.7 billion."
"Financial investor Warren Buffett continues to rank second with $30.5 billion in assets."
The male host was carefully reviewing the list when a small piece of paper was suddenly handed to him. He took it, took a look at it, and continued.
"Sorry, we seem to have encountered a special situation."
"Just this morning, MGM Pictures was relisted on the Nasdaq. We calculated a new super-rich person based on the current stock price."
"Eric Cooper, MGM's vice president, is the company's actual controller. He directly owns 27.7% of MGM's shares, worth $3.119 billion."
"But the equity statement shows that a company called AK Films holds a 20% stake in MGM, worth $2.252 billion."
"AK Films was actually solely funded by Eric Cooper, so Eric Cooper actually controls 47.7% of MGM's shares, with a total value of US$5.371 billion."
As he said this, the male host spread his hands exaggeratedly and made a "wow" expression in great surprise.
"If MGM had gone public 20 days earlier, as long as it wasn't before December, he would have definitely been included in last year's Forbes rich list."
"But the list has already been released, so it cannot be changed."
"However, as the world's first super-rich person in 2004, we still sorted out and ranked him."
"If his assets of 5.371 billion were placed in 2003, he would be ranked 77th on the world's richest list."
"The one ahead of him is Amazon founder Bezos with $5.44 billion."
"But if we limit the age to under 30, Eric Cooper will undoubtedly become the world's youngest richest man."
(End of this chapter)