Chapter 457 The Halo Called Money
[ByteDance] With the successful financing, Gu Wei's net worth skyrocketed, but he did not feel much about it.
His net worth skyrocketed by tens of billions, but it didn't even make him as happy as the first pot of gold he earned from selling the JD.com domain name five years ago.
Currently, the largest source of cash income from Gu Wei’s wealth is still the money that the [Wei Ming Tian Xia] company continues to earn every year.
His income as a celebrity is also included, and he makes hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars in net profit every year.
In the past two years, as the company has been developing better and better, some people around him have advised him to attract other capital to make "Weiming Tianxia" bigger and stronger, and eventually go public.
Gu Wei thought about it and rejected the proposal.
First of all, his original purpose of establishing the company was to serve him personally. The predecessor of [Wei Ming Tian Xia] Company was his personal studio.
Later, as the company gradually grew and developed, Gu Wei, with his foresight and long-term vision, produced one hit film and television drama after another, leading to its current scale.
But even so, Gu Wei has not forgotten the original intention of establishing the company: to serve himself, and being able to execute according to his will is the key. Making money is only one of the benefits after achieving the goal.
Secondly, and most importantly, the ultimate goal of companies in the entertainment industry going public is nothing more than to make money, use other people's money to shoot their own dramas, and ultimately gain greater benefits.
When a company has good performance, its stock price will soar, and as a major shareholder, your wealth will also increase.
It looks good, but you have to know that domestic film and television companies naturally have their limits, which are determined by the size of the market and are not influenced by human will.
The total market value of the domestic film and television industry is nothing compared to other industries, it is the so-called smallest of the small.
Gu Wei had previously read an official data report for 2022.
The top ten industries in my country in terms of scale are: manufacturing, real estate, wholesale and retail, construction, finance, transportation, information technology, energy, and medical.
Compared with these big brothers, the film and television industry that Gu Wei is in is nothing.
A bit of data will make it clear. Gu Wei's "Wei Ming Tian Xia" is performing so well now. If it goes public, its market value will definitely be over 10 billion. The company with the highest market value in the entire film and television industry currently is "Huayi Brothers", and its market value was about 80 billion when its stock price was at its highest.
The overall scale of the entire domestic film and television industry is approximately tens of trillions.
But let’s not talk about anything else, just look at some of the famous companies in the Internet industry that everyone knows, such as Alibaba, Tencent, and even the future ByteDance. The market value of each of their companies is over one trillion yuan, and the total market value of several companies combined is higher than the total market value of the domestic film and television industry.
Not to mention Hengda in the real estate industry, whose debt alone amounts to 2 trillion yuan. Even if all domestic film and television companies were sold, it would not be enough to pay off the debt of this one company.
So, in the entertainment industry, you can become famous, make money, and pursue an artistic life, but don’t even think about becoming a top-tier billionaire by relying on a film and television company.
Shallow water cannot support a dragon.
The reason why Huayi Brothers wanted to build a film and television town during the years when the company's market value was the highest was because they saw that building houses was more profitable than making movies.
The market pool is so small that even if you make all the money, you are still a small fry compared to the big guys in other industries.
The reason why the entertainment industry has been so popular in recent years is simply because this industry is naturally an attention-grabbing industry. Celebrities make a lot of money, ranging from millions, tens of millions to even hundreds of millions, but going any higher is beyond their reach.
Gu Wei made a lot of money by starting a company and becoming a celebrity, which allowed him to enjoy the life of a top wealthy person and he doesn't have to worry about money in his life.
As for his net worth, even if he works hard to list Weiming Tianxia, its final market value may not be as high as the value of his shares in ByteDance.
Not to mention that he also has shares in MiHoYo. He has used the money he earned over the years to buy shares in Tencent and Moutai, which is now not a small amount.
With these, there is no need for Gu Wei to work so hard to launch "Wei Ming Tian Xia".
He doesn't care about the increase in his net worth after the listing, he has no shortage of money for film and television production, and the company itself is a cash cow. These are the real reasons why he doesn't want the company to go public.
If the initial goal was to make the most money, then Gu Wei should not be a star. He should work hard in the Internet industry, and after repeated financing and listing, he should switch to the manufacturing industry, making mobile phones and cars. Only in this way can he become a real boss.
Of course, Gu Wei also knew that he didn't have that ability. With his own conditions, being a big star would be enough for him.
He himself also likes the life of a celebrity. He can experience different kinds of life by playing different roles, and he has countless fans and audiences who like and admire him. For Gu Wei, being a celebrity and an actor is an enjoyment in itself.
In the company's conference room, Gu Wei sat in the main seat, Yang Liwen was the first seat on the left, and Zhao Mingcheng, the general manager of the film and television company, who should have sat in the first seat on the right, was on the set as the producer of "Ashes of Love". Executives from other departments of the company were relatively present.
"It's November now, and 2016 is almost over. Our company has produced several excellent TV series this year, including Eternal Love, Princess Agents, You Are My Glory, and Take My Brother Away, as well as the yet-to-be-completed Ashes of Love.
Among them, the copyright of "Eternal Love" was successfully sold, and the transaction of "Princess Agents" is still under negotiation, including "You Are My Glory" which is still in the post-production stage. These three dramas will be broadcast one after another next year.
I believe that with our [Wei Ming Tian Xia] renowned film and television production capabilities, these three dramas will do very well when they air next year!"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the conference room applauded.
"You, Mr. Gu, will star in two of them yourself, and Princess Agents also has Zhao Liying in it. I believe all three dramas will be huge hits."
"Boss, you are the biggest contributor to the success of our company's film and television dramas."
"Yes, yes, yes."
“.”
Although everyone is flattering him, any employee who has been working there for a long time knows how important a role Gu Wei, the big star boss, has played in the rise of "Wei Ming Tian Xia" and he has never missed a beat.
Gu Wei raised his hand and pressed it.
"I didn't develop the company alone. Everyone's hard work is there for everyone to see. So don't flatter me. You won't be shortchanged in your year-end bonuses."
“Thank you, boss!”
"Long live the boss!"
"The boss is the most handsome man in the world."
“That’s true, I’m ashamed to accept it.”
Gu Wei added a sentence and everyone laughed. The female employee who said "the most handsome man in the world" felt a little embarrassed.
"After talking about this year, let's talk about 2017 which is coming soon.
"The Love Master" will be released on the 30th of next month. I don't need to emphasize again that the company's publicity and promotion work must be done well, and the relevant departments must cooperate well. This is the first time our company has done publicity and promotion, and I hope to have a good start.
Then there are two new projects that the company will launch in the first half of next year.
A movie and a TV series.
The movie "Dying to Survive" is directed by director Wen Muye from the company and is now in the preparation stage for casting.
According to the plan, filming will officially start in February next year.
I don't need to say much about this. The crew members will be selected by Director Wen himself. If nothing unexpected happens, they will probably be the same group of people who filmed "The Love Master". After all, they have worked together before and are familiar with Director Wen.
The TV series will be developed from a novel in our company's copyright library, "Squid Stewed in Honey Sauce".
This project is still in its infancy.
The screenwriting department contacted the original author "Mobao Feibao" and invited her to adapt the original novel into a TV drama script.
"clear!"
Gu Wei turned and looked at Yang Liwen again.
"Sister Yang, please contact Director Liu Junjie. I first worked with him on the TV series 'My Love from My Love'. If there's no problem, invite him to be the director of this TV series."
Yang Liwen nodded after hearing the order.
"Only after the script and director are finalized can we start preparations for casting and other aspects. I estimate that the film will start shooting in March or April next year, which is plenty of time."
"Boss, will you appear in this TV series?"
Yang Liwen asked.
Whether Gu Wei can play the leading male role is related to the success rate of inviting director Liu Junjie.
If we follow the classification of TV dramas by various video platforms in the future, dramas starring Gu Wei will definitely be S-level projects, and if not, they will at most be A-level.
Gu Wei touched his chin.
"I will be in the show. Just as the filming of [Divas Hit the Road 3] is finished next year, I will join the crew to film this show."
"I understand~"
After receiving Gu Wei's affirmation, Yang Liwen was full of confidence in inviting Director Liu.
"Oh, right, everyone.
The name of this new drama should be changed from "Squid Stewed in Honey Sauce".
Change it to [Dear, beloved]!"
After a busy day at work, Gu Wei came out of the company and came to the Jinmao Mansion community.
During the day, he received a call from Yang Mi, inviting him to have dinner at her house. Gu Wei agreed without hesitation.
The recent entry into TikTok was a small favor Yang Mi had done him, and Gu Wei also promised to thank her in person when they meet.
Of course, in a way that both of them understand.
Now that Yang Mi has finished filming his movie and returned to Beijing, he contacted Gu Wei as soon as possible.
The car drove to the underground parking lot, and Gu Wei took the elevator directly upstairs wearing a mask and a baseball cap.
I went up to Yang Mi's floor, walked to the door and rang the doorbell. After a few seconds, the door was opened.
"Miss."
Gu Wei greeted with a smile.
"It came pretty quickly~"
Yang Mi was wearing a light pink home dress, which was loose and baggy, and looked very comfortable, wrapping up her hot body.
Her long wavy hair fell on both sides of her shoulders, and her beautiful face had fair and tender skin. Her big watery eyes looked at Gu Wei at the door, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised.
After Gu Wei entered the room, he changed his shoes, took off his coat, and handed a gift box in his hand to Yang Mi.
"What?"
"A gift for you, Miss Mi"
The box was not big, with a very obvious Cartier logo on the outside. Yang Mi opened it and found a bracelet inside. The chain was made of platinum and was inlaid with three emeralds, one large and two small. The emeralds were surrounded by a small circle of diamonds.
Yang Mi didn't hesitate to take it out and put it on her fair wrist. The emerald was pure and deep in color, and the diamonds were dazzling. The whole bracelet looked elegant and noble.
"It's pretty. Isn't this jewelry cheap?"
Yang Mi raised his hand and looked around, seeming very satisfied with Gu Wei's gift.
"Price doesn't matter. No matter how expensive the jewelry is, it's a blessing for Mijie to wear it."
After hearing what Gu Wei said, Yang Mi looked up and looked at Gu Wei's face carefully.
"Why, is there something dirty on my face?"
Gu Wei was puzzled.
"Having known you for so many years, I've noticed that you're getting better and better at using sweet words to coax young girls."
"Miss Mi, I gave you a gift out of kindness, but you miss me like this. It's so sad~"
Gu Wei acted aggrieved.
"Okay, I've prepared the food. Go wash your hands and let's eat together."
Yang Mi ignored him, closed the box in his hand, and just kept wearing the bracelet while talking.
After a while, the two of them sat on both sides of the dining table.
"Wow~ Sister Mi, I've known you for so long, how come I didn't know you became such a good cook?"
After sitting down, Gu Wei looked at the table full of various dishes and asked with some surprise.
Yang Mi opened a bottle of red wine and poured it for the two of them.
"I ordered these dishes from a Shandong cuisine restaurant near my residential complex. I often eat there and the food tastes pretty good."
Given their relationship, Gu Wei didn't bother to be too particular. He picked up his glass, clinked glasses with Yang Mi, took a sip, and then started eating.
The two of them ate and chatted, and soon they had finished half a bottle of red wine.
"Gu Wei, how much shares do you have in the company that developed the [TikTok] app you asked me to join?"
Yang Mi took a sip of wine, her face flushed slightly, and she squinted her charming peach blossom eyes as she looked at Gu Wei.
"Why do you suddenly think of asking this?"
"After I returned to Beijing, I went to the company and Zeng Jia told me that the company called ByteDance had just successfully raised funds two days ago and its market value was 12 billion US dollars.
Didn’t you say before that you were a shareholder? I’m curious how much shares you have in it?”
Gu Wei looked at Yang Mi with curiosity, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly.
He didn't say anything, but raised a finger.
"One percent?
It's not a small amount. According to the total valuation, it's $120 million. If the company's valuation continues to rise, your shares will become more and more valuable."
Yang Mi was a little surprised, but considering that Gu Wei's identity was not just a celebrity, he could understand why his net worth increased by 120 million US dollars.
She debuted in 2003, but she really made money after the popularity of "Palace" in 2011, which is a full five years now.
According to the Forbes celebrity rankings, Yang Mi ranked 7th in 2013 with an income of 43.7 million, and ranked 6th in 2014 with an income of 52 million.
In the last two years, with the arrival of the traffic era, her income soared, exceeding 100 million yuan every year, and she earned more than 400 million yuan in total in 5 years.
Together with her shares in Jiaxing Media, they are worth about 240 million after the last round of financing.
So her current total net worth is probably less than 700 million RMB.
Of course, taxes and the various expenses she spends on herself as a star must be deducted here.
Thinking that she had worked hard for many years but could not earn as much as Gu Wei by casually investing in a company, Yang Mi looked at Gu Wei with envy and jealousy.
There's nothing she can do about it, since she doesn't have Gu Wei's wealthy family background and keen vision.
Gu Wei listened to Yang Mi's words, smiled, shook his head, and put his hand down.
“A few years ago, ByteDance encountered financial difficulties. I happened to have some money on hand and was optimistic about the company’s future development, so I invested some money in it.
After two rounds of financing, my stake was diluted a bit, and now it's only 11%."
When Yang Mi asked about this kind of thing, Gu Wei had nothing to hide and told her openly.
“11%!”
Yang Mi's eyes, which were originally slightly narrowed, suddenly widened. His brain, which had scored 585 points in the college entrance examination, worked rapidly and gave a result in an instant.
"That means the valuation of your shares is $1.32 billion!"
Gu Wei smiled and nodded.
Yang Mi watched Gu Wei take a deep breath and exhale slowly.
The news that Gu Wei told her really shocked her.
She knew that Gu Wei was very rich and had made many popular movies and TV series, earning billions from them.
But I don't have an accurate idea of how much money he has.
Now that we know his shares in ByteDance, plus the companies under his name, there is no doubt that Gu Wei's wealth is definitely over 10 billion RMB.
Thinking of this, Yang Mi looked at Gu Wei with even more passion.
Gu Wei, who already had a stunning appearance, looked even more handsome in her eyes, as if his entire body was covered with a halo called "money", sparkling and stinging her eyes.
Of course, the attraction is even greater.
"In your 20s, with a net worth of tens of billions, Gu Wei, you have truly refreshed my perception of you once again."
Yang Mi clasped her hands together and supported them on the table, resting her fair chin lightly on them, her voice becoming more and more charming.
Gu Wei smiled and waved his hand.
“It’s all just valuation, paper wealth. If you can’t cash it out, it just looks good.”
Yang Mi knew that he was just being modest. For an internet company that was on the rise, its shares would only become more and more valuable.
What's more, they have just completed financing. If Gu Wei wants to sell his shares, there is plenty of capital willing to take over.
The meal was almost over, and Yang Mi looked at Gu Wei with increasingly dazed eyes, and she seemed a little tipsy. She stretched out her tender white hand to Gu Wei.
"I wonder if what Mr. Billionaire said before still counts?"
Gu Wei stood up with a smile, grabbed Yang Mi's hand, and gently pulled her into his arms.
The two bodies pressed together, and the clear touch of the upper body made Gu Wei feel a little dry in the mouth.
He put one arm around the other's slender waist, held Yang Mi's cheek with the other, and lowered his head to kiss her.
"Is my gratitude sincere?"
After kissing for a while, the two of them leaned their heads against each other, their lips parted, and Gu Wei asked softly.
Yang Mi's eyes, which were originally tightly closed, slowly opened a crack, and he gasped rapidly.
“It’s OK, but whether it’s sincere or not depends on the performance later.”
"Miss, you know me well. When have I ever disappointed you?"
There's only one chapter left today.
(End of this chapter)
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