Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Ronald was drinking Coke with the investor Buffy, and Katharine Graham, the wife of the head of the Washington Post, who had just chatted with the first lady, came over.

"Warren, next..."

With the sound of metal collision, a bunch of keys were thrown over neatly, and Buffy caught it.

The "Katherine the Great" of the media industry had an old-fashioned hairstyle from the 1960s and kissed Buffy left and right.

Katherine Graham looked at Ronald in surprise, her eyes moving back and forth between his and Buffy's faces. Few people can chat with Buffy at dinners and parties, and he is still so young.

"Hello, Mrs. Graham." Ronald came forward to greet him.

"Oh, you are Director Ronald? Nancy often mentioned your name just now." Graham recognized him.

Before buying the shares of the "Washington Post" Group, Warren Buffy was just an "investment wizard" from the small town of Omaha, unknown in the upper class of the East Coast.

At first, Graham suspected him, wondering if he was someone's white glove, who wanted to acquire and control the Washington Post so as to control the most influential newspaper in the capital.

Buffett repeatedly assured that he just admired the other party's business and was optimistic about the media's business conditions, and vowed not to interfere with Graham's control of the Post.

After several years of observation and running-in, Graham had fully believed that Buffett was just for investment, and finally gave him a seat on the board.

Because of this director position, Buffett gradually participated in various upper-class social activities in Washington, New York and other places, and had a good reputation among the wealthy groups on the East Coast. He also gradually changed from an investment wizard in the small town of Omaha to a nationally famous investment wizard.

Buffett, who came from the countryside, was a bit like the protagonist played by James Stewart in the Hollywood movie "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". His food, clothing, expenses, clothing, social life and other aspects were incompatible with the upper-class society on the East Coast. Graham took him to slowly familiarize himself with them.

However, he was still quite aloof in social life. Even if Graham took him to various high-end parties, he was still not good at dealing with those idiots with low IQ. He often ended up alone and no one talked to him.

Graham often came to check in the middle of the party to see if poor Buffy was silent again.

As a "Catherine the Great" who was very close to the center of power, Graham could not accompany Buffy all the time. If she encountered such a situation, she would throw her house key to him and let him go back to bed first.

"I'm glad you can have a good chat with new friends here." But today, Warren seemed to have found a new friend to talk to.

"I watched your dance movie, it was very interesting."

"Yes, Dirty Dancing, your Washington Post film critic gave me a very good review." Ronald stepped forward to thank him.

"Oh, Baby restored it very well, just like a girl in the 1960s. The film review column is a very good column of our Post. You see, we are not as serious as some people say."

Graham is a very independent strong woman who single-handedly expanded the Post Group left by her deceased husband and listed it. She admired the independent women who devoted themselves to work like Baby, the protagonist of Dirty Dancing.

"Nancy was just talking about your dance scene, but I think the independent women you filmed are meaningful... I hope you can make a movie about women being independent and strong in the workplace in the future. We American women need a role model in life."

Graham sneered at the first lady in his heart. This Hollywood vase only knew how to play some astrology. Her understanding of the movie was superficial, and she could not appreciate the true meaning of "Dirty Dancing" at all.

And she invited herself to the White House dinner just to show mercy to her husband's performance in the stock market crash. This woman really doesn't understand the media. The Washington Post became a big bag by exposing the Watergate incident.

"You can go back anytime you want. I won't be home until very late." Graham chatted with the two of them for a few words, then said goodbye and went to socialize with others.

After Graham left, Ronald looked at Buffy and thought that the relationship between you two seemed quite familiar.

"When you invested in the Washington Post, what were you thinking? Was their media influence within your consideration?" Ronald heard him say that this was his most proud investment. People generally like others to hear about their glorious past.

"Haha, actually I know a lot about the media. If I hadn't invested, I would probably have become a reporter."

Buffett had a good impression of Ronald, who didn't talk about stock prices, but was interested in his most proud investment process. He talked to him about some past events.

In 1973, the New York Stock Exchange also experienced a sharp correction in stock prices. He invested most of his cash in the Washington Post because he saw this undervalued stock.

Buffett only had more than 10 million in funds at the time, and he resolutely invested most of it. Who knew that he kept losing money, and he waited for three years before the stock price of the Washington Post returned to the price when he bought it.

Starting in 1977, the stock price of the Post began to rise rapidly, and by 1982 it had risen five times.

"Then when you were stuck in the trap for three years, what made you firmly believe that this stock would soar?" Ronald also admired this man's determination.

"Actually, it's very simple. I think the Post is worth $400 million. At that time, their revenue was $200 million, and their market value was less than $100 million. For one dollar, I could buy something worth four dollars. At that time, most stock analysts knew that the Post was worth 400 million, but all investors could see that its market value was only 100 million.

The difference between me and others is that I believe that stocks are also commodities. If you can buy a kilogram of gold at a 75% discount, would you buy it? "

"Then I'll definitely buy it." Ronald thought to himself, I'm not stupid.

"Then why don't many people buy stocks?"

"This..." Ronald was running out of ideas.

"Think about it, stocks are not played like those hedging speculators...don't do stupid things that can only exacerbate market chaos." Buffy shook the key in her hand and said goodbye to Ronald. He met a young man here and could chat with him, which was also a great experience.

"Ronald, you are here. I have been looking for you for a long time. Go to my house and chat with me."

Barbara found the staff of the campaign team who participated in the TV debate before the second term of the Prime Minister, and confirmed that the golden idea that turned defeat into victory was Ronald's idea. She suddenly felt that such a great talent must be invited over immediately to help her husband, old George!

"Mrs. Vice Commander, okay, I just feel a little confused right now." Ronald and her went to the Vice Commander's official residence.

"any drinks?"

"If there's black tea."

"I only have coffee here," Barbara asked the SWAT team bodyguard to get Ronald a cup of coffee.

Seeing that she and Ronald were the only ones left in the study, Barbara clicked the table next to Old George's desk and suddenly asked a question.

"Ronald, why didn't you tell me that you came up with the golden phrase that defeated Mondale?"

The old lady's white hair spread out and fluttered in the strong evening wind, like a lioness showing her hunting posture.

"One sentence cannot determine the outcome of the general election." Ronald answered without hesitation.

"Then what can be decided?" Barbara put away the temptation. This was an answer she did not expect.

"Perhaps you think that the golden words in that debate allowed the commander-in-chief to change the public's perception of his age. In fact, that may be the case, but it is all the work of a team. You cannot erase others just because of one person's outstanding performance. of hard work.

Besides, I just unintentionally provided an angle. "

Ronald didn't want to take credit for this. If it caused the other party to misunderstand that he was omnipotent, and then he didn't play for Old George, or the results were not as dramatic as this, and if the expectations and results were inconsistent, it would not be a good thing.

Besides, I don’t want to waste my time on the election campaign.

"I am a film director, Lady Barbara. Sometimes, the success or failure of a film, in the eyes of the audience, is just a close-up of the protagonist's tearful eyes in the final climactic scene. But that is the collaboration of all the actors, and in the end The consequences are slowly laid out in the hands of the editor.

Moreover, even if the star performs the best, we must not forget the photographers, lighting designers, makeup artists, hairstylists, etc. behind the scenes. How much impact will a makeup artist who deliberately causes sabotage have on the heroine. "

"Hahaha, I know something about that." Barbara laughed. After getting dressed, she was excluded from the formal occasion by Nancy. This kind of Hollywood actress is very destructive.

"Then what do you think about the strategic differences between my two campaign consultants? Don't say you don't know. George Jr. highly recommends your opinion to me. I know you have a preference for Roger Ailes' campaign strategy.

I also asked Roger and he also appreciated your advertising ideas. Say that the advertisements produced by your company have accumulated a good foundation for our advantage in the primary election. "

It turned out that little George had revealed his position, and Ronald blinked twice.

However, Roger Ailes's ideas are really useful. I borrowed them myself, and Cher's interview was valued by all parties. If I still had the old idea of ​​wanting Cher to go on Letterman's show and talk about "Moonlight Sultry", I'm afraid the effect would be much less effective, and all parties wouldn't be so cooperative.

"Ms. Barbara, on the set, I have to manage more than 200 people at most, and dozens of people at least. Most of these people are working with me for the first time, and they all have different ideas. Every day I will Received dozens of unsolicited 'advice', each sounding good for themselves. You know how I can tell who is telling the truth and who is lying?"

"What do you do?" Barbara liked this way of talking very much, but when these words came from the mouth of a person younger than her own son, she was also very moved. Why aren't my children so capable?

"I have a rule of thumb. If someone comes and says how doing this will benefit the crew, how it will make other people's performances more realistic, and what effect the final film will have, then they are probably speaking fairly.

If what he is talking about is his strategy and what value he has added to the crew, and he emphasizes his contribution everywhere before filming is completed..."

"You know what? Ronald, if you are determined to enter politics, you must also be a good person."

"My interest is in making movies." Ronald laughed. Just in time, the secret service bodyguard came in with a cup of coffee.

"Thank you, thank you very much." Ronald looked at these Secret Service professionals who had to get coffee for him, and hurriedly thanked them. He was wearing a black suit and sunglasses indoors, and he looked like he was not easy to mess with.

"It's okay," the bodyguard waved his hand, this guy was quite polite.

...

The next day, Barbara quickly adjusted the team of campaign consultants. Roger Ailes actually took charge of the strategy designation of the campaign.

In the next campaign, the propaganda direction will not deliberately describe the economic, diplomatic, tax and other policies after George Sr. was elected.

Instead, it will focus on some unsatisfactory things that the people have encountered in the seven years of rapid development. Some people who lost in the competition need the new president to be more gentle and pay more attention to fairness, rather than just efficiency.

In the southern states, a firewall should be established to prevent illegal immigrants from Mexico from pouring into America and snatching job opportunities from the lower-class people. In the context of the stock market crash, the people want more protection.

They need a president who is tough on the outside and continues the current economic policy at home, but who cares more about the public in terms of social security, safety, and punishing the black-hearted Wall Street tycoons.

The next campaign ad also shifted the focus to family values.

All of George Sr.'s children will appear in this ad, telling their inner thoughts about their father's candidacy and what kind of person their father is in their eyes.

Because of George Jr.'s persistence, Ronald, the "campaign expert" he strongly recommended to Barbara, helped Barbara make the final decision, and he and Laura and his wife also got the first opportunity to appear on camera.

The new ad script was sent to Roger Ailes for review, and Emil will be the director.

Ronald also returned to New York, praised Emil greatly, and gave him a check as a bonus. His work was appreciated by Barbara, the de facto person in charge of the campaign committee, which gave Ronald's Daydream Company a long-term client, and a very rich one.

After handling the business, Ronald found Bannon.

"Tamura is gone?"

"His uncle has told him to come and tell him that someone is going to cause trouble in the Tokyo Stock Exchange soon. They are on high alert. Tamura has to go back and report in person. I asked him to leave on a business jet."

"Very good," Ronald took a bottle of Yamazaki 12-year-old whiskey given by the Japanese, opened it and poured it for Bannon. The Japanese want to compete with the best quality in the world in all their products. This Yamazaki, except for a slightly lighter taste, Ronald thinks it has surpassed Scottish malt whiskey in terms of smell, quality and taste.

"Our money has been transferred to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, where we will meet up with our partners. This time we will give Solo's hedge funds a hard blow."

The MITI was very proud this time. Under the stock market crisis, all liberalism was empty. Even London, the birthplace of the non-intervention policy, began administrative intervention and followed the footsteps of New York and Tokyo, "morally" persuading banks to take over the stocks included in the index.

Those hedge funds, which suffered losses in New York and London, had to short Tokyo to make up for the losses of Black Monday. Now they will have a taste of what Orientals mean by implicitness. The dog that bites does not bark.

He took some money and went to Tokyo with Bannon to snipe American financial tycoon Solo. Ronald had no psychological burden at all. After all, American investment genius Buffett also said that it was these speculators who artificially increased the breadth and length of the crisis. How many innocent shareholders were harmed by you?

I am also representing the justice side, and I will punish you speculators.

"When will you go over?"

"Tomorrow, I can continue to mobilize some money here."

"Cheers, I wish us success."

"Cheers, hahahaha", Bannon also laughed out loud. This time, the two invested a total of more than 10 million yuan. If it works well, it will be several times the profit.

"Oh, right," Ronald recalled what Buffett had told him, "that $3,000 company, Buffett's... "

"Are you talking about Berkshire Hathaway?"

"Yes, how much money did they make from the Washington Post? I heard that Buffett was all in on one stock and was stuck for three years."

"Haha, that stock gave him at least ten times the return, and now he can mobilize more than $500 million in funds at one time."

"Ten times?" Ronald thought for a while, "Is Coca-Cola also undervalued now? Just like the Washington Post at that time?"

"Compared to the highest point, Coke has indeed fallen by more than 30%. But Buffett's strategy is long-term operations. It's not as fast as our short-term leverage."

"That's right..." Ronald responded with his mouth, and made up his mind in his heart that for people like him who don't know how to trade stocks, it's better to learn from Buffett. When you see a good stock, buy it and leave it there. "

"Well," Ronald took a sip of wine, "Buffett's company is also a listed company, so I'll buy some of his company's stocks. Just as tuition. "