The birth of the Hong Kong Island family

The eighties are here.

In the conference room of Victoria Harbor Investment, Lin Zhichao was having a meeting with senior executives.

This is his private investment company. Even his wives don't know the details inside. They only know that there is a lot of wealth.

The personnel of this company are all loyal 'retainers', such as: Chris, who is responsible for European and American investments, has been working at Victoria Harbor Investment for 22 years; Lin Benfeng, who is responsible for Asian investments, is Lin Zhichao's sister-in-law. One of the people he trusts most; the person in charge of financial accounting is Li Zhonghe, who has been with Lin Zhichao for thirty years. In his early years, he was responsible for global finance at Universal Group. At the same time, many of the management inside were recruited by Lin Zhichao from his own company. , or it may take years of observation and training to enter management.

Of course, the most important thing is that Lin Zhichao is the president of this company and holds real management power.

In comparison, in the family office, Lin Zhichao encourages his three wives, seven sons, and two daughters to work and supervise; in particular, the board of directors composed of the seven sons is an important department in maintaining the family office.

"Zhonghe, Benfeng, you are responsible for selling gold. My requirement is to sell it at an international gold price of more than 600 US dollars per ounce. There is no need to worry, the price of gold can be maintained at this level most of the time this year, everything is in order. Just sell the catkins, the most important thing is the security of the funds."

At present, the gold invested by Victoria Harbor is stored in the three cities of Zurich, London and Hong Kong, totaling about 285.5 tons (10.05 million ounces); this data is probably the global 'speculative gold' trading volume in one month, but it is not a Monthly total transaction volume.

Li Zhonghe asked: "Are the cashed-out funds deposited in a U.S. dollar account in a local bank?"

Lin Zhichao said: "This is the arrangement for now. If there are any adjustments that need to be made later, I will make arrangements."

Li Zhonghe and Lin Benfeng said at the same time: "Okay"

In the 1980s, Lin Zhichao also had to prepare to own a bank, otherwise it would be inconvenient to save money in the future.

Chris asked: "Boss, do you need to adjust your investment in the U.S. stock market?"

Lin Zhichao said: "Don't worry, at least wait until the US presidential election, and I will analyze it again."

Chris nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

After joining Victoria Harbor Investment for many years, he understands one thing. They don't need the 'initiative' in investment, because the boss wants to seize the 'initiative'; of course, the 'Nifty 50' invested by the boss usually gets a lot of dividends every year. These funds gradually become "free funds" for their investment department, and they can choose to invest independently. In fact, everyone will still refer to the boss's investment methods.

Currently, Victoria Harbor's investment in the U.S. stock market is around US$3.6 billion, with an annual return rate of more than 25% (calculated since 1974).

Mainly in October 1974, when buying at the bottom was equivalent to making a lot of money immediately; secondly, in terms of stock selection, the 'Nifty 50' stocks with the best growth were also selected, and the dividend reinvestment model was used; finally, oil companies ——Chevrolet, Standard, etc., have experienced very strong returns in the past few years, and during this period, they invested another US$200 million in US oil companies.

Victoria Harbor Investment, the market value of gold and US stocks alone is already US$9.6 billion;

The market value of Hong Kong and Japanese stocks has also reached US$900 million;

In addition, there are naturally huge rental properties and land, including: Victoria Harbor Center, Far East Financial Center Tower AB, Admiralty Center, Admiralty Building, Midea Building, International Building, Poly Building, Global Building. There are also values. More than one billion dollars worth of land and land exchange rights. The total value of these properties should be around US$2.5 billion.

Therefore, the current asset value of Victoria Harbor Investment is about US$13 billion (about HK$78 billion).

After the meeting dispersed, everyone went to work around the world. Lin Zhichao must have personally participated in this gold cash-out, but was just supervising.

Back in the office, Lin Zhichao was still thinking about one thing - the investment matters of the family office.

The family office injected US$500 million in two installments (2+3). The first US$200 million also purchased oil-related US stocks and British stocks, and the second US$300 million invested in long-term US stock investments (Coca-Cola, Ruihui, United Lever, Wal-Mart, Audrey Company, etc.)', the current asset value is more than 600 million U.S. dollars, and it can fully afford the annual operating expenses of the "Lin Family Office" of 10 million U.S. dollars (a large family office with more than 70 employees) ).

Lin Zhichao is thinking that oil stocks should be sold in the first half of next year. What will be the next trend?

The automobile and retail industries in the US stock market are the next wave of ‘dividend financial products’.

In fact, the entire 1980s and 1990s were a period of great growth for U.S. stocks.

After Reagan came to power, there was an adjustment period of less than a year, which was raising interest rates to test the "limit of the inflation rate" and the "87 stock market crash".

In this way, in fact, there is almost no need to consider large-scale withdrawals from U.S. stocks in the future. At most, a small part of the investment will be used to make a wave of T.

The Japanese stock market in the 1980s was also not easy to miss;

The British stock market also performed very well in the 1980s.

Overall, Victoria Harbor Investment and the Lin Family Office still focus on investing in financial products.

Of course, it can also be understood that investment is mainly in enterprises, because many investments will almost never be moved in the future. For example, hold shares in Wal-Mart, Ruihui, etc. and become a long-term shareholder.

Shortly after New Year's Day (1980), Lin Zhichao came to Harbor City to inspect the site. With the advent of the 1980s, the development of Harbor City had been largely completed.

In this area (Wharf Wharf), there are already 14 first-class properties, namely -

Three properties built in the early years include:

Ocean Terminal (650,000 square feet shopping mall, 10,000 square feet office building), Ocean Center (office building), Hong Kong Hotel.

Harbor City, which began to be developed in the early 1970s, has a total of eleven properties, including:

Three office buildings (Global Shipping Center, World Financial Center, World Business Center),

Five high-end residential buildings (Bantao Pavilion, Guizhi Pavilion, Xiutang Pavilion, Pinlan Pavilion, Xiantao Pavilion),

Two hotels (Marco Polo Hotel, Prince Hotel)

A shopping mall (it is the base of 11 other properties in Harbor City, with a total of three floors, providing 350,000 ordinary shopping mall properties)

Lin Zhichao said casually: "Building five residential buildings here is a waste of land."

Chief Executive Officer Tony Dank said: "I didn't expect Hong Kong's commercialization to be so rapid at the beginning, and the top management of Jardine Matheson Department had always been relatively conservative."

Lin Zhichao nodded and said: "But there is a certain truth. Due to the restrictions of Kai Tak Airport, the height here cannot exceed 70 meters, and the highest building is seventeen or eighteen floors. If you want to further develop business, you can only wait for Kai Tak Airport in the future. Moved to Lantau Island and demolished and rebuilt five residential towers.”

Tony Dank was stunned and asked curiously: "Will Kai Tak Airport be relocated?"

Lin Zhichao smiled and said: "This is something that will definitely happen in the future. If Hong Kong wants to become a first-class city in the world, Kai Tak Airport is still not enough. Of course, these things are still a bit far away."

Lin Ruihai on the other side, after thinking for a while, said: "If the aircraft take-off technology is more advanced, high-rise office buildings may be allowed to be built here in the future."

Lin Zhichao said: "What you said is very possible!"

If five residential buildings can be redeveloped into office buildings starting in the late 1980s, a large number of rental properties will be added; by then, Wharf Wharf will have ten office buildings (5 high-rises, 5 low-rises) and two Unique hotel buildings (fan-shaped and industrial-shaped), a large ground-floor shopping mall (350,000 square feet), and an Ocean Terminal shopping mall (660,000 square feet), totaling about six to seven million square feet of rent-collecting properties .

Times Square in Causeway Bay has approximately 2.4 million square feet of property.

Later, Lin Zhichao said: "The Wharf Group has got out of its financial difficulties, right?"

Tony said: "Yes! The initial investment of 50 million Hong Kong dollars in gold has now earned more than 100 million Hong Kong dollars in profits; the 'Amoy Garden' in which Wharf Group participated is expected to earn 150 million in profits (half of which has been sold); Wharf has already sold half of it. The group has participated in the development of real estate projects in the past two years and has made a profit of more than HK$50 million. Under your leadership, the Wharf Group has obtained "extra income" of more than HK$300 million. At the same time, the rental income of its properties has gradually increased, which has also made financial well developed.”

This British CEO was promoted internally by Lin Zhichao, but he was not from the Jardine family, so he was very active and cooperative in working for Lin Zhichao. Even in the past two years, Wharf Group has implemented the strategy of "valuing senior Chinese employees", and he has actively cooperated with it.

Lin Zhichao nodded and said: "I am going to inject Starlight into the Wharf Group, but I will not fully acquire it. In this way, the Wharf Group can unify the property management in this area."

Injecting assets will increase the shareholding to more than 51%, but it can avoid a full acquisition. Moreover, because the stock price has not skyrocketed, the market value of Wharf is only HK$5 billion. If it is fully acquired, it will be a very good deal.

In fact, the overall acquisition line at this time was 35%. Since Lin Zhichao acquired the Wharf Group, the Jardines Group used its influence to get the Hong Kong government to change the securities rules.

Tony said: "No problem, even if the China Securities Regulatory Commission requires a comprehensive acquisition, as long as you follow the highest price in six months, boss, investors will not sell the stocks. In fact, there is no need for a comprehensive acquisition."

The rule is, but after touching the 35% comprehensive acquisition line, you must initiate a comprehensive acquisition, and the minimum price must be the highest price in six months. But obviously, as long as this rule is used properly, there is no problem in increasing the shareholding to more than 60%.

"Okay, let's go through the procedures later!"

Lin Zhichao handed over the Star Building, worth about 300 million, to the Wharf Group to consider the overall management of this area. This building was originally bought for only HK$38 million, and its value has increased seven to eight times in 12 years. The current annual rental income is more than 30 million Hong Kong dollars, which is also a high-quality asset.

However, Lin Zhichao will certainly not suffer a loss. Assuming that HK$300 million is injected into the Wharf Group, his shareholding will increase from 49% to 52%.

You can reduce some of your stock holdings at the end of 1981, and then increase your holdings to 60% at the end of 1983.

Over time, the holdings have grown steadily.

After the inspection, Lin Zhichao sat in the office of Wharf Group.

"Father, Uncle Zhihao came to me and said that he hoped to take care of the 'Cabar Le Restaurant Group' in the property leasing of the Wharf Group, especially in favor of Café de Coral in the competition with the 'Max's Group'." He said Recently, the Café de Coral Restaurant Group hopes to enter cakes and coffee, so it wants to lease the store in Ocean Terminal not to renew the lease with Maxim’s Group, but to the Café de Coral Restaurant Group.”

Lin Zhichao said: "Did you promise him?"

Lin Ruihai said: "I didn't agree to all of them! I think that although Maxim's Group is from the Jardines Group and Café de Coral Group is from Cheung Kong Holdings, Maxim's Boulevard of Maxim's Group has been operating in the Ocean Terminal for fifteen years. This is a cooperation with our owners. A win-win situation, there is absolutely no reason not to renew the lease. Public is public, private is private. However, I promise that I can give priority to Café de Coral Restaurant Group if I have a good space in the future.”

Lin Zhichao nodded and said: "After defeating its fast-food competitors, it is normal for Café de Coral to aim at Maxim's Group to compete. What's more, I heard that the competition between the two restaurants is very fierce. However, it's hard to find a way to succeed in this position. We certainly don’t want to get involved in this kind of competition.”

"I see."

Maxim's Group is successful because it has a long history in the industry and has rich catering experience; Café de Coral Catering Group is successful because of its strong financial strength (listed company) and strong background.

Maxim's Group, which mainly owns 'Maxim's Boulevard' fast food with Western cakes (breads) and coffee; followed by many various Cantonese restaurants, has introduced 'Chinese food and Western services' and was the first to sell Western pastries in restaurants. The tables are set up and are very popular among diners. Finally, there are 'foreign restaurants' and 'Japanese restaurants', such as Chaojiangchun, Jingchenglou, Dongtinglou, Jinjiangchun, Hujiangchun, and Japanese haute cuisine.

Café de Coral Catering Group mainly has three major businesses: Café de Coral fast food, which is the absolute overlord of Chinese fast food; three seafood restaurants, which dominate Aberdeen sea food; and Cantonese-style mid-to-high-end restaurants, which currently has seven.

There is some competition between the two Cantonese restaurants. The real 'competition' is probably the desire of both parties to become the number one catering group in Hong Kong and to overthrow their rivals. For example, Café de Coral currently intends to enter the 'cake + coffee' industry, and in the future Maxim's Group will not Will let go of Chinese fast food.

The next day.

Lin Zhichao came to the office building of Café de Coral Catering Headquarters (Yingzhi Building), and his cousins ​​Lin Zhihao, Lin Zhiyi, and Lin Caier accompanied him to talk in the office.

Café de Coral Restaurant Group is a typical family-owned enterprise management method. Lin Zhihao is the chairman of the board of directors and general manager, Lin Zhiyi is the person in charge of the Café de Coral fast food brand, and Lin Caier is the head of the marketing department.

"I heard that you are planning to start a Western-style fast food?"

After hearing what his cousin said, Lin Zhihao immediately reported: "It's a cake + coffee model to expand the group's business. In the past two years, my younger sister has often visited Europe and the United States and feels that this model is more promising. After all, Hong Kong is also the intersection of Chinese and Western cultures. place."

This may not be the reason, it may also be that they are targeting the rear of Maxim’s Group.

Lin Zhichao said: "If you don't have unique ideas and are just following the trend, don't mess around."

The three cousins ​​were naturally afraid of Lin Zhichao. They studied under Lin Zhichao's authority when they were young, and eventually went to college one after another. Lin Zhichao took care of them in a paternalistic manner, treating the children as the ones educating them.

Lin Caier said quickly: "If you have some creative ideas, I will give you the plan!"

After a while, Lin Zhichao got the plan, and he looked at it seriously.

Soon, he said: "This plan was not approved by me, so I won't do this cake + coffee model for the time being."

Lin Zhihao immediately said: "Well, we won't do it for the time being."

The cousin took action personally, so he could only obey unconditionally. Cheung Kong Group was the major shareholder of Café de Coral, and his cousin had a different status for the three brothers and sisters, not to mention his cousin’s prediction ability in the business field.

Only Lin Caier boldly asked: "Brother Zhichao, you have to give a detailed reason, right?"

After all, she is a girl, and Lin Xiner is also his sister, although not as close to her.

Lin Zhichao said: "There is not enough innovation! In my opinion, if you want to enter the Western cake industry, you must first have enough innovation to stand out, promote it to markets outside Hong Kong, and become a real chain brand. Western cakes, compared to Chinese food is easier to promote in Asia, and I am very optimistic about this industry."

Lin Caier quickly asked: "Brother Zhichao, does he have some ideas?"

After Lin Zhichao thought for a while, he immediately said: "I think if you enter this industry, it should not be about Western cakes first, but should be called baking technology. When it comes to eating, there is no other nation in the world that has the advantages of the Chinese. To put it bluntly, As long as we Chinese focus on bread, even the French will only lose."

Only then did he remember the news that the Chinese won the 'World Bread' championship in France in his previous life, leaving the French with helpless expressions.

This news makes people want to "laugh" or "surprise" more or less, just like if a foreigner defeated the Chinese in a Chinese food competition, it would be incredible.

Lin Caier said quickly: "Is there anything else?" She had already picked up paper and pen to record it.

Lin Zhichao looked at this cousin and couldn't help but think that the Wu family had Wu Shuqing, and the Lin family had Lin Caier, both of whom had good abilities in the catering field. Of course, Lin Caier is already married and has children. She is not single, but she still puts her career first.

"Since you asked me, I will tell you some of my thoughts, but for your reference only: it is a new bread model, focusing on an innovative baking technology, using our Chinese pursuit of food to innovate. Including equipment, Materials, appearance, etc., everything must be innovative. Even the signboard can be called "Bread Talk" to position consumers as fashionable young people instead of housewives in the past. From the first day of establishing the brand, we must think In the future overseas expansion model, directly-operated stores and franchise stores will not necessarily have to have coffee or milk tea with bread. Since the positioning is young elements, young and fashionable elements must be added to the decoration. Moreover, housewives consider health, Nutrition, but young people are more pursuing novelty and excitement and don’t like to follow the rules, so innovation in taste is very important.”

Soon, a general "design plan" came out from Lin Zhichao's mouth, and the three brothers and sisters immediately listened and memorized it, for fear of missing it.

After Lin Cai'er put down her pen, she couldn't help but say: "Brother Zhichao's creativity is simply a much higher level. It makes people feel like they have opened up a new world."

Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "What you are looking at is Maxim's Group, and what I am looking at is the Asian bread brand. We stand at different heights, and the scenery we see is naturally different. Prepare well for such a big brand , it’s enough for you to spend some energy and time, remember to recruit more talents and encourage innovation.”

I don’t know if I can build a successful bread brand, everything is still unknown, but Lin Zhichao feels it.