Top of the big era

Zhou Buqi knew that in Son's eyes, he was as good as Steve Jobs.

At the same time, he also knew...

Depend on!

It all depends on the investment bank’s support!

What age is this?

Are Microsoft and Sony still competing over the high-definition DVD format standard? Is it that important? It won't be long before DVDs will be thrown into the long river of history just like video tapes, okay?

No wonder the Microsoft giant has been squeezed by the Internet. No wonder the Sony giant is declining day by day. This vision is too poor... This is the lack of accurate understanding of the Internet!

Even technology giants like Microsoft and Sony cannot see the situation clearly, and DVD sales are the most important peripheral income for Hollywood movies. It is not surprising that Hollywood still sticks to the traditional model and scorns the new Internet model.

Zhou Buqi was very happy. Competition in new industries often means subsidies. He asked: "Ziweixing Global has joined Sony's camp. Should we be able to get subsidies from them?"

"Ah?" Sun Zhengyi was slightly stunned, "I don't know about this, I have to ask specifically."

Zhou Buqi smiled and said, "It should be possible. High-definition DVDs are mainly promoted by Hollywood movies. In order to compete for the market, both parties will definitely subsidize the market. Well, I don't want their subsidies. I just need to cooperate with my work and put some of the things that should have been done." Just return the film and television rights that belong to me."

Son Zhengyi smiled and said: "You are the CEO, you decide."

Zhou Buqi glanced at him and said, "You reminded me that the CEO may not have real power. My shares are still a little small."

Son Zhengyi had a black line on his forehead, "What do you mean?"

Zhou Buqi said: "I have to have super voting rights. Now you support me. If there are strategic differences in a few years, who should you listen to? Ziweixing Global uses the brand of 'Ziweixing', and it is I will personally exit the situation, I must have this power."

Son Zhengyi breathed a sigh of relief and agreed to him simply, "Of course, it should be."

He is engaged in Internet investment and has seen various models of super voting rights. He has long been used to it and even supports it. As the saying goes, do not trust those who employ people and do not trust those who doubt them. Only by confirming authority can the management team implement their business plan without constraints. If there are too many constraints, it will become Hulu, and a good hand will be played badly.

After chatting for an hour, the plan was reached!

Zhou Buqi accepted the conditions and agreed to serve as the chairman and CEO of Ziweixing Global, leading this new company that has not yet been established into a new era, setting off a wave of major changes in the Hollywood industry, and firing the first shot of reform!

Now that I'm a CEO, I have to pay attention to some business details, and I can't be the hands-off shopkeeper like in the past.

The next day, Zhou Buqi attended the advisory committee meeting, communicated with some invited Hollywood bigwigs, and obtained some detailed reports from various companies.

The most shocking and annoying one is DreamWorks.

After the consulting meeting, Zhou Buqi chatted with Jeffrey Katzenberg alone, "What's going on at DreamWorks?"

Katzenberg didn't understand what he meant, but said with a smile: "I have already communicated with Spielberg, and he is willing to lead DreamWorks to a new company. He has had enough of Paramount."

Zhou Buqi said calmly: "Jeff, I want to reiterate one thing to you again and again. What I value most is copyright! Copyright is the foundation of an entertainment empire!"

There is no way, Hollywood today is a bunch of rabble.

His Internet-based "Content Kingdom Plan" is not yet suitable for public disclosure. This is a great challenge to traditional Hollywood and is difficult to be understood by the outside world.

Once made public, it may become an obstacle to the formation of "Purple Star Global".

Publicly speaking, the new entertainment empire is still the main focus.

Katzenberg asked tentatively: "Are you talking about the 59 film rights that DreamWorks had before 2005?"

"Um!"

"It's okay, you can take it back."

"Can?"

Zhou Buqi raised his eyebrows.

Katzenberg said with a smile: "The copyright purchaser is a very close partner of Viacom and specializes in copyright operations. It seems that it is also encountering business difficulties now. If you work hard, you may be able to get it back."

Zhou Buqi said categorically: "It must be taken back! No one can be left behind!"

This is really annoying!

It also shows how short-sighted and incompetent Hollywood film and television practitioners are.

It is said that in 2005, Paramount acquired DreamWorks for a total price of US$1.6 billion. However, Paramount does not have enough funds, what should we do?

This is where the show comes into play.

After Paramount acquired DreamWorks, it sold the copyrights to all 59 films produced by DreamWorks from its founding in 1994 to 2005 to third-party cooperative companies for US$900 million.

This time, Paramount returned a wave of blood. Then it provided a "gift" of US$200 million to DreamWorks, allowing Spielberg to prepare and film "Transformers".

It can be seen that in front of real capital bosses like the Redstone family, the world's number one director like Spielberg is like a fool, being teased around.

If they want to sell copyrights to raise funds, wouldn't DreamWorks just sell the copyrights themselves? Can't we start filming "Transformers"? As for whether to package it and sell it to Paramount?

Isn't it that these 59 movies that Spielberg has worked so hard to produce over the past ten years are as reluctant to sell as a child?

The result was great. After selling the company that they had longed for, they suffered a fatal blow from the Redstone family and deeply felt the ruthlessness of capital.

This is why Katzenberg is confident that he can buy DreamWorks.

Spielberg has already had enough!

Zhou Buqi said without any doubt: "Jeff, you should start doing this right away. You must start the acquisition of DreamWorks immediately! You can't stop for a moment! The copyright must be taken back, and the company must take it back too!"

Katzenberg was stunned for a moment and hesitated, "No...didn't you say that we should focus on Universal Pictures first?"

Universal Pictures is the core. Universal has a distribution company, which is the most important thing. Without Universal Pictures, no matter how much other fragmented independent studios buy, they can only work for other giants.

Zhou Buqi said calmly: "The situation has changed. Let's win DreamWorks first! Then MGM, then Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation. I have decided that I will become the CEO of Ziweixing Universal." Only success is allowed, no failure is allowed!”

…

DreamWorks must win.

You have to hurry up, the sooner the better.

Even if the rights to the 59 movies cannot be recovered, the deal is worth it because DreamWorks has the flagship series "Transformers".

The mergers and acquisitions committee was almost all formed by Masayoshi Son.

Now, Zhou Buqi has stepped down personally. He has arranged for some direct relatives to come in and invited three mergers and acquisitions experts from Goldman Sachs and Citigroup. When he acquired Manchester United last year, they were the ones behind the wheel.

So far, there are already 30 people in the mergers and acquisitions committee of the "Ziweixing Global" project. Regardless of whether this case can be completed, the consulting fees of these people alone will cost 50 million US dollars.

It can be seen how big an event this is, and the eyes of California and even the United States are fixed on Hollywood.

Since Zhou Buqi is determined to end his life, he won't be polite at all.

I will not discuss it with Son Zhengyi.

Begin to act arbitrarily.

The first request he made to the team was to contact MGM and come up with a rough report and asset assessment on MGM's current financial situation within three days.

Efficient! Efficient! Efficient!

time does not wait!

Must be quick!

As for Zhou Buqi himself, he flew back to China with his two secretaries, Sun Wanran and Ning Lu. Such a big matter must be explained clearly to several senior executives of Ziweixing to avoid misunderstandings.

It’s not that Boss Zhou is not doing his job properly, he has never left the Internet.

He is always doing one thing.

Whether it’s football or movies.

This is to prepare for the longer-term big plans in the future.

Because it is a strategic business surrounding the Internet, it is necessary for Ziweixing to invest a sum of money to participate, which requires the unanimous approval of the decision-making committee.

However, Zhou Buqi was not in a hurry and the plane landed in the northeast.

I will pick up Han Yan and Chen Yan first, and they will leave for Europe in a few days. They are going to Rome, Italy to watch this year's Champions League final. But as soon as I saw the two junior high school teachers, I couldn't stop it. Even though I was jet-lagged, I worked hard all afternoon before I was satisfied.

Zhou Buqi looked at Teacher Han and Teacher Chen kneeling at his feet, and patted their heads with satisfaction, "Get up, take a shower and go have dinner. I'm hungry."

Han Yan and Chen Yan took his arm and went to the bathroom together. Chen Yan even joked: "I'm full."

Zhou Buqi said: "Replenish your strength and continue playing in the evening."

Han Yan bit her lip gently and whispered: "Master, you... pay attention to your health and don't be too indulgent just because you are young."

Zhou Buqi sighed, "I'm exhausted abroad, with only two little secretaries by my side. I still like to play with you two."

Chen Yan held his arm tightly and said with a smile: "There are foreign girls abroad, haven't you picked up a few of them?"

"What's there to soak in? It's boring."

Zhou Buqi simply took a shower quickly.

But the same cannot be said for women.

After he had taken a bath, Teacher Han and Teacher Chen were still brushing their teeth.

"You two hurry up and clean up!"

Zhou Buqi withdrew first.

The secretary was called, and Ning Lu helped him get dressed. Sun Wanran reported beside him and said, "I just received the latest news. Two companies have officially made an offer to acquire MGM."

"Who are they?"

"Warner and Lionsgate."

"How much is it? Do you know?"

Zhou Buqi's reaction to the news was relatively calm. It had been several years, and he had almost forgotten how to put on clothes. He didn't even know how to put on underwear. Even with Ning Lu squatting at his feet, he put them on by lifting his feet again and again.

Sun Wanran said softly: "The exact amount remains to be verified. It may be more than a billion US dollars."

Zhou Buqi was surprised and couldn't believe it, "So many?"

MGM's current debt is US$3.7 billion, and the acquisition offer here is more than one billion US dollars, which adds up to more than US$5 billion! You know, when Sony led a consortium to acquire MGM in 2005, it only spent US$4.8 billion.

MGM, which has been stuck in a debt trap in the past few years, is raising prices?

Sun Wanran said: "It seems to include debt."

"What do you mean?" Zhou Buqi was stunned for a moment, "This one-billion-dollar offer includes US$3.7 billion in debt? Isn't this nonsense? Not to mention whether the shareholders will agree, the creditors will definitely not agree either. ."

Sun Wanran spread his hands and said, "Then I don't know. You have to ask yourself."