Top of the big era

This is Vanity Fair.

There is a big red carpet two to three hundred meters long.

Fortunately, this is a private mansion.

Unlike the Hilton Hotel, whenever there is a grand event, hundreds of paparazzi and entertainment reporters will come over. At least some privacy can be maintained here.

Walking in front was the Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg, who looked very impressive, with a neat suit and strong steps. Zhou Buqi didn't care at all. He and other executives from Ziweixing Global walked onto the red carpet in a group without any sense of ceremony.

On the other hand, Gu Zanli and Zhang Zetian, who were walking to the left of Zhou Buqi, were very careful about their behavior, with smiles on their faces and smooth steps, showing the elegance and soft beauty of oriental women.

At the level of Zhou Buqi, there is no need to rely on such external rituals to highlight one's identity.

He casually told Katzenberg about Paramount.

Katzenberg said: "This is true. As far as I know, it has been discussed on Viacom's board of directors, and Redstone seems to have agreed."

"No?" Zhou Buqi frowned slightly, "Is he willing to let go?"

Katzenberg said with a smile: "Only 49% of the shares will be sold and 51% will be retained. He can continue to control Paramount. Don't you know? This is the most sensational news in Hollywood recently."

Zhou Buqi wanted to confirm further, "Is the buyer Wanda?"

Katzenberg nodded, "Yes, Wanda, they seem to be focusing on the entertainment industry. Didn't you help them complete the acquisition of AMC last year? This transaction is said to have made them at least 1.5 billion US dollars. They are now We are ambitious and want to continue our efforts and acquire some high-quality assets in Hollywood."

Zhou Buqi said amusedly: "Paramount is a high-quality asset?"

"Uh..." Katzenberg shrugged, "Maybe in the eyes of outsiders, this is indeed a high-quality asset."

Zhou Buqi said: "Paramount's best asset is their film library. In my opinion, they have lost their production capabilities. Redstone can play with capital operations, but he doesn't understand the content at all."

Redstone was able to rise from a small boss in Boston to a world-class media tycoon mainly by relying on a series of capital operation routines.

The acquisition of Paramount for a whopping $10 billion in the 1990s is the most typical example.

Where does that much money come from?

Leveraged liabilities.

After acquiring Paramount, it began to divest, split, and sell Paramount's assets.

It sold Madison Garden Square, the home arena of the famous basketball team the New York Knicks, for US$1.1 billion; sold half of the American Television Network for US$1.7 billion; and sold it for US$4.6 billion. Sold a majority stake in its publishing business.

It’s similar to Carl Icahn’s formula.

A good Paramount empire, just let it be torn into pieces.

Redstone retained his most valued asset, Paramount's film business.

After winning Paramount, he handed over the company's business to his deputy. He moved from New York to Los Angeles, lived in a mansion in Beverly Hills, and used Paramount's connections to interact with beautiful women in Hollywood every day. deal with.

Katzenberg said: "The current market value of Paramount is only US$3 billion. But if we choose to trade with Wanda, 49% of the shares can be sold for US$4 billion to US$5 billion."

Zhou Buqi said in a low voice: "In my opinion, at Lei Shidong's age, I'm afraid he has passed the stage of chasing wealth. Now he just wants to enjoy life while he is still alive and can move, mostly with young women. Find some youthful feeling.”

"ah?"

Katzenberg was stunned.

Zhou Buqi said: "The sale of 49% of the shares for US$5 billion is of course a very cost-effective deal, but it may not be in line with Redstone's mentality. Once external shareholders are introduced, he will not be able to do whatever he wants within Paramount. . What he cares about is not making money."

"well!"

Katzenberg and Redstone were old friends, so he sighed.

Paramount was almost dying in the 1970s, but in the 1980s, it suddenly became the largest giant in Hollywood. Why?

It’s about Katzenberg.

At that time, he joined Paramount with Michael Eisner and then led Paramount to complete its revival. Later, Disney also encountered trouble, and Disney was willing to give greater rights. Michael Eisner took him with him and switched jobs to Disney, creating another Disney empire.

In the 1990s, after Katzenberg failed in his power struggle and was kicked out of Disney by Eisner, he found two friends to form the Big Three and founded DreamWorks.

At this time, Redstone appeared at the end of the red carpet.

He could not care about other big Hollywood stars and wait for others to visit them. But Boss Zhou came to congratulate him, and even Lei Shidong didn't dare to congratulate him.

With the support of two dressed-up women, he stood in front to greet him.

Zhou Buqi walked over and shook hands with him.

Lei Shidong once encountered a fire and almost died. Although he survived, he also had skin grafts all over his body. He looked quite scary. His hands were severely deformed and looked like chicken claws.

To be honest, Zhou Buqi was afraid that he would scare Gu Zanli and Zhang Zetian around him with such an indifferent appearance. One can imagine how much sacrifice the Hollywood actresses close to him who want to rise to the top have to make.

It was a little difficult for Lei Shidong to speak, so Zhou Buqi simply said hello, and then gave him a small gift wrapped in red silk. It was a Chinese painting, a birthday greeting picture mass-produced by a domestic painter. .

The activities that followed were very interesting.

Not in a mansion.

Instead, a stage and a large tent were set up in the backyard.

Instead of visiting the mansion's rooms, the guests were invited to the backyard.

This can be regarded as opening Zhou Buqi's eyes.

There is still such an operation.

He also has too many secrets at home, so it is not convenient for him to invite people to his home. When I came to Lei Shidong's house, I learned something.

However, it is no longer needed.

Good news has come from Senior Sister Zhen Yu. The deal for the three farms she selected in the area between Los Angeles and San Francisco has been basically finalized, with a total amount of US$54 million. It's not very far from Lucasfilm, only half an hour's drive.

The birthday party has begun.

That's ironic.

Redstone's family is happy and happy, as if there are no internal conflicts. On the contrary, the elaborate birthday video played on the big screen was very interesting.

The video begins with a line - "Made with love by Sidney and Manuela."

Sidney and Manuela are the two closest female companions around Redstone. In public, without covering up at all, Sidney also said: "I am so excited to celebrate your birthday with all our family and friends." Manuela said more openly and straightforwardly: “Nothing is enough to express our gratitude for being a part of the Redstone family yesterday, today, tomorrow, and for the rest of our lifetimes.”

Zhang Zetian couldn't stand it, and said with disdain: "These two women are so shameless. Their children, grandchildren, and grandchildren are all here, and they are just showing off here, as if they are the ones here." Just like the hostess."

Zhou Buqi nodded, "So, sometimes blindly pursuing equality just doesn't work. There are so many women, and if they come out regardless of size, it's easy to get into trouble."

Zhang Zetian was very smart and immediately heard the meaning in his words. He raised his heels and leaned over, whispering: "If I become a concubine, I will definitely listen to my sisters. Those two women are so annoying. I don’t want to live the way I least like it.”

Zhou Buqi asked: "How do you think this situation should be handled? You are sensible, but others may not be sensible as well. It is not good for anyone to argue and make trouble. Look at the Redstone family, most of them are like enemies."

Zhang Zetian whispered: "Divided into levels."

"grade?"

Zhou Buqi raised his eyebrows.

Zhang Zetian said sweetly: "Arrange it in order, from big to small. The younger ones should listen to the older ones and set rules and regulations. Those who come in later, like me, have to listen to the elder sisters in front. Anyone who disobeys will be punished. Fired."

Zhou Buqi thought deeply, "Well, that makes sense."