Under the collective efforts of James Cameron and the crew, The Unsinkable finally wrapped up production just before Christmas. To ensure the movie's post-production went smoothly, special effects work had already kicked off back in September, handled entirely by Cameron's company, Digital Domain.
Mel Gibson flew back to Australia to spend Christmas with his wife and kids, but he'd soon have to head back to New York to reshoot some scenes for Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Luckily, this kind of packed schedule was nothing new for Mel. He was used to it, just like the tireless Jack Chen—vacations weren't really a thing for them.
Dunn got an invite from Shirley Hershler to spend Christmas in New York with Natalie's family. The holiday vibe was huge across the U.S.—Christmas trees and Santa decorations were everywhere—but Dunn didn't really feel it. To him, Christmas was just another day. So, heading to New York for the holidays was more of an excuse. The real goal? To take stock of Dunn Capital's revenue for the year.
And this year, Dunn had spent… a lot.
Dunn Capital started with $42.5 billion, but in just over eight months, Dunn had poured $15.2 billion into various investments! Real estate took the biggest chunk—$4.5 billion for Dunn Pictures' headquarters, a mountainside estate, townhouses, and luxury high-rise apartments. Then there was $4.2 billion sunk into tech companies like Apple, PayPal, and Netflix. In the film industry, Dunn Capital grabbed stakes in Legendary Pictures and Pixar for $2.9 billion. The toy sector—Hasbro and GA shares—cost $900 million. And luxury investments, like private jets, yachts, and cars, added up to $2.6 billion.
This massive pile of cash came from Dunn's hard-earned gains in the futures market—where he'd nearly landed himself in jail—all to buy Universal Pictures. That acquisition was a game-changer for his Hollywood ambitions. Spending $15.2 billion in eight months? That's wild!
Of course, with the dot-com bubble bursting, Dunn had a clear read on the stock market's direction, and the profit potential was huge. At his direction, Scott Swift kept shorting stocks, targeting two big ones: Yahoo and Cisco. But the results weren't as great as he'd hoped.
Forget the idea of a "free market." With the tech stock crisis threatening a broader economic meltdown, the Justice Department's financial regulators had been keeping a close eye on the stock, futures, and bond markets for the past six months—especially Nasdaq. That meant Dunn Capital couldn't short Yahoo and Cisco as aggressively as they had earlier in the year. The scale was limited. The Justice Department even paid Scott Swift a personal visit for a little one-on-one chat. They didn't outright ban large-scale shorting of specific stocks, but their subtle hints made the federal government's stance clear: keep things stable.
A hardcore financier like Soros might scoff at such meddling—calling it unconstitutional interference in a free market—but Dunn couldn't afford that attitude. He had a guilty conscience. Soros played the game with capital maneuvers; Dunn relied on foresight. Without solid theory to back him up, he'd struggle to explain himself if investigated. Better to lay low and play it safe.
So, over the past six months, Dunn Capital's profits were way below what he'd expected—just $4.3 billion after capital gains tax. That wasn't nearly enough to satisfy him. With Nasdaq bleeding $10 billion a week, Dunn had scratched and clawed for half a year to make $4.3 billion. What was that, pocket change?
After this year's dividends, Dunn Capital's cash on hand was down to $31.5 billion—far short of what he needed. He had big plans for industries like music, gaming, publishing, and TV networks, all part of his entertainment ecosystem. Those needed serious cash to get off the ground. Even with his foresight, the truly massive money-making opportunities were drying up.
Play the oil market and cash in on war profits? Yeah, right. The top families and financial giants had spent a fortune lobbying Congress to start a world-shaking war. Dunn wasn't about to sneak in and quietly rake in billions without lifting a finger—that'd be a death wish. Sure, his foresight was real, but it was all knowledge and mental sharpness. Physically? He was just a guy. A bullet would end him like anyone else. War profits were off the table.
That left one big chance staring him in the face: the 9/11 attacks. Of course, that required careful prep work. If Dunn dared to massively short Nasdaq and the NYSE right before September 11, then sit back and cash in when the towers fell… well, even without proof he was tied to al-Qaeda, the FBI would find a way to pin a laundry list of charges on him.
So, timing was everything. He couldn't wait for that exact moment. The best move? Start shorting now.
"Scott, pull the funds together. Next year, we're going big!"
Fortune favors the bold, and Dunn had to take the risk.
Scott Swift saw the dead-serious look on Dunn's face and flipped on the signal jammer in his office. That's when he knew this was heavy. "Alright, I'm ready. Lay it out."
"Starting tomorrow, January 1st, we're kicking off a new shorting plan."
"Huh?" Scott blinked, caught off guard. "But the Justice Department… they've already put limits in place. We can't go big on Yahoo like we did earlier this year."
Dunn smirked faintly. "Exactly. This time, we're switching it up. Back at the start of the year, we went for quality—Yahoo, Microsoft, Dell, a few key stocks—and made a killing. Now, we're going for quantity."
"Quantity? You mean… spread it out?" Scott frowned, shaking his head. "That's tough. Nasdaq's under the Justice Department's microscope. If we cross their threshold, they'll notice."
Dunn chuckled. "Yeah, Nasdaq's a tight space right now. Bush just took office, and he's dead-set on saving it from the crash. They're watching it like hawks."
A month ago, the U.S. wrapped up its election, and George W. Bush became the 43rd president. New guy, new priorities—and Dunn wasn't about to poke the bear right now.
Scott studied Dunn's calm, confident vibe and knew he'd already worked it all out in his head. Scott couldn't figure this kid out. Still, after that big win earlier this year, he trusted Dunn completely. Mulling over his words, Scott's eyes widened with a mix of shock and realization. "Dunn, you mean… the NYSE?"
Dunn burst out laughing, his voice ringing clear. "Scott, looks like we're on the same wavelength now."
Scott wasn't laughing. Cold sweat trickled down his back. "Dunn—boss—what are you thinking? The crash is in Nasdaq, not the NYSE!"
"The NYSE hasn't felt any ripple from Nasdaq?"
"A little, sure, but nothing major. Especially with the new administration, investors are feeling good. The NYSE's trending up lately."
"Trending up? Now that's interesting." Dunn smiled faintly, muttering to himself.
Scott wasn't in the mood for games. He was worried. Back at Merrill Lynch, he'd dealt with Nasdaq, not the NYSE. Point is, Dunn Capital didn't know squat about the NYSE. Diving in as outsiders, throwing big money at widespread shorting—it was suicide.
"Dunn, this is nuts. There's no precedent for it!"
"Scott, I get your concerns. You don't need to worry." Dunn waved it off, then stood and walked to the window, gazing out at bustling Manhattan. "This is New York. This is Wall Street. To me, this place is more of a dream factory than Hollywood."
Scott's face darkened. He had no clue what Dunn was rambling about.
Dunn turned back with a grin. "Scott, trust me one more time. Let's do it."
Scott went quiet for a long stretch. He even lit a rare cigarette, smoking half of it before finally asking, "What's the plan?"
"Starting January 1st, we short stocks across both the NYSE and Nasdaq—big range. You can hire sharper talent to pick the stocks. We've got over $30 billion on the books, right? Outside of essential operating costs, throw the rest in!" Dunn's tone was bold. He had the chops to back it up.
Scott sucked in a sharp breath. "This… this could tank hard!"
Dunn grinned. "Didn't I say you could bring in pros or consult with securities firms?"
Scott gave a bitter laugh. "If pros were all it took, the rich list wouldn't be full of entrepreneurs."
"There's a stop-loss, isn't there?"
"That just means we lose less."
Dunn stayed cool as ever. "Oh? Tell me this: if we start shorting in early January and cash out in early June, how much could we lose if it goes south?"
"Five or six hundred million would be light. Seven or eight hundred million wouldn't surprise me." Scott sighed. "Dunn, that's not chump change. If this is about sticking it to the Justice Department, it's not worth it."
"Stick it to the Justice Department? Ha, Scott, I'm not that bored!" Dunn laughed, shaking his head, then said calmly, "I can handle a loss under a billion."
"What?"
Scott froze, staring at Dunn like he'd seen a ghost in broad daylight.
Boss, what the hell are you up to? A billion dollars—couldn't you just coast for a few lifetimes with that?
Then Dunn added casually, "We move in January, cash out in June, and then in July, we go for another round!"