Dunn had it all figured out.
For him, Dunn Pictures wasn't just about money—it was a symbol of power and social status. Cash was secondary.
If he were chasing pure profit, he'd have dumped all his money into tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Google, Alibaba, or Samsung Electronics. No way would he bother with the hassle of running a company.
Once wealth hits a certain level, it's just numbers.
Power, influence, social standing, leaving a mark in history—that's the real game!
Citibank was underwriting Dunn Pictures' original shares this time, taking a 3% cut. If all 50 million shares sold smoothly, they'd pocket $15 million—a haul bigger than some small companies' IPOs!
As for whether those 50 million shares would fully sell? No sweat.
Dunn Pictures' employees couldn't swallow a $500 million chunk of stock on their own, but Hollywood's full of stars, and Dunn's network was deep.
Word got out, and big names started calling—George Lucas, Ron Meyer, Michael Ovitz, Brian Lord, you name it—all itching to grab a piece of Dunn Pictures' original shares.
Outsiders might not get it, but insiders knew: stick with Dunn, and you're set—booze, steaks, and stacks of cash!
Dunn Pictures was hands-down the most promising player in the industry!
Dunn's response was consistent: if there were leftovers, he'd keep them in mind.
He wasn't issuing these shares to pad anyone else's wallet.
Beyond his employees, the main target was the actresses he'd been tight with over the years—Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Charlize Theron, Liv Tyler, Sophie Marceau, Sofia Coppola, Rose Byrne, Jessica Alba, Anne Hathaway, Milla Jovovich, and more.
Among them, his closest gal pals—Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Sofia Coppola, and Penélope Cruz—got the biggest allocations: 3 million shares each.
That's $30 million a pop. Only Nicole could swing that kind of cash. Sofia had to borrow big from her family to make it work.
Penélope scraped together enough for 700,000 shares, with 150,000 held for her sister, Mónica Cruz.
As for the B- and C-listers, their buying power was weaker—usually 100,000 or 200,000 shares tops.
Even though these were original shares, the steep $10 price tag gave Citibank some headaches during the rollout.
No biggie for Dunn, though.
If his staff and the actresses couldn't cover the full 50 million shares, the next tier was ready to pounce.
His guy friends—Leonardo DiCaprio, Mel Gibson, James Cameron, Heath Ledger, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Hardy, Tom Hanks, Nicolas Cage, and others—had the muscle to snap up all 50 million shares themselves!
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Sophie Marceau moved with a light, slow grace, slipping her scattered clothes back on piece by piece in front of Dunn, like a scene in slow motion.
Her pure, lovely face glowed with a fiery allure, her water-blue eyes shimmering with a soul-snaring magic. She stared at Dunn, lounging smugly on the sofa, her lips curling up slightly—still hungry for more.
She'd come by today specifically to thank him.
Unlike a lot of American actresses, who'd gotten Dunn's nod to buy shares and offered verbal thanks, Sophie was different. A foreigner breaking into Hollywood was tough, so when the moment called for it, she went all out—eager and warm.
She'd snagged 500,000 shares and made a special trip to Dunn's office, delivering a tender, meticulous "thank you" that felt like pure bliss.
Dunn sprawled on the sofa, watching her dress, and couldn't help but gush, "Sophie, you're mesmerizing—God's gift to men!"
Sophie dangled her bra in her hand, twirling it playfully, then shot him a sultry glance. "You like?"
"Of course! If you weren't already in your thirties—and I didn't want to mess up your personal life—I'd have you back at Half Mountain Manor for a while," Dunn said, savoring the thought.
Sophie laughed. "No worries! You can… call me anytime. One ring, and even if I'm in France, I'll hop on the first flight over."
Picturing that made Dunn smirk and shake his head. "You've got 500,000 shares now—don't just sell them off. Even if Dunn Pictures goes public, hold onto them. In ten years, those 500,000 shares could be worth… $100 million, maybe $200 million!"
$200 million might not faze a mega-rich tycoon, but for an actor? That's a fortune!
Forget actresses—even top-tier male stars would gawk at that number. In today's Hollywood, only Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson could boast that kind of wealth.
Sophie's eyes lit up, and she flung herself into Dunn's arms, practically ready for round two.
He waved her off, though. "This is the office—I've got work to do. Forgot how many times my secretary's nagged me already?"
Sophie blinked fast, miming a phone call with her hand. "Miss me? Just ask!"
Five minutes later, she was gone. Little secretary Isla Fisher stepped in, nose wrinkled.
"Man, it reeks in here!" Isla's face tightened as she tidied the chaotic desk. "This is an office! What if someone finds out? Talk about awkward."
Dunn rubbed his nose, grinning sheepishly. "It'll be fine once we move to the new building in August. The office there's… huge. Heh, like a dozen rooms—no more cramped vibes like this."
Isla just stared, speechless. Looked like Dunn was fully embracing the office romance life.
"Do you have any idea how many people I've had to fend off this past hour?"
"Oh," Dunn replied casually, then perked up. "Hey, has Rose shown up yet?"
"Rose Byrne?" Isla was done—on the verge of losing it. "Seriously, boss, this is an office! Watch yourself! You're not worried, but I am! I'm your secretary—I don't want people giving me weird looks. And didn't you just finish up with Sophie Marceau? Need a breather or what?"
Dunn laughed, half-annoyed, and flicked her forehead. "You little secretary, griping at me now? And who said I called Rose over for a fling? Don't you know she's living at Half Mountain Manor these days?"
"Huh?" Isla blinked, thrown off. "Then why'd you call her to the office?"
"For work, obviously! It's about casting for Ant-Man."
"The female lead?"
"Yup."
Isla's eyes widened, and she gasped, "Wait—Rose is 'Wasp'?"
Both were Aussie natives, and the "Aussie crew" was Hollywood's tightest-knit bunch.
Hearing Rose Byrne would star as Ant-Man's lead—and later a key Avenger as Wasp—made Isla genuinely happy for her compatriot.
Dunn teased, "What, you wanna act too?"
Isla shook her head fast. "Nope, no interest! Hollywood's too… whatever. My dream's shot anyway. I just want a quiet gig as an office gal, maybe write a book or two, dip into the literary scene."
Dunn grinned. "Ambitious! I can't help much there, though. If you want another bestseller like Gone Girl, that's on you."
"What about your new book? You writing it yourself?" Isla asked, curious. Dunn's Hit Strategy was slated for October, by his own word—a pro-level book aimed at the film market, with some business insights tossed in. Theory stuff she couldn't touch.
"USC hooked me up with two grad students," Dunn said. "They're sorting my speeches and pulling in data references."
"Oh." Isla nodded, her mind bouncing around. "So, Ant-Man—who's the lead? Another Aussie?"
Dunn huffed, "All Aussies? Nah, it's an American—Paul Rudd!"
"What about Ghost Rider? Aussie there?" Isla asked, hopeful.
Dunn smirked. "British—Clive Owen!"