After work, Simon headed straight to George Norman's home in Bel Air.
Having revealed his intentions to Jennifer on Wednesday, Simon received a call from James Rebould early yesterday morning. They spoke for over an hour, during which James listed numerous reasons to dissuade Simon from splitting East and West Coast responsibilities between him and Norman, insisting he could handle the work himself—and more professionally.
After careful consideration, Simon agreed.
Since weekdays were busy with film-related matters, the Rebould couple came over today, planning to discuss more details with Simon over the weekend. They extended a dinner invitation through the Normans.
Having already agreed with James Rebhorn, Simon saw no need to complicate matters by revealing his original plan to his personal lawyer. After all, George Norman specialized in civil law and wasn't well-suited to manage the assets of Simon's Westwood Company.
Unaware of the missed opportunity, George Norman was equally enthusiastic that evening, even congratulating his brother-in-law on securing a partnership with Simon. The gathering was thoroughly enjoyable for both hosts and guests. Only Jennifer occasionally showed slight unease around her uncle, well aware that her father had taken an opportunity rightfully belonging to him.
The new year was approaching.
Over recent weeks, Simon had settled the 1987 personal income tax and various corporate taxes for his two companies. Of course, the bulk came from the Westeros Corporation.
After tax settlements, the primary assets under the Westeros Corporation were stocks in 26 companies.
It was worth noting that when Simon registered the Westeros Corporation, he designated it as a Limited Liability Company (LLC). The biggest advantage of an LLC was avoiding double taxation. Westeros Corporation income was treated as Simon's personal income, requiring only one round of income tax before he could claim his profits. Naturally, LLCs also had significant drawbacks, such as the inability to go public.
Fortunately, Simon had no plans to take Westeros Corporation public.
In contrast, considering future financing and public offerings, Daenerys Pictures was structured as a Corporation (Corp), where both company profits and shareholder dividends were subject to taxation.
As the North American stock market gradually recovered from October's crash, and with the "Westeros Portfolio" driving up tech stocks, the value of Westeros's tech holdings had been steadily appreciating.
According to the latest statistics from Simon's private accountant after today's market close, the total value of Westeros's tech stock portfolio had surpassed $1.67 billion. Compared to the initial $1.1 billion investment, this represented a cumulative increase of 51%.
This stock appreciation effectively offset the massive taxes Simon had paid.
On another note, Westeros Corporation'ss 4.9% stake in each of the 26 tech companies was enough to rank among their major shareholders. However, securing board seats and a share of corporate power wasn't so straightforward.
That said, these companies had all benefited from the "Westeros Portfolio" effect, seeing their stock prices surge in recent months. They were unlikely to welcome any large-scale sell-offs. Simon stood a good chance of securing board seats now.
After weekend discussions, James Rebould—authorized by Simon—formally submitted applications for board seats to all tech companies in Westeros Portfolio. Media outlets quickly caught wind of the development.
...
The new week began.
Hollywood's spotlight undoubtedly fell on the announcement of the new Golden Globe nominations.
At 9 AM on Monday, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association held a press conference at the Sunset Tower Hotel in Beverly Hills to announce the nominations for the 45th Golden Globe Awards.
Given the Golden Globes' greater "flexibility" compared to the Oscar's large voting body, it came as no surprise that Run Lola Run emerged as a major contender with five nominations: Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score.
Simon knew that unless the HFPA completely abandoned integrity, his Best Director nomination would likely remain just that. As for Best Motion Picture – Drama, he recalled that the winner should be Bertolucci's The Last Emperor. He didn't think Run Lola Run could beat this renowned European master's work.
Still, it was a cause for celebration. Simon spent the entire morning fielding congratulatory calls from all quarters.
This continued until noon.
At a restaurant in downtown Santa Monica, Simon arrived ten minutes early as the host. Bill Gates showed up shortly after.
Clearly having done some homework, Gates politely congratulated Simon on Run Lola Run's Golden Globe nominations after they met. Seated at the table, both men subtly sized each other up.
Bill Gates was only 32 this year. With his large-framed glasses, he looked even younger, almost like a high school student—the bookish type often bullied by campus jocks.
Just looking at his face, Simon understood why portrayals of "Bill" often showed him being pushed around by his contemporary, Jobs.
However.
Once he spoke, Gates showed no trace of meekness.
After ordering and the waiter left, Gates got straight to the point: "Simon, I'd like you to explain why you're interested in Microsoft's stock?"
Ignoring Gates' accusatory tone, Simon replied casually, "Bill, it's more accurate to say I'm interested in the entire electronic information industry. Microsoft is just one part of that."
"If that's the case," Gates pulled a fax from his briefcase and handed it over, "I'm afraid I can't approve Westeros Corporation request for a board seat."
"Honestly, I'm not that keen on joining Microsoft's board—I'm quite busy. But since I've invested so much money, and to ensure better returns, I'd like to offer some personal suggestions for these companies' development." Simon glanced at the fax, set it down, and leaned forward, locking eyes with Gates. "Bill, you own nearly 45% of this company. Are you really worried I'd challenge your control?"
"Alright, let's be frank," Gates relaxed his tone. "Simon, if Microsoft rejects Westeros Corporation board seat request, will you sell the shares?"
"I've already answered that—my main goal is investment. If holding Microsoft stock earns me more money, I certainly won't sell. As for the board seat, if I deem it necessary, I might keep buying shares, increasing my stake to 10%, or even more, until you agree."
"What if I keep refusing?"
"You and Paul Allen aside, Microsoft's float should be around 30%, right?" Simon smiled. "Maybe I could buy out the entire float. Then, you, me, and Paul Allen could discuss the company's future together."
After Microsoft's IPO last year, Bill Gates and Paul Allen still held approximately 45% and 25% respectively, leaving about 30% as publicly traded shares. With Microsoft's market cap still around just over a billion dollars after the rebound, Simon certainly had the means to buy out the float.
If the publicly traded shares fell below a certain threshold, Microsoft would be forced to delist.
Bill Gates studied the young man across the table, sensing a clear, eager readiness in his tone as he spoke those words.
He would actually do it.
After a moment of silence, Gates finally said, "Simon, I don't like you. You're a madman."
"Well, that's public knowledge. I'm not even sure if I've fully recovered," Simon shrugged dismissively, then turned serious. "Alright, Bill, why don't we talk about Windows? I've been studying the recently launched Windows 2.0. Frankly, it's still quite poor. However, your approach is correct. Compatibility is an essential strategy for any operating system aiming for rapid expansion at this stage. Moreover, graphical interfaces can accelerate personal computer adoption among the general public. Only when PCs are sold to mass consumers can the entire electronic information industry grow rapidly. Think of VCRs—a decade ago, fewer than a million North American households had one. Now, that number is 50 million. Consequently, last year's videotape revenue surpassed box office earnings. In my view, the potential market for personal computers far exceeds that of VCRs. And due to standardization needs, it's unlikely there will be many types of operating systems in the future. In this aspect, Microsoft isn't in an advantageous position because you don't manufacture hardware. Companies like IBM could easily ditch Microsoft. So, while maintaining compatibility, Microsoft must also develop certain unique advantages."
Simon paused purposefully here.
Bill Gates, who had begun listening intently, instinctively asked when Simon stopped, "What kind of advantages?"
Simon pointed at the fax. "First, give me a board seat."
"You first," Gates insisted.
Simon asked, "Do you have a pen?"
Gates pulled a pen from his briefcase. Simon wrote something on the back of the fax and handed both back, saying, "One suggestion for one board seat. Honestly, I think I'm getting the short end of the stick. Maybe you could sell me some of your shares at a discount."
Ignoring Simon's remark, Gates took the fax paper. On it was a single, peculiar word: Wintel[1].
---
[1]: Combination of Intel and Windows.