Chapter 522: Henry Paulson

[Chapter 587: Henry Paulson]

As the 1996 Golden Globe Awards for film and television wrapped up, Galaxy Productions emerged as the biggest winner:

The English Patient and Evita took home the awards for Best Dramatic Film and Best Musical/Comedy Film, respectively. Madonna scored her first major acting award for her role in Evita. Edward Norton tasted fame as he snagged the Best Supporting Actor award for Primal Fear.

After spending a weekend with Charlize Theron, Arthur settled negotiations with John Kruger. MGM purchased the film library of Samuel Goldwyn Productions for a whopping 70 million in cash, while Samuel Goldwyn II retained the brand for Samuel Goldwyn Company.

As for whether Samuel Goldwyn II would continue to produce and release new works, that wasn't something Arthur was concerned about. After all, even a historic film company brand like RKO could fade away into obscurity, let alone Samuel Goldwyn's label.

...

At the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, the sounds of elegant dance music echoed through the banquet hall, as beautifully dressed men and women twirled across the dance floor. Arthur sat on a couch, holding a glass of wine, his gaze drifting across the crowd, occasionally meeting familiar or unfamiliar faces.

"Arthur, good evening. Don't you find any of the lovely ladies here appealing?" Henry Paulson, the president of Goldman Sachs, approached and sat down beside him. Arthur raised an eyebrow; this man was destined to become the future Secretary of the Treasury, and now he was Goldman's second-in-command.

"What's going on? Wouldn't you say Wall Street's eyes are focused on the Far East now?" Arthur chuckled, "What brought Mr. Paulson to Los Angeles?"

Henry sipped his drink, "The Far East has already begun, Arthur; you should know better than I do. And it seems your West Pacific Investment Company has become a bit more low-key."

Arthur shook his head. "My main focus isn't hedge funds. God taught me not to take wealth from the poor and the beggars."

Henry smiled knowingly. Surely, the $2 billion he procured from Indonesia wasn't simply a lucky find?

"Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia -- there are some attractive assets there. Don't you have any interest?" Henry pressed.

Arthur shrugged, "I've had my fill of Indonesia. Southeast Asia is made up of small countries, and both Wall Street and European capital have to share a slice; besides, there's no need to waste time and energy running businesses when I could simply trade with those international speculators in the foreign exchange market."

Arthur was aware of the situation in Indonesia, where many companies and banks had attracted foreign investment, and Wall Street had similar thoughts about the other countries.

Unfortunately, Arthur found it too troublesome and the returns weren't quick enough; East Asia was the real focus.

With this in mind, Arthur flashed Henry a knowing smile. "I also worry that one careless move might lead me to cross paths with Mossad or MI6 investigations."

A few years back, when Quantum Fund shorted the pound, British intelligence had stepped in, leaving someone unable to set foot in Europe for years.

"You guys at Goldman Sachs should keep a lower profile in Southeast Asia," Arthur continued. The California Pacific Investment Company he was running was powerful, boasting over 500 affiliated companies or funds and involved collaborators from various fields, including politicians, entrepreneurs, and aristocrats.

"Your advice is well taken, Arthur," Henry noted. Though he was still president of Goldman, the difference in their statuses was notable. When he came to see Arthur, it was originally to discuss replicating the Indonesian model in Thailand or Malaysia, but Arthur's current wealth made that unnecessary.

...

Henry then left the Four Seasons and headed to a seaside villa in Malibu, home to Allen Greenberg, CEO of Bear Stearns.

"Did you meet Arthur?" Allen asked, pouring Henry a drink with a smile.

"I did," Henry shook his head in resignation. "Too bad, Arthur Smith isn't of Jewish descent."

"The primary targets for West Pacific Capital are South Korea and Japan. As for Southeast Asia, he doesn't seem very interested."

Allen sank into the sofa. "How does Southeast Asia's market compare to that of Japan and Korea? Last year, the overseas assets of former Indonesian President Suharto's family fed them well, and they also took a sizable cut of Indonesia's domestic oil and mineral resources. West Pacific Capital has been quite low-key lately. We're not the same; anti-Semitic sentiments are rising in Southeast Asia."

Henry frowned. Earlier at the Four Seasons, he had considered utilizing Arthur's media power for public relations.

Unfortunately, Arthur had advised Goldman to tone down their activities in Southeast Asia, which could imply something about the position of Jewish capital there.

"At least, everyone's goals are aligned. Arthur will never give up shorting the foreign exchange market in Southeast Asia," Henry mused, uncertain where Arthur would draw the line.

Capital's pursuit of profit was an unchanging nature.

"The reputation of several hedge funds, led by Quantum Fund, is abysmal," Allen remarked. Both Bear Stearns and Henry's Goldman managed hedge funds, but how could they compare to the infamous Quantum Fund? Media portrayal had fueled persistent public resentment against it in Southeast Asia.

Henry stood, gazing out at the Pacific night view. "California's looking different now; Hollywood's influence is growing stronger day by day. Media-wise, CNN is facing challenges from MSNBC and FNC, while ABC must contend with CBS and NBC for FOX's competition."

In television, the significant forces were limited to CNN and ABC, with the rest not being part of the Jewish influence; in film, companies like Time Warner, Viacom, Disney, and Universal were under Jewish control. Though that presented an advantage, with Galaxy's rise, that edge was diminishing fast.

Allen took a deep breath. "Indeed, we're in a tumultuous time. What's important now is the attitude of Washington, D.C. toward Jews; it has changed. With the new Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense, Jews no longer have opportunities. The concern is whether the Treasury Secretary will be retained."

After last year's happenings, Clinton wouldn't allow the Jewish cabinet to expand.

Henry's thoughts were a jumbled mess, yet he recognized California's influence was growing in the Washington circles.

And there was a key figure in that mix: Arthur Smith.

*****

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