Chapter 38: Prince Industries business
"Well, you want honesty, okay, for starters we don't have any investors yet who are interested as I'm sure you already knew, secondly, if we want to build the Apple II computer we must improve the power supply systems along with the heating control of the computer so that it doesn't need fans to control its temperature and thus make it completely silent" Jobs started saying.
"Woz explains the rest as you had thought of it," Jobs said to his friend and business partner.
"This... yeah right, well how to start, yeah well, the idea would be to show the computer as a sleek and sophisticated design, having a keyboard already integrated, also having a video memory to handle color display, using expansion cards that allow users to extend the capabilities of the Apple II and including some expansion slots that facilitate and allow the development of applications not only from one company but from several, being accessible to anyone and making the Apple II adaptable to any need" explained Woz.
"But for all of this we need to invest a lot of money, not only in creating the machine but also in qualified personnel that we don't currently have. And just like the investors, the banks don't want to take a risk on such a project either, because they think that a computer-usable by the general public is an absurd idea since the possible assets of the inhabitants are scarce to buy this kind of technology" Jobs finished explaining without looking away from Severus.
"They're just a bunch of idiots who don't see the potential of what we want to create with Woz," Jobs added.
"I understand, that's why Ronald Wayne, who had helped you two conceive the Apple I, ended up selling his shares and leaving Apple Corporation, he was skeptical about the chances of success of such a project and abandoned you" expressed Severus.
"Ronald did not share our vision," Jobs said dryly.
"That's okay, since they were honest with me, they deserve honesty in return. Steve, Woz, I'm sure you don't know but I am currently founding Prince Industries, I may look young but I acquired a very important inheritance with a lot of wealth and I plan to do great things in the future with this and the two of you can be part of this future" Severus said staring at them.
"I thought we were talking about Apple II" Jobs commented looking back at him.
"That's right, that's part of the future, but it's not everything, Apple II may be the start of it all but my plan is to keep moving forward and looking ahead, you of all people should understand what I mean Steve, always look ahead, that which for most people seems like something impossible, but for some is the future," said Severus looking at Steve Jobs who seemed to be thinking a lot with what he was saying.
"But then what does that mean, are you going to invest in Apple II or not?" asked a confused Woz, while Steve Jobs was still thinking about what Severus had said.
"What do you have in mind?" asked Jobs ignoring his friend and business partner Woz's question.
Severus smiled as Steve Jobs seemed to catch part of his idea and become interested.
"I want to join Apple Computer to Prince Industries and invest in your project, but after this move forward, I will give you innovative ideas and you will be in charge of making them come true, I know you can do it, now the question is if you are willing," said Severus confidently and without taking his eyes off Jobs'.
"Hey Steve, that young man seems to have a lot of fantasies of grandeur, I don't think we should trust someone so young and fanciful" whispered Woz to Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs seemed to consider everything quickly, both what his friend was saying and what Severus said.
"What's your offer?" asked Jobs after he had made up his mind.
'Got it's thought Severus smiling slightly and then answering.
"My offer is to make an initial investment of $7 million in the Apple II in exchange for giving me 70% of Apple Computer and at the same time merge it with Prince Industries, have it renamed Apple Prince and both be willing to do some or other future projects I have in mind."
"WTF $7 million?" shouted Woz drawing the attention of everyone in the restaurant.
Steve on the other hand looked extremely surprised but stood quietly looking at him for a few moments.
It was a lot of money, more money than they ever thought it was possible to have.
And for Steve Jobs, Severus had come at the right time, no one had wanted to invest in the Apple II, and he had tired of calling everyone he could get in touch with.
But none of them were interested, some even saw it as a bad joke because they worked in a garage.
And here was Severus, offering them 7 million dollars when they had not been able to get even 100,000 thousand dollars to start the project.
"I accept, but with two conditions," said Jobs calling the attention of his dear friend and partner Woz who was completely confused since he didn't know why Steve kept setting conditions when they were offering him 7 bloody million dollars, which was already an unthinkable amount for the two of them.
If it were up to Woz, he would have already accepted the instant he heard that they would be given $7 million for the project that they didn't even know if it was going to be possible to do until now that they found someone interested.
"I hear you," Severus said calmly.
"The first thing is that Apple Computer will be formally renamed Apple Prince but there will still be a line of products that are called just Apple such as the Apple II and secondly, if the projects you give us are impossible to realize, we will not be under any obligation to continue them."
Severus smiled hearing that, he knew it could come to that, but he didn't care, he was confident that Steve Jobs would take his future ideas and do his best to recreate them.
Steve Jobs was obsessed with innovating and improving technology that already existed and Severus as a great innovator in potions, knew what people like Jobs were like better than anyone else.
They were always looking to do new things.
For that very reason, Severus knew that Jobs would not see all the technology he knew of the future as impossible, but that he would manage to make it possible.
And that was what Severus was looking for, someone to whom he could slowly pass on his future knowledge so that he could recreate it in the present.
"Very well, consider it a deal Steve," Severus said rising from his seat and offering him his hand to shake.
Steve quickly stood up and shook his hand.
Woz at his side was extremely excited, this was the best deal of his life.
"I can assure you that you won't regret making this deal" Steve commented to him.
"I'm sure I won't, that's exactly why I'm doing it, I have full confidence in both of you," Severus told him.
"This... thank you for trusting us, I promise to make Apple II a success," said Woz standing up and thanking him.
Apple II was something Woz had always dreamed of but never had the budget to make happen or even think about doing until Steve convinced him to give it a try.
"Well, as I said, I have full confidence in your success, now if you'll excuse me I have to go, call me at this number, and then we'll figure everything out. You can continue eating, the bill is in my name, goodbye" Severus said goodbye while he handed them a card with his identification as the owner of Prince Industries along with its location.
Leaving the restaurant, Severus wasted no time and showed up at the Prince mansion in New York.
Upon entering he met Hermione who seemed busy reading some papers and books.
'Mmmm, maybe I should have brought some food from the restaurant, I'm sure she still didn't eat' Severus thought.
"Oh, You're back Severus " greeted Hermione without even looking at him come in as she seemed to be very focused on her books.
"Yes, by the way, Hermione, if you don't hurry up and eat something and go to bed, you'll be sleeping alone tonight because I don't plan on waiting for you to help you sleep."
Hermione seemed to react and looked at him first furious and about to argue with him.
But then she seemed to resign herself.
"Alright, give me a few minutes and I'm ready," said Hermione who apparently didn't plan on arguing with him today as she knew it was an argument she couldn't win.
"Half an hour, not a minute more," said Severus going to change with a smile as he saw Hermione's furious face.
The next day, Severus met again with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak(Woz) to sign and finalize the deal legally.
Forming and thus formally joining the new Apple Prince to Prince Industries.
And at the same time allowed Steve Jobs and his partner Woz, access to an account in the bank of 7 million dollars for the financing of the Apple II project along with the authorization to use the headquarters of Prince Industries in the Chrysler Building to form a team and start as soon as possible the creation of the Apple II computer to put it on sale in the market as soon as possible.
He entrusted them with the task of hiring the staff they believed necessary for the creation of the Apple II along with the machinery and materials they would need.
They would also be the official directors of the company but they respond to Severus.
On the other hand, Severus hired people to help them manage the money, the confidential information, the mass production process, the marketing, the finances and accounting of the company, the sale of the products along with their profits and benefits.
And above all, Severus hires people to take care of the legal side, such as the patents they would have to ask the state for so those other companies would not think of copying their ideas and products.
While in Prince Industries, Severus created a management area where they would be in charge of the general operation process of all the companies and businesses that Prince Industries had and would have.
Now for example among the companies that Severus bought and attached to Prince Industries was Apple Corps.
Apple Corps was going through the worst financial shortfall in its history and would soon enter financial bankruptcy.
Following the legal disassociation of the partnership between The Beatles and Apple Corps in 1975, the corporation considered dissolution.
It was at this time that Severus took the opportunity to buy the company, which was at its worst.
He acquired the corporation for a mere $10 million, but this included a previously established agreement with a jury that agreed that eighty percent of the profits the corporation made from the sales of The Beatles as a group would go to the corporation, while the remaining twenty percent was to be divided among those who made up The Beatles.
So Severus would only receive 80% of the profits he made with The Beatles and the other 20% would go into royalties.
At present, although the publication of compilation and thematic albums related to The Beatles would generate money, it would not be enough to maintain the corporation, for this reason, they had already entered into financial problems and decided to sell Severus easily.
But Severus was not worried about this, since he had other plans for the corporation with which he would earn a lot of money.
In addition, with this acquisition, Severus made sure that he preserved the rights to all the trademarks related to "Apple", since Apple Corps was created before Apple Computer or now called Apple Prince.
Of the remaining $5 million that Severus had.
1 million dollars he decided to use to acquire the ownership and extraction rights to any mineral resources found on a small piece of land he purchased in Mexico.
This small piece of land did not appear to be worth anything at first glance, but Severus had discovered that there was a small copper mine.
This was thanks to the 7 Nifflers he had obtained in Great Britain, Severus assigned the 7 of them to dig underground and search for "hidden treasures" in an area of Mexico where the state was very permissible.
The Nifflers found more than Severus expected to find, but what was most useful to him at present was the small copper mine they had discovered.
After purchasing the land where the small copper mine was located, Severus invested the remaining 4 million dollars to extract the ore that would be taken to the 4 copper smelters he had purchased from the Anaconda Company.
Before calling it a day and going to sleep, Severus summarized all the details of the potion he had decided to present in tomorrow's contest at SCoP.
He wasn't sure if this potion would win tomorrow, but at least he knew it would impress the judges.
When he finished, he put away his new potion along with its specifications, to deliver it first thing tomorrow morning to the SCoP campus where the registration, the judges' evaluation of the potions, and the awarding of the winner of the contest would take place.