Mr. Money.

Successive acquisitions, countless acquisitions of different productions and copyrights that are considerably more expensive than the norm, are taken on at a steep price. Now, Marvel had fallen prey to the persistent ambitions of Lux Animation, which some might consider an unwelcome approach given the company's risks and current state.

- Karl Ikahm proposed a 40% offer for the bond purchase, - Avi Arad remarked to Raimon, who was seated at a table with Stan Lee and Isaac Perlmutter, each of them bound by certain promises – Isaac's being the CEO position and a handsome bonus for overseeing the companies and managing operations.

Raimon chuckled, relieved that no further issues were looming.

- Ronald mortgaged Marvel's bonds – 92% of the shares. My sources add that he's entered the skincare market, and he made numerous purchases in a short period. The remaining 8% acts as a recent insurance policy weighing on all of you,- Raimon said.

Ronald had made… a brief, revamped arrangement, with the 8% of bonds serving his benefit. The only advantage on his side was his promise to repurchase the bonds and include the 8% as a safeguard, tied to Marvel rather than to Ronald Perelman, in a move that seemed trustworthy to those already inclined to oust him.

- The buyout is unusual, but complicated. If Ronald doesn't buy the bonds back, they'll fall under Billy's control. Knowing Ronald, he might end up buying them. However, July is expected to see significant progress, with a new series launching in May – two months to double sales. The comic system is effectively dead; Billy Carson has managed to crush all competition, his comics selling in absurd quantities and dominating the market. The toys are selling, but it's not enough, and the card companies' sales were handed to other companies of Perelman's. Not a cent entered our company,- remarked Isaac Perlmutter, who had been reviewing the accounts.

- So, Ronald's hoping for a quick success, - Raimon speculated.

- Yes, in May, two new comic series and TV shows will debut, along with new toy collections, - Avi Arad added, overseeing the production of action figures for the series.

Raimon felt confident, realizing he'd likely be able to buy Marvel, but the extra funds he had now could be used for other ventures. Considering how he could use part of that money to acquire a hotel in Manhattan and continue buying shares and games on leverage, he anticipated various profits for the year – although they might not exceed his investment, the growth would.

…

Raimon was reviewing data. Tech stocks were a hot market, catapulting people to success. A week or two was all it took to earn money by betting on the long haul and success. He had conducted extensive research and chose to invest in companies with top-notch marketing. Betting on these companies ensured a faster return on investment, and by leveraging his position, he could double his gains. He sipped Coca-Cola and ate a large jar of gummies while observing everything.

- You're a despicable bastard, - sneered Crazy Gramas, a 22-year-old Wall Street gambler, watching Raimon place a $6 million bet with 400% leverage that General Electric stocks would rise by June 1996. They were valued at $60 per share, and with just 25% of the capital, he only needed $1.5 million, while the rest was played on leverage. If he lost, he'd be out $8.5 million; if he won, he'd gain $6.5 million. But Raimon wasn't done – he took out a put option, aiming to sell the stocks at a profit in June. He bought a million put options, with a potential profit of $12 million.

- The only bastard here is the one betting that this company will go up. I'll make two trades and earn $21 million after taxes, - Raimon declared, roaring like a madman. He loved Wall Street – the place where he'd even lost his virginity to a woman he paid $1,000, who took him to cloud nine.

- How much did you make on the last one?- Crazy Gramas asked.

- Mmm, about $78 million, but I only kept $8 million. Playing the market isn't my thing, but tech stocks are so straightforward now that I feel like I could touch everything I could ever buy with my fingertips, - Raimon answered, finishing his third Coca-Cola of the day. He'd gained three kilos in a week, entirely negating his successful weight loss of five kilos, but it didn't matter; the stocks kept pushing him to new highs.

- -You're a damn lunatic,- commented Crazy Gramas, who admired how Raimon dabbled in currencies, completely insane when it came to bets. He loved crazy bets on currencies, just as he did with stocks.

- We'll play around with a few more stocks – I'll make three or four more medium-term bets and let it ride for a few months, - Raimon said, scanning the data. His plump fingers tapped against the computer as he reviewed multiple stocks, databases, and safe havens.

- Well, Ray, we'll make money for other idiots, gamble our own in undeserved ways, fail like complete fools, or win big and take it all to the casino. It's the thrill of winning that makes us addicted to this system – a system built on two people's mistakes, - Crazy Gray chimed in, a short, nervy guy who studied finance in Boston and was a whiz with metrics and statistics. He saw numbers and made a fortune, but his methods were odd. Still, he failed in one detail – he loved Dungeons & Dragons.

- So you think I'm doing a good job? - Raimon asked as he placed his second bet, an outrageously risky move in every sense. It was a small-scale but high-stakes risk: a $300,000 loss or a $300,000 gain – all or nothing, as far as Raimon was concerned.

Gramas checked the computer, took a deep, dark sip of coffee, and adjusted some values.

…

Billy's stocks were soaring. General Electric had grown immensely, given that he couldn't fixate on Microsoft, but he played around with AOL, Intel, and Microsystems enough to shatter paradigms. Billy was incredibly wealthy in stocks, yet he disliked selling – or perhaps he just didn't like to.

- Billy's a filthy rich kid, - Raimon muttered, watching the reports and observing how the stocks began to rise. For instance, General Electric was bought in various increments: January 1991 at $11.54 a share for 34,930 shares; March 1991 at $13.88 for 430,000; November 1991 for 634,000 shares at $13.80; December 1991 for 700,000 shares at $14.11. They paused until March 1992, when they bought 11,000 shares at $16.33, followed by 4,500 shares in May at $17.03, 9,000 shares in July at $18, 34,000 shares in August at $16, and 17,900 shares in December, totaling 511,000 shares.

Certain companies' stocks never dropped; they continued to rise. Now, with a total of 4 million shares bought at $60, selling would yield him enough to buy a few companies of his own.

He had enough money to tell off any guy – or any company.

...