Chapter 505: Private Dealings

[Chapter 505: Private Dealings]

Eric looked down at the information while Allen quietly updated Jeffrey about the matter on the other side.

"Eric, this is a good thing! Although I feel that the $9.5 billion figure might be underestimated, you could speak directly with Steve Forbes. I'm sure they'll be willing to provide a more accurate number," Jeffrey said with a grin after listening to Allen. 

Eric had no objections to heading the Forbes list of America's wealthiest. In the capital-driven society of America, immense wealth equated to significant power. Though the fortune he made during the oil crisis had its speculative aspects, it wasn't illegal, and Eric's wealth could withstand any scrutiny.

But what about the future? Drawing from his past experiences, Eric believed he could seize most opportunities for creating substantial wealth in the coming years, while easily avoiding potential pitfalls, such as the internet boom, the Asian financial crisis, or even the longer-term subprime mortgage crisis.

As his wealth compounded through these strategies, Eric even felt that he might reach a level of wealth so vast it could rival nations -- a thought that could be quite shocking for ordinary people.

While mulling over these ideas, Eric felt not just excitement but also a strange sense of uncontrollable fear beginning to take root.

"Eric, what's wrong?" Jeffrey noticed Eric's expression and asked, puzzled.

Coming back to reality, Eric replied, "Nothing, just thinking about a bunch of random things."

Having known each other for several years, Jeffrey understood Eric's character quite well. After a moment's thought, he pointed at the invitation sitting before Eric. "You don't want that position?"

"Yeah," Eric nodded. "I suddenly remembered an article I read about how in 1985, Forbes magazine abruptly named Sam Walton the richest man in America. Over the next few months, this otherwise quiet elderly man was hounded by countless reporters. That alone might not have been too bad, but he and his family faced more than a dozen attempted kidnappings within half a year."

Jeffrey chuckled, "Aren't you always pretty good at personal security? I don't think you need to worry. As for media attention, we're in the entertainment industry; the more attention, the better."

Eric said with a wry smile, "Jeffrey, that kind of attention doesn't really help my status as a director."

"Seems like you really don't want that position. Handle it how you like; I need to prepare for tomorrow's financial meeting," Jeffrey shrugged, gathered the annual financial report he had just picked up, and left Eric's office.

Eric twirled a pencil in his hand, deep in thought for a moment, before saying to Allen, "Please schedule a meeting with the editor of Forbes, Steve Forbes. If he can make time, I'd like to invite him for dinner at the Liberty City Estate."

Allen nodded and left Eric's office. However, Eric felt no longer at ease as he had while reading Chris's contract earlier. Frowning, he bowed his head, lost in thought, absently scribbling meaningless words on a piece of draft paper.

About ten minutes later, Allen knocked and entered again. "Eric, Mr. Steve Forbes said he can come this Saturday."

...

The middle-aged man wearing glasses stepped out of his car and, like many others, looked up at the silver shell-shaped building with a slight tilt of his head. Spotting a young man walking towards him, he quickly composed himself and smiled warmly.

"Hello, Mr. Forbes," Eric said enthusiastically, extending his hand.

Steve Forbes shook Eric's hand with a beaming smile. "Mr. Williams, it's great to meet you."

Since Firefly Films had acquired Disney last year, Forbes magazine had begun to keep an eye on Eric, investing significant resources into gathering information related to him.

The first time Steve Forbes saw the compiled information from his team, he felt a sense of unreality. Here was a 22-year-old who, in just over four years, had built a fortune approaching $10 billion from scratch. Following Sam Walton's recent passing, the next potential figure to watch for the title of America's richest became a topic of significant interest, and Forbes sensed that Eric's story was likely to turn into a significant headline for the magazine. Thus, he personally reached out to Eric for an interview, not expecting the young billionaire to respond with an invitation.

After exchanging a few casual remarks, Eric gestured for him to follow. "Please, come with me, Mr. Forbes."

...

In the restaurant, waiters began serving an exquisite lunch, then quietly retreated.

After a bit of conversation, Steve's tone became more familiar. "Eric, I hear you designed this place yourself?"

Eric smiled without rushing into formalities and shook his head. "That might be a bit exaggerated. I only drew up a sketch; the main design work was handled by Frank Gehry. He's an exceptionally talented architect."

"That's true; I've seen some of Frank Gehry's works. They are very imaginative," Steve agreed, but his mind wandered to other thoughts. Even in just a few minutes, he sensed that the company's initial assessment of Eric's personality was quite off. They had anticipated Eric would be flashy like Larry Ellison, the CEO of Oracle, but during their brief interaction, Steve felt Eric was much more composed and reserved than he expected. He also began to understand Eric's reason for inviting him.

The two chatted casually about various topics until lunch was nearly over, at which point Eric said, "Steve, honestly, when I saw that information from Forbes magazine, I was quite surprised. I remember a few months ago, some media outlets speculating on my wealth, estimating it at around $5 billion."

Steve knew the main topic was approaching, so he confidently said, "Those magazines' information channels and analytical capabilities are nowhere near those of Forbes. I'm sure our numbers are either accurate or at least not too far off."

"Exactly! That's why I was so surprised. Firefly isn't a public company, and few people had paid attention to Firefly's investments; it was unexpected how Forbes managed to gather such detailed information. However, Steve, I'm inviting you for a rather bold request."

Although Steve had anticipated the outcome, he remained impassive and gestured for Eric to continue.

"I hope that this year and in the future, the wealth attributed to me on the Forbes list reflects the vague figures that other media provide. Like this time, a number around $5 billion would be perfect. I don't want my position on the list to stand out too much."

Steve Forbes showed no outward surprise, as he had clearly heard similar requests before. "Eric, there's something you might not know. Besides being CEO of Forbes, I'm also a member of the National Taxpayer Union's board. In addition to monitoring and constraining tax policies to protect taxpayer interests, this Union also has the responsibility to provide the IRS with necessary data."

In America, people couldn't escape two facts in life: death and taxes. Those who approached Steve Forbes with similar requests usually aimed at tax evasion, and it was clear he was viewing Eric through a similar lens.

Upon hearing those words, Eric understood that this was their perspectives diverged. "Steve, even without this situation, Firefly would definitely be on the IRS's radar. Everyone is well aware of this, and I don't intend to evade taxes illegally."

"Eric, if that's the case, I'm not understanding why you'd want to do this. I think topping the wealth list shouldn't be a negative thing for you."

Eric chuckled. "Steve, if I need to give a reason, let's just say I want to remain low-key."

Steve Forbes couldn't help but study Eric closely. As a media person, having social insight was fundamental, and he could sense that Eric's reasoning held some truth, but instinctively, he wasn't quite ready to believe it. Since the launch of the Forbes 400 in 1982, the magazine had always been controversial. While it received several requests similar to Eric's to hide wealth, more billionaires openly or privately criticized the magazine for undervaluing their fortunes.

Despite Forbes magazine being known for its integrity and uncompromising spirit, it was fundamentally impossible to stick to those principles. After all, being a financial magazine focused on billionaires, maintaining a good rapport was essential for survival, and if they offended a single billionaire, it could easily lead to a domino effect of displeasure among their peers. If these wealthy individuals truly sought retribution against Forbes, it would not be overly difficult for them to do so.

After deliberating for a while, Steve Forbes finally concluded, "Eric, that figure of $5 billion is a bit low. Forbes is a highly professional magazine. We can't just guess like the entertainment outlets do. If we publish that, the ensuing criticism would undoubtedly impact Forbes's credibility. Therefore, I can agree to not place you in the top spot, at most."

Eric thought for a moment and agreed. The public's attention usually gravitated toward the name at the top of the list. His recollection of future billionaire rankings showed that while Bill Gates, who would be a future number one, drew all the attention, not many cared about the second name.

Given that Steve agreed to Eric's request, he certainly had to reciprocate, "Thank you for your understanding, Steve. In return, Firefly Films is willing to enter into a long-term advertising partnership with Forbes. I'll make sure our PR department reaches out to your company about this soon."

Since there was no prior relationship, a mere statement like "I owe you a favor" would have seemed insincere. As a film company, Firefly spent several hundred million dollars annually on advertising. Aside from the flagship Forbes magazine, the Forbes Group owned other newspapers and magazines, which were the main channels for movie promotions, making a long-term advertising agreement mutually beneficial.

A fleeting look of understanding crossed Steve Forbes's face, accompanied by a faint smile as he lifted his goblet from the table. "Then, Eric, here's to a successful partnership."

Eric hesitated for a moment before realizing the implication as he raised his own glass, smiling, "To a successful partnership."

...

Three days after Steve Forbes left, Forbes magazine sent Eric a 'revised' figure; the original $9.5 billion was adjusted down to $7 billion, and the planned interview was also canceled. Though the fifth-place ranking still appeared somewhat prominent, it wouldn't overshadow the new richest man that followed Sam Walton.

With that matter resolved, Eric turned his attention to other plans. In the coming period, besides being busy with post-production for Jurassic Park and managing Firefly's daily affairs, Eric dedicated a significant amount of time to discussions with Chris, who flew to Los Angeles to meet with Eric several times.

Before long, Firefly Investment Company began transferring its shares in Cisco. As a high-tech firm closely watched by Wall Street investors, Cisco had been on an impressive growth trajectory in recent years. However, once investors learned about Firefly's transfer of Cisco shares, many began contacting Chris, but after discovering certain details, they quickly lost interest.

*****

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