Chapter 351: Leak of Information

In the original timeline, despite his controversial anti-Semitic remarks that led to a boycott across Hollywood, Mel Gibson was not completely suppressed, due to his extensive network and resources. Likewise, Dustin Hoffman, at the height of his career, was not someone Simon could entirely ostracize either.

With Terry Semel and Peter Guber personally intervening, Simon found it prudent to relent.

At Madonna's lavish home, as Simon escorted Janet towards the dance floor, Semel and Guber achieved their purpose and, not wishing to linger at the party, made their way out together.

Once outside, Peter Guber commented casually, "I thought this might get tricky, but it seems Westeros knows when to pull back."

Semel, noticing the smile on Guber's face, did not share the sentiment. If the young man were so easy to deal with, Meg Ryan would not have met her current fate.

Since "The Rocketeer" at the end of last year, Meg Ryan had been unable to secure any film roles in Hollywood and had recently moved to Britain in hopes of reviving her career—a move Semel viewed skeptically, considering the competitive nature of even moderately successful British film companies seeking to enter Hollywood.

Regarding the current matter, it was clear to everyone that completely blocking a two-time Oscar-winning Hollywood titan like Hoffman was impossible; Westeros was simply going with the flow. However, Semel, having dealt with Simon multiple times, did not believe Simon would let Hoffman off so easily.

Recalling the case of Meg Ryan, who, after rising to prominence with "When Harry Met Sally," wanted to break her contract with Daenerys Entertainment due to its restrictions, Simon initially agreed, simply asking for a breach of contract fee.

The aftermath was evident to all of Hollywood.

Semel even thought of Sony's planned production of "Captain Hook," a project that had circulated around Hollywood for several years until Sony recently made a high offer that got Spielberg and Robin Williams on board.

Daenerys Entertainment, since its inception under Westeros, had consistently collected various rights. If "Captain Hook" had potential box office success, it would be uncharacteristic for Daenerys to pass it up.

Indeed, Daenerys had never shown any interest in "Captain Hook."

Although the recent lukewarm reception of "Ghost" gave many in Hollywood a glimpse of a potential chink in Daenerys's armor, the February release "Pretty Woman" alone was enough to confirm Simon's keen eye for films.

As of last week, "Pretty Woman" had grossed $161 million in North America, with projections nearing $180 million before it ended its theatrical run.

Moreover, "Pretty Woman" performed even better internationally.

Despite many overseas markets holding off its release to protect their own summer box office, just a few countries like the UK, Germany, Italy, and Australia had already contributed over $130 million in the last few months.

With major box office territories like Japan, France, and Spain yet to open, "Pretty Woman" might even aim for a global total of $500 million.

A $10 million production cost against a potential $500 million global box office would be a significant achievement for any major film studio, enough to sustain a year's performance.

Those who felt schadenfreude at the mere satisfactory performance of "Ghost" were likely just comforting themselves.

Since Westeros still maintained his discernment in film, Semel doubted that the indifference towards "Captain Hook" boded well for Sony's choice.

Moreover, Sony's generosity this time seemed excessive.

Beyond fixed salaries for Spielberg and Williams, Sony had promised them an additional 20% and 10% of the project's net profits, respectively. Hoffman's involvement would take at least another 10%.

With 40% of the profits promised before production even started and a production budget that couldn't be less than $50 million, Semel felt that even if Sony didn't lose money, they wouldn't make much of a profit—more likely, they'd end up embarrassed.

And this embarrassment was facilitated by none other than Peter Guber, who had introduced the deal.

As Semel and Guber got into their cars to leave, Semel couldn't help but glance at Guber's newly acquired luxury Rolls-Royce.

Since taking over Columbia, Guber and Jon Peters's lavish spending had made other Hollywood executives envious.

They not only placed numerous cronies within the company but also spent Sony's money without restraint. Recently, it was rumored that Peters had been using Columbia's private jet weekly for rendezvous with his new girlfriend between Europe and Los Angeles, with all expenses, including luxury gifts, covered by Columbia.

Such extravagance would not have been tolerated at any other studio.

However, the person in charge of Columbia's finances was Guber's ex-wife.

Many Hollywood insiders watched Sony's spectacle, curious about how much 'tuition' the Japanese electronics giant would eventually pay before deciding to withdraw from Hollywood quietly.

Simon knew the figure.

$2

.1 billion!

In the original timeline, this was the loss Sony declared after Guber and Peters left Columbia—a staggering amount that led to Sony's founder Akio Morita stepping down from his executive role.

Back at the dance floor, Simon, reminiscing about these past events, was suddenly approached by Janet, who whispered in his ear, "Are you really going to let those guys off the hook?"

Because Janet was so close, Simon instinctively turned his head slightly.

Janet had developed a sort of 'aftereffect' from a handshake with Simon, and now Simon had a psychological shadow whenever Janet bit his ear.

Noticing Simon's dodge, Janet deliberately moved closer and playfully nibbled near his ear, making a soft clicking sound.

Simon turned and kissed Janet on the cheek, maneuvering her teeth away from his ear as he held her by the waist and said, "I'm not one to forgive easily, but some things can't be resolved overnight. I just have to keep them in mind for now."

Janet hummed in agreement and teased, "You really hold a grudge."

Simon just smiled.

After dancing, the couple stayed at Madonna's party for a while longer before heading home.

Returning to their villa on the west side of Point Dume, it was 10 PM.

Janet, not one to stay up late, pulled Simon into the shower and soon went to bed.

The next day was Sunday.

With summer well underway, golden sunlight poured into their seaside bedroom early in the morning.

Simon rose at 6 AM, quietly slipping out of Janet's embrace to get dressed and head to the gym.

At 7 AM, he returned to the bedroom, changed clothes, and gently woke Janet.

After guiding a groggy Janet to a warm bath, Simon went to the dining room.

Now that the ABCD ladies were around, Simon no longer needed to prepare breakfast himself.

Claire, dressed in a white blouse and black trousers, which gave her a professional look, handed Simon the morning paper.

After a polite exchange of morning greetings, Simon appreciated Claire's tidy appearance.

The white blouse and black trousers were the working uniform for the four ladies. Simon had no interest in making them wear maid outfits, feeling it would cast him in the mold of an old British landowner. The business-casual attire was just right, especially since all four women were around 175cm tall with slender figures, fitting Simon's preference for uniformity.

At his level of wealth and status, Simon found it difficult to feel a strong desire for women since they were so readily available.

Having four exquisite 'vases' around was more for their utility and aesthetic appeal than anything else.

Noticing Simon's gaze, Claire, or 'C' as Simon called her, shifted slightly closer and whispered, "Boss, you might want to look at the entertainment section of today's Los Angeles Times."

Simon, momentarily puzzled, nodded and said, "Alright."

He unfolded the newspaper and found the entertainment section. Claire pointed to a specific article, causing Simon's eyebrows to furrow slightly as he read the headline: "Another Big Deal, Michael Ovitz May Be Leading Panasonic's Acquisition of MCA."

In his memory, Panasonic's acquisition of MCA wasn't officially announced until August and had been kept under wraps until then.

What was happening now? Was Panasonic moving ahead of schedule?

As he read on, Simon couldn't help but laugh at the irony. The news was purely accidental.

To avoid the media frenzy that followed his facilitation of Sony's acquisition of Columbia, Michael Ovitz had indeed kept the negotiations very secret.

However, fate had other plans.

On the previous Friday, while Ovitz and his team were returning to Los Angeles from Tokyo, they unexpectedly encountered Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen. Sheen wasn't a client of CAA and thus had no obligation to maintain confidentiality for Ovitz. Consequently, the news leaked, confirming media speculations about Ovitz orchestrating Panasonic's acquisition of MCA.

Although Daenerys Entertainment had not yet begun negotiations with MCA, preparations for a potential acquisition had been ongoing.

Simon had planned to intervene after the outbreak of war later in the year and once Panasonic officially announced their bid for MCA. Now, if the premature leak prompted Panasonic to launch an early offer, the situation could become complicated.

Following last year's minor crash, MCA's stock had slowly climbed back to over $45, fluctuating between a market cap of $4.5 and $5 billion.

Acting now, with a bidding war likely, securing MCA would be challenging without committing at least $8 billion.

Recalling Panasonic's eventual $6.6 billion purchase of MCA, which even produced hits like "Jurassic Park" yet still resulted in a loss-forced sale, it was clear that MCA was not worth such a high price.

Thus, even if the price went over $7 billion, Simon was prepared to walk away rather than overpay.

$7 billion was

 the upper limit Simon had set for this acquisition.

As he considered how to respond to this unexpected development, Janet, dressed in a light blue long dress, entered the dining room looking refreshed. She hugged Simon and kissed him, then sat down beside him and casually glanced at Claire, asking Simon, "What's up?"

Claire, sensing Janet's seemingly casual look, subtly averted her eyes and quietly moved toward the kitchen.

Simon, unaware of the exchange, showed Janet the newspaper, explaining, "Panasonic might announce their acquisition of MCA ahead of schedule."

Janet quickly scanned the article, her face showing a hint of schadenfreude, "Panasonic probably isn't ready for an early acquisition either. It'll only drive MCA's stock price up. I bet both CAA and Panasonic will deny this report."

Simon nodded, agreeing that was likely.

Remembering another concern, he advised Janet, "Let's not touch MCA stock with Cersei Capital this time."

As news broke, Wall Street arbitrageurs would start to accumulate MCA shares. Cersei Capital also engaged in short-term arbitrage, but starting to buy now could lead to an SEC investigation for insider trading.

"I know," Janet responded, as Claire and Deborah brought in breakfast.

Originally planning a day at home, the sudden development meant Simon had to head to the studio after breakfast, following calls from Amy and James.

After seeing Simon off, Janet returned to the villa where neighbors Alison and Becky soon joined, gathering the ABCD ladies.

Janet directed the ladies in a thorough cleaning of the villa, checked the kitchen and bathrooms, and made a list of household items needed for the week, sending Alice and Becky out to shop.

Once arrangements were made, Janet made several calls to manage various mundane tasks related to the Westeros properties, such as adding a speedboat to their Mercer Island estate in Seattle and ensuring the newly acquired mansion in Rome had the latest alarm systems installed.

These were tasks Janet had begun when she was still Janet Johnston, and now as Janet Westeros, she felt even more entitled to them.

She relished her role as the lady of the house, managing the seemingly tedious chores efficiently, never allowing herself to get overwhelmed.

After a busy morning, she could relax on the sofa with documents from Cersei Capital before Simon returned for lunch.

Apollo Management was set to bid on a $1.5 billion bond asset from Columbia Savings and Credit, a venture involving a $500 million contribution each from Citibank and the Bank of Australia.

The $500 million represented half of Apollo's recently raised $1 billion fund, necessitating cautious investment.

The $1.5 billion in bonds were valued at nearly $3.5 billion before the ongoing collapse of the U.S. bond market. If the deal succeeded, Apollo's $500 million investment could double in returns over three years, yielding an annual return rate of over 30%—an impressive performance for any private equity fund.

Other investment opportunities were also under review, such as the acquisition of a mattress company called Simmons, which Simon seemed particularly interested in, prompting Janet to pay close attention.

___________________

(Support with power stones, comments or reviews)

If you guys enjoy this story, In support me on Patreon and get access to +200 advance Chapters

Read Ahead

Patreon.com/INNIT