Steven Spielberg saw the exponential growth in his hands, a chart laid out on the table. Two explicit ideas were proposed: the first was to co-found a negotiation between Billy and himself to create a film and television production company.
Now, they were just starting to shine a light on how to form such a large company. His creation of Amblin wasn't ambitious, and he had help from Universal. But now he had to handle things himself. He saw many problems; collaborating was an option to share expenses, though if he did, they always asked him to participate in either production or direction. Time was not abundant, especially now as he managed employees, construction, licenses, agreements, unions, even agents, friends, and actors, all seen through a different lens. Any collaboration required money, favors, extra work...
-How are you, Michael? - Steven commented, hugging one of his mentees in the field of directing.
-Starting all the processes for my movie's premiere. - Michael Fincher replied. He looked particularly strong, with a vibe of anxiety but also understanding.
-You mean it's been a good year for you. - Steven commented.
-I have more options, but this is a masterpiece. I was with Billy Carson… he's a surprising actor, who seems to have a talent for portraying calculated, complex emotions. Though it may not seem so, he is a very good actor. - Fincher commented, having watched Billy perform during the three-month post-production process, perfecting every part, cutting numerous times, more than he would have liked. They started with a four-hour take, trimming it down to a one-and-a-half-hour movie.
He saw all shades of acting, from blind rage to regretful faces, love, fear, laughter, and affection. He was a very good actor.
-Maybe you could invite me. I'd like to support you. - Steven commented, raising David's eyebrows, who nodded in surprise. Steven was everywhere, but… he didn't expect him to appear in promotion.
-Sure, I'll talk to my agent –
-None of that, send the tickets to my wife. We'll be there. Save me a good seat. I want to see everything you've learned. Recently, I was offered a ticket for the Alien series, and I think you'd be a good candidate, but I need material to present to the Fox network. - Steven commented, opening up possibilities. Billy had already explained, they needed good screenwriters and directors, along with a healthy selection of actors. Nurturing and launching new actors alongside veterans was DreamWorks' path, a company of opportunities… fresh, creative, and innovative.
-Sure. - David commented, almost losing his breath. Steven Spielberg moved his way to the HBO network, starting a low-budget film to produce for the network, which had certain ties with many other companies, now including DreamWorks TV.
Their meeting was casual, situated by related projects. Though New Line Cinema's management was separate from Warner, he had to face distribution, promotion, and publicity factors.
To Bob Iger, Billy's name was already a constant applause. On numerous occasions, he had heard the young man's name.
***
-Dad. - Raimon said, hating having to greet his father for the second time in a year. The last time, it had made him cry and left him in a week-long depression from feeling trapped by the constant complaints.
-Raimon. - came the response.
'Here we go again,' he thought, feeling the cold acknowledgment of his identity.
-Thanks for helping with the investment fund. - Raimon said, following Billy's advice to steer everything toward work. His father, seeing the black shirt under the blue one, noticed that his son was still wearing that ridiculous clothing.
-With commissions. It's not free, but we arranged your boss's investment fund privately. Now, you'll only appear as the manager of the titular company, "Technology Investments." I don't quite understand why you would use a misspelled name for a group that already exists. You won't receive more public financing, which is not in the contract. - Lucas Green commented.
-I don't fully understand Billy either, but time has shown me that we traditionalists can't grasp his vision and way of doing things. He has a structured plan. He may want to buy a company without many people noticing. - Raimon replied.
-Sure… the young man of America. - Lucas commented.
-Oh, father, he's not young anymore. As a private company, they can't list Billy's assets, but my calculations put him among the richest men in America, even in the world. Don't underestimate him. Though he plays acting, he graduated from Stanford at 19 and had me teach him throughout his career with all kinds of tutors. I wouldn't be surprised if his fund is to strike back at companies that have played dirty. - Raimon said softly, unable to raise his voice to his father but implying something that both he and Anne Hall knew: Billy's vision is above average.
-Do you think I'm a foolish talker? Your boy comes here often, talks to some people, invests in some funds, and leaves his money. He has the eloquence, appearance, and confidence that you lack. You better stop bragging about others and start doing things for yourself. - Lucas commented.
Raimon's spirit was completely crushed, and he wanted to leave immediately. But Lucas wondered just how impressive this Carson boy was, both as a banker and a reviewer, and thought he should pay attention.
Later that same day, Raimon sent all the paperwork. Officially, Billy had a fund that wouldn't charge commissions. They bought a sum of 80 million dollars and transferred most of his fund's shares, reorganizing them into different shares. Even in terms of expenditure, it was just a drop in the ocean, with the purchase of shares being active. Yet, the growth wasn't immediately visible.
Pfizer shares at $7.23, totaling 300,000 shares for a price of $2,169,000. This resulted in an average of 600,000 shares.
Qualcomm shares at $2.25, totaling 3,000,000 shares for a price of $6.4 million, offering a stabilized average of 11 million shares.
Nokia shares at $2.56, totaling 5,000,000 shares, reaching a 31% stake in the company for $10.7 million. Including previous purchases, this amounted to 28.1 million shares in the cell phone company.
These were just a few mentions, as they also held shares in Toys.com, The Cheesecake Factory, AOL, General Electric, Intel, Home Depot, Walmart, Cisco, and Nike.
Billy's insistence on General Electric at $22.03 per share was surprising. The purchase of 511,397 shares was enormous. For the price of the shares, this was an action that easily allowed buying others in technology.
Anne lifted the investment sheet, raising her eyebrows. She was slowly gaining Billy's trust. She invested in companies like Nokia, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, and General Electric, trusting Billy's words.
-Thanks, Raimon. - commented Anne Hall.
...