Chapter 290: The Richest Man

Up until a few days before the finalization of the new issue, Malcolm Forbes, the second-generation leader of Forbes Magazine, was still discussing this year's list of the 400 richest Americans with his editorial team.

A notable change on this year's domestic list was the departure of Sam Walton due to the continuous deterioration of his health, having officially dispersed his shares to a family trust and his children earlier in the year.

Had Sam Walton not transferred his shares, the retail magnate's assets, exceeding $8 billion, would have kept him firmly at the top of the U.S. wealth list. Now, while the upcoming global Forbes list will still count the Walton family as a whole, the top spot on the domestic list became a matter of keen interest.

During this period, Malcolm Forbes received countless inquiries about this matter, as many tycoons, despite appearing indifferent, were very concerned about their wealth ranking. As the world's most authoritative wealth list, Forbes Magazine took great care in finalizing these figures.

After a careful investigation and extensive discussions by the editorial team, the new list was finalized, and Malcolm Forbes knew this year's list would spark considerable controversy.

On September 9th, a Saturday, with the release of the new issue of Forbes Magazine, Malcolm Forbes's phone in his Westchester, New York, home rang non-stop, with many asking, "Mal, are you joking with us?"

Of course, Forbes's list was no joke.

However, the name of the young individual at the top of this year's list made many feel uneasy.

In Beverly Hills, within the Trousdale Estates mansion, Simon started receiving calls from various parties congratulating him on securing the top spot on this year's rich list, even from Sophia in France and Janet in Australia.

Planning to work overtime over the weekend to finish "Batman," the tumultuous morning made a quiet weekend's work unlikely.

After breakfast, as Simon left his home, media reporters who had been waiting outside followed him all the way to the Warner Bros. Studios. Upon arriving at the post-production center, Terry Semel greeted Simon with congratulations and casually asked if Simon was free for lunch.

Preferring not to have a casual lunch with a man when there was no serious business, Simon naturally declined.

After some small talk, Terry Semel left, and Simon's driver handed him a copy of Forbes Magazine before he entered the "Batman" post-production studio.

Instructing his team, who now looked at him with even more curiosity, Simon settled into the office chair and flipped through the magazine. He wasn't much interested in the lengthy rankings but looked directly at the top ten list, which occupied a full page:

1. Simon Westeros, $6 billion, 21 years old.

2. John Kluge, $5.2 billion, 76 years old.

3. Warren Buffett, $4.2 billion, 59 years old.

4. Sumner Redstone, $2.8 billion, 66 years old.

5. Ted Arison, $2.8 billion, 65 years old.

6. Donald Newhouse, $2.7 billion, 61 years old.

7. Samuel Newhouse, $2.7 billion, 60 years old.

8. Anne Cox Chambers, $2.55 billion, 69 years old.

9. Barbara Cox Anthony, $2.55 billion, 66 years old.

10. Ross Perot, $2.4 billion, 59 years old.

The sudden appearance of a 21-year-old among a group of billionaires averaging over 60 years of age was indeed jarring.

Achieving such a feat in just three years was something to be proud of, not an exaggeration.

However, Simon quickly got back to work, not lingering on the magazine. The $6 billion was close to his current net worth, but still far from his target. He wasn't likely to break into the top ten of the global rich list this year. Simon's ambitions extended beyond just making it into the top ten globally, or even securing the top spot.

He never forgot the somewhat youthful boast he made to Janet on his 19th birthday in the suburbs of Phoenix.

Having lived once before, merely being the best was not Simon's goal; he aimed for a height that all would have to look up to.

As Simon went about his day unfazed, the media across North America and the world buzzed with news of his ascent to the top of the U.S. rich list.

The number one spot always attracts the most attention.

Just like in many years of the Forbes rich list, the world knew Bill Gates as the long-time holder of the top spot, but most could not readily name the second or third.

With Simon's ascent, the media's first reaction was nearly unanimously skeptical.

While it was widely accepted that Simon Westeros was very wealthy, the idea of a 21-year-old becoming the richest person in America through non-inheritance means in just three years, amassing a net worth of $6 billion, seemed improbable.

However, compared to last year, Forbes provided more detailed data this year, even uncovering some of Simon's assets he thought were well-concealed.

Simon's most visible assets remained his tech stocks.

After a major sell-off earlier in the year, the remaining tech stocks, despite losses from companies like AMD, saw significant gains from Microsoft and Intel, two companies in which Westeros Corporation held substantial shares. 

Compared to the beginning of the year, Westeros Corporation's tech stocks appreciated by 13% in six months, totaling $1.7 billion in value.

The second asset was Cersei Capital.

In recent months, more information was deliberately leaked by the Japanese, revealing the operation of Cersei Capital to a wider audience.

With Cersei Capital's net asset value exceeding $3 billion, Forbes estimated Simon's share at no less than a third, adding another $1 billion to his wealth.

The third asset was Simon's extensive real estate holdings.

This was a surprise to Simon.

Forbes discovered Simon's purchase of several buildings and corresponding land in East Madison Avenue, Manhattan, as well as his European real estate investments. Including his lavish homes in Los Angeles and New York, Forbes estimated Simon's real estate value at a staggering $400 million.

The fourth asset was Westeros Corporation's stakes in a series of private companies.

Cisco, America Online, and the newly established Egret Corporation were all included, as was the luxury brand Gucci.

Cisco was starting to emerge, and Gucci's revival over the past six months was evident.

Forbes valued these private companies at $300 million.

Just these four assets alone totaled nearly $3.5 billion.

The fifth and most significant asset was Daenerys Entertainment.

Forbes listed Daenerys Entertainment's assets, including successful film labels Daenerys, New World, and Highgate; Daenerys TV with its hit reality shows; a 30% stake in Blockbuster with over 750 rental stores; Marvel Entertainment; Pixar Animation Studios; Daenerys Special Effects; Blizzard Studios; the under-construction Malibu Daenerys Studios and the New York Daenerys Entertainment headquarters; and a toy factory in Rhode Island.

Comparing these to the assets Sony acquired from Columbia Pictures for $5 billion, Forbes deemed Daenerys Entertainment's value to be at least $3 billion, if not more, given Sony's premium paid for Columbia.

After repaying some debts earlier in the year, Simon's total liabilities had dropped below $800 million.

Taking all these data points into account, Forbes rounded up and declared Simon Westeros's net worth to be $6 billion.

Forbes's calculations were logical and well-founded, yet media controversy did not subside. Beyond the easily tallied tech stocks held by Westeros Corporation, Forbes's valuation of Simon's other assets became a focal point for media debate.

In the days following, discussions and articles about Forbes's wealth list filled TV screens and newspapers of all kinds, raising questions and speculations:

- "Is Daenerys Entertainment really worth $3 billion?"

- "What does Simon Westeros plan to do with the Manhattan plots?"

- "Is Daenerys Entertainment undervalued at $3 billion?"

- "Media mogul John Kluge accuses Forbes of inflating Westeros's net worth for attention."

- "The secret profit distribution of Cersei Capital."

- "Former Motorola Chairman Robert Galvin: Selling Motorola stock was Simon Westeros's biggest mistake."

- "An analysis of Westeros Corporation's tech stock investment portfolio."

- "Australia's Qintex Group offers $1 billion for MGM."

- "The best time to buy: Westeros bullish on global real estate market."

- "Chicago police bust a 'psychic learning' scam charging $10,000 per week, suspects illegally gained over $2 million."

- "..."

Simon was already highly scrutinized, but the media frenzy surrounding Forbes's rich list made him an even more prominent figure in North America within days. Some outlets began predicting whether Simon Westeros would be named Time Magazine's Person of the Year.

The world never lacks those who blindly follow trends.

Regardless of how much the media debated, Simon Westeros topping the American rich list with a net worth of $6 billion became an established fact.

As discussions about Simon's wealth continued to spread, both the North American tech stock sector and the still-rising Japanese stock market saw a surge of investors.

As the foundation of Simon's fortune, Hollywood once again attracted keen attention from capital. After the '87 stock market crash, Hollywood went through a difficult period, with mainstream second-tier film companies like De Laurentiis Entertainment and Cannon Films going bankrupt. However, with the unveiling of Forbes's new rich list and Simon's series of achievements, a wave of capital, once again fantasizing about the film industry, began to stir.

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