Chapter 496: Galaxy Goes Public

[Chapter 559: Galaxy Goes Public]

On May 6, 1996, the NASDAQ stock exchange on 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York, officially welcomed Galaxy Group onto the market. In 1994, NASDAQ's annual trading volume had already surpassed that of the New York Stock Exchange, making it the largest in the United States.

Galaxy's initial offering price was set at $43 per share, with a total of 420 million shares, giving it a valuation of $18 billion! With this IPO, Galaxy raised $3.6 billion. Arthur Smith, who initially owned 71% of the shares, saw that diluted to 54% after the offering.

The buzz surrounding Galaxy was immense; by the end of the day, the stock price had soared to $68 per share, a 58% increase!

Later that evening, a grand celebration was held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Times Square, Manhattan. Galaxy's market cap had reached nearly $30 billion, catapulting Arthur's personal fortune to over $15 billion!

All of Galaxy's executives were in high spirits, especially Amy Pascal, who received a stock bonus worth 4 million shares, boosting her net worth to over $200 million.

"Congratulations, Arthur," Hillary Clinton had flown in from Washington, D.C., specifically to attend the celebration.

"Thank you," Arthur replied calmly, "Did you find plenty of evidence at the Lewinsky household?"

Hillary nodded slightly. "It's all been destroyed. Rahm Emanuel was just a minor player in that whole affair. Israel has no intention of coexisting peacefully with Palestine; they just want to continue dominating the Middle East."

Arthur chuckled. "Don't worry; this time we'll reap the rewards in Asia. Quantum Fund won't be the only player; Tiger Fund will also make big moves. I'll be heading to Southeast Asia soon; our approach will use Indonesia as our breakthrough point. Quantum Fund's focus is Thailand; there's no need to follow the Jewish way of thinking on everything."

Hillary was well aware of Wall Street's plans to capitalize on the Asian financial markets, but Arthur wanted to make a significant impact in Indonesia. "Arthur, are you genuinely that interested in Indonesian oil?"

What puzzled Hillary the most was why Arthur would go to such lengths just to deal with Indonesia. Given their capacity, there were so many other areas to seize capital from!

Arthur smiled, "Don't you think a profit in the billions is worth pursuing?"

Hillary paused for a moment before relaxing. Galaxy's IPO had indeed given her a clear understanding of Arthur's financial stature, but companies at Galaxy's level were rare. The oil in Indonesia was certainly a prize that everyone desired.

"Arthur, what about this year's election?"

"Don't worry, we are all set. Hollywood has already raised $30 million," Arthur said while sipping his drink. "Leon Panetta will relay it to the campaign committee. And it's best to vaguely address the gun issues, focusing on economic growth and international influence instead."

"Got it, understood," Hillary now knew which side to lean towards. The Jewish influence could tarnish Clinton's reputation; but she firmly believed that the Ansa Group could cause them to not just lose their standing, but completely ruin them.

Now, not just Hillary but even Clinton had no idea how many people in the White House were taking orders from the forces that Arthur represented. Moreover, they were clueless about how far Arthur had infiltrated Hollywood, Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and the military-industrial complex. He was like a spider spinning webs everywhere!

...

In the banquet hall's lounge, Arthur was resting his head on the sofa when Tom Rothman expressed concern, "Have you had too much to drink, Arthur?"

Arthur looked up and smiled. "I'm fine; just a bit overwhelmed by the crowd. Next, I'm heading to Asia. For CBS, you need to support Nick Davis in dealing with the news division's president, Eric Ober. Also, you've got to negotiate with Ronald Perelman about Marvel. Galaxy aims to acquire Marvel, whose stock is in disarray now. He's trying to sell off various assets to cover the gaps, and bankruptcy might be the only future left for Marvel!"

Tom nodded; Galaxy had plenty of funds available for acquisitions. Acquiring Marvel was hardly a problem at all.

...

Before long, Arthur was led up to a hotel room by Monica Bellucci for some rest.

In the bathroom, Arthur soaked in a hot bath while Monica sat beside him, lighting a cigarette for him. "Yeri is still downstairs celebrating with the team and will join us soon."

Arthur took a puff of his cigarette and smiled, "Today is a good day; let's keep everyone happy! So, when does filming for Tomorrow Never Dies start?"

"I don't need to rush into production; I'll join after shooting begins, probably around August or September," Monica responded.

Arthur considered this, "In the second half of this year, Galaxy MGM will be developing a sequel to Jim Carrey's film Dumb and Dumber. If you're interested, you could make a cameo. After all, everyone's attention will be on the two male leads with this film."

"No problem at all. Gaining experience in different types of films is good," Monica said without hesitation; last fall's release of 12 Monkeys had earned her acclaim and recognition in Hollywood.

Now, Monica was less picky about roles; after all, the upcoming Tomorrow Never Dies would surely raise her profile.

Arthur nodded, extinguishing the cigarette, "Now that I'm a major shareholder in Gucci, I should take some time to shoot a few ads for them in Italy."

"Sounds good!" said Monica as she leaned in and kissed him.

Arthur pulled her into the bathtub, revealing her stunning 36D figure!

After an intense kiss, Arthur caressed her curves and remarked, "Women like you are truly irresistible to men."

Monica smiled, kissing his neck, "Is that so? But it's you who is the envy of many right now; not only are you the youngest chairman of a publicly traded company, but also the youngest Forbes billionaire! Who knows how many women are dreaming of meeting you now?"

"Meeting me?" Arthur shook his head. There had been too many women wanting to know him long before this. Now, with his reputation growing and his social status rising, he only felt he needed to expand that even further.

"Yeah, you're now a top-tier, diamond-level bachelor. You're rolling in money."

He then patted the woman in his arms, "For me now, money is just a number. Money is endless for me!"

*****

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