Chapter 144: Watching a Game at Madison Square Garden

William was seriously considering this issue. He wouldn't be getting back into the stock market for speculative trading anytime soon. The market volatility was too intense, and he didn't dare to dabble in futures. It was better to wait a year or so and then invest heavily in stocks that would soar in the future.

Not to mention, stocks like Apple, Netflix, Tencent, Amazon, and Google would all increase by hundreds of times in value. Even if he didn't follow their full rise, they would still multiply ten to twenty times. Just buying them and waiting would be lucrative. The only concern was whether he could buy enough of these stocks at low prices.

Forget it, he thought. He would wait a few more months. It wasn't the right time to make a move yet. By the end of 2000, Amazon would be in dire straits, with its market value plummeting below $2 billion due to a 29-year-old stock analyst's report. If he could buy 5% of it, he could make over $500 billion.

Additionally, these publicly traded companies wouldn't be able to easily kick him out like private companies could, thanks to their boards and founders.

Apple's market value in 2001 was only $6 billion, but by 2007, it had surpassed $113.7 billion, nearly a 19-fold increase in six years. With Netflix, Google, and others, he would definitely become the world's richest man. That's the advantage of being reborn—winning without much effort.

Since he couldn't engage in futures trading anymore, he needed to ensure Americans didn't see him as a troublemaker. This was why he hadn't bet against American companies much during this market crash. Most of his money was made in Japan, with only $400 million earned in the USA. After taxes, that was just $320 million. If he could invest all this in the stocks he mentioned, he would buy them now.

Since it wasn't feasible to wait until these companies hit rock-bottom prices to buy, as large sell-offs only happen during declines, he had to prepare now. William called Phillips, asking him about recent social events in the USA where he could meet businesspeople and network.

Phillips checked for a few minutes and said, "Sir, there's a fundraising event hosted by Donald at his hotel. From what we know, Donald is nearly bankrupt and is working hard to raise funds to ease his company's financial pressure. It's said he has several good properties in New York for sale. If you're interested, you might want to take a look."

Everyone knew Donald. William thought it best to avoid him to prevent potential trouble. "No, I'm not interested in him. Anything else?"

"The rest are charity galas. Are you interested?" Phillips asked uncertainly.

"To hell with that. I have no interest in donating to Americans. If I had money to donate, I'd give it to London and Oxford universities. At least I'd get a good reputation. What good would it do to donate to Americans?" William complained. "Forget it. Get me a ticket for the New York Knicks. I've never watched the NBA live."

"Yes, sir. I'll arrange it right away. I see there's a semifinal game tonight between the Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks. Tickets are hard to come by, but don't worry, we'll secure one for you. Give me half an hour, and I'll call you back."

William didn't worry about Phillips getting the ticket. Swiss National Bank, one of the top banks globally, had significant influence. Buying a ticket would be simple, even if it cost several times the normal price.

Sure enough, Phillips called within half an hour. "Sir, we contacted the Knicks' owner, Dolan. He'll arrange a front-row seat for you by the Knicks' bench. We'll have someone deliver the ticket to you. Would you like us to arrange a car to pick you up as well?"

Thinking for a moment, William said, "Yes, send someone to pick me up. Also, keep an eye out for real estate in New York. I want to buy a house, preferably near Central Park. Price is not an issue, as long as it's a good property."

"Understood, sir. I'll keep an eye out and send someone with the information tomorrow. I won't bother you any further. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." After hanging up, William received his lunch from the hotel, ate, and took a nap, waking up at 3 PM.

He strolled along Fifth Avenue, bought some clothes, and had dinner outside before returning to the hotel. Changing into a T-shirt, jeans, and a baseball cap, he took the car provided by the Swiss National Bank to Madison Square Garden. Entering the arena, he saw Knicks' owner Dolan chatting with some people in the lobby.

Upon seeing William, Dolan apologized to his companions and walked over with a broad smile, extending his hand from a distance. "Great to meet you, Mr. Devonshire. It's wonderful to have you here supporting the Knicks. You're the first earl's heir to watch a Knicks game live. It's an honor to host you."

William laughed, understanding that Dolan's enthusiasm stemmed from today's news. As the heir to an earl, a self-made billionaire with tens of billions in cash, William was far wealthier than Dolan, whose money was family-owned, and who was merely the Knicks' manager. The plump man now wanted to sell some Knicks' shares to William. With the stock market crash, capitalists were strapped for cash.

Shaking Dolan's hand, William noticed the man wouldn't let go. Feeling somewhat annoyed, he said, "Thank you. I'm also pleased to meet you, Mr. Dolan. I hope the Knicks win big tonight and make it to the finals. If there's nothing else, I won't keep you from your guests."

Despite William's hint, Dolan kept holding his hand. "Are you a gentleman?" William thought, sweating internally. Although he didn't discriminate against gay people, he didn't like his hand being held too long.

Noticing William's frown, Dolan realized he had been too enthusiastic, causing a misunderstanding. He quickly let go and apologized. "Sorry, William. I was just excited and delighted to meet you. When I was your age, I knew nothing but partying. Apologies again. Let me be direct. Would you be interested in becoming a Knicks shareholder?"

William looked at Dolan in surprise. This man had stubbornly clung to the Knicks in his past life. Why was he now willing to sell shares?

"From what I know, your family has always refused to sell any Knicks shares. Besides, I'm not interested in being a minority shareholder. If I buy, it's all or nothing—Knicks and Madison Square Garden, all cash."

The Knicks, not yet the terrible team they would become in later years, were still worth a few billion. William had no interest in being a small shareholder. He would only buy if he could get Madison Square Garden as well.

After thinking for a moment, Dolan shook his head. "William, that's a $1 billion-plus deal. Even if you have that much cash, no one would sell everything. We aren't fools. We're just looking to cash out a bit to weather the market crash."

Buying would be ideal, but if not, so be it. While New York had the best market, it wasn't the same for players. Off-court distractions in big cities meant players' minds weren't always on the game.

"I'm offering $1.5 billion in cash, for both Madison Square Garden and the Knicks. Cash, Dolan. You can discuss it with the Garden's companies. Think it over. The game's about to start, so I won't keep you. Let me know what you decide, Mr. Dolan."

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