Chapter 1187: Invincible twist hand

Chapter 1187: Invincible twist hand

With the continuous surge in Comcast's share price, the Firefly Group decisively stopped buying operations and eventually held a 7.1% stake in the company.

Since Comcast is already a publicly held company, the shareholding structure is very fragmented, and even no shareholder holds more than 10% of the shares. Therefore, with 7.1% of the shares in hand, the Firefly Group is still the first major shareholder of Comcast.

The whole process seems easy, but in fact, for this 7.1% stake, the Firefly Group has invested more than $2.5 billion in more than a month.

In the context of the current North American economic situation as the Nasdaq stock market crashes and the overall cold, many corporate giants are shrinking their business to save money, and can easily take billions of dollars in cash for the acquisition like the Firefly Group. There are absolutely few companies.

Since the merger prelude has been opened, the Firefly Group no longer hides its intentions.

Although no longer buy stocks, Kasenberg quickly asked Comcast to join the board of directors.

The Roberts family also realized that if Kasenberg's request was promised, not only would the company's operations be no more secret in front of the Firefly Group. Moreover, with the strong influence of the Firefly system, Comcast shareholders are likely to gradually fall to the other side as the Firefly system executives join the board.

As a result, Comcast Chairman Ralph Roberts rejected Kasenberg's request for the first time on the grounds that the board members did not change.

Often, a publicly traded company often discusses the replacement of board members in the new year at the annual general meeting of shareholders.

Although the shares held by the Firefly Group are not enough to convene an extraordinary general meeting, Comcast's annual shareholder meeting is held in January. Unless Ralph Roberts dares to dismiss all Comcast shareholders' wishes to cancel the annual general meeting, the other party can only delay for up to three months, and the Firefly Group has not been too eager to perform.

At the same time, during the game between the two sides, the Firefly Group also began to contact AT-T, making a desire to acquire AT-T's telecommunications, giving the outside world an illusion that if Comcast does not achieve the goal of turning to telecommunications. .

AT-T naturally hopes that its assets can sell for a good price, and it also gives a very positive response.

So you come to me, time unconsciously entered the end of November.

Although there are frequent actions on the surface, in fact, Eric has given up the expectation of winning any of Comcast or telecom in the short term.

The oppressive posture of Comcast and the contact with AT-T are only to delay the negotiation progress of the two companies.

The cold winter of the new technology sector has only just begun. Next, the decline of the Internet industry will also affect the basic operators. Time delays will only benefit the Firefly Group.

Influenced by Eric's ideas, the Firefly Group executives also focused more on the acquisition negotiations with Hasbro, and in early November successfully reached a final acquisition agreement with Hasbro.

After negotiations, the Firefly Group eventually acquired the Hasbro Toys Company for a total of US$2.86 billion. Hasbro's founding family heir, Alan Hasenfeld, will continue to be the CEO of Hasbro, and the Firefly Group will also integrate it with the company's peripheral toy division in the next few months.

On November 1st, Eric and several senior executives, including Kasenberg, flew to Providence, the capital of Rhode Island, on the east coast.

Rhode Island is a very small coastal state between Massachusetts and Connecticut, with an area of ​​more than 3,000 square kilometers. There is only a twenty-thirty-kilometer-long bay between Long Island.

After signing the signing ceremony at Hasbro's headquarters, and visiting Hasbro's toy design department and a toy factory on the outskirts of Providence, Kasenberg continued to stay with Hasbro executives to discuss the next integration. In the matter, Eric flew directly to Martha's Vineyard by helicopter from Long Island Airport.

At the same time, the new line of film "Death to 3" and Universal Pictures of the "human bone puzzle" with the arrival of Halloween, announced the end of the end of the season.

Less than three weeks after the release of Gravity, the propaganda of the final stage of the super blockbuster, which represents the new ambitions of the firefly system to open the film, is getting more and more fierce. TV trailers, cinema posters, and online marketing were all spread out on a large scale with a high frequency of visual bombing.

The film's world premiere is scheduled to take place on November 12th at the IMAX Theater in Santa Monica, Los Angeles.

Through several internal auditions, the Firefly Group has had absolute confidence in the quality of the film Gravity. Therefore, the issuing department decided to hold small-scale screening activities in North America on November 6th, 7th and November 13th and 14th, respectively, to accumulate a reputation for the release of the film.

Although everything is in full swing, the promotion of Gravity is mainly dominated by Judy Foster and George Clooney, and highlights the new 3D and IMAX screening modes. In addition to the world premiere on November 12th, Eric did not arrange other media campaigns for himself.

After spending a few days at Martha's Vineyard and East Hampton, Eric rushed to Manhattan.

The two major companies, IMG and Elite, which Eric bought in private, have already completed the initial adjustments, but some things still require him to personally communicate with the heads of the two companies.

IMG's problem is not big, the company has formed a very complete business operation system.

Although Mark McCormack has stepped down as chairman of the board with the completion of the deal, CEO Payne Forsterman is a very capable person who is enough to lead the IMG Group to go further.

In addition, Cindy and Linda jointly invested 300 million US dollars in IMG Group's 20% share, and also joined the IMG board of directors. Although the two women were very cautiously not rushed to IMG management by Eric, but they were staring, IMG management is not likely to think about anything.

The bigger problem is Elite.

Prior to the acquisition, Eric proposed that Elite founder and president John Casablanca could retain the company's shares, but during the transaction, John Casablanca chose to hold less than 5% of the company's shares. Therefore, Eric is 100% owned by the company at this time, and John Casablanca is simply responsible for managing the company as a professional manager.

From the original BBC documentary incident, it is not difficult to see the serious problems in the world's largest model agency.

After taking over Elite, Eric disbanded the company's original board of directors in the first place, which is equivalent to completely revoking the supervision of John Casablanca. Except for Eric, the owner of John Casablanca, he is almost not responsible for anyone.

Of course, Eric naturally does not make such obvious business mistakes.

Due to a series of changes, the position of Elite Europe President, who was initially vacant by the BBC documentary incident, has not yet been filled.

Although the acquisition was completed, John Casablanca provided Eric with a list of candidates for the first time. However, Eric did not adopt it, but under the recommendation of Cindy and Linda, he also selected some fashion executives to fill these positions. The two women have been in the circle for so many years, and the level of familiarity with the industry is no less than that of John Casablanca. Their recommended managers are definitely more reliable than John Casablanca.

In addition, Eric also dispatched personnel from the Firefly Group, took over the financial department of Elite, and began to thoroughly sort out Elite's previous financial situation.

It can be said that this month, through a series of personnel adjustments, Eric has mastered the control of Elite to a large extent.

Naturally, these deprivation of John Casablanca’s powers made the industry’s big coffee inevitably unhappy.

During this time, Eric has received more than one call from John Casablanca to complain that the financial department’s audit of Elite’s account has affected the company’s operations. It also implicitly suggests that Eric has not kept the promise of the entire Elite. Give him to take care of it.

Manhattan, Lexington Avenue Arsenal.

Under the leadership of Eric's bodyguards, John Casablanca entered the Arsenal Hall, where a new Victorian big show rehearsal is underway.

There was only a light near the T station in the hall, and there was a little dim around. Eric sat in a corner, staring at the rehearsal on the stage with his legs and leisurely, and occasionally chatting with Edward Lazek next to him. A few words.

This year is the sixth edition of the Vimy big show. It is just the new millennium. This year's Wei Mi big show is quite meaningful. LTD will also officially launch the first high-priced dream BRA on this big show.

When Eric was still on Long Island, Emily called and hoped that he could personally check out the preparations for this big show and give some suggestions.

In the past few years, Wei Mi Da Xiu has formed a very complete process, and Eric does not really feel that he has any place to intervene. Therefore, he just quietly came over and sat for a while today. At this time, in the arsenal, in addition to the director of this big show and the accompanying company vice president Edward Lazek, others did not know his arrival.

Because there is no Eric's influence, it is naturally impossible for the Vimy production team to gather all the supermodels every time, but to rehearse them by subject.

The theme of the rehearsal today is the Wings of Dreams. The design inspiration is mainly from lepidopteran insects such as butterflies, so it can be said that it is a theme with more wings.

The theme begins with Qus Gaofu, and the girl is one of the five new spokespersons of Wei Mi.

Due to the childish baby face image, Qus Gaofu also serves as the spokesperson for the Victorian girl brand PINK. The other four spokespersons are the old Tyra Banks and Diane Kruger, as well as the new Gisele Bundchen and Carmen Kass. Alexander was just 18 years old this year, and Eric was not in a hurry to push the girl to this position.

John Casablanca came to Eric and greeted Eric and Edward Lazek before they sat down on the other side of Eric.

The girls on the catwalk are rehearsing with the music, Eric has no openings, and John Casablanca is quietly waiting. Although she had complained to the young man on the phone before, but sitting next to Eric, John Casablanca immediately felt a natural sense of oppression.

John Casablanca also participated in the investment of technology stocks in the first half of the year. He was lucky to sell most of the stocks before the stock market crash. After the Nasdaq crash, although the technology stocks held in the hands were basically stuck, John Casablanca did not lose as much as many people, but had a surplus.

Thanks to the attention to the Nasdaq stock market, John Casablanca can easily feel the powerful influence of the firefly system on new technology and media. As the head of the economic empire of the firefly system, although Eric is twenty years older than himself, the enormous power and wealth that this young man possesses is absolutely beyond his reach.

When the girls walked through the steps and the music fell, Eric told Edward Lazek: "The sixth girl who appeared, the one with the transparent wings, waited for her to come over. I will talk to John for a while."

Edward Lazek listened slightly to Eric's instructions, respectfully agreed, nodded to John Casablanca and got up and left.

John Casablanca subconsciously recalled the girl Eric said.

He can't remember the order of the girls' appearances, but Eric mentioned the transparent wings. John Casablanca also thinks of a beautiful and flawless face, a slightly cool temperament, a natural charm with a fascinating look. Victoria's angel, the body is naturally impeccable.

John Casablanca knows everything about Elite's supermodels, but there is no information about the girl. The other party is obviously a model agency.

Although the performance on the T stage is obviously restrained, John Casablanca has distinguished the girl's potential at a glance with his sinister vision in the circle for many years. This is obviously a supermodel's good seedling. Perhaps the other party has already emerged in the circle, but he does not know.

Thinking so, John Casablanca couldn't help but admire. It is estimated that only Eric Williams can casually express the meaning of 'I want her' to these beautiful sluts.

Although it is Elite's helm, but for his supermodel, John Casablanca can really get a few fingers, and sometimes he even has to serve these beautiful things like a grandma.

Erik and other Edward Lazek walked away and did not explain what he had just said. He just came to the mood and wanted to build the former ‘Invincible Twist’ in advance.

Looking at John Casablanca, who looked around her eyes, Eric first said: "So, John, how are you?"

John Casablanca involuntarily turned to Eric as Edward Hazek, and said: "Not bad, just suddenly a lot of busy."

During this time, although Eric did not personally intervene in the meaning of Elite management, but Eric's successively inserted into the top of Elite was not at all polite, just showed his aggressiveness when he took office, in order to avoid His power has been more deprived, and John Casablanca, who has begun to slack off in these years, has to regain his spirit.

"If you feel powerless, I can find someone to help you," Eric said with a smile on his face. "This way, Elite resets the CEO, you come to serve, I will give you a president, how?"

John Casablanca suddenly complained a bit, he just complained in disguise, and Eric was unceremonious to weaken his power again.

Quickly shaking his head, John Casablanca said: "It's still no need, Eric, I think I can still."

"Actually, I understand the meaning you expressed on the phone during this time," Eric also put away the smile on his face and looked serious. "But you should understand, John, I am the boss of Elite. I respect the achievements you have made in the model brokerage industry, but that doesn't mean I will let Elite let go."