In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

After sorting out all the details, Lin Haoran's mind immediately became active.

If it's just about holding shares, that's what he excels at.

Putting aside other matters, Universal Investment Company currently holds shares in many of the world's top companies in secret.

The United States has companies such as Intel, ExxonMobil, Schlumberger, Chevron, Citibank, Walmart, Coca-Cola, Berkshire Hathaway, Disney, Altria Group, and many more.

In addition, he secretly holds shares in six companies in Japan and has invested in five companies in Europe, one of which is Volkswagen.

However, he had seen the shareholding situation when he was in New York before, and it was not high.

Since his previous instructions to Su Zhixue had always focused on promising American companies, he noticed in January that Huanyu Investment Company only held 4.8% of Volkswagen's shares.

As for his Toyota shares, he had already sold them and did not buy any more.

"Could you check the equity structure and articles of association of the top ten global car sales companies last year?" Lin Haoran asked Cui Zilong.

"Boss, this is all public information. Give me twenty minutes at most, and I'll organize it for you!" Cui Zilong immediately stood up and said.

"Okay, go ahead!" Lin Haoran waved his hand.

After Cui Zilong left the office, Ma Shimin asked, "Boss, are you planning to invest in leading car companies?"

Clearly, when he heard Lin Haoran ask Cui Zilong to investigate the top ten global car sales rankings, he mistakenly thought that Lin Haoran had completely given up on the idea of ​​acquiring Rover and was preparing to focus on the path of "investing in leading car companies".

After all, car brands that make it into the top ten global sales rankings are leading companies in the automotive industry with significant global influence.

Lin Haoran smiled and shook his head, saying, "I not only want to invest in leading car companies, but also acquire an internationally renowned car company that I can completely control. I can have both!"

He trusted Ma Shimin implicitly, after all, Ma Shimin's 100% loyalty was right in front of him. He was the chief executive officer of all his companies in Hong Kong. If he couldn't trust Ma Shimin, then there were very few people around Lin Haoran that he could trust.

Therefore, he did not mind revealing his entire plan to Ma Shimin.

Moreover, being a hands-off manager is the most comfortable state for him.

He has never liked to do everything himself; he is better at setting strategies, allocating resources, selecting the right people, and then letting professionals execute them.

If the deal to invest in a leading automaker goes through, he can completely hand it over to Ma Shimin for coordination and management, and he only needs to oversee the key points.

As for acquiring a car company and taking control of it, there's no rush at this point; it requires careful planning.

“Boss, I actually have some knowledge of the automotive industry!” Ma Shimin said with a smile.

"Oh? When did you start paying attention to this industry?" Lin Haoran asked, somewhat surprised.

"This goes back to when I was an executive director at Jardine Matheson. At that time, one of the businesses I managed was a car dealership called Yan Fook Holdings, which was a leading car distributor in Hong Kong and owned the exclusive general agency rights for Mercedes-Benz in Hong Kong and Macau."

In addition, I also act as an agent for the sales and after-sales service of imported cars from brands such as Audi, Renault, Triumph, and Honda, so I have some understanding of this industry.

From what I understand, the automotive manufacturing industry is truly a case of extremes: some are raking in money while others are drowning in it. Top car companies sell millions of vehicles globally each year, have enormous cash flow, deep technological accumulation, and wide brand moats, making it almost a guaranteed profit business.

Meanwhile, second- and third-tier brands, especially established British car manufacturers, are struggling to survive in a shrinking market, with meager profits or even chronic losses, barely surviving on government subsidies and bank loans.

Lin Haoran nodded. He was naturally aware of this. In fact, it wasn't just the automotive industry; it was true for most industries.

Of course, some giants, lacking the necessary strength and having entered the ranks through crooked means, are prone to sudden collapses, and such collapses are bound to be earth-shattering.

But as a time traveler, Lin Haoran naturally knew which giants would remain giants in the future!

These established companies, which have withstood decades or even centuries of market testing, are stable in their operations, have solid technology, and enjoy a strong brand reputation. They do not have the risk of being "bloated" or "unhealthy."

Investing in such a company is like depositing money in a century-old business. While you won't get rich overnight, the returns are stable and long-term.

Just then, Cui Zilong rushed in again, holding a document in his hand.

"Boss, this is the information I just had someone investigate and compile, then faxed over. Please take a look." Cui Zilong handed the information to Lin Haoran.

Lin Haoran took the documents and began to read them.

This is a list of the top 10 global automotive groups in 1982. It not only records the rankings in detail, but also includes the equity structure, key points of the articles of association, financial data for the past three years, and background information of major shareholders for each company.

The data was very well prepared, showing that Cui Zilong mobilized highly efficient intelligence channels within a limited time.

His gaze swept quickly across the list. First was General Motors, with 465 million vehicles sold last year; second was Ford, with 358 million; third was Toyota, with 314.5 million; fourth was Nissan, with 258 million; fifth was Volkswagen, with 232 million; and sixth was Peugeot Citroën, with 227 million…

In fact, most of the giants on the list are still in the top ten 40 years later, but their rankings have obviously changed completely.

Lin Haoran remembered that before he transmigrated here, Toyota and Volkswagen were far ahead of the competition, with annual sales exceeding ten million vehicles, forming a "two-horse race" pattern in the global automotive market.

Meanwhile, former giants like GM and Ford have gradually fallen to the second tier due to poor management and strategic mistakes.

This illustrates that while the automotive industry has a relatively stable structure, it is not static. Only brands that can continuously innovate and adapt to market changes will prevail in the long run.

This means that if he is only satisfied with "investing in a brand that will succeed in the future", he actually has many options.

But what he wants is not just financial returns, but a strategic fulcrum that can drive the development of the mainland's automobile industry.

Therefore, he must choose a brand that will remain strong in the future and is willing to cooperate deeply with the mainland.

Volkswagen and Toyota are clearly the brands that best fit this criterion.

As for other brands, Lin Haoran looked down on them.

If the goal is simply to acquire shares and gain some say in a company, then naturally one should invest in the best and most promising companies.

However, he had previously been Toyota's largest shareholder for a short period. If he were to invest in Toyota again now, the stock market would really treat him like a wolf in sheep's clothing.

He has already made many investments in Japan, waiting to reap the rewards during Japan's bubble economy. Going to Japan now to be a conspicuous figure would obviously not fit his long-term plan of quietly making a fortune.

He has already secretly established numerous businesses in Japan, and these investments will bring him substantial returns when the bubble economy bursts.

However, if he were to publicly acquire shares in Toyota again, it would inevitably raise the alarm of the Japanese government and conglomerates, thereby affecting his other investments in Japan.

Exposing Japan's entire investment strategy for the sake of a strategic foothold is simply not worth it.

Therefore, in the end, the only one that truly met his criteria was the general public.

I wonder how difficult it will be to have a certain degree of influence on the board of directors of Volkswagen!
Therefore, Lin Haoran's gaze immediately focused on the public's information.

Although he knew he couldn't possibly acquire a controlling stake in Volkswagen, becoming a major shareholder would still be a good thing. In the future, Volkswagen will own not only its main brand, Volkswagen, but also numerous other internationally renowned automotive brands such as Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, Bugatti, and Skoda.

These brands hold significant positions in their respective market segments. Having a seat on Volkswagen's board of directors is not just about investing in a company; it means indirectly gaining a voice in these brands.

Although this kind of influence doesn't allow for direct decision-making like wholly-owned ownership, it's enough for him to affect these brands' strategic layout in mainland China.

For example, it promoted Audi to establish a joint venture factory in mainland China, encouraged Porsche to cooperate with mainland companies to develop new energy technologies, and facilitated Skoda's rapid entry into the mainland market as a "value-for-money brand" within the Volkswagen system...

These possibilities represent real strategic value and can generate significant profits for him.

"According to the data, the largest shareholder of Volkswagen is the government of Lower Saxony, Germany, which holds 20.1% of the common shares and has special voting rights. However, they do not usually participate in day-to-day business decisions and play more of a strategic guardian role."

The Lower Saxony state government is the only shareholder holding more than 5% of the shares, with the remaining nearly 80% being tradable common stock. The shareholding is highly dispersed, with institutional investors and public shareholders as the main shareholders.

Regarding corporate decision-making power, Volkswagen implements a two-tier governance structure of a supervisory board and a management board, with the supervisory board holding core decision-making power.

Holding more than 3% of the shares allows one to formally submit shareholder proposals, gain a fixed speaking right at the shareholders' meeting, and have the right to participate in basic decision-making.
Holding 5%-10% of the shares allows one to nominate candidates for the supervisory board and obtain one formal seat on the supervisory board, enabling direct participation in the discussion and voting on all major business decisions;
Holding approximately 15% of the shares, it remains the second-largest shareholder after the state government, and possesses a strong ability to drive non-core strategies such as regional market development and joint venture projects.

After reading this, Lin Haoran's eyes brightened even more.

Huanyu Investment Company currently holds 4.8% of the shares. Although this is not a large amount, if ranked according to the institutional shareholding situation published above, Huanyu Investment Company's shareholding is actually the second largest shareholder!

According to this rule, he does not need to fight for controlling rights as in a full acquisition. He only needs to obtain 5% to 10% of the shares to obtain a formal seat on the supervisory board and directly participate in Volkswagen's major business decisions.

If he can increase his stake to around 15%, he will become the second-largest shareholder after the Lower Saxony state government, which will have a substantial impact on Volkswagen's strategic direction.

Lin Haoran glanced at Volkswagen's current total market capitalization, which was $64.8 billion, not high.

This is quite normal, as Volkswagen is currently in the early stages of its global expansion, and its valuation is certainly low. Moreover, Volkswagen only owns two car brands, Volkswagen and Audi, and the other brands were obviously acquired later.

Lin Haoran had seen the news in his previous life that Volkswagen's market value once exceeded a terrifying 3000 billion euros in 2008, surpassing ExxonMobil to become the world's most valuable company.

Today, with a total market capitalization of only $64.8 billion, even disregarding the dividends he has received and the indirect profits he has gained, the value of the stock alone is an unimaginable fortune.

From $64.8 billion to €3000 billion, even taking exchange rate fluctuations into account, that's a multiplier of value.

Therefore, there are many benefits to investing in Volkswagen!

With that in mind, Lin Haoran made his decision: if he was going to invest in an automotive giant, he would choose Volkswagen!
"Mr. Cui, thank you for your hard work. There's nothing else for now, you can go back and get back to work!" Lin Haoran said, looking at Cui Zilong who was waiting on the side.

"Okay, boss, I'll go back to work now!" Cui Zilong said respectfully as he left the office.

After Lin Haoran and Ma Shimin discussed some matters concerning the Galaxy Strategic Development Committee, Ma Shimin returned to his office to attend to his own business.

He checked the time; it was already past six in the evening.

Walking to the round window, Lin Haoran watched as the sky outside gradually darkened and couldn't help but stretch.

I rushed over to deal with this matter right after getting off the plane, and I'm definitely a bit tired.

Therefore, there's no rush to contact Su Zhixue.

It's still early; it's still early morning in New York.

Liu Xiaoli walked in at that moment.

"Boss, do you want to come to my place tonight?" Liu Xiaoli asked Lin Haoran in a sweet voice as she approached him.

"Not for now, maybe when you have time. I have things to do, you go back first, be careful!" Lin Haoran shook his head and said.

Liu Xiaoli was clearly disappointed, but she didn't say much. She just nodded and said softly, "Then boss, you should rest early after you finish your work, don't stay up too late."

Then he turned and left the office, gently closing the door behind him.

Lin Haoran watched Liu Xiaoli's departing figure and sighed.

I have too many emotional debts to deal with!
He walked to his desk, picked up the mobile phone on it, and called Guan Jiahui.

"Brother Haoran, have you returned to Hong Kong?" Guan Jiahui's surprised voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Yeah, are you home yet? I'm going to stay at your place tonight. It's been over ten days since I last saw Xiao Lele, I miss her terribly. Oh, right, I haven't eaten yet!" Lin Haoran said with a smile.

"I just got back too. I'll ask the kitchen to add more dishes. What would you like to eat, Haoran?" Guan Jiahui's voice was filled with undisguised joy.

"Just make some simple home-style dishes, nothing too complicated," Lin Haoran said. "I'll be there in about half an hour."

"Okay, I'll wait for you." Guan Jiahui said and hung up the phone.

Lin Haoran put away his mobile phone, picked up his coat, and walked out of the office.

The car drove out of the underground parking lot of the Connaught Building, drove west along Queen's Road Central, passed through the bustling streets of Central, turned into the Mid-Levels, and headed toward Barker Road.

The street view outside the window gradually changed from high-rise buildings to a tree-lined residential area, and the air became fresher.

About twenty minutes later, the car stopped in front of a villa.

Lin Haoran got out of the car, pushed open the courtyard gate, and went inside.

The living room lights were on, and warm yellow light streamed through the windows, creating a cozy atmosphere.

He had just reached the entrance of the hall when the door opened, and Guan Jiahui was holding eight-month-old Lin Leyi.

"Daddy, Daddy~" When Lin Leyi saw Lin Haoran, she happily stretched out her arms to hug him, and did not feel unfamiliar with him even though she hadn't seen him for more than ten days.

The little guy seems to have a very good memory. Although he is still young, he can already recognize his father and gets very excited every time he sees him.

Lin Haoran was overjoyed and took Xiao Lele in his hands, asking, "When did she start calling me 'Dad'?"

“It just happened in the last few days. I used to show her your picture and teach her that this is your dad. Until a couple of days ago, she suddenly called out. I was feeding her that day when she suddenly looked at your picture on the wall and clearly called out ‘Dad.’ At first, I thought she misheard, but then she called out again, very clearly,” Guan Jiahui said with a smile.

Lin Haoran held his daughter, a feeling of indescribable tenderness welling up in his heart.

The little one nestled on his shoulder, her tiny hands clutching his collar, babbling "Papa, Papa," as if trying to confirm that the person holding her was the one she knew.

To be honest, although he already has a son and a daughter, his youngest son is only 7 months old and his eldest daughter is only 8 months old, so this is the first time he has heard his children call him "Dad".

This surprised and delighted him. (End of Chapter)