Reborn Action Star: Starting in Hollywood

"Every penny will be spent honestly, and there will be no false reporting or misappropriation.

Every word I said at the concert came from my heart, without any falsehood.

"It's not just this $150 billion. Taylor and I will continue to invest in our philanthropy to the end," Lin Yuan said firmly, his eyes revealing unquestionable determination.

“Doing genuine charity is not easy, often a thankless task, and may even lead to criticism.”

Liu Yufei did not want to stop Lin Yuan. After all, promises made in public must be fulfilled. This is the most basic integrity of being a human being.

She just wanted to remind Lin Yuan that charity is far more complicated than imagined and requires careful consideration and long-term investment.

In recent years, in addition to building a number of earthquake-resistant houses in the country to provide safe shelter for people in disaster-stricken areas, Lin Yuan has also made a number of sporadic donations.

For example, his film projection team went deep into remote areas of Congo to carry out free medical clinics and other aid work, bringing real help to local people.

However, this is the first time that the entire foundation has been transformed into a charitable foundation and operated in a systematic and professional manner.

Such a huge amount of funds will inevitably attract attention from all parties and may even be coveted by people with ulterior motives.

Liu Yufei's concerns are not without reason. Using charitable funds efficiently, ensuring every penny is spent effectively, is a skill that requires meticulous study.

The challenges of philanthropy work vary across the world, requiring tailored strategies:

In Africa, the interests of local warlords must be satisfied first, otherwise they would rather let the people starve than allow foreign aid. This distorted power structure often makes charitable work difficult;
In North America, providing student loans will affect the interests of banks and lending institutions. After all, they are making huge profits from students. This conflict of interest often makes it difficult for charitable projects to advance.

Even though the number of students Lin Yuan can help is limited and their share of the entire market is not high, he will inevitably encounter various hidden attacks. This kind of obstruction from vested interests is often difficult to guard against.

Not to mention the potential for corruption within charities, which often significantly reduces the effectiveness of charitable work. In short, philanthropy is full of challenges that require wisdom and perseverance to navigate.

Charitable funds are like a tempting piece of fat meat, attracting all parties to covet it, and if you are not careful, they may be eaten up.

It is already quite difficult to actually use 50% of the donations for their intended purposes, and this is under the condition of proper management.

Liu Yufei believed that Lin Yuan understood this, but she was still curious about why he was so persistent and what the deep meaning behind this persistence was.

"I wasn't forced to spend money to buy reputation at Taylor Swift's concert, nor was I planning to throw money around," Lin Yuan explained, a hint of helplessness in his tone.

Liu Yufei nodded and listened carefully. She knew that what Lin Yuan was going to say next must be very important.

"This is actually a goal I've set a long time ago, and Taylor Swift's concert is just an opportunity for me to make this plan public.

We now possess enormous wealth. If we only use it for pleasure, we may not even spend one tenth of it before we die. Such squandering is meaningless.

We have money but can’t spend it, and we’re stuck in a ceiling, and it feels suffocating.”

Lin Yuan's tone was resolute, as if he were stating an undeniable truth. Indeed, his wealth had long since surpassed his personal spending capacity, becoming nothing more than a string of cold, cold numbers.

Even if it is used for investment, it is difficult to fully digest it. This dilemma of excess wealth makes people feel at a loss.

Many people think that if they have huge amounts of money, they can invest and acquire at will and achieve rapid asset growth, as if money is the universal key.

But in reality, any individual or group will encounter an invisible ceiling of wealth, and this limitation often catches people off guard.

When wealth reaches a certain scale, all expansion and mergers and acquisitions will be subject to strict supervision, and such constraints often make it difficult to move forward.

For example, in China, if a giant instant messaging software company wants to integrate upstream and downstream internet companies, it will encounter restrictions to "prevent disorderly expansion of capital." This policy red line is often daunting.
In the United States, if a Hollywood giant wants to enter the cinema chain, it will face "anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition investigations." This legal obstacle often puts people in a dilemma.

This is also the reason why Lin Yuan has not yet set foot in theaters. This cautious attitude is admirable.

The logic behind this is simple: when an industry is profitable, it is a tempting big cake.

If you want to get a piece of the pie with your capital advantage, you must face a sharp problem:

Why do you think you can monopolize all the benefits just because you have a little money? This kind of questioning often leaves people speechless.

Having reached Lin Yuan’s current position, many things can no longer be solved with money, and this feeling of powerlessness is often frustrating.

Liu Yufei nodded in agreement. "Indeed, we currently have a lot of funds on our books that we can't effectively invest. It's a pity that these resources are left idle."

"So I must break through this bottleneck and find a new way out." Lin Yuan said with a hint of determination in his tone.

"Charity foundation is your solution?" Liu Yufei asked, with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"Yes, this is Betty's suggestion, a wise suggestion." Lin Yuan replied with a hint of appreciation in his tone.

Linyuan is now unable to make guaranteed-profit investments and mergers. Even if it were to acquire other Hollywood or media giants under the name of Linyuan Pictures, it would inevitably be rejected by the Ministry of Commerce. This policy restriction is often helpless.

Even the influence of the Adams Family was of no avail, and this feeling of powerlessness was often frustrating.

Because the world's high-quality assets have long been controlled by existing interest groups and cannot be leveraged simply by capital, this market structure often makes people feel frustrated.

So, what about turning to venture capital? Leveraging the information advantages of a reborn person, could they invest in companies like JD.com, Apple, and Netflix that haven't yet taken off?

The answer is still no, and this reality is often disappointing.

The creation of many businesses from scratch is largely due to the exceptional capabilities of the founding team, and this entrepreneurial spirit is often admirable.

However, the development from maturity to industry giant depends more on the interest groups represented by the investors behind the scenes, and this game of interests is often dazzling.

It is precisely with this support, or in other words, it represents sufficient interests, that unicorn companies can reach the peak. This growth trajectory is often thought-provoking.

This is how Lin Yuan and his group have come to where they are today, and this successful experience is often enviable.

But now he has hit a ceiling. The interest groups he represents can only support him to the heights he has reached so far, and this limitation is often anxiety-provoking.

To go further, one must represent the interests of more people in order to control more wealth. This trade-off is often difficult to make.

Note that it is control, not ownership. This subtle difference often makes people think deeply.

The resources that Lin Yuan currently controls have reached the limit of what his personal assets can leverage, and this bottleneck is often troubling.

"Betty? Why did she suggest setting up a charitable foundation?" Liu Yufei asked with a hint of curiosity in her tone.

"Because through the foundation, I can distribute the benefits while maintaining control of the wealth. This balance is often reassuring." Lin Yuan explained with a hint of pride in his tone.

Hearing this, Liu Yufei's eyes lit up, as if she saw new hope.

In the context, she fully understood Lin Yuan and Betty's intentions, and this feeling of sudden enlightenment is often pleasant.

Essentially, this is about dividing ownership, control, and profit rights, and this innovative thinking is often admirable.

The usual logic of wealth control is:
This thing is mine, and I have control over it, so the profits also belong to me.

This is the unity of the original power of property rights, and this traditional concept is often deeply rooted.

But if everyone does this and keeps all the benefits in their hands, others will naturally not be happy, and this selfish behavior is often disgusting.

Why do you take all the benefits in the world? This kind of questioning often leaves people speechless. Through charitable foundations, the model becomes:

This thing belongs to everyone. I am responsible for its management and operation (the control right belongs to me), and the profits belong to everyone.

You could even announce:
I am working for the welfare of everyone, and the benefits will be shared by everyone.

This kind of altruism is often admirable.

In this way, the moral high ground is occupied, and the resistance encountered is naturally greatly reduced. This wisdom is often admirable.

In fact, the previous equity restructuring of Linyuan Pictures was already practicing this concept.

After the restructuring, Lin Yuan retained control of the company, but most of the company's profits had to be distributed as dividends to the holders of preferred shares.

For Lin Yuan, this approach allowed him to continue expanding the company while retaining the control he most desired.

As for the profits earned, they were all distributed to the shareholders, and he didn't care at all.

Anyway, he is not a lavish person who wants to live in a golden palace, and money can never be spent.

The ultimate goal is to have more resources and do what you want to do.

The current charitable foundation program is merely a further expansion of the previous reforms:
The beneficiaries of the charity are not just the company's shareholders, but the wider society.

Liu Yufei smiled and said, "I understand. You previously locked in a group of investors through corporate profits and asset appreciation.

By expanding the scale of the enterprise, you provide a large number of jobs to the society and you have tied up a large number of employees.

Now you have completed the last piece of the puzzle, using charitable foundations for distribution, further binding more people in society who have no direct relationship with you."

"Hey! That's too harsh. What do you mean by binding or locking? I'm not a kidnapper!" Lin Yuan protested, "I'm just distributing the benefits to everyone."

"But the objective result is that you can control more and more resources, and fewer and fewer people dare to mess with you." Liu Yufei said with a smile.

When I think about it, after Lin Yuan’s layout is completed, if someone targets his company again, it will harm the interests of all his employees, the interests of the big capital and investors behind him, and the interests of a large number of people in society who are sponsored by the Lin Yuan Charity Foundation.

Wow ~
The thought of such a scene, which is like stirring up a hornet's nest, will make every potential hostile's scalp tingle.

At this moment, Lin Yuan recalled the lesson Mr. Eisen had taught him in his study.

At that time, the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean" in which he participated had just been released, and the movie "King of Spy" that made him a big star had not yet been filmed. He had just become a small rich man.

Mr. Eisen immediately asked, "Lin Yuan, do you know what power is?"

"Can I say that power is influence in a broad sense?" This was the answer Lin Yuan gave at the time, with a hint of uncertainty in his tone.

But Mr. Eisen quickly told him his own understanding: "Power is the control over resources."

This sentence was like a bolt of enlightenment for Lin Yuan, and it opened his eyes.

It is not necessary to own resources, but it is enough to have the power to control them.

This idea was deeply planted in Lin Yuan's mind.

It was like a seed, taking root and sprouting in Lin Yuan's heart, and eventually growing into a towering tree.

This allowed him to avoid being like a nouveau riche, holding a large amount of resources but not knowing how to manage them. This wisdom allowed Lin Yuan to avoid repeating the mistakes of many wealthy people.

It also made Lin Yuan realize that he had to tie his interests to the interests of more people. Millions of canal workers depended on him for their livelihoods, so he couldn't fail. This realization made Lin Yuan's business empire more stable.

Social contribution must match wealth, otherwise one's virtue is unworthy of one's position. This understanding has kept Lin Yuan clear-headed.

It can be said that Mr. Eisen is the most important benefactor in Lin Yuan’s life.

Such a good teacher is really rare. Whenever Lin Yuan thinks of him, he is filled with gratitude.

Lin Yuan is now walking on this path of practicing his ideas, and things are going more and more smoothly.

In fact, this is not a big secret. Lin Yuan knows the benefits of doing this. Don’t other wealthy people understand it?

It's just that other people really can't do it. This gap is often just a matter of a thought.

They simply can't give away money as selflessly as Lin Yuan does.

This is exactly in line with the saying: The selfless are invincible.

Lin Yuan smiled and asked, "If this is really implemented, my wealth will decrease. Will you blame me for donating the money?"

"This is your money, why are you asking me?"

"My money is your money."

Liu Yufei understood: it’s the common property of the husband and wife.

She smiled and said, "You are the head of the family. I obey the leader's ideas unconditionally."

"Really? Then I have a bold idea..."

"Shut up!"

The room turned pink...

……

……

Time flies, and soon it is October.

Egyptian Theatre, Los Angeles.

Lin Yuan and Liu Yufei, wrapped up tightly, stood at the entrance of the cinema, looking at the khaki plaster walls and the tall, straight palm trees on both sides of the straight road, and couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion.

"Isn't this the place where you tricked Director Sommers to death?" Liu Yufei asked.

When Lin Yuan heard the name of director Sommers of "The Mummy Returns" again, it felt like it was something from his previous life.

"It feels so long ago. It's been so long and so many things have happened." Lin Yuan sighed.

Liu Yufei smiled and pointed at the large poster and billboard at the theater entrance. "You screwed Director Sommers over in this theater, and now we're going to see your movie create another miracle."

Liu Yufei came over and whispered in Lin Yuan's ear, "Are we being a little mean? Dancing on a grave?"

Lin Yuan turned around and whispered, "You've learned bad things, but I like it." (End of this chapter)