A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

At 7 a.m. on August 6, 1974, before the morning light had pierced the clouds in Manhattan, New York, a few office workers were already beginning to appear at the foot of the World Trade Center Twin Towers. Little did anyone know that an extreme challenge that would shock the world was quietly brewing between the two 412-meter-high towers—Philippe Petit and his team, armed with forged passes, split into two groups, evaded security checks, and sneaked into the North and South Towers.

Philippe and his friend François, carrying backpacks filled with fishing line, rope, and wire, entered the freight elevator in the south building. The metal elevator car slowly ascended in the darkness, each slight sway making their hearts race, until it stopped with a "ding" on the 104th floor. As soon as they stepped out, they heard the footsteps of guards in the distance. In a panic, they crawled into the narrow elevator shaft, lying down on the L-shaped steel beams, barely 20 centimeters wide, and covered themselves with a waterproof tarpaulin. In the darkness, only their breathing and the distant sound of the guards' walkie-talkies mingled. They remained motionless in this position for four hours, until the patrolling sounds completely disappeared, before cautiously climbing out and slowly carrying the heavy equipment to the roof.

Meanwhile, Louis, who had infiltrated the North Building, lay prone on the edge of the roof, clutching a modified bow and arrow—the fletching of which was tied with a thin fishing line, the first step in connecting the North and South Buildings. He took a deep breath, aimed at the steel frame on the South Building's roof, and suddenly released his grip. The arrow, still attached to the fishing line, sliced ​​through the morning mist and landed precisely in front of Philip. The two quickly grabbed the fishing line and began, as planned, to pull a thicker hemp rope, which in turn used the rope to pull the heavy steel cable. During this time, guards patrolled the roof three times, but each time Philip, familiar with the building's structure, hid in the ventilation ducts or the shadows of the steel frame. On one occasion, he was only three meters away from a guard, barely daring to breathe.

At dawn on August 7, as the first rays of sunlight touched the tops of the Twin Towers, a 131-meter-long steel cable spanning the two towers was finally erected. Philip squatted on the roof of the South Tower, gently stroking the cable with his hand. The crisp vibration echoed in the air, and a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes—this challenge, which had been in preparation for half a year, was finally about to begin.

At 7:30 a.m., Philippe Petit changed into his signature black bodysuit, slipped on soft-soled shoes, and secured a simple balancing bar around his waist before slowly stepping onto the tightrope. With his first step, the wire swayed slightly; he quickly adjusted his balance, spreading his arms like an eagle spreading its wings, his body rising and falling gently with the wire's vibrations. By this time, commuters below the Twin Towers had already spotted the figure high above. A crowd gradually gathered, gasps and applause rising and falling, while the sirens of police cars echoed from afar, piercing the Manhattan morning.

412 meters in the air, with bustling streets below and swirling clouds all around, Philippe seemed utterly oblivious. He walked slowly on the tightrope, sometimes kneeling to greet the crowd below; sometimes lying down, hands behind his head, gazing at the blue sky, like a "Sleeping Beauty" in the clouds. Every movement was incredibly dangerous, yet possessed an exquisite elegance, leaving the crowd on the ground breathless. Even the police cars temporarily stopped sirens, and officers looked up at this incredible scene.

For a full 45 minutes, Philip walked back and forth on the tightrope eight times, covering a total distance of over 1000 meters. During this time, a light rain suddenly began to fall, making the tightrope slippery, but he remained calm, simply slowing down and focusing more intently on maintaining his balance. Only when two helicopters circled overhead and police used loudspeakers to order him to stop the challenge did Philip slowly walk back to the roof of the South Building, ending this "high-altitude feast."

As Philippe was led away by guards and escorted out of the World Trade Center lobby, the lobby was already packed with cheering crowds. He walked the short distance of a few hundred meters from the rooftop to the lobby with composure and determination. Facing the applause and shouts of the crowd, he suddenly stopped, smiled at the policeman beside him, and said, "Brother, wait a minute, I want to enjoy this applause."

The police officer paused for a moment, then smiled with admiration and stopped in his tracks. Just then, Philippe's assistant pushed through the crowd and handed him a can of Red Bull in blue and silver packaging. Philippe took the drink and, in front of all the media and the public, slowly pulled the tab. With a soft "pop," he tilted his head back and took a big gulp, a victorious smile on his face, as if he were holding not a can of energy drink, but a can of champagne to celebrate victory.

This scene was captured by dozens of reporters at the scene with their cameras—the "aerial dancers" in black bodysuits, the flashing police lights, the cheering crowd, and the particularly eye-catching can of Red Bull, all combined to create a highly impactful photograph.

The next day, the photo made the front page of major American media outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, with headlines such as "A Miracle Above the World Trade Center: Philippe Petit's 45-Minute High-Altitude Dance." Without exception, the articles mentioned the detail of him drinking Red Bull when he was arrested, calling it "a perfect fusion of extreme spirit and commercial brand."

Reports in major American newspapers brought Red Bull, a brand previously only known in Europe, into the public eye overnight.

While readers marveled at Philippe Petit's spirit of challenge, they also remembered the advertising slogan "Gives you wings," and many began to inquire everywhere about "where to buy Red Bull."

Chen Wen-ou, far away in Europe, looked at the newspapers and sales figures coming from the United States and smiled with satisfaction.

The Italian climbing competition helped Red Bull establish a foothold in Europe, while Philippe Pater's World Trade Center challenge enabled Red Bull to successfully enter the US market. In just two days, Red Bull Europe received more than 500 applications for cooperation with US distributors. The Red Bull factory in Austria urgently launched an expansion, increasing the number of production lines from 3 to 8, with workers working in shifts 24 hours a day, but still unable to meet demand.

More importantly, through these two extreme challenges, Red Bull successfully shaped its brand image of "breaking limits and pursuing freedom".

In the minds of American consumers, Red Bull is no longer just a simple energy drink, but a spiritual symbol associated with "courage," "dreams," and "challenging oneself"—just like Philippe Pat's step at a height of 412 meters, Red Bull also took a key step in its global expansion with a marketing campaign that shocked the world.

In late August, Chen Guangliang and Audrey Hepburn visited Austria and inspected the Red Bull factory.

Chen Wenou was very excited. In just over a year, he had already proven himself. Now, Red Bull sales in Europe have reached 5 million cans per month, accounting for 70% of Red Bull sales in Hong Kong.

It may only take a year for it to surpass the sales of Red Bull in Hong Kong.

It took Hong Kong Red Bull fifteen years, while European Red Bull might only need fifteen months.

“Father, Mother, the factory buildings here are rented, but they are still quite large. As for our new factory, it is expected to be operational by the end of next year,” Chen Wenou explained to the two of them.

Chen Guangliang nodded. Chen Wenou had started doing several things directly since July of last year: First, he purchased land to build a large-scale beverage factory; second, he leased factory buildings to produce Red Bull as soon as possible (the formula and raw materials were sold to European Red Bull from Hong Kong); and third, he assembled a marketing team and applied for licenses.

In fact, it only obtained sales licenses in six countries this year: Austria, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and the United States; and before the 'climbing competition' in April, European Red Bull had very few sales and no brand recognition.

Starting in April, two extreme sports events allowed Red Bull to step into the spotlight and quickly gain a foothold in the market.

"Although the two extreme sports events this year have brought great benefits to Red Bull Europe, you can't be complacent."

"Don't worry, Father, I will definitely do better."

Chen Guangliang nodded and said, "Next, Red Bull Europe needs to do the following: First, continue to support and sponsor extreme sports, making Red Bull's sponsorship ubiquitous in extreme sports such as skydiving, extreme skiing, and extreme surfing; Second, establish the Red Bull Europe F1 team, which is a huge investment; Third, prepare to establish a charitable foundation, allocating a considerable amount of funds each year, as Red Bull is committed to the long-term development of charitable causes; Fourth, naturally, is distribution channels, obtaining sales licenses in more countries. Remember, what we want is the future, so no matter how much we invest now, we can reinvest the profits without worrying about gains or losses."

Chen Wen-ou's initial capital was already close to ten million US dollars, mainly used to build a large factory, distribution channels, and marketing team. Moreover, when he started his business, he brought at least a dozen management personnel from Mattel. Finally, the raw materials and formulas were all provided by the Hong Kong company, with only minor adjustments made to the raw materials. "Okay, I've remembered my father's words."

After inspecting the factory, the three of them went to the villa in Austria, which is Chen Wenou's residence.

Chen Wenou, who is only 22 years old this year, is handsome and smart as a mixed-race person, and can be said to be very charming; now, with the addition of a successful entrepreneur, it is unknown how many girls will pursue him in the future.

Of course, according to the Chen family's rules, you can play around before the age of 25, but after 25 you must prepare to get married and have children, and divorce is a big taboo.

In the study, Chen Guangliang said to Chen Wenou:
"There's another big event that you can get involved in later. With this oil crisis causing global asset devaluation, your family will also be preparing to buy at the bottom."

First, we'll buy up the stocks of various listed companies in Europe at rock-bottom prices; your mother knows the list.

Secondly, we can leverage Mattel to expand our investments, including acquiring up to 5% of Disney's shares, up to 5% of Pearson's shares, and also purchasing office properties in Manhattan. Pearson, in particular, offers opportunities for greater collaboration, so we can continue to increase our stake later, observing the current management's attitude before making further plans. At the very least, we should acquire their 53% stake in Latour.

Finally, there is the investment in resale properties, primarily concentrated in the UK and the US.

Chen Wen'ou's face lit up with joy. His father's permission for him to participate in his mother's career was an affirmation of his abilities, and he hoped to help his mother. After all, he knew that his mother had always been well protected by his father, and he wanted to share her burdens.

"Ok"

At this moment, Audrey Hepburn showed her professional side and asked, "What is Mattel's purpose in investing in Manhattan office buildings?"

Investing in property seems unnecessary, as the Chen family is already preparing for a large-scale investment.

Chen Guangliang nodded and said, "It's about buying low and selling high, and then selling these properties when the time is right. This way, we don't have to worry about cash flow for dividends, and we'll have enough funds for future acquisitions. Mattel is definitely not a toy company."

Mattel currently owns three powerful IPs: Barbie, My Little Pony, and Transformers, as well as a children's television station. These three IPs are generating profits continuously. If these profits are not used for investment, they must be distributed as dividends, which is obviously not a good thing.

Audrey Hepburn suddenly realized what she meant and said, "Do you perhaps want to acquire Disney in the future?"

Her and Chen Wenou's eyes widened; this was undoubtedly an ambitious idea.

Chen Guangliang said, "It's not impossible! As long as we have enough IPs and Disney encounters problems, then we have a chance. At the very least, we can become a major shareholder (without management control). The same applies to Pearson Group. Of course, if the other party puts up a fierce resistance when we acquire these two groups in the future, then we can step down and become an investor."

Audrey Hepburn looked at her son, Chen Wen'ou, and her confidence surged. Even with Chen Guangliang's advice, she felt it would be difficult on her own. But now her eldest son was 22 and established in the business world; her younger son was 19, and her interest in business was growing.

"Okay, so should we sell the gold?"

“Smart, buy securities while gradually selling gold.”

Chen Guangliang then explained some details, such as the bottom-fishing in securities, which needed to begin in September and be basically completed by the end of the year. When Audrey Hepburn withdrew from the securities market, she had more than $9 million in cash flow; she also sold some properties, bringing her total cash on hand to $4 million. She then invested in gold, making another $1 million.

It can be said that the assets of Audrey Hepburn's third wife alone are worth over a billion US dollars.

Mattel, in which it holds a 35% stake, is committed to developing a 'global enterprise,' not just a toy company.

As for who will take control of this company in the future, it may be Chen Wen-ou, Chen Wen-xi, or even Chen Dai-yi, but it is ultimately a business of the third wife's family.

After explaining the situation to the second wife, Chen Guangliang took Audrey Hepburn to Zurich, Switzerland, to meet up with the other three wives. They agreed to spend a holiday at a lakeside villa in Zurich.

As for buying assets at rock-bottom prices, there's no rush. Starting in September, the Chen family will be buying assets globally at rock-bottom prices. Once this trend takes off, the Chen Guangliang family's wealth will probably be enough to qualify them as one of the world's wealthiest families.

Of course, none of this wealth is publicly disclosed, as much of it is not publicly listed. (End of Chapter)