A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

Time flies, and more than three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

1987 October.

In a high-rise apartment building in Manhattan, Chen Guangliang sat in an office with a floor-to-ceiling window to his left offering an unobstructed view of Central Park.

Standing next to her is his second wife, Jiang Meiying, who is 74 years old this year. She still looks charming, though she has aged. But a beauty is still a beauty even when she gets old.

The fact that Jiang Meiying had not yet gone through menopause at this time clearly indicates that her physiological age was at least 20 to 30 years younger. This is because, generally speaking, women experience menopause around the age of 50 to 55.

Therefore, Jiang Meiying was not without desires; it's just that her desires decreased as she got older. So, from the 1980s onward, she would not actively ask for anything, knowing that her husband had a young lover outside.

On the other hand, Jiang Meiying still had a competitive spirit. She wore a uniform skirt with black stockings, and her plump buttocks made the uniform skirt look extremely hot.

She might not have cared about the stares of passersby before, but now she cares a little, because it lets her know if she's really lost her charm. If she has no charm at all, she won't choose to continue with her husband, as that might make him uncomfortable.

The reality is that some arrogant men still try to flirt with her, only to be driven away by her bodyguards.

Chen Guangliang looked at the documents on his desk, with Jiang Meiying attending to him. This scene had started in the 1940s, and forty or fifty years had passed without him realizing it.

“You need to do a T+0 trade. I have a feeling that the US stock market is about to experience a major correction. So, your personal investment company should sell 50% of its assets over the next three months. Also, notify Wenjin, Wenhua, and Wenhai to sell 30-40% of their assets as well, just in case.”

The 'August 7th stock market crash' is expected to arrive as scheduled. Chen Guangliang has carefully analyzed the current economic situation in the United States, so he is determined to implement the 'buy low, sell high' strategy.

Among the second wife's family, Jiang Meiying owns a private investment company that has long invested in real estate and securities, with assets valued at nearly 10 billion US dollars, making her a true hidden billionaire. Her largest securities investment, of course, is her stake in Amgen Biopharmaceuticals.

Jiang Meiying's eldest son, Chen Wenjin, owns the world's largest commercial real estate empire, including shopping mall groups, hotel groups, and commercial real estate groups, making him a true super-rich man.

The eldest daughter, Chen Leyi, and her husband, Tang Wensheng, hold a controlling stake (35%) in Amgen, one of the five largest biopharmaceutical companies in the United States.

The second son, Chen Wenhua, owns United Madison, a company with a market value of US$6 billion (the company manages assets exceeding US$10 billion), in which he holds a 46% stake and also has some private corporate investments.

Atari's youngest son, Chen Wenhai, sold the company to IBM for $10 billion when it was at its most valuable. He is now an investor in Silicon Valley and a board member of Apple, as well as an investor in many other technology companies such as Microsoft and Oracle.

The second wife's family is the most successful Chinese American family. In fact, it can't even be described as just a Chinese American family, because all three brothers married women from prominent local white families and consistently managed to bet on the US president, making them extremely influential in American society.

Jiang Meiying approached Chen Guangliang, bent over, her white shirt pressed heavily against his ample bosom, and said seductively, "Perfect timing! After I cash out my personal investment in the company, I'd like to give you some pocket money!"

This is an insult, an utter disgrace.

Chen Guangliang slapped her plump buttocks hard and said with dissatisfaction, "When did I fall to such a state that I need your financial assistance!"

Even so, I still feel warm inside.

None of the wives, concubines, or children in this family became slaves to money. Every son wanted to donate some cash to the "Chen Guangliang Foundation" or support the "family office," and everyone treated the "family" with great unity.

"Hmm," Jiang Meiying hummed softly, and said, "Finding young girls always requires money, right? You've already shared your business and wealth with everyone. Of course, if you give the order, everyone will obey you without hesitation!"

Chen Guangliang's face flushed slightly. These women all knew he had young girls outside, but they never mentioned it. Of course, what they might not know was that Chen Guangliang currently had six stable young lovers, plus some casual relationships.

"I don't need your money. I want to make money more easily than you do!"

The second wife was indeed very wealthy, but Chen Guangliang had a way of balancing the relationship.

The eldest son, Chen Wenjin, owns the world's largest commercial real estate empire and a super hotel group, and his wealth is indeed very high. However, he has four sons and one daughter, so if the wealth is divided equally in the future, it will be quite diluted.

The second son, Chen Wenhua, adheres to the value investing philosophy. Chen Guangliang only needs to warn him during the three periods of the 1987 stock market crash, the dot-com bubble, and the subprime mortgage crisis, and he will surely become a billionaire in the future.

Chen Guangliang only had two requirements for his youngest son, Chen Wenhai: that he always hold Apple and Microsoft stock, and that his holdings not be less than 2%, which would be enough to make him a billionaire.

Other opportunities will not be given to the third wife's family. For example, in the 1990s, Chen Guangliang planned to involve 'personal investment', 'family offices', and 'Ping An Financial Group' in the internet industry.

Jiang Meiying continued, "I started reducing my stake in Amgen Biopharmaceutical this year, and by the end of September I had completed the reduction of 10%, leaving me with only 25% equity. I cashed out a total of US$700 million, of which I plan to inject US$500 million into the Chen Guangliang Foundation, and the remaining US$200 million into charitable work in the United States."

Amgen Biopharmaceuticals is a leading pharmaceutical company in the United States over the past decade, having entered the ranks of the top five biotech giants in the US, and therefore has a very high market value.

However, the two major shareholders behind the scenes hold too many shares, and this reduction in holdings is in line with the trend.

"Can"

They naturally have ways to channel funds from the United States overseas, and Jiang Meiying's donation of US$5 million to the Chen Guangliang Foundation was primarily for charitable work in the Greater China region.

Then, Chen Guangliang reached out and pulled Jiang Meiying into his arms.

"My wife has suffered a severe hemorrhage this time; it seems I have no choice but to repay her with my own body!"

Jiang Meiying laughed and said, "Then I'll have to work harder and outshine those little girls with my skills!"

Soon, Jiang Meiying kept her promise. She and Chen Guangliang cooperated perfectly in all sorts of schemes, and it was impossible to tell that she was old.

After a thrilling battle, the two collapsed onto the sofa, letting the sunlight bathe them.

In a villa in California, Chen Guangliang and his wife Jiang Meiying reunited with Chen Wenjin's entire family.

Just before, the entire second family had spent two days together on Long Island. Now, as Chen Guangliang prepares to fly back to Hong Kong from California, he has checked into the villa of Chen Wenjin and Kelly.

In this villa, Chen Wenjin and Kelly left the bedroom they had prepared for Chen Guangliang and Jiang Meiying, and they have kept it ever since as a sign of their filial piety.

Grandpa and Grandma

Chen Wenjin’s five children stood respectfully before Chen Guangliang.

Chen Wenjin has four sons and one daughter. His eldest son, Chen Zekang, is 27 years old this year and serves as a director of the listed company Starwood Hotels & Resorts, mainly engaged in hotel franchising business. His eldest daughter is also 25 years old this year and has also joined Starwood Hotels & Resorts, currently holding a junior management position.

Surprisingly, Chen Wenjin's second son, Chen Zefu, has no interest in business. He studied law and just graduated. Instead of joining the family business, he works for a law firm in the United States. His third son is in university, studying business administration; his youngest son is still in high school.

"Okay, you guys go ahead and get busy!"

Yes, Grandpa.

After sending his five grandsons away, Chen Guangliang asked, "What are your plans?"

Chen Wenjin immediately said, "I'd like to hear Father's opinion first. Currently, Zekang is doing very well at Starwood Hotels & Resorts and is a suitable successor; Amin is also doing well and is on the right track at Starwood. The third son is determined to become a lawyer and refuses to return to Amazon Shopping Center. He even said that you said—the third generation can choose their own interests."

Chen Guangliang laughed and said, "This kid really likes to treat my words as imperial edicts!"

Chen Wenjin replied, "Your words are like an imperial edict."

Chen Guangliang asked Kelly, who was standing next to him, "What do you think?"

Kelly, as a daughter-in-law, is naturally quite excellent. Her family is a prominent political family in the west, and Chen Wenjin, being a businessman, cannot avoid politics either. The marriage between the two is a powerful alliance.

More importantly, Kelly took her husband's surname after marrying into the family, both in her Chinese and English names. This shows her strong sense of belonging to the Chen family.

I'll listen to your opinion too.

"Haha," Chen Guangliang said with a laugh, "You can only take my words as a reference. You are in a traditional industry. The future market value of Starwood Hotels & Resorts will be at most two or three hundred billion US dollars. The prospects of Amazon Shopping Center are also good, but that's about it; Amazon Realty is just managing rental properties, there's nothing complicated about it."

“You have four sons and one daughter, but it is not suitable to package these three parts of assets into a trust, because in my opinion, the capable should rise and the incapable should fall. Amazon Realty’s commercial real estate (office buildings, etc.) can be placed in a separate trust, which is enough to make people unwilling to take over the family business.”

Although the specific principles of inheritance are not stated, they are quite clear.

Chen Wenjin's second son, Chen Zefu, is unwilling to return to the family business, which means he will lose his 'inheritance rights'; his eldest son, Chen Zekang, is capable, so he is very likely to directly inherit the Starwood Hotels & Resorts group in the future.

Chen Wenjin nodded and said, "I will definitely listen to my father."

Chen Guangliang continued, "Of course, Zefu might not be indifferent to these things. He is quite capable, so we can give him a little push. When the time is right, he will naturally return to the family business. In short, the Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Amazon Shopping Centers are two businesses that need capable and ambitious successors, while Amazon Real Estate is just for collecting rent and can be used as a trust asset."

"Okay, thank you for your guidance, Father."

Chen Guangliang nodded. Although he seemed to have divided the family property among his children, he still had the authority to make decisions.

Although Chen Wenjin has been very successful in recent years, real estate is a traditional industry after all, and his future wealth will be around 70 to 80 billion US dollars; if divided among his five children, he will not actually be considered super rich.

Like Chen Zekang, the eldest grandson of the second wife, who is already 27 years old this year, and his son is already 1 year old (born in 1986).

Therefore, Chen Guangliang was able to participate in the training of the fourth generation!
After the second wife reunited, Chen Guangliang immediately took a private plane to England, where the third wife reunited.

Although the third wife's family owns a large listed company in the United States, Mattel Group, they actually keep the family headquarters in London. Of course, Chen Wen-ou holds British, American, and Austrian citizenship, and Chen Wen-west also holds dual citizenship.

Chen Guangliang's daughter with Audrey Hepburn, Chen Daiyi, still has some issues in her relationship with her father. Chen Daiyi pursues freedom in marriage, so she lost her status as heir to the family business, holding only 10% of the shares in Harrods Group and serving as a director, without directly participating in management.

Chen Guangliang knew that his daughter was still very resentful, after all, her two older sisters had received more. Moreover, Audrey Hepburn wouldn't invite Chen Daiyi back to the family gathering of the third branch of the family, because that would allow Chen Daiyi to bring her husband back.

Fortunately, the Chen brothers, Wen-ou and Wen-west, are very capable and have established a deep-rooted network of political and business connections in Europe.

"You're cashing out this time, starting in September. There might be a minor adjustment in the European stock market, but the overall UK stock market will remain unchanged. The bull market is expected to end by the end of 1989."

Last year, the Thatcher government announced the 'Big Bang' financial crisis, and the British stock market continued to rise sharply.

This bull market in the UK stock market, which began in 1982, has yielded very good returns.

Chen Wenxi said respectfully, "Thank you, Father! You've gone to great lengths for the Canary Wharf matter this time."

Seven or eight years ago, his father had him set up the Canary Wharf business. He made money from London's gold futures and spot markets, and from the depreciation of the US dollar; these two sources alone earned him nearly a billion US dollars.

With this money, he was able to confidently acquire the development rights for the massive Canary Wharf Group.

Chen Guangliang smiled and said, "I asked you to do this project, so naturally I will see it through to the end. Moreover, you should be prepared for a 15-year long-term commitment."

Chen Wenxi nodded and said, "I know, and I will work hard to manage the Canary Wharf Group and Harrods Group well in the long term."

The two brothers listened carefully to their father's teachings. Ever since their sister disappointed their father, they felt that they needed more of their father's approval and to develop and expand the third branch of the family.

night.

Chen Guangliang lay on the bed in the bedroom. A little while later, Audrey Hepburn put on a silk lace slip dress with black stockings with lettering underneath, clearly she had made preparations for the night.

Compared to Yan Renmei and Jiang Meiying, Audrey Hepburn looked fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen years younger. Of course, she was still 58 years old at the time, but her biological age was estimated to be under forty, making her a beautiful noblewoman.

Her petite figure slowly sat down next to Chen Guangliang and said softly, "Daiyi said she misses you and hopes to see you!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Guangliang instantly recalled Chen Daiyi when she was a child, his beloved mixed-race daughter, breathtakingly beautiful. Originally, Chen Guangliang's plan was for her to marry a Chinese man, or at least a very outstanding young man from a less prominent family.

Unexpectedly, her daughter defied her father's wishes and chose to marry into a British ducal family. Chen Guangliang had always disliked so-called aristocrats, let alone marrying his daughter to someone with such a background.

So he was indeed angry, and revoked Chen Daiyi's right to inherit Harrods Group, and greatly reduced her dowry.

"I have no reason to refuse a daughter's request to see her father!"

Audrey Hepburn was delighted and immediately said, "Okay, I'll have her come back tomorrow."

Perhaps knowing that her relationship with her father might improve, Audrey Hepburn put in a tremendous amount of effort. Her years of ballet training kept her movements as agile and graceful as ever. (End of Chapter)