How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 281 They Don't Treat Investors Like Human Beings! (2-in-1)

Hollywood transformed from a surrounding satellite town into a global entertainment and fashion center in just 100 years.

With a population of less than 200,000, it accounts for 92% of the global film market, 30% of the music/TV series market, and in recent years, even its share of games has been approaching 30%. With an annual output value of 700 billion US dollars, it firmly controls 50% of the cultural and entertainment market, influencing the trends and forms of culture worldwide.

This was Wang Yao's first time in Hollywood, and he could clearly feel what the atmosphere of 'avant-garde trend' meant. In fact, visually speaking, the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame was similar to the popular tourist attractions in Shanghai such as Wujiang, Anfu, and Huaizhong Road, which are most prone to causing rheumatism.

The streets are lined with retro-style buildings and a large group of trendy men and women posing for photos while strolling around. The middle section is a stage for tour guides from various tour groups to showcase their talents.

Tourism is a process of demystification. Even a place like Hollywood, once you've been there, you realize it's just so-so. Especially the landmark building and sign 'HOLLYWOOD' that you often see in movies. It does look very atmospheric from a distance, but when you get closer, it's just a barren hillside.

Indeed, many things are best admired from afar.

Just like men often fantasize that beautiful women are elegant, pure, and kind, but after getting to know them better, they find that they're just like that.

The core commercial area of ​​Houlaiwu is actually less than 4 square kilometers, and the town where the Skynet headquarters is located, plus the residential area, is also 1 square kilometer, but it has created such great value, which is worth learning from for Wang Yao.

There are 600 film and television companies here, but there are tens of thousands of micro and small enterprises that spring up like weeds every year. Most of these micro and small companies are temporarily set up for projects and dissolve on the spot after enjoying the benefits.

This is also the core reason why Hollywood's industrialization model is successful. This place reminded Wang Yao of Yiwu, where you can find all services related to the film and television industry to purchase, from distribution to crew cleaning, and then assemble them into your own products to sell. Moreover, not only are prices clearly marked, but you can also compare prices from different vendors.

Unlike in China, where you need not only a project and money to assemble a decent production crew, you also need connections, waiting for scheduling and finding talent.

Hollywood's core attractions are actually only three: the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Huaxia Theatre, the Dolby Theatre, and the Highland Center, a 3.6-square-meter integrated entertainment CBD.

Wang Yao accompanied Kim Ji-won and Nana for a stroll and took photos. They had basically finished shopping in less than an hour. Along the way, many trendy young men and women, as well as talent scouts who looked like con artists, approached Wang Yao and asked if he was interested in becoming an actor. However, Wang Keying skillfully deflected their attempts.

"Don't be fooled by how glamorous this place looks. In reality, most of these people are pimps in the adult industry. Every year, tens of thousands of young men and women from all over the world come here to pursue their dreams of stardom."

"But in reality, there are only so many legitimate film and television job opportunities. Most people spend all their money here, and then, unwilling to give up, they might be persuaded by people in the adult industry," Wang Keying explained.

"So blatant?" Nana asked, somewhat surprised.

This is Hollywood, after all.

"Hollywood is a place where dreams can come true, but it's only for a select few, and you have to know how to seize opportunities. Even legitimate jobs require a lot of sacrifices."
There's a company called Weinstein, whose founder is a renowned independent film producer. He was responsible for the distribution of Chinese films like "Hero" and "The Promise," and he's also been instrumental in launching numerous Oscar-winning films and actresses. However, he's also notorious in the industry for his ruthlessness and lack of integrity.
"I heard there's a red sofa in his office. Actresses who audition during the day can choose to come back in the evening. If the office lights are on, they can sit on the red sofa, but they have to wear their pajamas," Wang Keying said sarcastically.

Although she is only 18 years old, she dared to venture into Hollywood alone at the age of 16 and even went overseas to try to develop in Asia, which shows that she has a relatively superior understanding and mind.

Nana's eyes widened, and she subconsciously looked at Wang Yao, who was examining the Huaxia Theater building on the other side.

"Mr. Wang probably doesn't need a red sofa. If he opened a company here, the actresses he auditions would probably push him down on the spot," Wang Keying teased Lin Zhenna with a grin.

Nana blushed instantly, her face turning bright red to her ears.

I still can't quite accept the explicitness of American girls.

The Chinese Theatre is a building constructed by Westerners using stereotypical Chinese elements. It was the first theater in Hollywood. Construction began in 1926 with the excavation by the famous actress Norma and the nailing by the Chinese actress Anna May Wong, and it became the first landmark building in Hollywood.

The two stone lions at the entrance and the Han Dynasty-style murals are both Chinese and abrupt. Inside, there is a banner that reads "Pan Jinlian Restaurant". It is said that the founder was obsessed with "Jin Ping Mei" and staged the play many times.

The main function of Huaxia Theater now is as a tourist attraction and a venue for premieres of important projects; its cultural symbolism has long surpassed its functional purpose.

"This theater looks a bit strange," Kim Ji-won muttered to herself, standing next to Wang Yao.

"It is quite strange, but it also represents Hollywood's understanding of China." Wang Yao said with a smile.

deformity.

"Do you want to go in and take a look?" Kim Ji-won asked.

"No, maybe another time." Wang Yao smiled and shook his head. "Was it fun?"

"It's quite novel, but it feels no different from strolling through a shopping street. The only special thing is the stars on the Avenue of Stars. I wonder who was the first person in Korea to leave their name there," Kim Ji-won said with a silly smile.

Two Chinese people have now left their names on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: Anna May Wong and Jackie Chan.

"There will be a chance, right?" Wang Yao smiled and patted her head, then invited the others to have dinner at Paris's house.

Hollywood is not only the global entertainment hub, but also a gathering place for the world's top elites. The three major wealthy neighborhoods around it—Billdale, Homeby Hill, and Beverly Hills—are all symbols of status, and Paris Hilton's mansion is located in Beverly Hills.

After driving through Sunset Boulevard, a classic filming location for American TV shows, it took less than 20 minutes to arrive. Compared to the private flat estate arranged by Deng Wendi, Beverly Hills, with its panoramic view of the city, certainly gave people a different kind of feeling of being superior.

Beverly is not a residential complex, but more like an independent district with its own public facilities, offering a good level of privacy.

For the three young girls, Kim Ji-won, the shock of this environment filled with an atmosphere of extravagance left them feeling somewhat lost. Previously, their interactions with Paris were simply a matter of the difference in status between an international star and a newcomer in the entertainment industry, but now they clearly felt the difference.

This half-acre private estate was purchased by Paris in 07 and transformed into a 'Pink Palace', a fusion of Mediterranean and French styles. The entire space is filled with pink, which can almost fulfill every girl's dream of a love room.

It was the purchase of this mansion that transformed Paris from a young party girl into an entrepreneur, binding it to her personal brand and intellectual property.

Sure enough, once a person is burdened with a mortgage, even a down-on-her-luck socialite has to work hard to earn money.

Although the three girls received a warm welcome from Paris, they were still quite uncomfortable. In the end, it was Wang Yao who asked Kim Ji-won to take the lead in making some Chinese dishes, which eased their anxiety.

"The scenery is indeed beautiful," Wang Yao exclaimed.

"Boss, would you be interested in staying here permanently? We could be neighbors," Paris said with a smile.

"The property prices here aren't cheap, are they?" Wang Yao said with a smile.

“I bought it for over six million when I bought it. It should be cheaper now, since the economy has been sluggish these past two years. Many nouveau riche couldn’t afford the high maintenance costs, or they sold it because they needed cash flow. My neighbors have changed several times in the past two years,” Paris said with a smile.

The maintenance costs of luxury homes in the United States can generally account for about 5% of the house price. Paris's private palace, worth 600 million US dollars, has an annual maintenance cost of at least 30 US dollars, not including property taxes and occasional renovation costs.

While preserving value is important, even someone like Paris, who earns over ten million dollars a year, will find it difficult to cope with setbacks.

"It's not expensive at all." Wang Yao did the math and found that, considering the location and the rate of value retention, it was even more cost-effective than the properties he currently owned.

“My little house is definitely not worthy of the boss’s status. The ancestral home of the Hua Na family next door is secretly looking for a buyer. It covers an area of ​​3.8 square meters and is the founder’s former residence. It has great potential for appreciation, and the key point is that the location is rare.” Paris actually recommended it seriously.

"You're not working part-time as a real estate agent, are you?" Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly.

In terms of size, the former residence of Fernand is at least 20 times larger than her house, so the total price must be over 100 million US dollars. She could make a lot of money just from commissions.

"Hehehe, just helping a friend out." Paris smiled slyly.

"As the head of Hollywood, surely Hua Na wouldn't be reduced to selling off his assets?" Wang Yao asked doubtfully.

“Aside from the name, the Hua Na family has basically no connection with Hua Na anymore. After the passing of several founders, their descendants were sidelined by other investors, or they squandered their wealth. The economic crisis dealt them a heavy blow, and the family trust probably couldn’t be maintained, which is why they sold off the ancestral home. Interested?” Paris approached with a smile.

"You overestimate me. How could I afford such a luxury mansion?" Wang Yao shook his head with a smile.

The rise and fall of the Fernard family is quite interesting.

"What about the smaller one? There's a hilltop estate on Sunset Boulevard across from Holmby Hill that's up for sale. Stark's house in 'Iron Manor 2' was filmed there. It's 1.2 square meters, with a 360° panoramic view overlooking LA, and it even comes with a helicopter. It's perfect for a boss's status and temperament."

"There's also a new 9000-square-meter development, just completed last year, with a smart home and futuristic style in the Bel Air district," Paris continued, noticing Wang Yao's apparent interest.

"You're not a full-time real estate agent and a part-time celebrity, are you?" Wang Yao said, both amused and exasperated.

“I’m doing this for the boss’s sake. Having a place to stay in Hollywood will make it easier to throw parties and network in the future,” Paris said with a smile.

"After dinner, we can go see the one at Holmby Hill," Wang Yao said after a moment's thought.

The impact of the financial crisis is not over yet, and now is indeed a window of opportunity to purchase high-quality assets. Skynet just received 2 million yuan in financing from Fox, and 1 million yuan can be used to purchase such fixed assets in the company's name to replenish the company's capital, which will facilitate future financing.

Wang Yao wouldn't dare to easily put foreign assets under his own name, as he didn't know when they might be seized or burned. But keeping them under the company's name was relatively safe, and they could also be used for tax deductions and insurance claims.

"Really?" Paris was just testing the waters jokingly, first laying the groundwork by mentioning that she had resources in this area, because she had heard from Zhu Zhu that Wang Yao liked to invest in fixed assets, but she didn't expect him to actually agree.

It seems Wang Yao's strength is far greater than I imagined.

I had a 'pretty meal' customized by Paris, and then contacted a luxury real estate private equity manager to view a property. It was less than 20 minutes away, so we could be considered neighbors.

The house is really nice. It's the kind of house where you can overlook the entire LA from the living room. It's in a much better location than Paris's house. The three-story building with the water feature system creates a floating pavilion effect, and there's also an indoor waterfall view.

Not far away is the current Playboy Estate, the former residence of Elvis Presley and the home of Michael Strawberry's founder, which is considered to be the top circle. The previous owner was a tech tycoon, but his company was severely affected by the financial crisis and almost went bankrupt, so he was in a hurry to cash out.

According to the private equity manager, the basic maintenance of this house alone costs more than 300 million US dollars a year.

They need to shoot at least ten projects a year just to barely cover their operating costs.

The asking price is $6000 million, making it a rare discounted asset. In addition to a helicopter, the garage also includes two cars worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Wang Yao told Paris to negotiate the price herself, and whatever amount she saved would be converted into internal resource points for her in the future.

“There are more than a dozen guest rooms here. You can apply for company benefits when you come here for business trips or tourism in the future,” Wang Yao said, turning to Kim Ji-won and the others.

Looking up at the shimmering night view created by the combination of the all-glass curtain wall and the water feature, Kim Ji-won suddenly felt that the villa she lived in in Korea was actually a rental apartment.

Moreover, the three of them had been like little maids at Paris's house just now, and the feeling of being pressured by class had vanished. They were even much more relaxed when chatting with Paris because they knew that Wang Yao gave them confidence.

This rebound after suppression gradually fascinated her.

Nana was completely dumbfounded, feeling like she was in some melodramatic CEO romance drama. How could she have bought a house while just going on a trip?

Wang Keying's eyes sparkled with a strange light. Although she had been influenced by independent women since childhood and was very disgusted by the practice of unspoken rules, she still found it hard to resist the temptation posed by Wang Yao.

After all, she is just an 18-year-old girl, and it is difficult for her cognition and moral principles not to be shaken under the crushing force of reality.

She used to firmly believe that she was not a materialistic person, and that being an actress and singer was just a hobby. She was content to support herself through her own efforts, but today's experience has shaken her original intentions.

Negotiations are not something that can be settled quickly, and besides, Fox's money won't arrive in the account so soon, so Wang Yao told Paris to take her time.

Looking down at Hollywood, still brightly lit under the night sky, Wang Yao's eyes flickered with light.

It feels like we've gotten a glimpse of the heavenly palace.

Wang Yao was going to visit Fox the next day and talk to Elizabeth about the details of the investment and project. He didn't stand on ceremony with Paris and stayed overnight. The next day, he was woken up by a noisy commotion outside.

I discovered a large group of people had come into the courtyard, and quite a few of them were carrying video cameras.

Wang Yao's first reaction was that Paris might be using this opportunity to create a scandal, but he quickly realized it was just an interview for a TV show. The photographer left after taking the pictures, leaving behind a group of elderly socialites exuding an air of extravagance.

Seeing that it was none of his business, Wang Yao checked the messages. After replying to the important work messages, he scrolled through his private messages on KT and found that Han Suxi had sent him a selfie.

'President~ I also want to apply for the dorm benefits at Hollywood!'

Although Han So-hee would occasionally bother him, the scale of this selfie was indeed a bit too much, so he must have been provoked by something.

Wang Yao scrolled through his WeChat Moments and quickly discovered that Kim Ji-won had posted a selfie at Dingshan Manor yesterday, captioned "New perk in company dorms~"

This has garnered many likes and discussions from the company's artists.

This is another bizarre move after giving Nana (Im Jin-ah) a gift. What is this girl trying to do?

Wang Yao gave Han Suxi a perfunctory reply. After washing up, he went downstairs and saw that Kim Ji-won and the other two had already gotten up early, put on full makeup, and were chatting with Paris's old socialite friends.

“Oh, little Paris, I was wondering where Sevis was. Turns out he’s found someone new, and a handsome Asian boy at that.” One of the older socialites’ eyes lit up when she saw Wang Yao, quickly attracting everyone’s attention.

"Kyle, don't offend my boss, you're going to get me fired," Paris said with a smile.

These socialites are all former actresses who have faded from the spotlight, but they all retired early because they married good husbands or achieved great success. Their average age is 50. With nothing better to do, they put together a variety show called "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," which focuses on women in the wealthy neighborhoods around Hollywood.

The six socialites represent a diverse range of backgrounds, including established figures, nouveau riche, actresses, and designers. Paris Hilton, a representative of the socialite market and a veteran of reality TV, also makes a cameo appearance as a neighbor.

Wang Yao had never heard of this variety show, but judging from the current state of these former socialites who had made it in the entertainment industry, he estimated that there would be many dramatic and typical stories of the rich competing with each other, such as best friends turning against each other, family power struggles and comparisons, and class infighting.

This immediately reminded Wang Yao of the plot of another series of scripts he was preparing, "Nothing But Thirty," which he could then let the screenwriters study and gather material for.

Wang Yao thought it would be worthwhile to buy the copyright and see if he could gather together retired Hong Kong actresses like Li Jiaxin, Zhang Min, and Guan Zhilin for a remake. That would probably generate a lot of buzz.

"Paris could invite a few people to register accounts on MS to promote the reality show and provide some traffic support to the platform." Wang Yao thought the variety show would be a huge hit.

Paris Hilton recently became a global sensation because of Ms. These socialites, although they have long since retired from the limelight, are still competitive women by nature and are naturally interested in this kind of thing.

Wang Yao patiently explained the marketing logic and future value of social media personas to them, which instantly piqued the interest of these older socialites.

Having piqued his interest, Wang Yao took Kim Ji-won and the others to Fox to keep their appointment, leaving Paris to deal with the group of troublesome old women.

"Even as actresses age, they don't give up. You can't tell they're almost fifty at all." Today, Wang Keying wore denim shorts and a strapless vest, showing off her toned abs from working out. Her blonde hair was styled in a high ponytail, and her tanned skin gave her a typical American hot girl look, making her stand out.

She didn't bring a change of clothes; she probably borrowed Paris's.

"I wonder if I'll still have this kind of vitality when I'm 50," Kim Ji-won exclaimed in amazement.

"50 years old? There are still 30 years left." Nana scratched her head. Her English wasn't very good, so she didn't understand much of what these older socialites were talking about, but she did find it very noisy.

It turns out that these American socialites worth trillions are no different from the old ladies on the street back home.

"Mr. Wang, you all have so much money, why do they still need to show their faces in public? It doesn't seem like they're passionate about their careers," Wang Keying asked curiously.

“First, no one thinks they have enough money, because they are greedy. Second, the fact that they still need to show their faces in public at this level only shows that they need exposure to convey or achieve some purpose.” Wang Yao smiled.

"It's so complicated." Kim Ji-won blinked.

"We just want to bring some things into the open, because we can't achieve our goals privately," Wang Yao explained.

"So even rich people have their troubles." Wang Keying blinked.

"Money can solve 99% of the insignificant problems, but it can never solve the most critical 1% of problems. Money is not omnipotent; it is just currency and leverage. The rich simply have more leverage, but they are still ordinary people at heart." Wang Yao shook his head.

"Brother is a superhero~" Kim Ji-won said with a smile, hugging Wang Yao's arm.

"I'll come after you later." Wang Yao pinched her chin and shook it, smiling indulgently.

Fox's headquarters is located in Fox Plaza, not far from Beverly Hills. It is a 35-story skyscraper that has become its own commercial CBD. Only a few floors of the building are the core management office area, while the rest are basically rented out or are office space for media groups.

Elizabeth led Wang Yao and others on a tour of several core office areas, as well as some advanced models in the film and television industry, and Hulu, an important streaming media division.

Hulu is an online streaming platform founded in 07 by a media group and NBC Universal Box, starting around the same time as Netflix.

At this time, Hulu's development was no worse than Netflix's. On the contrary, with the support of media giants such as Hulu Media Group and Disney NBC, it had a greater advantage in copyrighted content resources.

Moreover, because it operates on a free model, it accumulated even more users than Netflix in the early stages. However, since its advertising revenue alone is far less than Netflix's paid model, it also began to try transitioning to a paid subscription beta test in June of this year. The response has been quite good, and its monthly active users have stabilized at around 30 million.

Therefore, the media group plans to increase investment and launch the world's first original content program specifically tailored for streaming media, hoping to gain more user stickiness.

After all, compared to YouTube's hundreds of millions of monthly active users, Hulu is still far behind.

Elizabeth wanted to invest in SkyNet for two reasons. First, she valued the potential of the Chinese market and Wang Yao's abilities. Second, SkyNet's several small projects on its streaming platforms in China had achieved good results, especially the "Campus Belle" series, which combined with product seeding e-commerce, generating double revenue.

But Elizabeth also knew that the core of this kind of customized online variety show content was that SkyNet had a complete online talent incubation system, which could not be imitated or learned in a short time. Rather than figuring it out herself, she would rather invite professionals to join directly.

While YouTube's influencer partnership has made some noise recently, its self-sustaining model is very unstable. Wang Yao's current efforts in promoting the MS platform and incubating influencers will definitely empower Hulu.

Wang Yao knew that this 2 million investment wouldn't be so easy to obtain; there were indeed other conditions besides the return of funds.

However, this was the first time he had heard of Hulu. He had been wondering why Netflix was doing so well and had no competitors. It turned out that there were some in the early days.

However, even with the resources of its media conglomerate and almost the entire Hollywood giant, Hulu still couldn't compete with Netflix, which precisely proves the arrogance of the giants. Because their main business is strong enough, they neglect to invest in new areas, giving others the opportunity to overtake them.

The world is indeed a makeshift operation.

However, Wang Yao also discovered another reason for Hulu's failure: they insisted on running both free and paid modes in parallel, and the free version only provided the first few episodes, with a very high ad density, with about 3 minutes of ads in 20 minutes of content, second only to the level of domestic streaming media.

This wouldn't be a big problem in China, since Chinese users are more tolerant of advertising, but Western audiences don't buy into it.

However, Elizabeth was at least a woman with good judgment.

"Hulu's revenue has exceeded $200 million so far, with paid subscriptions reaching $60 million. Although they invested another $200 million this year to buy content rights, they are still expected to make a profit of $20-30 million by the end of the year. However, the problem is that they only have a million paid subscribers, while Netflix has nearly 20 million."

The group doesn't dare continue competing for content rights, after all, Netflix's copyright expenditures alone reached 15 billion this year, while Hulu's current valuation is barely around 15 billion. Moreover, since Disney joined, the cost of acquiring their copyrights has actually increased. Elizabeth sighed.

“No investment means no output. Unless there is a lot of high-quality content with low cost and high return, it will be difficult to catch up with Netflix. SkyNet can provide Hulu with influencer content services, but at most it can only play a role in publicity and guidance, and it does not have the ability to reverse the situation.” Wang Yao shook his head and said.

"Is there a way to include e-commerce revenue?" Elizabeth asked.

“Soft placement also requires content costs.” Wang Yao shook his head.

“You’re familiar with the Asian market, and you have readily available resources and channels. Do you think Hulu can make a name for itself in Asia?” Elizabeth said with a smile.

Netflix has only opened up the market in North America so far. Elizabeth saw the potential of the Asian market through the MS model and wants to replicate MS's approach.

"Ms already has over 100 million users; it just needs to adjust its positioning and find its core competitiveness to have a chance to return to the table. But Hulu is a completely new platform with no foundation."

Furthermore, your content library consists mainly of American TV series. While you may have an audience in Asia, it's certainly not large. Besides, why pay for free content when there's free material? It definitely won't work in the Chinese market, where streaming services like Youku, Tudou, and iQiyi already exist, leaving Hulu with no chance.

As for Korea/Japan, they have a paid user base, but the content isn't suitable. Other East Asian countries can be ignored, as they don't have the ability to pay. However, a free version could be considered, but that would mean competing head-on with YouTube. Wang Yao frowned and pondered.

It's not that it's impossible; Hulu has much richer content than YouTube, and the free version can still generate some advertising revenue, but it will probably be very limited, given the small audience.

However, if he has a sufficient budget to purchase content, Wang Yao could try to target YT's trend in Asia.

"So it's not like we're begging you. You're very familiar with the two markets with a paid user base, Ying and Gao. The free version is comparable to YouTube, so there's still a chance, right?" Elizabeth said with a smile.

“You’re putting me in a difficult position,” Wang Yao said, looking conflicted. “I started MS because I had no better projects, but now that MS is on track and MLS is thriving, I really don’t have the energy to work on a streaming platform like Hulu.”

Hulu is currently in an awkward position, unable to compete with YouTube for free and Netflix for paid content. The golden age of the streaming industry is almost over, and if it doesn't seize the opportunity to develop, it may miss out on this opportunity.

You've come to breastfeed your child who's about to die, and you even want to find an outside wet nurse to help raise the baby.

It's a beautiful thought.

"Come on, you've already invested in content in these places. It's just a matter of adding some more work, or using a 'dual-platform broadcasting' model," Elizabeth laughed.

"? You actually know about the live broadcast format?" Wang Yao was somewhat surprised.

This model should be considered his first of its kind in the world.

"Of course, do you think investing is a decision made on a whim? You definitely need to thoroughly research Skynet." Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

Wang Yao frowned, lost in thought.

Streaming platforms like Hulu are essential for the entertainment sector, but Wang Yao already has Leshi and A/B stations, so theoretically there's no need for him to wade into the murky waters of the international market. He can focus on making the most of the Chinese market.

However, if Hulu were involved, international funding could be used to purchase content and expand Skynet's content portfolio several times over. Furthermore, some domestic copyrights could be packaged and sold at a premium, which would not only provide ample working capital but also facilitate cultural export.

At least two more industries, multilingual translation and dubbing, can be supported within Skynet, creating at least a thousand more related jobs. He had already acquired YYeTs, a non-profit online translation enthusiast organization that has accompanied countless foreign drama fans and made a significant contribution to multicultural exchange.

Wang Yao recruited them mainly to translate domestic content onto foreign websites and to translate foreign dramas for which he had purchased the rights. These were all talented individuals, and Wang Yao didn't want them to be lost.

However, relying solely on internal funding cannot support too many practitioners. But if there is international demand for Hulu, it is possible to provide stable output. Then, by combining the "three clear" strategy and relying on Hulu's paid membership stickiness to carry out cultural export, it seems to be a good option.

However, this depends on whether the media group is willing to pay.

"What about the budget?" Wang Yao asked in a deep voice.

"Hmm, how much do you want?" Elizabeth squinted.

“The more the better, of course. The initial budget shouldn’t be less than fifty million dollars.” Wang Yao frowned.

“Five million is still within our reach,” Elizabeth said with a smile.

"? I bought a house yesterday for $6000 million. Hulu is poorer than Skynet. What's the point of playing with that?" Wang Yao rolled his eyes.

“If you can build Ms into a $100 billion company with $20 million, you can at least build it into a $500 billion company with $100 million,” Elizabeth joked.

“Then why don’t you give me 5 million and I’ll make it 1 trillion for you directly.” Wang Yao scoffed. “Besides, I did sign a performance-based agreement and get shares back then, but giving Hulu was purely a favor.”

I didn't expect Elizabeth to be so good at dark humor.

"If Hulu were a company owned by the media conglomerate itself, this budget would definitely not be a problem, but the awkward thing is that the media conglomerate, Disney, and NBC each own 30%, and frankly speaking..."
Most of the equity comes from copyright resources, with only the remaining 10% coming from other investors who funded the framework. It's quite remarkable that Hulu has achieved its current level of profitability," Elizabeth said with a smile.

Wang Yao fell silent. No wonder Hulu couldn't compete with Netflix later on; it turned out they had all thought the same thing: they packaged up their copyrighted resources and sold them off at a premium to invest.

Even if it fails to succeed or go public in the future, as long as the data is good, the Series C funding will definitely be able to realize the copyright value at a premium of several times.

No wonder you can't compete with Netflix; you don't treat your users and investors like human beings at all.

It's like turning waste into treasure and cashing out.

Pooh!
"If you insist on doing it, I can, but it's all out of gratitude for your help in promoting '22' before, as a way of returning the favor," Wang Yao sighed.

"What are the conditions?" Elizabeth also curled the corners of her lips.

"Tianwang will invest 100 million RMB plus the massive Chinese copyright resources I possess, which will be converted into 20% of the shares. The performance-based agreement is that within one year, I will increase Hulu's paid subscribers by 10 million. This can be limited to the Asian region, but I want to gain control over the Asian business, including decision-making power over future investment projects."

"If the target isn't met, the 1 million will only be converted into 5% of the shares," Wang Yao said in a deep voice.

"You really are confident." Elizabeth's smile deepened.

Wang Yao narrowed his eyes, as if he had sensed a conspiracy.

(End of this chapter)