America: My Time

Chapter 100 Listing Schedule

Chapter 100 Listing Schedule

Instantly, the Wall Street giants who had given up changed their expressions drastically. The potential of a home game console platform with a market value of one hundred million was astonishing. The game world was fleecing all franchisees, not to mention the publishing of their own developed games. Perhaps they had really made the wrong decision!

Is it an exaggeration to say that home video game consoles have sold over 100 million units? No, not at all. This only represents the sales figures for genuine products. If we include pirated copies, the figures would be even higher, especially in countries without copyright protection, where piracy is rampant and impacts the market for legitimate products.

"Mr. John, when will the game world raise funds again?" At this point, the Wall Street giants, who were beginning to regret their decision, were getting anxious and inquired about the timing of the next round of financing. They believed John's words made sense; such figures couldn't have been made casually; there must be some basis for them, which could surely be found with a little effort.

"Fundraising? No, Game World will not be raising funds again. This is the first and last time. If it weren't for the agreement with Morgan Stanley, we wouldn't be raising funds so soon. If you want to invest in Game World again, you'll have to wait for the company to go public. However, Game World will not be going public in the next year. We need to consolidate our own position!"

Upon hearing that the funding was no longer available, a hint of unease flashed in the eyes of those Wall Street giants. They all knew that the game world was not short of funds. This funding might really be due to an agreement with Morgan Stanley, which is why they were given this opportunity. It's just that they themselves were not fully prepared and missed the opportunity.

“Mr. John, is it really too cautious for the game world to take so long to go public?” Jimmy emphasized the word ‘cautious’. Morgan only holds four percent of the shares, which is a bit too little. He hopes to get more shares.

"Cautious? No, not at all. It's necessary. Game World hasn't truly mastered the game market yet, not even the North American market. A year is the perfect buffer. With a full year, we can test Game World's normal sales and have a better evaluation before listing. This also protects everyone's investment. Game World is a new company, and listing after only a year and a half will put enormous pressure on all investors. We can't let this pressure affect them."

Pressure? What a load of rubbish! No one present would agree with John's statement, but they could only swallow their pride. In their view, the reason GameWorld needed a year as a buffer was to pursue greater profits, and had nothing to do with investors. If Morgan, Sony, Hitachi, and Panasonic had to choose, they would absolutely prefer to list GameWorld in the shortest possible time so they could reap even greater profits!

A year is a reasonable wait. Although the game's market value might be higher a year later, a year for evaluation provides a good buffer for investment banks. If they were to follow the lead of these three Japanese companies, the game's market value might be even higher, and they might not be able to explain it to their shareholders. There would inevitably be opposition within the investment banks, and if the game's Christmas sales falter, they would be in serious trouble. This approach is more prudent.

Since there's no way to gain an advantage from the game world, the most important thing for the investment bank is to play it safe, at least not giving its competitors an opportunity to attack. Investment banking isn't a one-man show; even a small mistake can cause huge trouble, especially since there are differing opinions within the investment bank regarding the game world. This requires even more caution. More importantly, this financing has an agreement; the money isn't staying in the game world, so extra care is needed.

This time, it's less of a financing deal and more of a share sale. That's why the Wall Street giants have so many concerns. They're worried about being scammed by John and Game World. That's why they selectively gave up the investment opportunity when Game World's market value was driven up by the three Japanese companies. They have too many concerns.

"I would rather the game world be launched sooner than wait a year. In that year, the game world's market value will probably skyrocket!"

"Yes, we at Morgan Stanley share the same view. The gaming world will create even more miracles in a year, and the market value will naturally see a huge increase, which will put even more pressure on us!"

"That's right. If we had a choice, we would absolutely not accept your suggestion. A year is too long. Is it possible to shorten the listing time?"

"Gentlemen, you think it's too long, but I think it's a bit too short. If the game world could be given more time, it would undergo a qualitative transformation, instead of being what it is now. This has deterred many of you from participating in this financing competition, which in turn affects the game world's own interests. You can't expect the game world to sacrifice its own interests for nothing, can you? Besides, you are all shareholders now; the higher the game world's market value, the more beneficial it is for you!" "John, we don't agree with that. Although we are also shareholders of the game world, how many shares do we actually hold? That's negligible. Even if the market value increases significantly, we won't gain much. But if it goes public now, we'll have to invest far less capital, and that's the real big benefit!"

In fact, all the people present understood John's plan and knew they couldn't persuade him, but they were also unwilling to accept John's explanation.

"Hahaha! You can't blame me for this. I can't just sacrifice myself for others, and I don't have that kind of magnanimity! Actually, a year isn't a long time. You all have enough time to understand the game world and the game market! Many of you here don't understand the current game world or the game market. This shows that our work hasn't been done well and has significant flaws. These are all things that need to be changed before the game goes public."

"You bastard, you're clearly provoking those bastards and putting pressure on us!" At this moment, everyone from Morgan Stanley to Sony, Hitachi, and Panasonic was cursing inwardly. If other investment banks on Wall Street were to pay attention to the game world and understand the game market, they would have more competitors when the game world went public, and the game world's market value would be pushed even higher!
Ironically, these people are powerless to stop it. The more they try to stop it, the more vigilant the Wall Street giants become, and the more they pay attention to the gaming world, putting even greater pressure on them. This has become an unsolvable problem.

After hearing John's remarks, the Wall Street figures all seemed thoughtful, but they did not regret their words. Without factual basis, no matter how theoretical a theory is, it will not be recognized by the company. They were not Morgan and did not have that kind of authority.

After securing funding, John suddenly became wealthy, with over 500 million in hand. He could do many things, with tax avoidance being of paramount importance. Naturally, a portion of the money would be used for investment, and he also needed to improve his standard of living and travel environment. In short, he needed a private jet.

Thinking about his need for a private jet, John once again considered airlines. The 1980s were indeed the best opportunity to enter the aviation industry, whether it was airlines or aircraft manufacturers. Gulfstream, Bombardier, Fokker, and even Rolls-Royce engines were potential acquisitions. Rolls-Royce had undergone bankruptcy restructuring in the 1980s, not to mention the aviation industry, though he still had relatively little capital.

The Gulfstream of the 80s was not the Gulfstream Space Company of later years. In 73, the Gulfstream Corporation was only worth $200 million, and now it is 82. In less than ten years, the market value of Gulfstream is not much.

With $500 million in hand, $200 million needed to be set aside as capital for banks and investment companies. The rest was for acquisitions and expansion, with airlines, aircraft manufacturing, and automobiles all being John's targets. Although he was only choosing niche brands, it was a starting point to enter these industries, allowing him to better understand the overall situation and prepare for future expansion.

Of course, this is just my own idea, and whether it can be realized is still unknown. If the game world successfully raises funds, while gaining benefits, it will also attract more attention. Perhaps when my plan has just begun, something unexpected will happen.

John wasn't without other preparations; mining was his backup plan. Now he needed to accelerate his expansion in the mining sector, expedite the acquisition of mines he knew about, and seize these important mines before other mining companies could.

Previously, due to funding constraints, they dared not venture into the mining industry. Now, with so much capital at their disposal, they are more than capable of completing their initial strategic plans. Whether it's the gold and diamond mines in Canada or the John's iron ore mine in Australia, they are determined to acquire them!

After the game world's financing is completed, John no longer needs to focus his energy on this aspect. Everything will be handled by the company's CEO, and he needs to shift his attention to other investments. For a long time, he won't have to think about the game world's problems. As long as the game world develops in the direction he points out, there won't be any issues.

(End of this chapter)