kvmb Chapter 205 Good Business
Chapter 205 Good Business
Chapter 205 Good Business
"I ran into Green at a party a few days ago."
When the name Green came out of Massim's mouth, Ernst felt as if a hermit crab that had just been swimming in a septic tank had been stuffed into his stomach, making him feel extremely nauseous.
The scene from the yacht party in Fu Guo flashed into his mind instantly, almost making him grab the champagne glass on the table and rush to the bathroom to wash his eyes.
They initially invested $007 million in "Tomorrow Never Dies," and now the film is in post-production, just waiting for its release at the end of the year, where a suit-clad Bond will rake in the global box office.
Besides this film, Green later invested in two more projects, but the amounts were not as large as before, at eight million US dollars and ten million US dollars respectively.
However, he didn't learn about these things through contact with Ernst; he learned about them through Robert Iger.
"What kind of trouble is that pervert up to now?" Ernst's fingers, holding the wine glass, trembled slightly, as if the glass was covered with Green's unsettling gaze and the scene of his laughter from back then.
Massim clearly knew about Green's quirks; it was he who had reminded Ernst of them.
"I heard this guy was also there during the script reading for 'Tomorrow Never Dies'?" Massim raised an eyebrow.
Ernst got even angrier when he talked about it: "That shameless guy actually brought a minor celebrity with him and asked to give that woman a role."
Adding roles is fine; it's common practice in the entertainment industry.
Then Ernst said through gritted teeth, "But he actually said he wanted to add a nude scene for Bond and the little bitch he brought along. I almost threw my coffee in his face."
Massim paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. "That's exactly the kind of thing that guy would do."
Seeing Ernst's bad expression, he stopped smiling and suddenly shifted his position like a magnet, so that their elbows were almost touching.
Lowering his voice, he dropped a bombshell in Ernst's ear: "There's a two-billion-dollar business deal. Are you interested?"
"Two billion dollars?" Ernst's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, like a bouncy frog that had been flipped on.
"Who exactly is he? I've seen plenty of money laundering, but someone who can pull out two billion at once... he must have emptied the Federal Reserve's coffers, right?"
You should know that ordinary money launderers at most run casinos or shell companies. Anyone who dares to throw two billion US dollars into an unstable new project is either crazy or has so much money that they could drown the IRS.
Ernst instantly pictured Green sitting atop a mountain of gold, counting money piled up to the ceiling. This wasn't money laundering; it was clearly an overabundance of money that needed a swimming pool to soak in.
Massim glanced around instinctively, not bothering to hide it, since the two were now on the same side. "A third of the drugs those Hollywood stars who are into drugs every day come from his uncle's Mexican farm."
"A Mexican bigwig?" Ernst almost spilled his red wine on his suit, but then calmly took a sip.
No wonder they're so generous; these are all outlaws.
However, Ernst didn't mind cooperating with these people, nor was he afraid of any unexpected events that might occur if they turned against each other later.
These people aren't as fierce as they appear on the surface, nor are they the kind of fools who would fight anyone who disagrees with them. Unless it's a blood feud, these people would stay far, far away from America.
Why?
Because these people do not pay taxes.
The IRS has the most stringent surveillance on these individuals, and has even cooperated with Mexican police on several occasions to crack down on these major drug lords, more frequently than the American department specifically responsible for managing drugs.
"Tell me, what do you need me to do?" Ernst put down his wine glass and leaned forward slightly.
Since they approached me, it must be related to Hollywood. It can't be that they want MGM to make a "Narcos version of 007", can it?
"It's very simple," Massim said, drawing a circle in the air with his finger. "MGM needs to use its resources to hype up an Argentinian painter into a contemporary Picasso."
Ernst suddenly realized that this was a case of the Emperor's New Clothes being staged in the art market!
If we're talking about the most profitable business in the world, art is undoubtedly number one.
Stocks may plummet, futures may be liquidated, and even gold prices fluctuate.
But art? As long as someone is willing to hype it up, even an abstract potato doodle by a five-year-old can be touted as a pinnacle of postmodernism.
Van Gogh's paintings sold for only a few francs during his lifetime, but fetched hundreds of millions of dollars after his death. Is this really due to his superb painting skills?
No, because the pricing power is in the hands of capital.
The saying "antiques in prosperous times, gold in chaotic times" is not without reason.
Why do wealthy people and entertainment stars like to buy art? Because it's the easiest thing to copy and the best way to leverage their own advantages.
Van Gogh and Picasso? With today's technology, is it difficult to reproduce their paintings? It couldn't be easier.
But why are their paintings so valuable? Because they control the pricing power.
The painting I bought for a million dollars would be considered a million dollars by ordinary people because of its fame.
One day, Bill Gates randomly bought a painting from a small-time artist and expressed his great liking and obsession with it. If you want to do business with Microsoft, shouldn't you cater to their tastes?
Did this young painter instantly become a great painter? Because he gained pricing power, his works are unique, and Bill Gates recognized his paintings.
This is the added value of art, something that rice, flour, cooking oil, energy, metals, stocks, and futures cannot achieve.
Through MGM's influence, top Hollywood stars were persuaded to purchase the Argentine painter's work at a relatively low price and then publicly comment on it in the media.
The painter's works instantly became more valuable, attracting middle-class and nouveau riche to come in and reap the benefits.
Ernst and his ilk, the celebrities in charge of publicity, and the painters themselves would form a very stable triangular relationship of interests.
Everyone in this chain of interests benefits from it, and everyone firmly believes that this painter is the contemporary Picasso, even if his paintings are not as good as those of a five-year-old child.
Where does the word "feigning refinement" come from?
That's how it came about.
It's not that you like it, it's that I want you to like it.
"How much will I get?" Ernst was most concerned about the actual benefits, since the partners were different and there had to be enough benefits.
Massim held up three fingers, his tone tinged with pride, "Thirty percent."
"Thirty percent?" Ernst's eyes narrowed instantly, like a fox spotting its prey. "I want forty percent."
"What?!" Massim nearly jumped off the sofa, his voice rising eight octaves. "Are you crazy? I only managed to get 80% of the benefits from Green."
Don't assume that an 80% return is a lot of money. Green was a fool to spend two billion dollars and only get four hundred million dollars back.
Don't forget, it was Green who found an Argentinian painter.
As long as this painter is hyped up, his paintings will be Green's reward.
The most crucial element is a stable money laundering channel. By repeatedly trading the artist's paintings, laundering billions or even hundreds of millions of dollars a year is as easy as playing a game.
His paintings may only be worth a few million dollars, but they change hands many times.
"Isn't that perfect? Sharing the profits equally is in line with our cooperative relationship."
Massim glared at the somewhat thuggish Ernst. "Are you kidding me? How many connections would I need to pull? Do you think all this money ended up in my account?"
To accomplish this task is both simple and complex.
The first thing is official endorsement, and that's the role of Massim.
Even if they know it's money laundering, the relevant departments can't investigate. In fact, some high-ranking officials from the Metropolitan Museum of Art might even come out and express their high regard for the painter's work.
The second thing is publicity, and that's where Ernst's MGM comes in.
Let those celebrities attend, leverage their fame, and then spread the word through the media.
Finally, someone has to put up the money. It's like doing business; you need a boss to invest first before you can make money.
"You said you were here today to make it up to me," Ernst said, his mood suddenly improving. He even poured himself a glass of red wine.
"Do you know how much money your little girl has cost me lately? Millions, almost too many," Massim practically spat out through clenched teeth. "So you're planning to recoup hundreds of millions?"
"Giving you 30% is already a gesture of compensation. Otherwise, do you believe I could just find any Hollywood mogul and offer a maximum of 20%?"
Ernst believed that the best replacement in this love triangle was the one in charge of publicity.
Ernst smiled without saying a word and silently took out his phone.
"What are you going to do?" Massim asked, puzzled.
"As a personal secretary, how can I not be by my boss's side? Of course, I should call her over to experience this glamorous world."
"You dare!" Ernst hadn't expected Massim to suddenly lose his temper. He jumped up from his chair, his hands trembling slightly.
Seeing Massim's panicked appearance, he became even more certain that Anne was definitely the apple of the Kennedy family's eye; otherwise, why would Massim be so nervous?
He put away his phone, a smug smile playing on his lips. "Looks like we've reached an agreement on a 40% split?"
Massim slumped back onto the sofa, as if all his strength had been drained. "You win! Forty percent, forty percent."
The $800 million has arrived, but it's not easy to get that much money; it requires a long-term investment process.
This is why Ernst dared to ask for a price; MGM also needed to curry favor.
"Stop pretending, I know you earn way more than that."
As the party with the least say, Ernst had no choice.
But he was convinced that Massim definitely had the Argentine painter's paintings, which he would get for a pittance, without spending a single penny.