Chapter 176: The Oscars Were Coming

[Chapter 176: The Oscars Were Coming]

In the office of the Carr Media Group.

Ian Carr looked at himself in the mirror. Aside from a recent elevator scare, there hadn't been any violent news about him lately. Instead, the tabloid stories coming out of Hollywood had provided plenty of gossip. Alexander Jenkins' news was making the rounds, and his story was the typical romantic scandal, but with a little economic attributes.

While the improvement in his left eye had become more noticeable, he still felt there was a long way to go before reaching a higher level.

That was fine; Hollywood hadn't fully submitted to him yet. He still had plenty of material he could work with.

...

As Ian contemplated this, his secretary, Ida, entered to report on the day's activities:

"Steve Jobs is willing to accept your proposal, but he wants to wait a bit longer. He prefers to discuss this again in the second half of the year."

"Disney has tentatively agreed to your offer to buy Pirates of the Caribbean, but some details still need to be negotiated."

"Marvel has reached an agreement to sell you 49% of the shares and give you priority on subsequent investments..."

Ian felt pleased with this information. The money from selling off the newspaper business would essentially be used to acquire shares in Marvel, Pixar, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Apple.

Apple's current market value was only 5 billion; 15% of that is just 750 million. Even Pixar was worth more than Apple now. Marvel was struggling too, close to being in financial ruin. Buying a stake in Marvel wouldn't cost him much. He didn't buy it outright in order to avoid disrupting its future operations anyway, as he had secured priority investment rights.

The so-called priority investment rights meant that in future financing, Marvel would have to get Carr Media's nod. If Ian Carr didn't approve, they wouldn't have the ability to raise funds.

Besides Marvel, he had an eye on Netflix and future giants like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. He wanted them all.

However, Ian decided against taking a large stake in any of them for two reasons: limited funds and the need to avoid excessive influence. Without adequate shareholder support, a lot could go wrong.

Many people commented that when Bill Gates sold a substantial amount of Microsoft shares, the returns were diminished compared to the value Microsoft itself could generate. Little did they know that Microsoft had faced severe crisis moments.

At its height, Bill Gates became the richest man in the world, yet many corporations expressed dissatisfaction, claiming Microsoft was monopolizing the market, which nearly forced the division of the company into two.

After that crisis, Bill Gates began altering his business strategies, abandoning bundling sales, and continuously releasing shares to diversify investments, which eventually allowed Microsoft to thrive again afterwards. Selling down to 1% was indeed a misstep, however.

Selling shares wasn't a mistake; selling too many was the problem!

According to Ian's plan, Carr Group would be divided into media and investment sections. He intended to release more shares from the media side to generate needed influence, while the investment side wouldn't need to dilute shares for the next twenty years.

At that moment, Ian nodded in satisfaction, "Anything else?"

Ida replied, "The Oscars are on the evening of the third day from now. Will you attend?"

Ian nodded, "Of course."

He started to think back on the Oscar ceremony of 2002. He remembered that A Beautiful Mind had been the biggest winner that year, produced by Universal Pictures and DreamWorks, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress among other awards.

Wait, who won Best Supporting Actress?

Ian recalled a stunning face - Jennifer Connelly!

Jennifer was best known for her role as Deborah in Once Upon a Time in America, and that breathtaking scene had captured many hearts. Born in 1970, she was now 32 years old. Although it seemed she was past her prime, she was still strikingly beautiful.

The key was, at that moment, she was single and had just split from Josh Charles before getting involved with Paul Bettany - a scoop from the Los Angeles Herald, but certainly not something Ian had uncovered himself.

A window of opportunity!

If he could go after Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Connelly would be no different.

...

With this in mind, Ian picked up the phone. "Chatham, can you get in touch with Jennifer Connelly?"

Chatham sounded surprised on the other end. "Of course, she's with UTA. What's the issue?"

Jennifer was with UTA? That was great news!

Ian was already working on purchasing UTA, aiming to control a talent agency as a media giant - good news for the agency, given their clients needed media promotion.

The price discrepancy had delayed negotiations, as Ian preferred not to pay premiums on acquisitions. He'd become accustomed to only paying interest on loans, enjoying privileges that made it hard to accept standard deals.

But buying UTA without premiums made sense, considering the firm's heavy reliance on media!

Since Jennifer was indeed part of UTA, Ian continued, "Contact UTA and Jennifer Connelly; let them know I can help ensure she wins Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards. It's just a small gesture of assistance, but they shouldn't leverage that in their pricing."

Jennifer was likely to be a strong contender for the award, and while both the film companies and management would push for it, they could never guarantee a win.

Ian Carr, as the exclusive Oscar broadcaster, held some influence. If he said he would lend a hand, it was morally set. In essence, he was exchanging a foregone conclusion for goodwill.

Chatham chuckled, "Sure thing, boss. Do you need to meet with Ms. Connelly?"

"Absolutely," Ian smiled back.

Though Chatham wasn't always the best, sometimes people like him could read between the lines effortlessly.

...

After he hung up, Ian glanced at Ida, "You can go now."

Ida took a few steps, then stopped, "Oh, by the way, Jessica Alba called. She'll be coming over tomorrow night with two new friends. Should I let them know to reschedule?"

Ian shook his head with a smile, "No need. I'm ready for anything."

Ida sighed softly to herself, "Am I not pretty enough?"

It was a shame the boss never paid attention to the women around him.

Is this how men were?

Were wildflowers always more captivating than domestic flowers?

...

In a luxurious restaurant in Beverly Hills, a stunningly dressed Jennifer Connelly gazed across the table at the young man before her.

He was only 26, yet already one of the hottest business tycoons in America, a media mogul.

The moment his name echoed through Hollywood, everyone trembled. You could never tell when he'd unload a pile of dirt on anyone.

The gossip he'd revealed over the years paled in comparison to the secrets he held!

That was precisely why the film companies treated him with extreme courtesy.

At that moment, Ian cheerfully sliced some tender beef, looking at the beauty before him and said, "Ms. Connelly, do you not enjoy the dinner here?"

"No, it's just that dining with someone as significant as you can be a bit intimidating," Jennifer Connelly replied.

She was quite the flatterer.

Anyone who succeeded in the industry was no simpleton. Though Jennifer had started off as the fresh-faced girl, she later embraced a more seductive image.

The distinction between someone's surface character and actual nature was often divorced. Luckily, Ian didn't mind what she truly was.

In a way, the nature of the situation suited him just fine.

So, Ian chuckled, "There are many people richer and more powerful than I am. I'm sure you've met a few."

Jennifer's beautiful smile emerged, "But very few can make all of Hollywood fearful."

Ian shook his head, "Sounds like my reputation isn't too flattering."

At that, Jennifer leaned a little closer, "Instilling fear is still a kind of power."

Her gaze reflected an unusual glimmer.

"And you?" Ian chuckled lightly.

Was her interest simply a result of Ian Carr's intimidating reputation? Or perhaps her knowledge that he could assist in her Oscar win?

It didn't really matter; they were both astute individuals.

Consequently, Jennifer asserted, "I am not afraid of men like you. I would only grow to like... even possess!"

Ian chuckled softly, "You've got quite the way with words!"

He raised his wine glass, "Cheers!"

As their glasses clinked, the ruby liquid fluttered in the air, spilling slightly as he toasted to their bond.

*****

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