stonecrandall Chapter 54 The Playboy Group
Chapter 54 The Playboy Group
The celebration party for "The Man from Earth" was a gathering of celebrities, but the only person who could get Ernst, a rising Hollywood mogul, to lower himself and greet him was Paramount president Tom Jacobson.
But the old man was completely ignored by Ernst. As Ernst turned and left the banquet hall without looking back, Tom Jacobson's expression froze instantly. His astonished look was like a meme.
However, Ernst can do whatever he wants, while Robert Iger needs to consider the complex interpersonal relationships in this circle.
"I'm sorry, something important suddenly came up at Ernst's house, so I have to go back right away."
"It's alright, things at home are more important."
Tom gave a forced smile, a response that was more of a smirk than a genuine one.
Tom Jacobson felt confident in his ability to handle Ernst, this newcomer to Hollywood.
Now that we can't meet, we have no choice but to bite the bullet and face this old fox in front of us.
"What are Ernst's opinions on *Titanic*?"
Iger put on an expression that tried to hide his smile, suppressing the corners of his mouth, and said in a serious tone, "The matter in Ernst's family happened suddenly, and he doesn't have time to care about the Titanic transaction right now, so he handed over the handling to me."
Tom Jacobson's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. Seeing Iger's expression as he tried to suppress his laughter, he wondered if this sucker was going to run away.
Thinking about this, Tom Jacobson tentatively suggested, "I've been thinking about it carefully. We're both members of the Big Seven Hollywood studios, so we should help each other out. Since Ernst likes 'Titanic' so much, how about Paramount sells its project to MGM for $6500 million?"
"This is the cost price; the initial human resource costs invested by Paramount are not included."
In his mind, Aiger thought to himself, "You have absolutely no human resource costs."
All the preliminary work was done by 20th Century Fox, and Paramount took a stake in the middle of the process, only sending a few financial staff.
"Let me think about it some more. After all, today is the celebration party for 'The Man from Earth,' so let's talk about 'Titanic' another day."
In Hollywood, the worst thing is when someone says they'll consider it, then, or we'll talk about it later; that basically means they'll never talk about it again.
In an instant, Tom Jacobson recalled the intelligence he had gathered: the Titanic project was only valued by Ernst, while MGM president Robert Iger was firmly opposed.
Now that Ernst has handed this matter over to him entirely, will this project really fall apart in his hands?
Seeing the other person turn away gracefully to entertain other guests, Tom suddenly felt that the champagne in his hand didn't taste good at all, and that he had played a terrible hand of cards.
Ernst, who was "going home," went to the neighboring house and saw two old men and three young women as soon as he entered.
He recognized the two old men; they were Hugh Hefner and Jerry Buss. After exchanging greetings, Jerry Buss introduced them.
"This is my daughter Jenny. Knowing that I was coming to meet you, a young and talented man who is famous throughout America, she insisted on coming along to see you."
Ernst never imagined that this was the same Janet Bass who willingly posed for eight nude photos, voluntarily appeared in Playboy magazine, actively pursued Dennis Rodman, kept Zen Master Jackson hanging for ten years with ambiguity, and remained voluptuous and firm even in her later years.
He wanted to reach out and say hello, but the other person excitedly stepped forward with a smile and gave him a big hug.
This sudden enthusiasm struck Ernst like a soft, unexpected blow. Ernst was certain that he could only offer a small token of appreciation, nothing more.
Moreover, when Jenny Buss hugged him, her hands were subtly teasing his back, showing a high level of skill in flirting, indicating she had considerable experience in this area.
This woman is something else, quite interesting.
Although she's in her early thirties, the charm she exudes is something that most women can't imitate.
Looking at Jerry Bass next to him, his smile was practically reaching his ears, clearly showing that he was very happy for him to be close to his daughter.
"Ernst, you are much more handsome in person than in the newspaper."
Ernst's body stiffened slightly as he was embraced. The tickling sensation in his ear from the other woman's breath as she spoke reminded him once again of the woman's unbridled desire.
A polite parting of ways followed. "Miss Bass is truly stunning."
"Really? How does it compare to those Hollywood actresses?"
Looking at the other person's beaming smile, Ernst knew perfectly well that this was a joke directed at him.
If it weren't for old man Jerome standing there, he would have blurted out, "Why don't I try to compare?"
"Alright, you young people have plenty of time to socialize, don't disturb other people's important business."
Jerry Bass, who had been standing by with a smile on his face watching the commotion, finally spoke up at this moment.
After everyone took their seats, the other two tall, beautiful women remained unintroduced.
However, judging from the subsequent service of pouring coffee and lighting cigars, it was clear that it was unimportant.
Rumor has it that Hugh Hefner always travels with two beautiful women who take care of him. It seems the old man really knows how to enjoy life. I still have a long way to go and much to learn.
After exchanging pleasantries, Hugh Hefner got straight to the point: "Ernst, Christie has already told me about the conditions you offered. I agree with your plan in general, but I think some details still need to be discussed."
Christy Hefner, the eldest daughter of the other party and his first wife, is now in charge of the Playboy Group.
"Please say that doing business involves bargaining and negotiating to reach a mutually satisfactory outcome."
"I want 5% of MGM's shares."
"That's impossible," Ernst refused without even thinking.
Ernst's offer to the other party was to acquire 60% of Playboy Group's shares in exchange for 2% of MGM's equity plus $50 million in cash.
Ernst's high-priced acquisition of MGM was actually at a premium. MGM's true value was roughly the same as the offer Cochrane made to the Italian consortium, with a total market value of around $32 billion.
However, MGM has had a string of good news lately, and a valuation of $35 billion is not out of the question.
Ernst traded MGM for $35 billion, a 2% stake worth $70 million, plus $50 million in cash, in exchange for Hugh Hefner's 60% stake in Playboy.
Whether it's MGM or Playboy Group, this valuation is very fair.
This can also be seen from the fact that the other party did not refute the Playboy Group's market value.
Ernst hadn't expected the other party to be so greedy. Hugh Hefner himself only owned a little over 70% of Playboy Group, yet he wanted to pay more for more shares of MGM.
"I think my request is reasonable. There are many Hollywood giants, but there is only one Playboy."
"Joining the Playboy Group will be a huge boost to your career. Everyone knows that the 18-35 age group is the consumer group that all industries are vying for, and with the Playboy Group, you will be the master of America's young people."
Ernst doesn't deny this, and it's not just Hugh Hefner bragging.
In America, Playboy doesn't represent street stalls, but rather art and culture.
At its peak, one in two American college students subscribed to Playboy magazine.
The nude Playboy Bunny was just a spice of life; countless great writers have penned articles about it, and numerous tycoons and celebrities have taken pride in appearing in Playboy.
Donald Trump was one of them, and the magazine has become a symbol of American culture.
It teaches you how to live and how to enjoy life.
"You're right. If it were Playboy at its peak, I would agree without hesitation, but now..."
Ernst didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.
In 1971, Playboy's circulation peaked, with each issue selling over 800 million copies.
But then came a continuous decline, from 520 copies in 1981 to 460 million copies in 1991, and now an average of about 440 million copies per year.
"Playboy's success lay in the fact that America at the time needed such an enlightening book to guide the middle class, but the emergence of competitors was also undeniable."
"Magazines like *Penthouse*, *Gallery*, *Maxim*, and *FHM* have sprung up in recent years, with many achieving annual sales exceeding 200 million copies. But what about *Playboy*? All I see is regression."
Hugh Hefner exhaled a smoke ring; his demeanor and attitude were something Ernst truly envied.
When you see the other person, the word that automatically pops into your mind is "playboy".
"Those are just clowns. As long as I'm around, Playboy will be the leader in this field, and no one can surpass it."
"So what if you're dead?"
Ernst's unvarnished statement made everyone's heart skip a beat.
Everyone present knew that for this famous playboy in American history, the word "death" was the most taboo word.
The atmosphere in the lounge instantly plummeted to freezing point, making one feel a chill.