[Chapter 466: United We Stand]
William White was still pondering the endurance of the Japanese people. Little did he know that White Media's dominance was making some folks uneasy.
"What? Are you sure the Times Group can afford to acquire Warner?"
"Yes, sir, the crucial point is that Warner doesn't seem to mind either."
Such a large-scale merger was naturally a favorite for Morgan Stanley. A deal exceeding ten billion dollars required ample financial services, and importantly, it could give William White a worthy opponent.
It was clear that Rupert Murdoch was a bit red in the face nowadays. Without their support, he probably would have been finished a long time ago. However, this behavior was not only seen as a provocation by William White, but it also did not satisfy the old-timers on the board.
It was one thing for a pack of old-timers to dislike William White, but another to get them to cough up money. Now, if Times could acquire Warner, it would be on par with NBC in terms of size.
...
"Acquiring Warner? Ha, let them go ahead. This way, nobody can say I've got a monopoly, you know, Filson? Once the company split up, the management costs doubled. Why didn't those jerks buy it earlier?" William White would certainly complain. If he merged all his media groups, it would be a colossal entity.
Times Group was just squabbling among themselves, while his White Media was already planning for global expansion. Many didn't understand why he wanted to hit back at the News Corporation. The reason was simple: only they posed a true challenge.
"Sir, their movie performance isn't good, seeking breakthroughs is inevitable. There's news that Morgan Stanley will offer packaged services."
"Well, that's just normal business behavior. We don't have to be aggressive; if they knew better, they wouldn't think I'm afraid of their little support group."
Filson thought, they were scared of you.
"14 billion? Wow, if Warner is worth that much, shouldn't our valuation go up too? The merged Warner would just be second best."
"Yes, sir, prices in the secondary market have begun to rise. In fact, all Hollywood companies' valuations are increasing. It seems Sony might be losing money again."
"Ha, it looks like I need to congratulate Coca-Cola. They made a pretty good deal."
Filson forced a smile, as the boss was quite pleased with this merger. If this situation got out, many people would not take it seriously. They might even think William White was just pretending.
He didn't see it that way. He came to see the boss out of concern for what he might be scheming next. The think tank was clear: this merger would boost valuations in the entertainment industry, and as the world's largest entertainment media giant, William White would undoubtedly benefit the most.
...
The Japanese had taken over Columbia, and the Times Group was acquiring Warner; ultimately, they all wanted to throw down with White Media.
General Electric had given up NBC, and now it looked like a terrible decision. As behind-the-scenes bigwigs, Morgan Stanley clearly wanted to find a way out. If News Corporation could not stand up to them, they would go search for another.
William White, now turning to investing in actual businesses, truly scared those old-timers. From entertainment media to software services, and from semiconductors to telecommunications. At first glance, it seemed chaotic, but in reality, it was quite the opposite. The old-timers were shocked to realize that this guy seemed to have a foothold in many areas.
If they let him grow unchecked, it wouldn't take long before he'd trample over Morgan Stanley and Rockefeller.
The conglomerates felt cornered; there was no way they could accept any newcomers. If you were strong in the media field, then that's where we'll start fighting.
For them, the current situation was hard to swallow. They had always been the big fish, and now little fry were trying to surpass them. When had they ever been the little fry? It was truly disheartening.
"That damned Justice Department."
"Sir, they won't provoke NBC. Our new president just took office. Are they really going to poke at his top supporter?"
Typically, the conglomerates resorted to acquisitions or suppression. If that didn't work, they could always resort to antitrust lawsuits. They could inflict significant pain on competitors without paying much in return.
"Sir, the split of the telephone and telegraph company has faced widespread criticism. If NBC stirs the pot..."
Morgan Stanley played a very unflattering role in this split. If they were truly targeted, both the Justice Department and Morgan Stanley could be in hot water.
If it genuinely came down to a showdown with William White, the outcome didn't matter; the groups in the South would probably be laughing uncontrollably.
Their analysts pointed out that if a fierce clash happened, the chances of mutual destruction were as high as ninety percent.
As for any underhanded tactics, the analysts didn't mention them; they were certain this would lead to a mutually destructive end.
The current situation was strange; they needed to cooperate with William White while also needing to keep him suppressed.
Thus, naturally, they targeted the media field. Forget about the top ten conglomerates; even a group of old-timers from the Federal Reserve were feeling the heat.
*****
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