[Chapter 617: Where Did the Money Go?]
Of course, Gaddafi had his reasons to grumble about the United States; in his view, the Americans were getting way too arrogant. Unfortunately, Saddam lacked the cunning to outsmart them. Instead of inflicting harm on the Americans, he somehow ended up boosting their confidence.
The Soviets were equally useless. Even if you couldn't stop them, you should have at least abstained from voting. Those bastards seemed completely unreliable.
It appeared now that a contraction was needed here. However, if they imposed economic sanctions, how should he respond?
...
Back in Los Angeles, William White leisurely sipped his coffee. Filson had returned from Hong Kong, and it seemed the results were pretty impressive.
Though they were all capitalists, William White was clearly focused on long-term gains. This kind of investment was certainly welcomed by others. As for the mobile phone production line, he decided to hold off for a while.
It was merely a matter of mutual benefit; nothing too serious about it. This so-called high technology didn't bother him much at all.
"Sir, we have a problem in London."
"Uh-huh, go on."
"Soros has limited profits and has decided to pull out, very decisively, without any hesitation. However, the London banking system is suddenly facing a currency shortage, which is quite abnormal."
"Strange. Our funds haven't left and should still be in the financial system. Besides, a few billion pounds shouldn't cause such chaos, right?"
"No, large amounts of money are fleeing. Aside from Switzerland, there are many offshore banks. It looks like at least hundreds of billions are involved. I just checked some other economies and found similar situations occurring. The Soviets have it the worst, with massive capital flight."
"Darn it, that bastard really knows how to stir things up."
"Sir, are you implying...?"
"Ha! Except for that guy named Leo Wanta, I doubt anyone else in this world could pull this off."
"Sir, who does this wealth belong to?" Filson was sharp; he knew that the guy named Leo Wanta shouldn't have so much wealth.
"Who it belongs to isn't important; what matters is who controls it. Clearly, our Mr. Wanta can dictate where that money goes. Or rather, he can decide who gets blamed for it."
Seeing William White's calm expression, Filson was somewhat shocked. Frankly, the boss didn't seem as clean-cut as he appeared. Otherwise, why would he keep a bunch of cutthroats around?
This time, he had gained a new respect for his boss. Truth be told, the source of this money seemed tainted. If he had the power that William White possessed, he would absolutely consider giving it a shot. Who knows, he might just succeed!
As if reading his thoughts, William White's next comment dashed all his hopes.
"Filson, this is money that could spark a world war. If mishandled, the credit foundation of the US dollar would collapse. Even if someone offered me such money, I wouldn't accept it. It should either be burned or returned to the Fed. Too much money, in fact, is of no use at all."
Filson chewed on these words, and to his astonishment, he realized that if someone gave him ten trillion dollars, he genuinely wouldn't know how to spend it.
Mark Twain's short story The Million Pound Bank Note poignantly illustrates the essence of capital. The person who received the million-pound check lived quite happily and even won the affections of a beautiful woman. If the number had been a billion, well, he would've met a very tragic end.
"Sir, has that money just vanished? Is no one going to be held accountable for it?"
"How could that be? All the intelligence agencies in the world are watching. Every word spoken by this truly world's richest man in his dreams is likely being recorded."
Filson listened with his hair standing on end. Having money is, of course, a good thing. But that money not only became impossible to spend; it turned into a devil demanding repayment, which was truly terrifying.
"Well, this is all quite frightening. However, we still need to understand where that money went. This guy is still a speculator, shorting gold and the pound, quite benefiting from it."
"This can only be inquired through normal channels, and actions can't be too conspicuous. Sigh, there are just too many consequences tied to this guy. If something goes wrong for him, it could spell trouble for the Soviets as well."
"Is this considered a Ponzi scheme?"
"Not quite; in fact, not all of it is a scam. So far, no Soviets have bothered him, at least. I believe he's just a capable broker, albeit a rather expensive one."
While William White said this, he couldn't help but feel pity for the guy. If he hadn't stirred the London market, probably no one in the world would know just how much money he had.
In reality, the biggest beneficiary might not even be him. A bunch of thieves planning to rob the country were just being given some convenience by Leo Wanta.
Of course, everything that happened later clearly exceeded the initial setup. This highly capable individual received recognition from the Soviets, leading to more and more funds flooding into his accounts.
Ironically, this guy was actually a CIA asset. His job was to destabilize the Soviet economy, not to play broker here.
...
The abnormal situation in the London market naturally attracted the attention of various forces. Interestingly, the top ten conglomerates collectively chose to ignore it.
Many media outlets, including NBC, surprisingly had no commentary on the affair. For things to become this bizarre was quite laughable.
Public opinion serves a supervisory role, but that doesn't mean you can supervise at any given time. For instance, this time all related reports had to be suppressed, and no journalists were allowed to pursue the matter any further.
"Hahaha, how amusing this is!"
"Sir, what's making you so happy?"
"Haha, it's nothing; I'm just thrilled to see some people losing their minds. Lisa, get me a glass of whiskey."
William White rarely drank at work. This time, however, he was clearly quite excited. Now he knew that the CIA was panicking, and so was the Fed. It was a delight for William White to see those bastards in trouble.
Such an enormous amount of money suddenly slipped from their sight. After the initial shock, a wave of rage and fear hit them simultaneously.
Clearly, Mr. Wanta sensed danger. Given the current situation, he seemed ready to take a massive gamble.
Swiss banks and those offshore banks have one thing in common: they only care about account numbers and passwords. Whether or not it's the actual owner who withdraws funds isn't their concern.
For some people, this was advantageous. If utilized correctly, such banks could become quite handy trump cards. Regardless of how wise or capable you are, there will always come a time you stumble. Leaving some trump cards behind isn't a bad backup plan.
The European nobility has always maintained this tradition. The rich in Egypt loved to fill graves with treasures, whereas the European elite preferred to stash theirs away.
That's why, in the past, you'd often hear news about whose castle unearthed some treasures. Those wealthy individuals worried about their descendants not amounting to much, so they left behind some tokens of their legacy. If found, it was considered a stroke of good fortune; if they even sold their ancestral estate, they would be mere unworthy descendants, and that would be their fate.
*****
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