Chapter 34 - Chapter 34: Securing Investment

Don't think for a moment that America is devoid of nepotism. On the contrary, it's rampant. Take Milo, for example. If his ancestors had all attended Harvard, generation after generation, then even if his descendants were to have intellectual disabilities, a simple letter of recommendation would be enough to secure their admission.Another example is his dear uncle, the current Governor of Texas, George Bush. When George was young, his academic performance was… less than stellar. He once received a zero on a school assignment, his teacher's feedback being, "Awful! Disgraceful!" Had he been born into an ordinary family, he might have, at best, attended a community college—and that only if he came from a middle-class background. If he'd grown up in the slums of a big city or in the rural South, he might not even have learned to write properly. Yet, George easily got into Yale and, a few years later, somehow managed to obtain a master's degree from Harvard. Milo knew his uncle wasn't some late-blooming genius. From what he remembered, his Uncle George was simply a good-natured, agreeable man, a decent person who listened to advice. So how did he end up with degrees from Yale and Harvard? It was pure nepotism.This was to illustrate why Michael Eisner and the other media giants were giving Milo so much attention, even meeting with him before the party officially began. When there was no conflict of interest, being the son of the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications carried significant weight.Of course, if there were a conflict, things would be different. These men had their own powerful connections. Media giants were often backed by powerful financial groups. For instance, Viacom was supported by Jewish financiers, and Disney also had some Jewish financial backing. Murdoch's News Corporation originated from Australian money and had cultivated close ties with American financiers after arriving in the U.S. If it came to a business war, everyone would fight for their own interests.But for now, with no immediate conflicts, they saw Milo as a pleasure-seeking, somewhat naive young man, eager to enjoy the perks of Hollywood. As for him being a bestselling author and a figure touched by the Gospel… The latter was debatable. As for the former, there were whispers in certain circles that Milo hadn't actually written The Da Vinci Code. Some claimed it was ghostwritten and he simply put his name on it. These conspiracy theorists weren't entirely wrong, but they would never have the chance to prove it."...Yes, that's right, I'm preparing for my second film," Milo said.After the initial introductions, the media moguls didn't swarm around Milo. They formed their own smaller groups, engaging in separate conversations. Milo's status was enough to grant him entry into their circle, to ensure he wasn't ignored, but not much more.Michael Eisner, as the host, was busy. Milo found himself talking with Sumner Redstone and Rupert Murdoch. They weren't well acquainted, so they discussed Milo's novel and film. Milo suspected they hadn't even read his book, so the conversation naturally shifted to his movie. After some anecdotes about filmmaking, they touched upon his plans to start filming his second project in a few days."If I recall correctly," Rupert said with mild surprise, "Didn't you just say you wrapped filming on a movie two days ago, my dear Milo?""Yes," Milo confirmed."And you're saying you'll start filming another one in two days?" Redstone asked, incredulous."That's right."Upon hearing this, Redstone and Murdoch exchanged a look."If I may be blunt," Rupert continued, "Doesn't that mean there's only a three-day gap between filming two movies?""Haha, exactly! Rupert, Sam, your reactions are the same as my housekeeper's when she heard about it," Milo chuckled. "But it's true. I've finished the script. All that's missing is funding and formal pre-production.""Sam, Rupert," Milo continued smoothly, "I was wondering if Paramount and Fox might be interested?"Milo wasn't actually short on funds. His second film required far less investment than Angels & Demons. It had minimal special effects and grand scenes, a period drama. Around $20-25 million should be sufficient. He could easily cover that himself, even without family support. He didn't even need to leverage his valuable internet company stocks. The success of The Da Vinci Code alone was enough to have banks throwing money at him.But he wanted to involve the Hollywood giants for reasons that would become clear later."What kind of film is it? And what's the budget?" Redstone inquired.Despite speaking first, Redstone wasn't particularly interested. This was partly due to his Jewish heritage, known for its financial prudence, and partly because of his strong backing from the Jewish financial group. In other words, Sumner Redstone wasn't particularly afraid of the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications. CBS was already his. It was unlikely that refusing to invest in his son's film would have any repercussions."It's a period drama, with a budget of around $25 million. I can contribute $15 million myself," Milo replied."A pity," Redstone immediately responded. "Paramount's budget for next year is practically nonexistent. Perhaps we could collaborate the year after?" This was a polite rejection."Of course, there will always be opportunities," Milo said with a smile."Could I take a look at the script?" Murdoch asked with a smile. "Fox doesn't have many big projects lined up for next year. We have ample budget."While he asked for the script, Murdoch had already made up his mind. If Milo's script and film plans weren't completely outrageous, Fox would invest. His reasoning was similar to Redstone's, but with a crucial difference. Redstone had strong backing and wasn't afraid of any potential trouble from Milo, so he felt no need to humor him with an investment, especially since Milo's first film hadn't even been released yet. He had no idea of Milo's abilities. Investing $10 million on a whim seemed like throwing money away to the shrewd businessman.Murdoch, on the other hand, was still working on integrating News Corporation and his family into American society. His connections were not as established. If this investment could build a relationship with the Blackburn family, it would be worth the risk, even if it turned out to be a loss. Besides, it might not be a loss at all. Murdoch decided that Fox would send its best people to be involved in the project, maximizing the chances of a successful film and recouping as much of the investment as possible. He reassured himself that it might not even be a loss at all.