Chapter 112: Valuation

Words : 946 Updated : Sep 30th, 2025

Was this the King of Comedy movies? At this point, no major player could afford to ignore this company any longer. Pretending it didn't exist was pointless; it was time to think about strategies to deal with it. Warner Bros was in hot water. Steve Ross needed to pray for divine intervention; the chances of him being ousted were enormous. Lucas felt very fortunate that he hadn't fallen out with this young man. If it came to a showdown, Lucas would have been left in tears. The production costs were different, alright. It wouldn't matter if he made more at the box office. It still depended on how much the difference was. From the current trend, the gap would definitely be narrow. Hollywood had its own way of measuring. Once the first week's box office numbers were out, unless the movie's reputation tanked, the approximate box office figure could be estimated. How was the reputation of Beverly Hills Cop? It could only be described as a flood of rave reviews. Hollywood's film companies were in a daze. Three movies, all surpassing 100 million at the box office. Could he be any more outrageous? Whoever wanted to jinx themselves could give it a try, but many people were backing down. Instead of going against him, it was better to humbly learn from his model. United Artists was a bit bitter. Although Home Alone sequel wasn't directed by William White, they still didn't have the courage to compete. Seeing that United Artists planned to clash with him, William White couldn't help but laugh. Heaven's Gate? That name was quite fitting; United Artists was indeed sent to heaven. In Hollywood history, this film was famous. Close to a $50 million production cost, a famous Oscar-winning director, and an all-star cast. Yet it was disastrous. Barely a $3 million box office, it directly sank a company. In those days, final cut rights were in the hands of the directors, especially for art films. These great directors did not allow interference from others. This director was indeed talented, but unfortunately, the audience couldn't appreciate their expression. They simply didn't understand what the director was shooting. ... "Lucas, what's that guy doing? The box office is already fantastic. Why waste money?" "Spielberg, I think we underestimated his ambition. Making money doesn't seem to be his ultimate goal." "That explains it. How are things going overseas?" "Sweeping everything. No match at all. London's slightly ahead of us. No rivals anywhere else." "Lucas, next time let's be bolder. This time was good with London synchronized. It'd be best if we could always do this." "Yes, I will consider your advice seriously. Actually, I regret it a bit. Raiders of the Lost Ark should've been a collaboration with William White. But those bastards only focus on immediate profits." Actually, what he said was nonsense. Even if William White invested, he definitely wouldn't exhaust himself on advertising. The future versions had nothing to do with him. The peripheral products were all their benefits. He wasn't going to work himself to the bone for their profit. ... A $500 million valuation. That was the estimated value given by Morgan Stanley. If a complete acquisition were necessary, the uncertainties would be high. This was the value of White Films. "I have that much money?" William White merely smiled at this news. Clearly, he had no intention of going public. Whether he would seek outside financing was not their concern. What Americans were intrigued by was this wealth legend. This wasn't the story of the rich second generation. The film company was built from the ground up. Along with his software company, video game company, and the newly rising comic book company, after careful calculations, William White's personal fortune was close to $2 billion. In those days, $2 billion was a terrifying figure. No publicly known tycoon had reached this height. The Hunter family could have, but they messed up, the loan amount far exceeded the family's assets. But William White had no loans; it was a completely different story. Not only were average Americans confused, but even the major financial conglomerates were dumbfounded. They were well aware that William White had just made a big profit in gold futures, at least $200 million. The rapid rise of such an extraordinary figure was indeed perplexing for everyone. ... Faced with skyrocketing box office numbers, White Films was buzzing with excitement. Their boss wasn't stingy. If you worked hard, you'd be duly rewarded. Eddie Murphy finally breathed a sigh of relief. This time, he made the right bet by not choosing unreliable scripts. "Eddie, as a friend, I suggest you improve yourself. If you don't break through, your style of acting will last you ten years at most. After that, it won't be so easy." If anyone else said this, Eddie Murphy would brush it off. But it was different with William White. Lasting ten years was pretty good, but everyone wishes for a longer artistic life. "Alright, boss. I'll take an acting course." "It's not just me saying it. Rowan Atkinson has a strong foundation. In the short term, it may not matter, but long-term, he'll surpass you. Look at our current cast -- even the supporting actors are top-notch." "Yes, boss. Even though I don't like those Brits, they do have talent." "Good, as long as you know. You have plenty of time. You're not short on money, so take your time." ***** https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.

Chapter 112: Valuation

Comments (0)