civilwarnovels Chapter 180 Google's New CEO
Chapter 180 Google's New CEO
Chapter 180 Google's New CEO
As Henry Paulson said, someone is going crazy.
At Citigroup headquarters, John Reed was cursing in his office, "Bastards! A bunch of untrustworthy bastards!"
His roar echoed through the room, "They dare to go back on their word at the last minute! What do they take Citibank for? Street prostitutes?"
The secretary stood behind the desk, his eyes lowered, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the seam of his trousers, while he inwardly rolled his eyes.
Who was it that initially proposed acquiring Marvel shares from other banks? After failing to reach an agreement with Ernst, they turned around and delayed the deal, citing reasons such as overvaluation and market risks.
Now that things have been exposed, everyone knows Ernst has his eye on Marvel, and you're turning around and accusing them of not selling to you.
If we had been determined to acquire those shares back then, we wouldn't be in this predicament today. Ultimately, it's our own fault; who can we blame?
"We have $2.3 million of Marvel's debt, which is 38% of Marvel's total debt. However, given the current situation, whether it's 38% or 48%, it's meaningless now."
For Wall Street's bloodthirsty capital, the two lucrative deals Ernst offered—Dynamic Games and MGM—were like a life-giving spring in the desert.
How could those institutions holding Marvel debt possibly let go of this opportunity to divide the wealth? They will definitely obediently hand over Marvel shares in exchange for a ticket to enter this capital feast.
By then, Citibank will be all alone. Will they have no choice but to refuse to sell?
Once Ernst owns more than 50% of Marvel, Citigroup's $2.3 million debt will become worthless, with no strategic value whatsoever. Ernst could simply use that money to pay off the debt and legitimately take over Marvel entirely.
If Citigroup chooses to convert debt to equity, the situation will only get worse.
Once Ernst became the major shareholder, he had plenty of ways to make Citigroup's investment go down the drain.
If Citigroup invests proportionally, will it follow suit? If it does, it will have to be prepared for Marvel's years of losses.
If you don't follow suit, your shares will be diluted to nothing immediately.
If the other party were more ruthless, Ernst could have made a fortune through Marvel through a series of capital operations, while Marvel's parent company wouldn't see a single penny of profit.
For example, those priceless superhero IPs could be licensed to MGM for a symbolic price, and the profits could be quietly transferred between the two companies.
"I know, you don't need to remind me." John Reed suddenly looked up and glared at the secretary who had spoken up.
He knew it was part of his duty as a secretary, but he was still very unhappy about it.
I slumped back into the leather seat, the backrest groaning under the weight.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest, his brows furrowed into a deep frown, his mind racing through various possibilities for breaking the deadlock.
But no matter which approach is used, the final result is the same.
The key issue is that Citigroup has no chips in its hand.
A suffocating silence fell over the office. After a full ten minutes, John Reed let out a long sigh, his voice filled with exhaustion and resentment.
He found himself once again trapped in his own web because of Ernst, reaping the bitter fruits of his own actions.
"Help me schedule an appointment with Robert Iger and tell him that Citigroup is willing to sell all of its Marvel shares."
In fact, Citigroup wasn't the only one looking to sell its Marvel shares. The entire Wall Street community, any institution holding Marvel shares or debt, was on the move.
Ernst, the mastermind behind all this, had no time to pay attention to what was happening on Wall Street; he was busy looking for a new leader for Google.
Google is about to move into its new headquarters, which will usher in a period of rapid development, followed by business integration and restructuring, finalization of the equity structure, and preparations for entering the capital market.
Search engines, with their unique algorithms and excellent user experience, have attracted more and more users, and their market size continues to expand.
With the expansion of the business, the launch of Gmail, and the already initiated Google Tunes and the upcoming video business, management challenges are becoming increasingly prominent.
The rapid increase in the company's employees, the coordination between various departments, the allocation of resources across business lines, the strategic planning of global expansion, and so on, all require an experienced leader to coordinate.
Everyone knows that Google needs a captain who can steer this fast-moving ship.
Among dozens of resumes provided by the headhunting firm, Hamilton James's name eventually caught Ernst's attention.
He did want to bring Eric Schmidt over, but the guy had just taken over as CEO and chairman of the board of Nove II this year and had no intention of leaving.
At this moment, Ernst and Sergei Brin were scrutinizing the middle-aged man in a suit and tie before them.
Hamilton James sensed his attitude and, instead of rushing to showcase his resume and achievements, went straight to the point, saying, "I know you must have reservations about traditional management, and I'm not the kind of person who follows the old ways. Google's uniqueness lies in its culture of innovation and its outstanding technology, which is invaluable and must not be destroyed."
His words surprised Sergei Brin slightly, as he hadn't expected the other party to have guessed his thoughts.
In his view, many so-called professionals and managers use rigid rules and bureaucracy to stifle the company's innovative vitality, so he has an instinctive aversion to traditional business managers.
Not only him, but even Ernst knew that Google couldn't hire a traditional, old-fashioned man, as that would limit Google's creativity.
This is why he chose this person; the future CEO of Blackstone Group is a natural-born manager.
He had reviewed the other party's information, and from the companies he had worked for in the past, the most common evaluation of him was his management skills.
By adjusting the office environment, performance evaluation, and compensation system, the efficiency of the department or company under their leadership has been improved.
When it comes to industries they don't understand, they never make decisions that would be like an outsider leading an insider; instead, they prefer to solicit opinions from more people.
This is exactly what Google needs right now. Hamilton James's addition will allow Google's administrative system to take shape quickly, becoming more standardized and disciplined.
However, he will not stifle Google's creativity, keeping administration and technology on two parallel tracks.
"Give me a brief overview of your views on the future of the internet industry," Ernst asked his first question.
Hamilton James sat up straighter, realizing that this man was the one who would truly determine his future.
Google's future is bright, and its IPO is not far off. Getting on board this giant ship at this time is something everyone dreams of.
After a quick thought, he began to talk about his views on the future of the Internet industry: "The speed of Internet development is beyond imagination. Google cannot be satisfied with its existing search and email businesses, but should use the huge user advantage they bring to diversify its business."
"I believe that the way we acquire and interact with information will undergo tremendous changes in the future, and we need to plan ahead and continuously expand our boundaries. For example, by integrating more data resources, we can provide users with more personalized and intelligent services."
The viewpoint wasn't particularly groundbreaking, but it was certainly forward-thinking, and at least a satisfactory answer.
"What about employee freedom and trust in the workplace?"
This issue directly addresses Google's current management practices. Because of Ernst's initial indulgence and support, Google has now taken one step into a flexible work model.
Employees can arrange their work hours freely, and can even skateboard or play games in the company, as long as they can complete their tasks on time. This is completely contrary to the management model of traditional enterprises.
Hamilton picked up the water glass on the table, took a sip of water to clear his throat, and seemed to be organizing his thoughts for more precise words: "I have always believed that truly talented people need a stage where they can fully express themselves, not cumbersome rules and regulations."
"At Google, engineers have extraordinary creativity. What we need to do is not to limit them, but to provide them with better resources and support so that their ideas can take root and flourish."
His gaze shifted between Ernst and Sergei, and he said sincerely, "In fact, if you look into my past work, you will find that although I value rules and discipline, I never use a tough management style, but rather prefer soft management."
"I will draw a clear line for the team, letting everyone know what they can do and what they absolutely cannot do. As for what kind of work style employees choose within that area, I don't care."
Ernst and Sergei exchanged a glance, both seeing satisfaction in each other's eyes.
This candidate not only understood the core of Google's culture, but also put forward practical management ideas, which was exactly the answer they wanted.
"One last question," Ernst leaned forward slightly, "What are your salary requirements?"
Hamilton shrugged. "To be honest, I don't care much about the amount of my annual salary. I'd much rather have more stock options than a fixed salary."
In the meeting room, the three of them burst into knowing laughter at this answer.
Ernst and Sergei's laughter carried an approval of the answer. Managers willing to use equity incentives to bind themselves to the company clearly have confidence in the company's prospects and their own abilities, rather than being there simply to coast along.
This type of salary is common in the United States.
Shareholders need management to be dedicated and work with the utmost effort to help the company take off.
Managers also believe in their abilities to help the company achieve greater development and reap greater rewards themselves.
Hamilton was laughing because he knew he had essentially passed the interview.
If the other party is not satisfied with you, they will not even ask about your salary.
Ernst's smile faded, and he extended his right hand. "An annual salary of five hundred thousand dollars. If you can achieve our agreed performance targets within five years, you can receive up to 3% of Google's shares. How about it?"
Hamilton extended his hand without hesitation and shook hands firmly with Ernst. "No problem, I'm very satisfied with this offer."