Chapter 409: The Party

While Link was competing in Singapore, Chris Liu and Jennifer Xu flew from Beijing to see him.

The three had originally planned to meet in Hong Kong, but due to the change of venue for the competition, the meeting place was also changed to Singapore.

Therefore, he stayed in Singapore for three more days and dealt with some matters of the Golden Shell Investment Company in Hong Kong.

He returned to the United States at the end of April.

This trip abroad earned him a total of 78 million US dollars.

It sounded like a lot, but when he acquired Lionsgate, he took out three loans totaling 360 million US dollars.

Counting Lionsgate's debt, the current debt related to him was as high as 540 million US dollars, making him a real billionaire in debt.

However, when borrowing from the bank, he also discovered an advantage. As long as he was bold enough and believed he could repay the loan, he could have a large amount of cash.

Link consulted with Morgan Bank's investment department and found that according to his current assets and income level, he could borrow more than 1 billion US dollars.

He originally wanted to borrow a few hundred million more to buy Nvidia stock, increasing his stake in Nvidia to over 10%.

However, when checking Nvidia's information, he found that after experiencing two waves of rising prices at the beginning of the year, Nvidia's stock price continued to fall in April.

From $18.5 per share, it fell to $13.7, and its market value also dropped from $13.8 billion to $10.5 billion, and it was still falling continuously, with a high chance of falling below $10 billion.

When reporting on this matter, The Wall Street Journal also mentioned Link, mocking him for buying at the highest price of Nvidia's stock and exchanging popular stocks for junk stocks, losing hundreds of millions of dollars in just one month.

They also joked that if investors didn't know how to invest in stocks, they could just follow Link.

If Link bought a stock, they should never buy it or short it. If Link gave up a stock, they should quickly take over, buying as much as they could with all their money.

The reason was simple. Link was an outsider who didn't understand the stock market. It was almost impossible to lose money by doing the opposite of him.

The Wall Street Journal was used to praising the high and trampling the low. Last year, when Tesla went public, they hyped Link as an investment genius. Now that Nvidia's market value had plummeted, they treated him as an investment idiot.

Link was also helpless when he saw Nvidia's situation.

He originally thought that after 2010, Nvidia's market value would soar all the way, increasing by 10 billion a year and exceeding 100 billion in ten years. But he didn't expect so many twists and turns in between, and it might even fall below 10 billion.

Due to the unclear market conditions, he couldn't borrow money to buy Nvidia at this time. Even if he wanted to, Ms. Cathy and others would advise him against it.

After thinking it over, he decided to return the prize money he earned to the bank first.

The after-tax income was about 5.6 million, and his bank debt also decreased from 360 million to 310 million.

As for borrowing money to buy Nvidia shares, he would wait and see. As long as Nvidia's market value didn't exceed 20 billion, it was a good opportunity to enter the market.

"Link, stop playing the stock market. My dad said it's better to gamble and do drugs than to touch stocks. No matter how much money you have, they will make you lose everything on Wall Street. It's safest to focus on movies. Even if you lose money, it's only tens of millions."

David Ellison said, holding a champagne glass on the yacht deck.

"That makes sense. The stock market is indeed very risky. One or two hundred million dollars can disappear in the blink of an eye."

Link chuckled.

This time, Nvidia's stock did indeed make him lose more than 100 million US dollars, and he was still losing money. The market value of his 5.3% stake in Nvidia had fallen to just over 500 million.

However, this wasn't all bad news. The decline in Nvidia's stock price also gave him more opportunities to buy in. When he made money in the second half of the year, he could buy another portion of Nvidia shares.

"Link, are you completely handing over Lionsgate to Ivanka?"

Megan Ellison asked.

"Yes, she's better at this than I am. If I were to manage Lionsgate, it would probably go bankrupt. But I'll also be involved in some film investment work. If there are suitable projects, we can cooperate."

Link said, swirling his champagne glass.

"Hey, Link, David, Megan, welcome to my party."

While they were talking, Ryan Kavanaugh, the president of Relativity Media, walked towards the three of them with open arms on the deck aisle, shouting enthusiastically.

This was a three-story luxury yacht on the West Pacific coast. The sky was blue without a single cloud, and the sea was also a boundless blue. Only a few protruding reefs in the distance showed that this place was not far from the West Pacific coast.

On the sea, a white yacht more than 50 meters long was cruising around, and a celebration party for the movie "Limitless" was being held on the yacht.

This film was produced by Relativity Media with an investment cost of 2.3 million. It was released in mid-March and had currently grossed over 100 million US dollars worldwide, which could be considered a box office success.

Ryan Kavanaugh, the boss of Relativity Media, had a habit of inviting partners and film industry investors to a party every time a film under his company grossed over 100 million US dollars.

On the one hand, it was to win over partners.

On the other hand, it could also give investors confidence and prepare for financing the next project.

Link and the Ellison siblings were also invited guests.

"Ryan, congratulations. Several of Relativity Media's films have done well at the box office this year. Maybe you have a chance to surpass Paramount and 20th Century Fox in total annual box office."

David Ellison laughed.

Link and Megan Ellison also congratulated him. At the beginning of this year and the end of last year, Relativity Media released six films, such as "The Spy Next Door," "Legion," "Season of the Witch," and "Limitless." Four of them had temporarily grossed over 100 million US dollars worldwide.

This result was temporarily better than Paramount Pictures among the six major Hollywood studios and barely caught up with 20th Century Fox.

It was better than Lionsgate and other independent production companies such as Weinstein, New Line, and Summit Entertainment.

"Haha, that sounds like good news, but our current goal is to catch up with Lionsgate. Lionsgate is the leader in our independent production field."

Ryan Kavanaugh raised his glass to Link.

"Then I'll try my best not to let you catch up so quickly."

Link laughed.

"Haha, Link, it should be Miss Trump who tries her best. She's the helm of Lionsgate now. But compared to Miss Trump, I still prefer to deal with you. We don't have much common language with Miss Trump."

Ryan Kavanaugh shrugged.

"I have too many things on my hands and can't take care of Lionsgate, so I can only trouble her now."

Link said.

"Yes, I almost forgot to congratulate you on defending your title as the champion of the four major organizations again. That's amazing. You earned 40 to 50 million US dollars from one match, which is more than we earned from one movie. If I had such a stable cash flow, coupled with my big data film investment technology, I would definitely make Relativity bigger and stronger."

Ryan Kavanaugh exclaimed.

"Relativity is doing well now, with two consecutive films breaking 100 million. The momentum is strong."

Link laughed.

"Haha, I said long ago that using big data algorithms to invest in movies would result in 100% profit. Do you believe it now?"

Kavanaugh laughed arrogantly.

Link nodded. He had also heard of Kavanaugh's big data statistical test method.

It was a risk management strategy originating from Wall Street that used data from tens of thousands of movies to predict the box office performance of any particular movie after its release, taking into account parameters such as budget, director, actors, release date, and film type.

Kavanaugh had a famous saying, "Even if I agree to make it, it won't work if the data model doesn't agree." He was a film investor who believed only in data.

After chatting for a few words, Ryan Kavanaugh left with his female companion to greet other guests.

"Link, what do you think of the big data model investment technology Kavanaugh mentioned? Is it useful?"

David Ellison asked, looking at Kavanaugh's back.

"It's useful, otherwise Relativity Media wouldn't have its current scale. But the market is changing, and there are too many uncertainties in the film industry. It definitely won't work to completely rely on big data. I think it's more appropriate to use this method as a reference for film investment."

Link said thoughtfully.

"I agree with Link. Even the best technology needs people to execute it. People make mistakes, and that's inevitable. I think making movies based on experience is more reliable than big data. If you combine the two, maybe you can do well."

Megan Ellison said, crossing her arms.

Link nodded in agreement.

After the party started, the three sat together and chatted about the new film projects of their respective companies.

Link mentioned a good script from Palm Beach Pictures, "The Master," a new work by renowned writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson.

Director Anderson was a famous art-house film director in Hollywood, with representative works such as "Boogie Nights," "There Will Be Blood," and "Magnolia."

In 2008, he won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival for "There Will Be Blood" and was also nominated for Best Director at the Oscars and Golden Globes.

His films were all of high quality, but the box office results were average. This film, "The Master," was once shelved due to investment problems until Joaquin Phoenix approached Link with the script.Link didn't know how much the movie would gross at the box office, but decided to take it on due to his trust in director Anderson and recognition of Joaquin's acting skills. However, the film's production cost was a hefty 32 million dollars, slightly exceeding Palm Beach Pictures' current investment capacity.

Link asked Megan and David if they were interested in investing. David Ellison expressed disinterest upon hearing it was an art film, preferring to invest in big-budget action movies with intense scenes. Megan showed some interest, wanting to read the script first before deciding, and also mentioned her own new project, "The Land of Hope," a story about three brothers who grow a criminal gang while bootlegging. She asked Link if he was interested in collaborating.

Link, unfamiliar with the film, said he would read the script first before making a decision. Palm Beach Pictures' funds were currently insufficient, and Lionsgate was facing the same issue, requiring more caution in further investments. However, the films produced by Megan's Annapurna Pictures were of good quality, including "Zero Dark Thirty," "The Grandmaster," "Phantom Thread," and Lady Gaga's "House of Gucci," all receiving positive reviews. If the company had sufficient funds, deepening cooperation with Megan wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Link, I'm going to hit on some girls, want to join?" David Ellison stood up with a laugh.

Link glanced at the party on the yacht. Besides filmmakers like themselves, there were numerous investors worth tens of millions or even billions, as well as glamorous male and female stars, scantily clad models, totaling over two hundred people. He even recognized a few familiar faces.

There were Bradley Cooper and Abbie Cornish, the lead actors of "Limitless," along with several supporting actresses. He also saw Nicholas Cage, George Clooney, Will Smith, Angelina Jolie, Sofia Coppola, Amanda Seyfried, Anne Hathaway, Anna Friel, Gemma Arterton, Justin Timberlake, and others who had collaborated with Relativity Media. He even spotted Amber Heard in the crowd, along with a few familiar faces among the models.

"No thanks, not interested!" Link waved his hand.

"Are you kidding? You're the world's most famous playboy, seeing so many beauties but saying you're not interested?" David Ellison asked.

"If you want to go, go ahead, why drag Link along?" Megan Ellison kicked him. David Ellison laughed, straightened his shirt collar, patted his hair, grabbed a champagne glass, and walked into the lively party.

Link chuckled, crossed his legs, leaned back on the sofa, and gazed at the blue sky above, the seabirds flying by, the undulating sea beneath the yacht, and the warm sea breeze brushing past his ears.

At this moment, this feeling was more pleasant than having two beauties in his arms.

"Link, you're such a strange person," Megan Ellison said, examining his profile with a smile.

"How so?"

"Before meeting you, I had heard about your playboy reputation, but seeing you in person, I realized you don't seem like a playboy."

"Really? There are many types of playboys."

"Yes, I've met many playboys, slick, lecherous, greedy, perverted, all sorts. No matter how they try to hide it, they all have a certain complex aura, but you seem clean, both in aura and scent, very different from those playboys. How do you do it?" Megan Ellison asked with a smile.

"You've got me there. Maybe you've discovered a new breed of playboy."

"Haha, sometimes I envy you guys. You can casually hit on girls, even four or five at a time, but we women can't do that. Especially women with some fame, once they fall in love with more than one man, they'll be slut-shamed by the public," Megan Ellison said.

Link shook his head and looked at Megan, who was dressed in a casual suit with short hair: "You probably didn't notice how the media and netizens scolded me last September, calling me a scumbag, playboy, hypocrite. During that time, I received more criticism than an ordinary person would in a hundred lifetimes. The media criticizes promiscuous women as sluts, bitches, and promiscuous men as scumbags, scum. It feels about the same."

"It's very different. When I hear those people call a cheating woman a slut, it feels like going back to the Middle Ages. In ancient times, no one would criticize a promiscuous man as a scumbag," Megan said, holding her wine glass and laughing.

Link thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. In ancient times, promiscuous men were called 'masters' if they were rich, and 'lechers' if they were poor.

"Hey Link, you're here too," Amber Heard greeted him with a smile, still wearing her not-so-smart smile.

Besides Amber, Amanda Seyfried, Lindsay Lohan, Anne Hathaway, and others also came to say hello.

Link got up to deal with them. Now, as the owner of the seventh or eighth largest film studio in Hollywood, with plenty of resources in hand, he was like someone standing on the shore with bait, also becoming the object of pursuit for these entertainment stars.

This was the power of influence.

Despite this, he wouldn't do that. Taking advantage of these women would require exchanging corresponding resources. A role worth hundreds of thousands or even millions in salary wasn't a worthwhile deal, and he might even be manipulated by these shrewd women.

But when he chatted with them seriously and without desire, they would act like canaries, competing to show off their beautiful feathers and graceful figures, offering him many benefits for free.

After dealing with them, Link broke out in a sweat. Well, the sweat was his, but the fragrance was theirs.

"Link, how does it feel to be surrounded by a group of women?" Megan Ellison teased him with a smile when he returned.

"Not bad, they're all excellent actresses," Link shrugged and smiled.

Megan laughed, "Ever since you stood up for Jennifer Lawrence and bought Lionsgate last month, there's not a single actress who doesn't envy Jennifer and wish for a boyfriend like you. You're probably the most popular man in Hollywood right now. If you want to hit on girls, no woman on this boat, married or not, could resist your charm."

"That's an exaggeration. I'm a playboy, not everyone likes my type," Link said with a smile.

Megan shook her head, looking at his clean, handsome face, gentle and refined smile, strong physique that was always evident, as well as his wealth, fame, and power. Such a man was like a drug to those Hollywood actresses who liked to cling to power, extremely lethal.

"Hey, Megan, snap out of it. Why are you staring at Link? God, no way, you fell for Link after I was gone for a while?"

As soon as David Ellison finished speaking, Megan kicked him. David Ellison stumbled back, almost falling to the ground, but was caught by two models beside him.

"I was just kidding, was it necessary to kick me?" David Ellison said, patting his knee.

"Talking to you, using my foot is the most effective," Megan said with a stern face and a light snort.

"Alas, all sisters are the same. They're not fun when they grow up. Do you know what happened over there just now?" David Ellison sat down and pointed to the middle of the deck.

The protagonist of the party, Ryan Kavanaugh, was there, along with Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Will Smith. They seemed to be discussing something.

David Ellison said that Brad Pitt had just taken out a script and asked Kavanaugh to evaluate its investment value.

The script was called "Moneyball," adapted from Michael Lewis's book "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game." It told the story of Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, who used unconventional management methods to break all traditions and successfully build a highly competitive baseball team.

This was a sports movie. In 2009, there was a sports movie called "The Blind Side," which grossed over 250 million dollars at the box office with a budget of over 30 million dollars. The female lead, Sandra Bullock, won an Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in the film.

The critical and commercial success of "The Blind Side" led to a surge in sports movies in recent years, including Link's "The Fighter," "Warrior," "Soul Surfer," "Real Steel," and even "Black Swan."

"Moneyball" was also an inspirational movie, and Brad Pitt approached Ryan Kavanaugh for investment.

Kavanaugh immediately asked someone to build a big data model to assess the film's investment value. Upon learning that the film's production cost exceeded 50 million dollars, Kavanaugh said that although the film had the potential to win some awards, its box office performance wouldn't be great and it might even lose money. Such a project didn't meet Relativity Media's investment criteria.

"Link, this script is good, and Brad Pitt has decent box office appeal. I think we can give it a try. Want to join?" David Ellison said.

Link thought for a moment. He had also seen "Moneyball." It was a good movie, nominated for Oscars, and it seemed to have grossed over 100 million dollars at the box office. It looked like a good project.

However, the 50 million dollar production cost was too high for Lionsgate and Palm Beach Pictures to handle alone.

"I haven't read the script, how would I know if the movie is good?"

"I'll get the script."

David Ellison got up and left, quickly returning with the script and Brad Pitt.

"Hi, Link!"

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie walked over together. The man was in a suit and tie, handsome and masculine, while the woman was in a red dress, graceful and charming. They were one of the most famous couples in Hollywood.

However, most couples in the entertainment industry had rocky relationships, and recent news suggested their marriage was also experiencing problems.

Link stood up and chatted with them.

"Link, I heard you're going to invest in this movie?" Ryan Kavanaugh also came over and asked.

"I have that idea. Brad is one of my favorite actors, and I want to collaborate with him once. But our company's production schedule is already full, and we don't have much production funding left. Whether to invest in this movie or not, we need to look at the investment amount first before making a decision," Link shrugged and said.

"Link, this is definitely a film project worth investing in," Brad Pitt said, raising his glass with a smile, and explained that he had already secured 20 million dollars in investment from Scott Rudin Productions, and he himself would invest through his salary, receiving 10% of the North American box office after the film's release. There was still a 25 million dollar investment gap.

Upon hearing that renowned producer Scott Rudin was also involved in this film project, David Ellison no longer hesitated and immediately stated that Skydance could invest 10 million dollars.

Ryan Kavanaugh said that the film's production cost was still too high, and if it could be controlled under 35 million dollars, he would definitely invest.

Brad Pitt said that the original production cost was 80 million dollars, and it had already been cut several times. 50 million dollars was the minimum cost, and further compression would affect the film's quality.

"Link, what do you think?" Angelina Jolie asked, pursing her red lips and leaning close to him.

Link flipped through the script, not giving an immediate answer, saying that he needed to take it back to the company for the production department to study before making a decision.

While they were discussing the film investment, everyone on the deck crowded around, and more people came to greet and chat with Link.

Link had to brace himself and deal with them, breaking out in another sweat.

(End of Chapter)