RR 27
[027] A Miraculous Investment Company 3.
“Oh, no. I like them.”
The hamburger wasn’t the important thing. Wasn’t it a subtle message that he’d meet us without much fuss, just enough for a light lunch?
It felt like Dell Computer was slipping further away.
I lay in the comfortable hotel bedroom but couldn’t easily fall asleep.
I finally managed to drift off at dawn, after racking my brain for ways to turn a refusal into an acceptance.
At 1 PM, as we entered the Wendy’s in Round Rock, we saw a long queue.
Given that the University of Texas was nearby, the store was teeming with college students.
“Damn. They all look so similar, how am I supposed to find him?”
The store was infused with a distinct Southern atmosphere. All the men wore jeans and plaid shirts, and their appearances weren’t much different, so it was impossible to spot Michael Dell.
Perhaps the middle-aged Asian man looking around conspicuously caught more attention.
“Hey, Mr. Oh?”
I turned towards the sound of “Mr. Oh.”
A young man with a straw in a cola cup in his mouth.
It was Michael Dell, aged 24.
The young appearance of a giant who would become the youngest person among the world’s 500 richest at 27, and officially accumulate 21.4 billion dollars at 34, claiming a spot among America’s top 5 richest, was no different from any other college student.
Of course, he was already in the millionaire league.
“Mr. Dell?”
“Yes.”
He casually held out a paper bag containing a hamburger and gestured with his eyes.
Where was he telling us to follow?
He led the way out of the store and walked to a nearby park.
He plumped down on a bench and smiled faintly.
“This is better, right? It was too noisy in there.”
“Indeed. It’s nice.”
“And the kid…?”
“Ah, Mr. Dell. He’s something of a fan of yours, you could say?”
“Me? A fan? Haha.”
Michael burst out laughing, then casually extended his hand to Oh Se-hyun.
“Just call me Mike.”
“Alright. I’m James.”
Michael Dell shook hands lightly and winked at me.
“Alright, state your business. I have to be back at the company in 15 minutes.”
Fifteen minutes was all the time we had.
Oh Se-hyun’s words quickened.
“Our Miracle Investment wants to invest in your company. The investment amount and conditions are…”
Dell, holding his hamburger, raised his hand.
“We don’t need investment. We have sufficient funds.”
A hint of annoyance was visible in his eyes.
Sufficient company funds, 30 million dollars. It was already a widely known fact in the industry.
If he didn’t even know this, it meant he lacked the basics of an investor, so Dell’s eyes clearly showed a hint of disdain for Oh Se-hyun.
Anyone who welcomed investment with open arms was an amateur, an amateur.
Investment dilutes the founder’s equity.
My stake would decrease, or it could even turn into debt.
Receiving only the necessary amount of investment was the correct stance for a manager.
“Of course, I understand well. But wouldn’t there be room for reconsideration if the investment conditions were exceptional?”
“James. My company is different from IBM, which is filled with greedy executives. I only needed funds for company expansion and I have a perfect plan. Money… I’ll earn it by making profits. I don’t do foolish things like drastically increasing shares to secure funds.”
He even used the words greedy and foolish.
And receiving investment again would only prove that he was greedy and foolish, so it was a perfect way to refuse.
I had expected it to be difficult, but to refuse outright without even hearing or stating conditions!
Oh Se-hyun couldn’t hide his discomfort.
Even I, who had been silently listening, began to feel anxious.
Oh Se-hyun might think of it as merely missing out on a good investment opportunity, but for me, it was different.
It was about fastening the second button of a grand plan.
The first button wasn’t too difficult, knowing that a new city would be built in Bundang. All I did was fawn over my rich grandfather.
But now it was different.
I had an accurate treasure map in my head, but the captain of the ship that would guide me to the treasure island refused my boarding.
Now, knowing the future was useless. I had to break through with my own strength. I had to persuade the captain, Michael Dell.
I had already made up my mind and opened my mouth.
“Mike. Oh, can I call you Mike?”
“Sure, Buddy.”
Michael Dell winked and smiled, but Oh Se-hyun was different.
His eyes looked like they would pop out, as he had never once imagined fluent English coming from my mouth.
“Your past is my present, and my future is your present.”
“What? Your dream is too big? My childhood was a little different from ordinary.”
“Of course, it’s a little different. No, it’s very different.”
“How is it different?”
“At 12, all you had was two thousand dollars earned from selling stamps, but now, at 12, I have fifteen million dollars earned from selling land.”
Now it was Michael Dell’s eyes that looked like they would pop out.
The expressions of the two were identical, but the reasons were different.
Oh Se-hyun because of my English, Michael Dell because of my money.
“I don’t know what you did with your two thousand dollars. But I’ve already decided what I’ll do with my fifteen million dollars. I’ll use it to become the major shareholder of Dell Computer.”
I finished speaking, but there was no reaction.
For a long time, only the sounds of the park lingered.
“Do-Do-jun. You…”
“Uncle. Later. We need to talk about something more important now, don’t we?”
Michael Dell looked between the two of us, then spoke to Oh Se-hyun.
“James. Your son?”
“No. My… boss, maybe…”
Michael Dell stared at me, as if struggling to understand Oh Se-hyun’s answer, and finally burst into laughter.
“Okay. Fifteen million dollar boy.”
He mentioned my money without even asking my name.
“Just two questions.”
“Yes.”
“Where did you hear the story about me making money selling stamps?”
Oh no, a blunder. Had this person’s childhood story not come out yet? There was no helping it. I had to be vague.
“This is an investment of a whopping fifteen million dollars. Do you think we’d move without investigating you? Our company isn’t that careless.”
“You even hired a detective? That’s impressive. Alright, then the next question.”
He had a widespread smile, but this smile wasn’t one of goodwill. It was merely curiosity.
“How would you become the major shareholder when I’m not accepting investment? Our company’s board of directors currently holds more than half of the voting rights. My will is absolute.”
“Wouldn’t it go public next year?”
The smile vanished from Michael Dell’s face.
He had never told anyone yet. He had only thought about it. He had planned to tell the company executives and investors early next year and prepare for it. And it was this young Asian kid who had accurately read his mind!
“Why? Why do you think so?”
“Because the fruit is ripe, so you have to pick it. When it’s most luscious.”
“So if our company goes public…”
“We’ll indiscriminately scoop up the shares on the market. With about fifteen million dollars, I think we’ll become the major shareholder in an instant, won’t we? Oh, I should tell you one more thing. I can prepare about ten million dollars more within this year. I still have immensely valuable land left.”
Twenty-five million dollars.
It was only a matter of time before my words became reality. Michael Dell’s face hardened as he realized this fact. Seeing this, Oh Se-hyun quickly spoke.
“As a major shareholder, he will become a member of the board of directors and be deeply involved in management. This is a natural demand.”
He interjected at precisely the right moment.
He couldn’t have remained surprised forever. He was also someone who knew well that when you had momentum, you had to attack together.
The surprise and curiosity had already left his face. It was once again the expression of an excellent businessman.
“Well, there’s no choice. Whether it’s through market acquisition or investment… with that much capital, you’ll become a major shareholder anyway. If you’re qualified as a major shareholder, you should naturally join the management team.”
Michael Dell, having regained his composure, said casually and took a bite of his hamburger.
“This, because of a rich friend, we’ve gone way over 15 minutes. And I didn’t even get to properly eat.”
Dell, who had risen from the park bench, brushed off his bottom.
“Rich friend, when we meet again, you’ll be a major shareholder, won’t you? Let’s see if it’s next year or not.”
Oh Se-hyun’s expression darkened. He thought the negotiation was lost.
But I still had a card left. I thought it was a card that would allow the captain to permit boarding, but I still didn’t know the outcome. You never know a hidden card until you reveal it.
“Mike, I could give you all the voting rights as a shareholder. Are you just going to leave?”
The hand brushing off his bottom paused.
The reason for refusing investment was clear. He had sufficient funds and firmly held management rights. Management rights that should never be lost.
Weren’t shareholders, who were targeting his still young self, slowly revealing their claws?
The emergence of large stock acquirers after listing was inevitable. If he went public after thoroughly considering management defense, that problem would also be solved.
What he feared most was the solidarity of major shareholders excluding himself. If opposing forces united to form 51%, he, as the founder, would lose management rights.
But this kid who was pouring 25 million dollars into the company was offering to hand over voting rights? This was truly an opportunity to build an impregnable wall around management.
Dell looked at me for a moment, then spoke to Oh Se-hyun, even showing a smile.
“James. What’s your boss’s name?”
“Ah…”
Instead of Oh Se-hyun, who was flustered by the sudden question, I answered.
“Howard, My name is Howard Jean.”
“Alright, Howard. You just took my coffee time. Shall we go to a cafe? There’s a place with killer sweet cakes.”
“If it’s a cafe, the coffee taste is more important. How’s the coffee?”
“Of course it’s killer. But you know what? You’re not like me.”
“Me?”
“When I was your age, I liked cake much more than coffee, haha.”
Michael Dell burst into laughter and led the way.
“Do-jun.”
“Yes.”
Oh Se-hyun, who was following Dell, called me in a low voice.
“You really surprised me… you’ll have to explain all of this, won’t you?”
“Now?”
“Not now, since he hasn’t accepted our proposal yet. Later, I mean.”
“It’s hard to explain anyway. Just think of it as me being born with a genius business sense.”
“A genius…”
Oh Se-hyun, who had been muttering quietly, looked down at me again and said,
“Oh, when did you think of the name Howard? Did you come up with it when you were getting English tutoring?”
“No. Much earlier.”
I was a little surprised myself at how the name Howard popped out.
Because in my past life, it was a name like a dream or a fantasy.
An American businessman, aviator, engineer, and film producer.
Howard Robard Hughes Jr.
The most American of rich men.
A man who had tried or attempted everything he wanted to do in his life.
Born with a silver spoon, with a rich father and a mother of British aristocratic lineage.
He was the person I had always dreamed of becoming.
Even Iron Man, Tony Stark, and his father, Howard Stark, were based on Howard Hughes.
This image seemed like the ideal billionaire’s life to Americans who championed progress and liberalism.
In my past life, I thought of such a person as a dream, but now, I am no different from this person.
I will become the Howard Hughes of the 21st century. Under the name ‘Howard Jin’ (Jin = Jean)
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