Back To 1995: Chapter 606 tear down
Chapter 606 Demolition
Irene got up and said to the people in the conference room that things like RICK's acquisition of Gucci and the establishment of a luxury group are far less important to Irene than ICQ's listing.
Even if RICK acquires Gucci, it will be a deal worth billions of dollars at most. Even LVMH Group, the leader in the luxury goods industry, has a market value of only tens of billions of dollars. Compared with what ICQ wants to do, that is Far worse!
Another point, although RICK has some relationship with ICQ, but the relationship is with Song Yang, Irene, RICK and Eric, but they don't have much friendship.
"If you can come here, you must already know the current situation of ICQ. ICQ is now the largest social platform in the Internet industry. It is estimated that before the end of the year, ICQ's global users will officially exceed 100 million!"
Wang Po always sells melons and brags about herself. As soon as Irene came up, she also praised ICQ. As for the size of the 100 million users, only ICQ knows. Anyway, as long as a user is busy, he can apply for one Hundreds of accounts, ICQ does not object.
The user composition of ICQ also includes former Hotmail mailbox users, Xueleshan online platform users, etc. Users of these websites can directly log in to ICQ social networking sites and communities.
ICQ is considered good, at least I didn’t play Yin Bing to borrow the way. There are major social networking sites similar to ICQ and forums, such as Yahoo! It's loud, the number of users is less than one-twentieth of ICQ, but the user activity is much higher than ICQ, so many users, where did they come from, only the devil knows!
Hearing that ICQ's global users are going to soar to 100 million, there is still a little restlessness in the conference room. Even Paulson, Edison and others who are used to seeing big wind and waves still have some expressions after hearing this data. change.
The Internet is an industry full of miracles, which can make people rich overnight, allowing young people like Song Yang, Mark Anderson, and Yang Zhiyuan, who are less than 30 years old, to obtain a social status that would take a lifetime or even several lifetimes to obtain in other industries.
Paulson and the others are already somewhat used to this, but 100 million users is still a bit too shocking. The total number of people in America is less than 300 million. Many countries have only tens of millions of people, and ICQ users , but it has already soared to 100 million, even if there is water in it, just hearing this number makes one's scalp tingle.
Anyone who has studied the social industry will know the acquaintance effect. When everyone around you uses ICQ, no matter whether you like it or not, you may have to download it, unless you break away from all social relationships.
By that time, ICQ is no longer the reason for countless users to like to use it. Even if it becomes a pile of shit, when your relatives, classmates, colleagues, and partners are all on ICQ, you can’t get away from it. ICQ is forced to contribute to the activeness of ICQ users!
Paulson, Edison, and a group of Wall Street executives who were sitting felt that it was necessary to re-examine ICQ. They felt that ICQ might live much longer than they imagined, even in the future A lot of people don't like it anymore...
"In the instant messaging software industry, ICQ has an absolute advantage in technology. Whether Yahoo Messenger, AOL's AIM, Microsoft's MSN, or other social software, communities, etc., are using ICQ's patents and technologies. ICQ technology It is more than two to three years ahead of other social software!"
Wesley also said that ICQ controls more than half of the technology and patents in the social software industry. Online transmission, offline files, screenshots, copying files connected to a printer, emoticons, fonts, etc. have all become standard configurations of social software.
Now chatting online, if you don’t post a few emoticons, it’s almost outdated, and ICQ controls the world’s largest emoticon library, Yahoo Messenger, Microsoft MSN, etc., are all subject to ICQ.
After Wesley finished speaking, Greck, who sat aside and remained silent for a while, suddenly said, "If necessary, ICQ will spare no effort to protect ICQ's patents and technologies from infringement!"
Paulson raised his brows, they are all human beings, as soon as Greg said this, he knew what was going on, what Greg said sounds fine, but if Yahoo Messenger, Microsoft MSN or other social software, if they are dismantled When they were separated and listed, ICQ suddenly sued them, so the listing of these social networking sites is basically yellow!
This approach is definitely not authentic, but it is absolutely effective. ICQ, a hard-core means of attacking opponents, can maintain its own advantages.
Merrill Lynch President Stan O’Neill couldn’t help but say at this time, “What about the profit? As far as I know, ICQ’s profit is not good, especially after it was spun off from Sierra Mountain!”
This is the most important reason why Stan O'Neill, Paulson and others are gathered here today. If Xueleshan is still in ICQ, then ICQ is a golden bowl. If you want users to have users, you need traffic to have traffic, and Xueleshan This money printing machine, a well-established Internet giant, does not need them to worry at all, let alone 1.8 billion US dollars, even if it is a few hundred million more, it is estimated that there is no need to worry too much.
But without Xueleshan’s ICQ, even though they are still eating under the same roof in name, they are equivalent to toothless tigers with countless traffic, but it is Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs who turn the traffic into dollars. worrying things.
Irene raised her eyebrows after hearing the words, showing a strong woman's look, "ICQ's revenue this year will exceed 800 million US dollars, which is the highest revenue in the global Internet industry. Next year, ICQ's global revenue will be With more than one billion US dollars, it will become one of the most profitable companies in the world!
ICQ has social networking, portal websites, ICNC TV stations, NTF avatars, advertising revenue, etc. Now ICQ is developing the mobile phone user market. In the next three years, ICQ’s user scale may double again. In addition, ICQ has the largest Internet industry of traffic…”
What Irene said is to tell this gang of Wall Street gluttons that even though Sierra was spun off, ICQ is still a money printing machine. In the future, ICQ is still the most profitable.
"However, ICQ still lost more than 40 million dollars this year..."
Goldman Sachs executive Pellet Greene said mercilessly that ICQ seems to be in full swing, earning a lot, but spending more, laying servers all over the world, recruiting technicians, and earning a little advertising fee compared to What is spent is far inferior.
Seeing that there is still going on, Song Yang said at this time, "If ICQ can cultivate one Xueleshan, it can cultivate a second one. As long as there are traffic and users, then ICQ will be the most profitable one in the Internet industry!
ICQ will raise 1.8 billion US dollars this time, and this will not change! "
As soon as Song Yang opened his mouth, the conference room was silent for a moment. Song Yang's words were very clear. This time, he came to New York to let them and other institutions issue stocks for ICQ, not to listen to their complaints. If it is easy, then What else did ICQ invite them to do? The distribution fee plus the publicity fee are more than 70 to 80 million dollars this time, and they have to be handed over to Goldman Sachs and the others!
"Goldman Sachs is willing to support ICQ. This time, Goldman Sachs is willing to complete the subscription and fundraising of one billion dollars for ICQ!"
Paulson's opening made Edison, Stan O'Neill, and the others stunned. Why did they work so hard to pick ICQ's thorns? Isn't it just to get more benefits and charge ICQ more handling fees? Yes, in the end Paulson turned around and sold them without paying the price back, and agreed to ICQ's conditions directly.
Song Yang also looked at Paulson in amazement, Paulson noticed Song Yang's gaze, and smiled "kindly" towards Song Yang with a smile on his face, which surprised Song Yang even more, he always felt that, Paulson, the old fox, seemed to be planning something.
Irene was overjoyed when she heard Paulson's words. With Goldman Sachs leading the charge, Deutsche Bank, Merrill Lynch, and Morgan will definitely not hold back.
"ICQ is expected to issue 30 million shares this time, priced at $60 per share, for global investors..."
The issue price of ICQ is much higher than that of the double-click listing, and the scale is also much larger. If you buy it at a price of 60 dollars, at least the stock price of ICQ will rise sharply, and only those who buy can make money.
Paulson has already agreed on behalf of Goldman Sachs, and there is no room for Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch to return to the world. Edison glanced at Paulson and readily agreed. He didn't know what Paulson was planning. But he knew that with Paulson's character, it was absolutely impossible to make a loss-making business, and Edison probably knew better than Paulson about this!
"Deutsche Bank Investment Bank is willing to subscribe for ICQ's $400 million equity offering!"
Hearing that Edison took away 400 million dollars in one breath, Stan O'Neill couldn't bear it anymore. The original fundraising of 1.8 billion dollars seemed a lot, but Goldman Sachs ate nearly 1 billion dollars in one go. The US dollar, plus the Deutsche Bank took it away, and the rest is more than 400 million US dollars in issued equity...
“Merrill Lynch is willing to subscribe…”
Stan O'Neill said on behalf of Merrill Lynch Investment Bank, and couldn't help but glance at Song Yang after speaking. He didn't know what ICQ was, which made people rush to raise money.
"Congratulations, Song!"
When Gleick, Marcus and the legal and financial personnel of Goldman Sachs and other institutions made an agreement, Edison smiled at Song Yang and said, "When ICQ goes public, you should be one of the ten most valuable people in America!"
Edison has a rebellious personality. He once said that anyone on Wall Street who has a small goal of earning less than $100 million at the age of forty is considered a loser.
But compared to Song Yang in front of him, Edison felt that his life in the past few decades seemed not to be much better. Even if he brought Bill Gates over at the same age, his worth was higher than that of Song Yang. I'm afraid it can't be compared!
Song Yang listened to Edison's words, and signed the document as a major shareholder, "Anything is possible, who knows what will happen to the stock price after ICQ goes public!"
Wesley and other ICQ executives couldn't help showing joy when they saw Song Yang, Irene, Paulson and others signed the signatures one after another. Compared with Song Yang, the ICQ shares they got , definitely far inferior, but even that small portion is enough for them to realize wealth and freedom!
When Song Yang signed, it meant that a group of new billionaires were born, and there were also a large number of people whose worth would soar by a large amount.
Among ICQ internal personnel, Irene and Wesley each hold 5% of ICQ's equity, Gleick holds 3% of ICQ's equity, Marcus holds 1%, and there are people above the ICQ department manager level, and all staff , jointly got a 10% stake in ICQ.
In addition to these ICQ insiders, Eric used 35% of RICK to take away 5% of ICQ's equity from Song Yang, and Anron President Kenneth and Jeff Skilling also took 3%, and then In addition to the hands of General Electric, Enron, Microsoft, and Comcast, the combined stake in ICQ is also around 10%.
ICQ gave up a large amount of equity. Song Yang's current ICQ equity is still around 40%, and he is still ICQ's largest shareholder. Of course, after the listing, Song Yang's ICQ equity will also be cashed out. The status of the largest shareholder is basically impossible to be threatened.
Wall Street can drive Yang Zhiyuan out of Yahoo, but it is basically impossible to drive Song Yang out of ICQ!
Pellet Greene and others made a simple calculation. From the perspective of paper, once ICQ was listed this time, Song Yang's net worth directly increased by tens of billions of dollars, which is equivalent to directly doubling. It sounds really scary.
However, this is mostly paper data. If Song Yang wants to cash out, it will take a year and a half before he cashes out bit by bit. collapsed.
"The latest news from Wall Street, some media revealed that today ICQ officially reached a stock issuance agreement with investment banks such as Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, Merrill Lynch, and Morgan. It is expected to issue 30 million shares and raise $1.8 billion globally. The largest fundraising issue in history!
Pellet Greene, director of Goldman Sachs, declared that Goldman Sachs believes that ICQ is the most worthy company in the technology industry, and Goldman Sachs will be responsible for ICQ's roadshow and publicity on the West Coast! "
ICNC TV station, the latest news broke out. We all know the relationship between ICNC TV station and ICQ. This news is basically solid.
There were rumors before, but when everything came true, the news was still like a nuclear bomb, detonating the entire Internet and technology industry!
"The world's richest man will change hands?"
"The Internet will give birth to the most expensive technology upstart in history!"
The media began to bombard all kinds of ICQ-related news, and all kinds of sensational and eye-catching headlines began to appear one after another.
ICQ will be listed on Nasdaq as the number one valuation on the Internet, and will directly become one of Nasdaq's heavyweight stocks, alongside HP, Dell, WorldCom, and Intel!
The rumors about Song Yang's worth are even more heated. There are also rumors that Song Yang's worth will surpass Bill Gates and the like. Although everyone knows that this is a bit unreliable, it is still rumored. The myth of making wealth directly ignited Silicon Valley and the Internet industry.
(end of this chapter)