[Chapter 525: White System Lost]
On March 1, Microsoft released an announcent. The company reached an agreent with White System, allowing Microsoft to acquire White System's office suite and microcomputer database software through an equity swap.
The two companies had been entangled for so ti, and there was no doubt they would reach an agreent; it was a win-win situation. However, the market was surprised by how quickly they completed the deal.
From the market's performance, Microsoft's stock rose sharply, clearly showing strong optimism for the transaction.
The reasoning was obvious; both were giants in their respective fields. If they chose to rge, the blow to their competitors would be catastrophic.
Of course, there were so doubts. Why didn't William White, the wealthy tycoon, just acquire Microsoft outright? That would have been the best investnt, right? Was he out of cash?
William White could only shake his head and smile at such thoughts. He wished he could bring Bill Gates into the fold, but Bill was not that easy to deal with. Larry Ellison would make concessions because he ca from humble beginnings and was more focused on profit.
Bill Gates, on the other hand, was a rich kid from a wealthy family, and he certainly had his pride. Even if you forced a takeover, the outco would not be favorable.
"Sir, we're nominally the second largest shareholder now, but that guy Bill is tough as nails."
"How much do we own now?" William inquired.
"Considering the shares we secretly acquired, it's close to 20%," Filson replied.
"Alright, that's fine. I'm optimistic about the long-term developnt. I can ignore short-term fluctuations," William said.
"Got it, sir," ca the reply.
Filson understood clearly that if it weren't for the boss's compromise, he would have never agreed to those final terms.
That said, if soone wasn't interested in a giant's ambitions, they'd pretty much be considered a fool.
William White's thoughts were simple; he had already grabbed too much attention. It was best to keep a low profile right now.
Microsoft was thriving, with a market value exceeding one trillion dollars. Just think about how much Bill Gates was worth -- only around fifty billion.
That seed like a lot, but it was only about 5% of the shares. You have to rember, when he launched the 3.0 system, he held nearly 50% of the shares.
...
"Larry, I don't want to sell the microcomputer database, but the Justice Departnt has set its sights on . You should actually be pleased; to , Oracle is more important," William reassured his staff. Larry Ellison, in particular, was a tough nut to crack.
"Mr. White, you've given that guy too many perks," he chid in.
William shook his head and chuckled. "Co on, Larry, you should know I'd prefer to acquire him directly. But if I did that, setting aside the Justice Departnt issues, could you coexist peacefully with that guy?"
"No way, that arrogant jerk," Larry replied.
"See? I knew it. If the two companies can't rge, wouldn't that an I'd just be fighting myself?"
"Alright, I think you've convinced . But I'm definitely going to keep a firm grip on the PC business," Larry conceded.
"Fine by , you can do what you want. My presence on the Microsoft board is pretty negligible. In fact, it's just the White Fund holding onto that part of the asset."
"Ah, now it makes sense. I was wondering how that guy could concede; that explains it," Larry Ellison responded.
William smiled but stayed silent. Microsoft was riding high, not like the Oracle that had been on the verge of bankruptcy back in the day.
Comforting this Silicon Valley powerhouse, William White sighed in relief. It wasn't easy to ta this hotheaded guy. Of course, he had also delivered corresponding results.
Contrary to outside rumors, William showed considerable courtesy to his staff. He could engage in very equal conversations, not just with his original employees but even with soone like Larry Ellison.
Well, in Silicon Valley, you had to learn to flatter others to get by. William didn't mind if his subordinates liked to butter him up; it was a welcod practice. No one could escape the norm. But let tell you, if your skills weren't up to par, all the flattering in the world wouldn't help. Conversely, if you were genuinely talented, being a little temperantal was understandable.
...
"Sir, Mr. Filson is here," his assistant announced.
"Yeah, Suzuki, get us a cup of coffee," William ordered.
"Sure thing," replied Suzuki.
William White was completely perplexed by this insistence on having sons; the guy was clearly trying his best.
That said, if one were to look at it objectively, the guy had a good gun, but the ammo seed a bit off. To be honest, if he didn't already have two sons, he'd actually consider checking it out. Was this perhaps a side effect of ti travel?
"Sir, oil prices are still dropping. The think tank believes they might plumt to ten dollars a barrel," Filson reported.
"That can't be right. Isn't the situation tense in the desert areas? What gives? Is Saddam getting soft?" William questioned.
"No, it's just that demand for oil is decreasing, and so is the demand for iron ore," the report continued.
"Looks like I really got involved in two lousy industries. Well, if that's the case, those two companies in Australia aren't having a good ti either, are they?"
"Definitely. This year's losses are pretty much a given. Wall Street isn't optimistic about this acquisition either," Filson confird.
"Let them think what they want. How are the banks we contacted doing? Any updates?" William inquired.
"None, sir. They aren't worried about your ability to pay," ca the response.
"Alright then, I hope they're right about that."
*****
spatreon/Sayonara816.
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