"I have an idea for an internet business. Would you like to see it?"
"I don't see why not."
"It's all in my head right now, so I don't have any organized docunts. But I'll jot it down for you."
I grabbed a napkin from the desk.
On it, I drew a circle and wrote four key terms inside: custors, sellers, products, and low costs.
"Are you saying that a great custor experience will attract more sellers, which in turn will increase product variety and allow for lower prices?"
"Exactly! I knew you'd understand right away, Jeffrey."
Of course, he would.
The napkin held the blueprint for a self-reinforcing ecosystem.
But in the original future, it wasn't who had drawn it—it was Jeffrey himself.
And this very idea would go on to build a company worth over $1 trillion.
This was the birth of Amazon—
A tech behemoth, born from one simple napkin sketch.
And Jeffrey was its creator.
"This is an excellent idea! It's exactly what the coming internet era needs."
"If you join our company, we can turn these creative ideas into reality. Or, if you'd prefer, we can fully fund your startup."
"For now, I'd like to focus on my current project. And switching jobs isn't a decision I can make imdiately."
"Then take the napkin as a gift. Think it over when you get ho. Oh, and by the way—Maggie just joined our company."
"…I'll give you my answer by tomorrow."
His eyes flickered at the ntion of 'Maggie'.
In the future, Maggie would be known as Jeffrey's lifelong business partner.
That's exactly why I didn't just target Jeffrey alone—I brought his entire team over.
Yes, Amazon was built on Jeffrey's vision—
But Maggie's contributions were indispensable.
Whether their relationship had ever turned romantic was uncertain, but one thing was for sure—
Jeffrey valued her deeply.
…Though, to be honest, I did feel a twinge of guilt.
Because 25 years from now, Jeffrey and Maggie would go through one of the most expensive divorce settlents in history.
But hey—that's a problem for the future. No need to worry about it now.
Jeffrey walked out, napkin in hand.
He'd said he'd take a day to think it over—
But his decision didn't even take that long.
Before the workday was even over, he returned to my office with his answer.
At that mont, I was waiting for him, casually solving SAT practice problems to pass the ti.
"I'm not sure if I'm making the right choice, but… I'm betting my future on SAVE."
"I promise—you won't regret it."
We shook hands firmly.
His grip was hot, and his determination was unshakable.
"I'll need to submit my resignation and complete the handover process at my current job. I'll join as soon as possible."
"Take your ti."
Now that his mind was made up, Jeffrey finally seed more relaxed.
Sipping on a cup of coffee that Team Leader Han had brought him, he glanced around the office—
Until his eyes landed on my desk.
More specifically, on the SAT prep book sitting on top of it.
He frowned.
"Why are you solving SAT problems? I've heard of people doing math for fun, but SAT prep? That's a first."
"Obviously, because I'm preparing for college."
"…Wait, you an you? The CEO?"
"Because I'm at that age."
Jeffrey stared at for a long mont.
And then, it seed to finally dawn on him—
I wasn't just young-looking.
I was actually young.
"Ha… ha… ha… Is that so? Ha… ha… ha…"
Jeffrey froze like a malfunctioning robot.
He looked like he was seriously reconsidering his decision to join the company.
But it was too late—
The contract had already been signed.
* * *
A month had passed since Jeffrey joined.
I had not only given him the title of Vice President of SAVE Investnts—
But had practically handed over full control of the company.
It was a move I could make because I trusted him—
And Jeffrey was proving to be well worth that trust.
Every day, I received unofficial reports on how the company was changing—
Straight from the Four Brokers.
[Young Master, that guy Jeffrey… He's not human.]
[He's a demon.]
[A demon? That's putting it lightly! He's not a demon—he's the Devil himself.]
[I never thought I'd say this, but… our ti at Taewoo Securities feels like a vacation compared to this. He treats people like machine parts.]
The Four Brokers looked completely drained—
Even though they were used to the brutal work culture of Korea, even they were struggling.
"So, do you dislike Jeffrey's thods? Is the company not running well?"
"…That's not it. In fact, revenue has increased. If we only look at the investnts you're not directly involved in, profits are up by at least 30%."
Team Leader Han let out a heavy sigh.
He knew Jeffrey's thods were harsh, but he also knew they worked—
So he had no choice but to accept it.
Jeffrey possessed three different S-rank business skills.
One of them was productivity.
He was a master at maximizing output by pushing employees to their limits.
There was a common saying during Jeffrey's ti at Amazon:
Installing air conditioning in warehouses? The cost of dical bills is cheaper, so we don't need it.
Bathroom breaks? Who has ti for that? Just use a bottle.
Imagine having to work under soone like that.
No wonder the Four Brokers and the other employees were exhausted.
Anyone with a weak heart would quit on the spot.
Even in the future, Amazon was known for having the shortest average employee tenure among IT companies.
Lasting one year earned you praise.
Lasting ten years made you a legend.
Jeffrey was the ultimate taskmaster—
But a company couldn't survive on whips alone.
If I let him continue like this, I'd start losing the A-rank talents I had worked so hard to recruit.
So I decided it was ti to offer a carrot.
"For all investnts other than the ones I personally oversee, I'll give employees a performance bonus of 20–30% of the profits."
"Isn't that too much?"
"Other traders on Wall Street receive similar compensation. To maintain fairness, we need to match that—otherwise, there'll be backlash."
The average salary on Wall Street was around 200 million KRW (~$150,000).
But for bankers and traders, their bonuses could range anywhere from 50% of their salary to several tis their base pay.
Jeffrey handled the whip—
I provided the carrot.
That was the only way to retain top talent.
"Then for the investnts you personally lead, are you still only giving out a 1% bonus?"
"Of course. Those are my ideas, after all. Though I'll still distribute so of the profits as year-end bonuses. I'll handle explaining the bonus structure to Jeffrey myself."
"Once word gets out about the performance bonuses, I'm sure a lot of employees will quietly put their resignation letters back in their drawers."
"Team Leader Han, you're not telling you wrote one too, are you?"
"N-No, of course not."
Not that it would matter—
Even if he did submit one, I wouldn't accept it.
Other employees? Maybe.
But Team Leader Han was an S-rank talent—
There was no way I was letting him go.
* * *
March 31st.
Today, five private tutors, including my consultant, had gathered in the living room to discuss my academic performance.
"Your SAT scores from March were outstanding. You ranked in the top 2%."
"It was only possible thanks to my excellent teachers. I truly appreciate it."
In Korea, students take the college entrance exam once a year.
But in the U.S., the SAT can be taken up to seven tis a year.
That didn't an taking it multiple tis was always beneficial—
So colleges only considered the highest score, while others looked at all attempts.
"Based on your scores alone, you have a strong chance of applying to Harvard or Stanford. But a high score doesn't guarantee admission."
"What's missing?"
"While the SAT is the most crucial factor, you also need extracurricular activities, a compelling essay, and strong recomndation letters."
This advice ca from the most renowned college consultant in the U.S..
Unlike Korea, where test scores dominated admissions, Arican colleges valued different aspects depending on the school.
"I'll handle the extracurriculars and essays myself."
"If the Taewoo Group supports you, those aspects can be easily taken care of."
The consultant misunderstood sothing.
Sure, if I leveraged Taewoo Group's influence, things would be easier.
But at the end of the day, Taewoo Group belonged to my grandfather, not .
Did I really need to borrow their reputation?
Not when I had SAVE Investnts, a company that was fully mine.
I couldn't publicly claim to be SAVE's CEO,
but even just using its systems would be enough to cover my extracurriculars and essays.
"So, the only thing left to secure is the recomndation letters?"
"Can we get Taewoo Group's help with that as well? A recomndation letter from a high-profile political or business figure close to the group would be a huge advantage."
"I'll look into it."
"I've worked as a consultant for many students, but I've never had an easier case than this. You're already achieving great scores on your own, and I hardly have to worry about the rest..."
The consultant trailed off.
He was probably thinking: 'And you're paying a fortune for my services.'
If it were my grandfather, he would've offered an enormous success fee—that much was certain.
* * *
A few days passed.
I remained focused on my SAT studies while also searching for a suitable recomnder.
Then, in the midst of it all, Jeffrey ca to with so interesting news.
"Sir, we've received a ssage from Quantum Fund. They're proposing a joint investnt opportunity in a promising sector."
"Quantum Fund? You an the hedge fund run by George and Jim?"
"Yes. One of the most famous hedge funds on Wall Street."
Of course, I knew about Quantum Fund.
In my past life, I had spent over a decade studying their strategies.
After all, they were one of the key players responsible for the financial crisis that led to Taewoo Group's downfall.
Could an individual investor take on an entire nation and win?
Quantum Fund was the entity that had answered that question—and they had profited by betting against entire economies.
It was Quantum Fund that had pushed Thailand over the edge, igniting the Asian Financial Crisis, which then shook South Korea and ultimately toppled Taewoo Group.
"Let guess—their proposal involves short-selling the British pound?"
"That's correct. Quantum Fund has been attacking the pound since last year, and many hedge funds on Wall Street are backing their move."
This was the mont when Quantum Fund's strategy shifted.
Up until now, they had profited from defense industry investnts and shorting overvalued companies.
But with the pound short, they were realizing just how much money could be made by betting against entire countries.
"So SAVE Investnts has gained enough recognition for Quantum Fund to approach us?"
"The word is spreading that we made massive profits from the Gulf War. Also, most firms on Wall Street have already received offers from Quantum Fund."
"Makes sense. If they're going up against the British economy, every extra dollar counts."
What should I do?
Quantum Fund was the catalyst that had set off the chain reaction leading to Taewoo Group's collapse.
A part of wanted nothing more than to stand against them.
But right now, money mattered more than revenge.
"Set up a eting. If we tell them we're considering an investnt of at least $5 billion, they'll co running."
"I'll arrange a eting within the week."
For the sake of protecting my family and my future, I was willing to do whatever it took.
Even if it ant shaking hands with the very people who caused the financial crisis, I would smile and do it without hesitation.
TL/n -
Amazon has faced multiple reports and investigations over the years regarding harsh warehouse working conditions. So of the most notable issues include:
1. Heat and Lack of Air Conditioning
In 2011, reports erged that an Amazon warehouse in Pennsylvania beca so hot (over 100°F/38°C) that ambulances were stationed outside to treat workers suffering from heat exhaustion.
Instead of installing air conditioning at the ti, Amazon allegedly hired paradics to be on standby. After dia coverage, Amazon eventually installed air conditioning in so facilities.
2. Bathroom Break Controversy
A 2018 investigation by journalist Jas Bloodworth found that so Amazon warehouse workers resorted to urinating in bottles because they feared being penalized for taking bathroom breaks.
A 2021 report by The Intercept revealed internal Amazon docunts confirming that delivery drivers were also forced to use bottles, bags, and even coffee cups due to tight delivery schedules.
Amazon initially denied these claims, but later admitted that so workers did experience these conditions.
3. Injuries and High Turnover
Reports from organizations like the Center for Investigative Reporting and The Guardian have found that Amazon warehouse workers suffer injuries at a higher rate than the industry average.
High-speed quotas and automated tracking systems reportedly pressure workers to work quickly, leading to repetitive stress injuries.
Amazon warehouses also have a high turnover rate, with many workers lasting only a few months due to the demanding conditions.
* * *
There is no evidence that Jeff Bezos personally made statents like "the cost of dical bills is cheaper, so we don't need AC" or "just use a bottle." However, Amazon's corporate policies and work conditions have led to widespread criticism, with so people attributing these attitudes to the company's leadership.
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