PDLP Chapter 58 Trading
Chapter 58 Trading
Chapter 58 Trading
"If people knew what the real situation was like inside the yacht, they would want the guillotine to be reinstated as a criminal offense."
Ernst couldn't understand this sentence before, but now he only regrets that he didn't understand it thoroughly enough.
"I own several companies with decent revenue."
At this moment, five men are enjoying fine wine and food on the top deck of the yacht, while the women are nowhere to be seen.
Ernst initially thought they were just tired from playing on the beach and needed to replenish their energy for the upcoming night of revelry.
Little did they know that the real story was about to unfold: the dirty deals between capital entities.
This is not a party of indulgence at all; it's just the darkness of capitalism.
The purpose of sharing commercial and political resources is to empty the wallets of ordinary people and to make one's own wealth even greater.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to yacht parties.
A mobile fortress adrift on the ocean could very well determine the transformation of an industry, the war in a region, or the demise of a nation.
However, none of that matters to Ernst now; his current status and influence are not yet at that level.
"Is it to cash out or to operate a business?"
The one who spoke was Montana real estate developer Vidic, who was asking John Trog, who owns numerous investment companies.
"Of course, it's about going public; the businesses of these companies are all interconnected."
John Trog's eyes lit up, like a hungry wolf spotting its prey: "$2000 million, I want 30%."
Vidic shook his head, rejecting the offer. "I've been supporting these companies for over two years. They all have monthly revenues exceeding $300 million and are profitable."
"Eighty million US dollars, 15%".
The two spoke in a very veiled manner, without going into many specific details.
Sitting next to Ernst, Massim was afraid he wouldn't understand, so he whispered an explanation in his ear.
"Vidic registered several shell companies, which will integrate the four flows of invoices, contracts, funds, and goods to form a perfect closed loop."
"Once these companies have built up a pool of funds through long-term business operations, they can then use it to apply for loans from financial institutions. John Trog took over the loan arrangements, but he would take a 15% cut."
"However, this is a win-win situation for both sides. John makes a quick buck and leaves, while Vidic can use the money to acquire more companies in his possession, take out loans, and eventually go public, making a fortune."
Some shell companies that have no connection with the company itself, relying on the construction industry, allow these companies to make a lot of money by acting as intermediaries.
Once these companies receive their loans, they will merge with each other, as they are all related businesses, which will give investors endless possibilities.
The next step is to merge with more companies to increase revenue, which can then lead to further financing or the option of a direct IPO.
After going public, the strategy will be adjusted according to the market: whether to make a quick profit and run, or to continue to expand the business.
Neither party will invest a single penny; even if there is a loss, it will be the bank's problem.
The difficulty lies in the initial funding. Once the first loan is approved, even if the bank knows the truth, it has to help cover it up, otherwise it will become a significant bad debt.
This is the game of capital; earning ten million is difficult, but earning one hundred million is very easy.
When you're able to earn ten million, you've already transformed into capital, and the rules of the game become simple.
"Ernst, when are you going to get MGM sorted out?"
Ernst was somewhat surprised, not expecting that he, as an observer, would suddenly be mentioned, and the person asking the question was none other than Green, whom Massim had told him to have as little contact with as possible.
"It should be about a week."
Ernst didn't know what the other party meant, there was nothing to hide, and no need to hide it.
"I have $30 million in funds that I plan to invest in some film and television projects. I wonder if MGM would be interested?"
洗。
This was the first word that popped into Ernst's mind.
The amount of money that needs to be laundered globally each year accounts for about 2.5% of global GDP, and this is verifiable data.
Those numbers couldn't be found, and no one could determine the exact figures.
Based on the World Bank's figure of $30.6308 billion for global GDP last year, the amount that needs to be laundered is at least over $8000 billion.
This money is laundered through a series of means, including art, real estate, gold, luxury goods, diamonds, and prepaid cards.
However, in the past decade or so, the film and television industry has become one of the hardest-hit areas, and the situation has worsened, involving increasingly larger sums of money.
Film and television companies spend money on making movies and TV series in a very detailed and varied way, which is perfect for disguising their activities.
For example, the total cost of those explosion scenes might only be one million dollars, but when it comes to accounting, the explosion scene costs five million dollars.
Anyway, all that money has been blown up, so there's no way to get any results from an investigation.
Why are there more and more big-budget films losing money in the film and television industry, yet investors are scrambling to get in? It's because these investors aren't after how much profit you make, but rather how much revenue you generate.
When Ernst took over MGM, he thought it would take a year or two for the company to develop and regain its vitality to prove its value before investors would come knocking.
I didn't expect to run into this today; it was quite a big deal right off the bat.
"Filming for '007' is about to begin, and the production team is debating whether some scenes require a large investment."
"How about a 10% service fee?"
"Okay," Ernst nodded. He wasn't in a position to negotiate right now; he needed to pave the way for cooperation first.
This $30 million is just the first one. If the cooperation goes well, there will be more $30 million, $300 million, or even more to come.
"Once your company is registered, I will have someone connect you with the relevant parties."
It's still an empty shell company, covering everything from costumes and props to travel expenses and even the food and supplies for the entire crew.
The companies they cooperate with are still the same ones, but the money goes through a shell company of the other party, thus laundering the funds.
Some ways to launder money are even beyond your imagination, such as through accommodation.
The room fee that was originally $300 was raised to $1,000, or the entire crew only needed 100 rooms, but they insisted on renting you 200.
Tourism is a major industry for whitewashing; most hotels are often fully booked even when they have rooms available or it's the off-season.
In one tourist city in Mexico, all the hotels in the city are involved, with 20% of the hotels being booked long-term.
After that, the group talked a lot and made several deals, but it had little to do with Ernst anymore.
To his surprise, Massim, who was standing next to him, seemed to have a lot of influence in the government. Whenever there was a need in this area, everyone's eyes would be fixed on him.
The other party simply smiled and nodded in acceptance.
That's what connections are all about; clearly, these people have met more than once.
After 10 p.m., the yacht anchored in the middle of the ocean, its lights illuminating the surrounding sea as if it were daytime, and the real party officially began.
When Ernst came down, his eyes lit up.
At this moment, even the beautiful women wearing bikinis felt hot.
An open house? I like it.
Massim was clearly used to this kind of situation.