Chapter 431 - 430: The Sudden Collapse of a Billion-Dollar Enterprise!

Chapter 431: Chapter 430: The Sudden Collapse of a Billion-Dollar Enterprise!

December 23rd.

On this day, only one day remained until the arrival of Christmas Eve;

And only two days remained until the arrival of Christmas.

That evening.

Kyle, accompanied by his girlfriend Adriana Lima, attended a cocktail party in full dress. The event was hosted by Riyol Slim, the fifth-in-line heir to the Carlos family—Mexico’s wealthiest family—and Kyle’s business partner.

"Hi, Kyle, long time no see!"

As soon as Kyle and Lima arrived at the party, they were warmly welcomed by the host, Riyol Slim.

"Likewise! My friend, I heard you’re leaving Los Angeles; I’m quite loath to see you go!" Kyle responded with equal enthusiasm.

As he spoke, Kyle also introduced his girlfriend, Lima.

"Hahaha, I know. Adriana Lima, a very charming Victoria’s Secret Angel. Honestly, I think her leaving the runway would be a huge loss for the entire World," Riyol laughed.

Hearing this, Kyle gave him a playful, annoyed look.

A model?

Sigh, it’s a painful topic!

The chaos in the modeling industry is even filthier than the entertainment industry. Although Kyle didn’t have strong class prejudices, he was still a tycoon with a net worth exceeding ten billion dollars. If Lima wanted to be with Kyle, she would inevitably have to give up her career as a model.

This was certain and non-negotiable!

"Riyol, my friend, you’re leaving Los Angeles to return to Mexico before Christmas Eve. Do you not plan on coming back?" Kyle asked.

Riyol said seriously, "My friend, for the next three to five years, I will be in Mexico."

Kyle nodded, understanding the situation.

The troubles of a great family!

Riyol Slim was the eldest grandson of Carlos Slim, Mexico’s richest man. He was the fifth-in-line heir, not the sole heir. Naturally, the struggle for that massive family Fortune was fierce.

Kyle, who was self-made,

Naturally did not have such worries.

However!

Riyol leaving Los Angeles was bound to be a significant loss for Kyle.

Since 1997, representing the Carlos Foundation, Riyol had successively invested in as many as nine films, including Memento, 300, and Spider-Man.

The total investment amount was no less than 130 million dollars.

Undoubtedly, he was one of the financial backers of Kyle’s Page Pictures.

"My friend, once you leave, how will I find another friend as generous as you!" Kyle exclaimed.

"Hahaha~"

Riyol laughed loudly, "You really are constantly thinking about my money. But don’t worry, even if I leave Los Angeles, I will continue to invest in Page Pictures’ films."

Having heard this much, Kyle understood.

Previously, the funds Riyol used to invest in Kyle’s films were family funds, not his personal wealth.

But... it would be different from now on.

As the saying goes, when a man leaves, his tea grows cold.

Since Riyol was leaving Los Angeles, he could no longer control the Carlos Foundation’s assets in America, but that didn’t stop him from investing in Kyle’s films again in his own name.

Over the years, Riyol had made quite a bit of money representing the family foundation in its investments in Kyle’s films.

From just three films—300, Spider-Man, and Harry Potter—Riyol’s Carlos Foundation had made a net profit of no less than 50 million dollars.

"I have to say, Kyle, while you are stingy, your business integrity is guaranteed. I trust you very much in our cooperation," Riyol stated again.

"Of course," Kyle smiled.

Regarding business integrity, Kyle had an excellent reputation.

On this point alone, Kyle was simply much better than Spielberg of the DreamWorks Group!

Even though all kinds of external capital were currently flocking to Hollywood, as they experienced more scams, they would no longer be willing to trust Hollywood’s integrity. This would make it quite difficult for Hollywood film companies to raise external funds after the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis.

By establishing a reputation for integrity early on, it would be relatively easier for Kyle whenever he needed to raise funds from the outside.

"One must think of the future to avoid immediate worries!" Kyle mused... Throughout the party, Riyol was undoubtedly the main protagonist, receiving warm greetings from all the guests.

Similarly, Kyle was also very popular.

"Mr. Page is indeed young and promising."

"Isn’t that right! Mr. Page and Miss Lima are a match made in heaven."

"Mr. Page’s investment vision is absolutely top-tier. To say nothing else, during the crisis caused by the Dot-com Bubble, Mr. Page was one of the few who withdrew in time."

"Isn’t that obvious? I think Mr. Page’s greatest strength is still producing Hollywood movies, especially the recent Harry Potter film. My goodness, creating a market industry chain worth hundreds of billions of dollars—that is an absolutely brilliant concept!"

...The praise from corporate executives and billionaires was such that even Kyle, who was used to big scenes, found it a bit hard to handle for a moment.

"Eh?"

Suddenly, Kyle spotted a very interesting person among the crowd.

—Jeffrey Skilling!

He was an executive at Enron, one of North America’s largest energy companies, and not long ago, he had been designated as Enron’s next CEO.

Enron Corporation, one of North America’s largest energy, commodities, and services companies, had a market value of over a hundred billion dollars. Not long ago, it was ranked 7th on Fortune Magazine’s "America’s 500 Strongest Companies" list.

However... at the end of 2001, Enron suddenly filed for bankruptcy protection in a New York bankruptcy court. The case became the second-largest corporate bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Enron, with its hundred-billion-dollar market value, collapsed!

Kyle didn’t understand the causes of the "Enron Scandal" very well, but he clearly remembered one point: the person who was ultimately tried in the Enron case was the very Jeffrey Skilling before him.

After the trial, the 52-year-old Skilling was sentenced to 24 years in prison and fined 18 million dollars. At the same time, up to 180 million dollars in wealth that Skilling had stolen from Enron would be recovered.

"Tsk tsk tsk~"

Looking at Skilling’s hearty smile, Kyle couldn’t help but think to himself: "The Enron Scandal is definitely a highly profitable opportunity!"

The collapse of a hundred-billion-dollar enterprise brewed enormous wealth that would surely make anyone flock to it.

"Sigh~"

"What a pity. I wasn’t in finance in my previous life. I only know a very vague outline of the Enron Scandal; I have no idea about the specific causes or the process."

"If only I knew more information, I could definitely make a huge Fortune from it."

For a moment, Kyle couldn’t help but feel some regret.