Reborn Tycoon Rise

"The Zhang family also owns a large number of B-share stocks, right? In terms of data, your Madden family is not dominant." Xu Zhi asked rhetorically without directly discussing the price.

The AB share system is a special means born in the capital market. To put it simply, the same shares have different rights. This is a means for the management of some listed companies to use a small number of shares to control the entire company. In later generations, Internet companies due to their needs After multiple financings, the share of shares held by the founders will gradually decrease, so most of them will use AB shares. The shares have the same value, but A shares hold ten times the voting rights.

Wheelock's AB shares are another model. Both have the same voting rights, but the market value of B shares is only 1/10 of A shares. In other words, if you can control enough B shares with a small amount of funds, you can control the entire company. company.

Wheelock was the first listed company in the history of Hong Kong to conduct an AB share split. At that time, it caught the regulatory authorities off guard. Subsequently, the Securities Regulatory Commission rejected all subsequent companies' applications for AB share issuance, and Wheelock was a done deal. At the same time, its influence was not low, so the matter was settled.

In Hong Kong at that time, Wheelock was ridiculed by all the British-owned foreign firms for using this method to protect themselves. However, in terms of protecting control, AB shares played a great role. No Chinese-owned companies would attack Wheelock. Feng's idea.

However, the strong fortress was also destroyed from within. The Zhang family had already invested in Wheelock as early as the 1960s. Therefore, the Zhang family also participated in the AB-share policy and had enough B-shares in their hands.

"Indeed, all the Wheelock stocks in my hands are indeed inferior to those of the Zhang family." John Madden admitted openly: "Mr. Xu, if I have enough voting rights, will I still be forced to sell my shares?"

"It makes sense." Xu Zhi nodded and said, "How many voting rights does the Zhang family hold?"

John Madden said: "According to the data reported to the board of directors, the Zhang family holds 22% of the voting rights, including 13.855 million A shares and 110 million B shares."

"This gap is not small." Xu Zhi shook his head. For a century-old listed company like Wheelock, 20% of the voting rights can basically control the company. Coupled with John Madden's management, Wheelock suffered losses. Seriously, once the Zhang family gets into trouble, John Madden will immediately be driven back to England just like the Keswick family.

"Mr. Xu has even acquired the Land Group, which has a perfect mutual control structure, and he still cares about this gap." John Madden said: "As long as Mr. Xu makes an acquisition request, I don't think the Zhang family will dare not agree.

What's more, even if the Zhang family is ignorant, there are still stocks with more than 60% of the voting rights scattered in the stock market besides our two families. As long as Mr. Xu really wants to acquire them, defeating the Zhang family will be easy. "

"Acquisitions in the stock market will cost extra." Xu Zhi picked up the tea cup and took a sip of tea.

John Madden said: "There is certainly a price, but Mr. Xu should be able to see the future value of Wheelock. Although the shipping industry is currently in a slump, a large number of ships have been demolished, and the number of global freighters has dropped a lot. The economies of the United States and Japan have also begun to become more and more prosperous, and I believe that within two to three years, the shipping industry will inevitably recover."

"This is just your guess. You guessed wrong a few years ago." Although he was forcefully refuted, Xu Zhi had to admit that none of these business tycoons who could get to the top did not have a vicious vision.

In fact, after 1986, international interest rates dropped, oil prices plummeted, the U.S. economy began to rise significantly, Southeast Asia began to become the new world factory, and internal development began at a rapid pace. These favorable factors also led to the rapid recovery of the shipping industry.

From 1986 to 1997, except for the third oil crisis that affected the shipping industry, the shipping industry has been in a steady upward stage during the rest of the period. Subsequently, the Asian financial crisis broke out in 1997, causing the shipping market to slump for several more years. By 2001, the global economy recovered and the shipping industry exploded rapidly, just like the peak period in the 1960s. The shipping freight in 2003 was 3-4 times that of the early 1990s. The price of a 100,000-ton cargo ship dropped from $30 million rose to $150 million.

This made people in other industries stunned. The shipping industry has also become one of the most profitable industries. At the beginning of the 20th century, the cost of a ship could be recovered in three years of operation, leaving only profits. It was not until 2008 that the subprime mortgage crisis swept the world and caused another large-scale shipping industry crisis.

Therefore, if you can enter the shipping industry now, in the next 20 years, as long as you have some control during the years of the Asian financial crisis, then you will be carrying a sack to pick up gold the rest of the time.

John Madden was not sure what Xu Zhi meant and asked tentatively: "If Mr. Xu is not satisfied with the price, we can discuss it slowly."

"In that case." Xu Zhi reported a math: "500 million Hong Kong dollars! What does Mr. Madden think?"

"Mr. Xu, this number is too insincere. The market value of all the stocks I hold is worth 500 million." John Madden looked very unhappy.

Xu Zhidao: "Mr. Madden, this is how business is done. If I want to ask you to buy Wheelock shares, I will naturally need to buy them at a premium. But now that you want to sell, you will naturally need to give a small discount!"

John Madden said: "Mr. Xu, Wheelock's performance in recent years is indeed not very good, but you don't really think that the stocks I hold can't be sold, do you?"

"Mr. Madden is talking about Qiu Deba, right?" Xu Zhi said casually.

"How do you know!" John Madden's face changed drastically. His negotiations with Qiu Deba had been going on in secret. The only two people who knew about it were the two of them. Even the negotiations were conducted face-to-face, not by phone. And some of their cronies only knew that the two had been in constant contact recently.

Xu Zhidao: "Mr. Madden, even the Watergate incident was exposed. There is no airtight wall in this world."

"Okay, I admit that Qiu Debat is indeed interested in acquiring Wheelock. He has always wanted to transfer his business from Southeast Asia to Hong Kong. Wheelock is indeed a good opportunity." John Madden admitted and asked unwillingly Said: "I don't think any third person knows about this matter. How did Mr. Xu know about it?"

Xu Zhi smiled and said, "You are sure that there is no problem with your side, but what about the other side?"

"It would not be good for him if this matter were leaked," John Madden said.

Xu Zhi shrugged and said: "How I know about this matter is actually not important. What is important is that since I know it, the Zhang family may also know it in advance. Once they know it, Mr. Madden's plan will probably fall short." Alright."

John Madden fell silent, his mind spinning rapidly. It doesn’t matter how this matter was leaked. What is important is whether the Zhang family will get the news. Once they learn that they are planning to sell their stocks, the Zhang family will most likely be short-term. Rapidly increase your equity within a short period of time.

Once the Zhang family is prepared, the stocks in their hands will lose value. After all, no one will acquire the stocks in their hands just to gain control of Wheelock.

Seeing that Xu Zhi didn't care, John Madden understood. Obviously, today was his only chance.

Otherwise, if the news really comes from Qiu Deba, whether it is intentional or unintentional, once the Zhang family learns about it, they may immediately launch an attack to seize their position as the taipan.

When Wheelock changes ownership, I am afraid that the stocks in my hands will no longer be able to be sold at a high price.

Taking a deep breath, John Madden said: "Mr. Xu, let's each take a step back, how about 550 million Hong Kong dollars?"

"Then I wish us a happy cooperation!" Xu Zhi smiled and extended his right hand.

"Happy cooperation!" John Madden also extended his hand and smiled awkwardly. Although the price was not as good as he expected, it was still a little higher than Qiu Deba's price.

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