Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 220 Avengers Alliance

Thinking of Steve Jobs inevitably brings to mind Pixar. Although Disney has made a lot of profit from Pixar in recent years, these are ultimately not Disney's own animated films.

Although Eisner was arrogant and conceited, he was not stupid. He knew from the success of Pixar's "Toy Story" that 3D computer graphics would play an important role in the future development of animation. Therefore, he had Disney set up its own top-notch computer animation and special effects studio, which he called "Secret Lab".

After several years of production, Disney created the animated film "Dinosaur," featuring realistic skin and fur effects, excellent motion capture, and Disney-style expressions and movements, all combined with cutting-edge CG technology, making it a true feast for the eyes.

The animated film *Dinosaur* not only cost a staggering $130 million to produce, but also incurred a massive advertising budget. However, since its release in May, *Dinosaur* has only grossed $130 million in North America, a far cry from the $250 million grossed by Pixar's *Toy Story 2* last year!

It's worth noting that the first Toy Story film only cost $3000 million to make, and the second film only cost $9000 million, which is less than the $1.3 million of Dinosaur. However, the two Toy Story films grossed much more than Dinosaur.

The box office performance of "Dinosaur" was naturally unsatisfactory to Eisner, falling far short of his expectations. Since his own trained talent wasn't up to par, he might as well wield his shovel and start poaching people!
The target of this poaching is obviously Pixar, Disney's good partner!
Eisner glanced at Jobs in the newspaper. It just so happened that the guy was busy with Apple and didn't have time to pay attention to Pixar. Now was the perfect time.

Eisner called his secretary: "Go and meet John Lasseter at Pixar."

John Lasseter is the head of Pixar's animation creation and the actual manager of Pixar Studios' day-to-day operations; he is the true core figure of Pixar.

Eisner scoffed. "Once I poach Pixar's core team, you, Jobs, will be nothing! Let's see how you try to fight me then!"
……

On the other side, Wu Yuchen watched Roy Disney's departing figure and asked Katzenberg beside him, "Will he be on our side?"

Katzenberg laughed and said, "Don't worry, although he says he won't do anything to harm Disney, as long as we can cause trouble for Eisner, that old man will definitely not let it go. In fact, within Disney, he is always finding fault with Eisner. If he weren't a member of the Disney family and a spiritual symbol, Eisner would have wanted to kick him out long ago."

Wu Yuchen nodded. This Roy Disney could be considered a half-ally. Next, he planned to develop another true ally.

……

Three days later, Eisner's phone rang. As soon as he answered, he heard Jobs' angry roar on the other end:

"Damn Eisner, put your filthy paws back! You're not allowed to touch a single thing on Pixar! If you dare do that again, I'll chop your paws off!"

Eisner was furious upon hearing this:
"Jobs, who do you think you are! You should know that back then, nobody even thought Pixar's work was worth anything. If Disney hadn't been willing to sign a contract with Pixar and give you the opportunity to release your work, you and Pixar would have been finished long ago! It was Disney, it was me who saved you and Pixar. You ungrateful wretch, how dare you talk to me like that!"

"Go to hell! Pixar and I signed an unequal treaty with Disney to get where we are today, but you've never shown me or Pixar any respect. You've taken so much from Pixar, yet you've never uttered a word of thanks. Don't think I don't know—you said only three-year-olds like Pixar's works! You're an evil and greedy exploiter, a megalomaniac, a dictator!"
You know what? John didn't want to go to that damn Disney and work for you, you damn guy. He called me the moment he got back! Go to hell with those Pixar poachers!

The two exchanged a barrage of trash talk over the phone before slamming it down.

Eisner angrily tugged at his collar. He had expected Jobs to find out, but not so quickly. And John Lasseter, that guy—he'd promised him lucrative terms, and he'd turned around and reported it to Jobs! What an idiot!
On the other side, Jobs, who had been rantting for ages, was also furious. His biggest asset right now was Pixar, and if Eisner succeeded in poaching the core creative team, Pixar would collapse!

How could this not infuriate Jobs?
Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents. It's like touching their sore spot!

Fortunately, John Lasseter didn't agree this time because of his past feelings for Pixar, otherwise Jobs' fortune would have been lost.

Now, Jobs's feelings towards Eisner went beyond mere dislike; he practically wanted to strangle him. He vowed that if he ever had the chance, he would definitely kill Eisner!

Before Jobs could even calm down, the phone rang again, and seeing these shareholders' calls gave him another headache.

……

Two weeks later.

"Stock price, stock price, stock price! These short-sighted guys can only see what's in front of them; they don't care about Apple's long-term development at all!"

After hanging up on a shareholder, Jobs angrily slammed his fist on the table and began to curse.

He has indeed been under a lot of pressure lately. Since Apple's stock price halved on September 29, the shareholders have reacted strongly. After all, many people would find such a precipitous drop unbearable. Moreover, in the past two weeks, Apple's stock price has not only failed to rebound but has fallen by another 20%. Jobs' phone has been ringing off the hook with calls from a group of shareholders, many of whom have threatened to impeach him at the shareholders' meeting a few months from now.

Steve Jobs is under a lot of pressure now, and he can't help but feel a little regretful that he didn't sell his Apple stock back then.

In 1985, due to Apple's poor performance, founder Steve Jobs was ousted from the board. In a fit of anger, he sold all 11% of his Apple stock, leaving only one share as a memento. Now, he has returned to Apple to lead the company he founded, but with only a small stake. The fact that he no longer owns any shares makes him feel very vulnerable in this situation.

After venting his anger, Jobs calmed down and picked up the phone again. He still needed to appease some shareholders, at least so that they wouldn't all vote against some of the company's major decisions at next year's shareholders' meeting, otherwise he wouldn't be able to get many things done.

Just as he was about to make the call, the phone rang. Jobs saw the name displayed and recognized it as the manager of Northern Trust, Apple's third-largest shareholder. He quickly answered the call.

Before Jobs could speak, the other person immediately asked:
"Steve, regarding your Walkman project, are you still insisting on incompatibility with Windows?"

Jobs patiently explained:

"Yes, the iPod can only be used with Apple computers. This not only provides end-to-end control and creates a better user experience, but also allows Apple's hardware, software, and peripherals to be perfectly integrated, which also helps boost Apple computer sales..."

Before he could finish speaking, the other party interrupted, "You're actively turning away over 90% of your customers; this won't be a successful product. Let's stop here!"

Before Jobs could say anything more, the other party hung up the phone, infuriating Jobs, who yelled again, "Damn it!"

Half an hour later, Jobs saw his secretary rushing over to give an urgent report:
"Mr. Jobs, a major transaction has occurred. Northern Trust has called to inform us that it has sold its entire 7.23% stake!"

Upon hearing this, Jobs was startled and felt a surge of embarrassment and anger. What did this mean? Was selling stock an indication of opposition to him? Such an opponent was better off out!
He then quickly asked, "Who is the buyer?"

"The White Bear Charitable Foundation, I just checked it out, it's a charitable foundation that was recently established in the last few months."

"White Bear Charitable Foundation?"

Jobs wasn't surprised; it's normal for charitable foundations to make investments, and many charitable foundations are actually tools for the wealthy to avoid taxes. He just didn't know who this new shareholder was.

“Mr. Jobs, and people from the White Bear Foundation want to visit the company tomorrow and meet with you.”

Upon hearing this, Jobs raised an eyebrow, indicating that this new shareholder likely held a friendly attitude towards both Apple and himself.

The next day, in the meeting room, when Jobs arrived, he only saw a young Asian man sitting there, leisurely drinking coffee. And why did that face seem so familiar?

As the owner of Pixar, Jobs wasn't someone who was unfamiliar with Hollywood. He looked closely and realized it was none other than Wu Yuchen, the young Hollywood director!

Jobs was somewhat surprised, but he still extended his hand and said, "Hello, Wu, are you the founder of the White Bear Charitable Foundation?"

Wu Yuchen immediately stood up and shook hands with Jobs:
"That's right, it's me! Mr. Jobs, I've heard so much about you and have wanted to meet you for a long time, but you don't usually attend those Hollywood parties~"

Jobs smiled upon hearing this: "Pixar Studios focuses on animation, and I'm currently putting most of my energy into Apple, so I am indeed somewhat out of touch with the Hollywood circle. I really didn't expect that this new shareholder would be you, Wu. Welcome to Apple as a new shareholder!"

Wu Yuchen laughed heartily, "Actually, I've wanted to buy Apple stock for a long time, but its price was too high before. I didn't expect it to suddenly drop, giving me an opportunity!"

After the two released each other's hands, Jobs personally led Wu Yuchen, the new shareholder, on a tour of the company. This investment in Apple was made through the White Bear Charitable Foundation, which purchased 7.23% of Apple's shares from the Northern Trust Fund for approximately $4 million.

The White Bear Charitable Foundation was started by Wu Yuchen last year and was officially established this year. Its purpose is to help Wu Yuchen avoid taxes as much as possible.

Of course, charitable projects will be undertaken, primarily to support impoverished children. 20% of the annual donations will go to the United States—after all, it's good to maintain appearances when making money in America—while the remaining 80% will naturally be used to help impoverished children in China, building primary schools in various mountainous areas!
Furthermore, all of Wu Yuchen's personal expenses in the United States will be handled through the White Bear Charitable Foundation from now on; that's how everyone does it.

Actually, his investment in Apple wasn't at its best time, because Apple's stock price hadn't truly bottomed out yet; it would likely drop another 30%, and the next two years would be a period of low stock prices. From this perspective, Northern Trust Fund's sale of its Apple stock was entirely the right move.

However, Wu Yuchen didn't mind, because there were very few opportunities for a major shareholder to sell so many shares at once. He had to seize such an opportunity, and he didn't mind waiting a few more years.

Actually, Wu Yuchen had worried beforehand that his deal might be blocked by some special department in the US, but it wasn't at all. Looking back, it makes sense; Apple today is nothing like the behemoth it is today, just a small company that makes its own computers, with a market share of only single digits.

Microsoft is currently the representative of high technology in the US. If someone were to actually buy more than 5% of Microsoft's current shares, that would attract special attention, but he simply couldn't afford it. Even 5% of Microsoft is now worth over ten billion US dollars.

By lunchtime, Wu Yuchen and Jobs had become much more familiar with each other. At this point, Jobs asked, "Wu, why do you want to invest in Apple?"

Wu Yuchen smiled, thinking of Apple's trillion-dollar empire from his previous life: "It will become the world's greatest technology company!"

Jobs smiled upon hearing this: "Oh? Why would you think that? You know, Microsoft is far superior to Apple now."

Microsoft is currently at its zenith, undoubtedly the world's number one technology company, and Bill Gates has become the world's richest man. Apple's current market capitalization is only $50 billion. From this perspective, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Microsoft is worth 100 Apples.

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "Because Apple has you, I believe that the ecosystem you proposed for Apple is the only way to become a great technology company."

These words greatly pleased Jobs, who immediately felt that Wu Yuchen was truly a confidant. After all, there were quite a few people opposing him, and Wu Yuchen, this new shareholder, shared the same thoughts as him, making them kindred spirits!

Jobs then asked, "So what do you think of my proposed iPod project?"

Wu Yuchen sincerely stated, "It will become one of the most successful portable music player products in the world."

The moment Jobs smirked, he knew he had it all figured out. It seemed this young Hollywood director was a huge fan of his!
Then, the next moment, Wu Yuchen said, "But I also think it should be compatible with Windows."

Jobs raised an eyebrow and immediately asked, "Why? Aren't you very supportive of Apple creating its own ecosystem? Compatibility with Windows would make it less pure!"

Why? Of course, it's because of experiences from a past life!
The iPod was an MP3 player that helped Apple take off, generating billions of dollars in profits for the company, which enabled it to continue developing the iPhone.

However, while the first-generation iPod, launched the following year, wasn't exactly a failure, it wasn't a success either, selling only a few hundred thousand units. The iPod truly took off with the second generation, launched the year after next. It made the most significant change: Jobs compromised by making it compatible with Windows. The iPod 2 sold millions of units upon its release, instantly establishing its reputation, and sales continued to rise.

Wu Yuchen explained:

"Jobs' goal was to create Apple's own ecosystem. But to achieve this strategy, it was necessary to attract enough people to use Apple products first. Making the iPod compatible with Windows was a necessary tactic. You have to know that more than 90% of people use Windows computers. If it is not compatible, many people will not even consider the iPod."

Jobs immediately retorted:

"No, no, no, Wu, as long as the iPod is good enough, it will attract everyone. If I make it compatible with Windows, then this ecosystem will be destroyed, which goes against the purpose of using the iPod to drive traffic to Apple computers."

Wu Yuchen shrugged and shook his head, indicating his disagreement. Few people would buy a computer specifically for a portable music player; everyone understands the math. However, Wu Yuchen didn't try to persuade him further. If Jobs were so easily convinced, he wouldn't be the notoriously stubborn Steve Jobs.

"Steve Jobs, I still believe the iPod should be compatible with Windows, but I will support you and let's see what the market says."

Jobs nodded: "OK, then we'll see how the market reacts."

However, he then smiled at Wu Yuchen and said, "Wu, thank you so much for your support. It has relieved a lot of my pressure."

Although the White Bear Charitable Foundation only holds 7.23% of the shares, it represents a significant force within Apple. American listed companies differ from those in China's A-share market. In China's A-share market, many major shareholders hold over 50% of the shares, but in the US, shareholdings are often more dispersed. For example, in Apple, the largest shareholder currently holds less than 10%, so the White Bear Foundation's 7.23% stake makes it the third-largest shareholder.

For Steve Jobs, receiving support from Wu Yuchen at this time was a huge relief.

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "Steve, if you were willing to sell Pixar, you could use that money to become a major shareholder of Apple again."

After selling Apple, Jobs bought a computer studio to establish Pixar, which then grew into a major player. Today, he owns more than 50% of Pixar Animation. If he were to sell it now, he could get $20 billion, enough to buy half of Apple, which is currently in a slump.

Mentioning Pixar, Jobs' heart skipped a beat, and he looked at Wu Yuchen: "Wu, are you also interested in Pixar?"

"Of course, who can resist Pixar now? Pixar is attractive to everyone, it's just a pity that I don't have the strength to acquire Pixar."

Wu Yuchen sighed, then changed the subject and asked, "Steve Jobs, you wouldn't want to sell Pixar to Disney, would you?"

Jobs' expression changed immediately, and he said, "Impossible, absolutely impossible! As long as that damn Eisner is at Disney, this kind of thing will never happen! If it weren't for the contract between Pixar and Disney, I would have taken Pixar away from Disney long ago!"

The previous incident still had Jobs furious, and he and Eisner had truly become enemies this time. It's a pity that Pixar's contract with Disney for five feature-length animated films hasn't been fulfilled yet. Otherwise, he would definitely have taken Pixar to another major studio.

Wu Yuchen immediately echoed his sentiment: "That's right, Jobs and Eisner are arrogant and conceited, they don't respect anyone at all, they're really annoying guys, I think we should unite to boycott them!"

Upon hearing this, Jobs glanced at Wu Yuchen and asked curiously, "Wu, do you also have a grudge against Eisner?"

"Of course! He stole my Oscar for Best Director!"

Afterwards, Wu Yuchen told Jobs about being betrayed by Disney. Anyway, this wasn't exactly a secret; anyone who wanted to find out could find out.

Indeed, Steve Jobs is another anti-Eisner ally that Wu Yuchen intends to win over. Wu Yuchen's investment in Apple is partly a long-term investment, and partly an opportunity to cultivate a good relationship with Jobs and unite the opposition against Eisner.

Pixar is now very important to Disney. If Disney wants to reopen negotiations with Pixar to renew its contract, it has to get past Steve Jobs. If Disney can win over Jobs and persuade him to disagree, it can keep the negotiations stalled and then use the opportunity to attack Eisner.

"Jobs, I heard that Eisner only visited Pixar once and said some bad things about it. He looks down on Pixar from the bottom of his heart. As long as he's in power, Pixar will never get good enough treatment from Disney. I think it would be good for all of us if we could get rid of this dictator, wouldn't it?"

Jobs narrowed his eyes, then smiled and said:
"Of course, without Disney, Eisner is nothing. I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of expression this annoying guy will have when he gets ousted. But he's been in this position for 16 years, so it won't be easy to get him off."

Upon hearing Jobs' statement, Wu Yuchen smiled:
"It's not that easy, but it's not necessarily extremely difficult either. Eisner has made enemies all over the years, and many people want him to step down."

Moreover, Disney's stock price has now entered a downward trend. He can currently stabilize it with his accumulated prestige, but when the stock price falls to a certain level, if he cannot reverse the trend, even if he has been in power for 16 years, Disney's shareholders will be very dissatisfied with him.

Actually, Disney's business performance hasn't been great in recent years. We just need to wait for the right opportunity, and then we can all give it a push..."

As Wu Yuchen spoke, he made a downward motion with his hand.

Jobs, of course, understood, and said with a smile, "I'd be happy to lend a hand and send Eisner crashing down into the abyss!"

(End of this chapter)