[Chapter 463: Epstein's Curiosity]
Many wealthy individuals claimed in interviews that they intended to donate the majority of their fortunes to charitable causes during their lifetimes. Link was originally regarded as an inspirational figure with a positive public image.
After openly pledging his enthusiasm for philanthropy, public opinion shifted further in his favor. He was seen as a conscientious and responsible entrepreneur, with some suggesting that Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and others should follow his example.
...
"Damn it! If this guy wants to donate all his earnings, why doesn't he just quit the entertainment business and let us make money? He doesn't need the money, but we do," Harvey dropped the magazine with a look of jealousy on his face.
"Don't take it seriously! For a wealthy person like him, the donations are made to avoid the 45% tax, not out of genuine charity. If he had such a strong sense of responsibility, he would not transfer a large amount of assets overseas, making it difficult for people to investigate how much assets he actually has," Ron Meyer said, smoking a cigarette.
"That's right. Rich people like them will do anything to avoid taxes," Barry Diller expressed his disdain.
To those less privileged, Link was just another wealthy man, an unscrupulous capitalist in their eyes. And to them, people like Link and Bill Gates were the epitome of ruthless capitalists.
"Is that so? The papers reported that Link donated $625 million to several charities in the last two years. Is that not true?" Harvey asked with interest. "Could we find a way to hype Link up and then expose his fraud to the public?"
"Don't waste your time. It has to be true; otherwise, Link wouldn't have made it public so boldly. What we need to watch is whether his future promised donations are actually carried out. But this guy has hidden a huge amount of assets. The 90% of his wealth he talks about is only what's visible on the surface. The hidden assets could be the majority," Ron Meyer exhaled smoke slowly.
"Exactly. Many estimates say Link's net worth exceeds $40 billion, but the Forbes list only counts $20 billion. This bastard has indeed concealed a lot of wealth." When Harvey thought about the fact that Link still had more than 20 billion US dollars in his name after hiding a large amount of assets, he couldn't help but curse Link as an evil capitalist.
"Stop saying that." Michael Ovitz knocked on the table impatiently. "Tell me, what do you want me to do?"
"Of course we have to find some way to deal with Link. After the merger of Guess Pictures and MGM, they will become even more powerful, and Link's fortune will keep soaring. If we don't find a way to handle him, we'll all end up working for Link in the future," Harvey said angrily.
"Deal with Link? He's worth tens of billions now, and the Guess Pictures is stronger than ever. How do you expect to deal with him? If you don't have the means, don't come to me to talk about this -- it's a waste of time," Ovitz replied, clearly dissatisfied.
"Just because we don't have it doesn't mean others don't," Harvey waved and greeted a curly-haired middle-aged man approaching. "Hi, Jeffrey."
...
Michael Ovitz turned and spotted the arriving man. His heavy eyelids narrowed. It was Jeffrey Epstein.
Jeffrey Epstein, 45, like Harvey, was born in New York and is of Jewish descent. He chaired J. Epstein & Company, was a billionaire, and a well-known political and business broker, specializing in serving clients with net worths over one billion dollars. Rumor had it he had close ties to big names such as Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump.
After 1996, to avoid heavy taxes, he moved his company to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands and purchased nearby St. James Island to build a luxury club. Due to his secrecy, Forbes was unable to estimate his net worth. Some rumors put him in the hundreds of millions, others suggested billions. Epstein had many powerful friends and deep connections, allowing him to mobilize tens or even hundreds of billions in funds easily.
He was an exceptionally influential figure and a founding member of a Jewish social club. Ovitz particularly avoided involvement with him for two reasons: one, when he was the most powerful man in Hollywood, he refused to help Epstein when asked; two, rumors swirled about Epstein's special tastes, ruthless methods, and willingness to do anything to achieve his goals.
...
"Haha, sorry I'm late," Epstein greeted everyone with a smile.
"Jeffrey, last time we talked, you said you had a plan. What's the idea?" Harvey asked eagerly.
"Don't worry. It's been a while -- let's catch up first," Epstein sat down, sipping wine. "I heard Hollywood is basically Link's territory now. Even if you all join forces, you can't touch him?"
"Not just Hollywood -- Link also influences the talent agencies. He has significant clout in CAA, WMA, UTA, and others. His power in Hollywood keeps growing," Ron Meyer said, smoking.
"Besides, this guy has over a hundred girlfriends, all popular actresses. His girlfriends almost monopolize the leading and supporting roles across all Hollywood films. Hollywood is essentially his backyard, even his kingdom," Barry Diller complained.
"More than a hundred girlfriends? Is this true or just a rumor?" Epstein showed an expression of disbelief.
Harvey snapped, "The truth is, his girlfriends include top entertainers from Europe, America, and even Asian entertainment circles. The confirmed number is more than 70, and there are probably more unexposed. Rumor says this bastard has at least three girlfriends around him daily."
"With over a hundred celebrity girlfriends, how can he manage that?" Epstein, somewhat lustful himself, was intrigued. He wished to surround himself with beautiful women daily, but women weren't dolls -- they had minds and souls. It was tough to keep them close with just love or money.
From his experience, the more famous and mature a woman, the harder she was to handle and control. Link managed dozens of actresses, letting them live under the same roof in harmony.
Epstein admitted he couldn't do the same and felt a mix of admiration and curiosity.
Harvey said, "It is rumored that this guy is very generous to women. After becoming his girlfriends, they can get millions of dollars in dividends from his company every year. In addition, this guy exercises regularly and has a good physical fitness. In addition, he is gifted. After tasting the sweetness, those women are completely devoted to him and are unwilling to leave him, and even ignore other men."
"Unbelievable. I only knew he was rich, good at making movies, and a playboy -- I had no idea he was so skilled with women." Epstein said enviously, "Maybe I should find a chance to talk to Link and learn his secret. Men everywhere would pay big money to know that technique. If I could learn it..."
Epstein's eyes narrowed, and he left the rest unsaid, but everyone understood: if they could master this technique, many wealthy men would pay handsomely for it. This skill would become one of Epstein's tools for courting the ultra-rich. While Link only used it to charm women.
"Jeffrey, stop talking about this. You said there's a way to beat the Guess Pictures and help the Hollywood Big Seven studios reclaim the box office. What's that method?" Ovitz asked, impatient.
Epstein shot him a look and said, "I'll talk to Link about this again. Everyone has weaknesses -- Link must have some. Maybe lust. We just need to cater to his tastes and satisfy his hobbies and desires. Then he'll be on our side. Once he's one of us, everything becomes negotiable."
"A honey trap?" Ovitz sneered, pushing his glasses up. "I advise against that. Link's surrounded by beauties like Monica Bellucci, Sophie Marceau, Jennifer Connolly, Brooke Shields, Nicole Kidman -- they're one in a million. You might fool other men with a trap like that, but not Link."
Ovitz shook his head and thought back bitterly to when he tried to use Nicole Kidman and Cameron Diaz to lure Link. He'd initially thought beauty might be the key to stopping the playboy, but now realized it was like feeding fresh meat to a hungry wolf.
Epstein frowned and said, "I get what you mean, but I'll find an effective way."
"Well, I really hope you succeed," Ovitz said and fell silent. He didn't like Epstein and hated Link, so whether Epstein succeeded or failed was good news for him either way.
*****
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