"I've never heard of it, Master Richi," Mr. Silver shrugged. "But… if you'll allow me to make a couple of calls, I'll be able to tell you about this company."
"Here's the phone."
Richie slid the phone toward the man. Dan made several calls, speaking with specialists from the company's European division. Richard couldn't hear the responses, so he waited patiently.
After hanging up, Dan looked at the boy and said:
"Sir, I've found information on Nokia. It's an old company that's been on the market for a long time. They used to manufacture rubber products, cables, electronics, process wood, and generate electricity. They also had several secondary industries: manufacturing hunting rifles, plastics, and chemical materials.
"Now they also produce shoes, televisions, generators, robotics, and military communications equipment. The year before last, the company's main focus shifted to consumer electronics and telecommunications equipment. That's not all—if you need more detailed information, I can get it."
"That's enough for now," Richie said, drumming his fingers on the tabletop. "I heard you were asking about this company's shares…"
"Yes, sir," Mr. Silver nodded. "I thought you might be interested in that information."
"That's right, Mr. Silver. I'm very interested."
"Their shares are currently trading at just over seventeen U.S. cents apiece. To be precise, a stack of one hundred shares costs seventeen dollars and sixty cents."
"Mr. Silver, wait until Nokia's shares fall to their lowest point and buy up as many as possible," Richard gave his first order. "According to my information, that will be around the fall of next year. These shares should go into a long-term portfolio for about ten years."
Dan quickly pulled a notepad and pen from his jacket's inner pocket and began writing down his young boss's instructions.
The transmigrator might not have been an exemplary student of economics at university, but his favorite subject had been economic history. This was largely thanks to his teacher, who presented the material in an engaging way and knew how to capture her students' attention. She told amusing mishaps and provided historical examples of the rise and fall of major corporations. One of those examples had been Nokia. At first, the company skyrocketed, and later it was sold to Americans who were interested only in its advanced technology. As a result, the quality of products under the brand name fell even lower than that of semi-basement Chinese manufacturers, while prices remained at the same high level. The outcome was inevitable—after a few decades, Nokia collapsed.
But if you catch history at the fork where a company's shares are soaring, you can make an enormous amount of money. Richie couldn't miss this opportunity, because he had traveled back in time to a point when the company was not yet so popular.
Richie waited until the man had finished writing in his notebook and continued:
"Mr. Silver, I'm also interested in all young companies that have recently entered the high-tech and software markets. This includes console and computer games as well."
Dan made additional notes, and Richie went on issuing instructions:
"Give me a report in a week. After that, focus on finding companies and research laboratories that are developing artificial intelligence."
"Very well, sir. But if I may, I don't think this is a promising investment. Research laboratories are, for the most part, unprofitable, and companies engaged in artificial intelligence development are unlikely to yield returns for decades to come."
"That's true," Richard agreed. "But there's a big BUT. Mr. Silver, you have to invest in these companies at the very beginning. Yes, they'll be unprofitable. But in ten years' time, shares in these companies will be bought up by IT industry giants. And they'll never sell those stake—or if they do, it'll be for astronomical sums. But when artificial intelligence is finally developed… oh!"
Richie rolled his eyes toward the ceiling and smacked his lips. "That's crazy money! Even a small stake in such firm could turn someone into a billionaire if they invest a mere hundred thousand pounds now."
"Perhaps, sir, but this is a long-term venture investment with very high risks. There's a greater chance of losing money than making it. Besides, how long would we have to wait—ten or twenty years?"
"Thirty-six, give or take a couple of years," Richie replied calmly.
Dan was indulgent toward the child. He believed the young Grosvenor would simply squander the money, so he tried once more to offer advice:
"Sir, you could make a solid profit in that same period if you invested in stable, well-known industries. For example, if you followed your father's example and invested in construction, even with a minimal return, ten million pounds could become three hundred million over that span of time."
"Thank you, Mr. Silver, but I don't want to become a multimillionaire in my old age. I want to be a billionaire in my youth—regardless of my family's wealth.
"Therefore, I ask you to carry out my orders. And to minimize losses when investing in artificial intelligence companies, you must find firms that receive government subsidies. Moreover, the country must have a high level of economic development and a stable economy, such as the United States, Australia, Japan, or Germany. That's all for today. I look forward to your report."
Dan left his young boss's office in low spirits. He felt insulted, convinced that he had been assigned to the company owner's son merely as a kind of toy—something like an errand boy helping a child who had decided to play at "business" squander a vast fortune. He thought it would have been better if the money had been given to him; he would have deposited it in a bank account and lived comfortably for the rest of his life. But no, these spoiled heirs were simply wasting wealth!
(End of Chapter)
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