Regarding the BlackBerry project, Simon initially considered handing it to Nokia or Scoble, a company planning to enter the wireless communication field. Tinkobel, on the other hand, wasn't initially part of his considerations—mainly because it didn't align with their current direction.
However, after some discussions in the Tinkobel lab and over dinner, C-Girl seized the project, planning to use it as a stepping stone for Tinkobel's entry into the mobile phone market. Similar to the PC industry, global mobile phone shipments had been exploding in recent years due to the growth of the mobile communication sector.
Regardless, Simon viewed the phone as merely a transitional product.
Although the original BlackBerry reached a peak valuation of $80 billion, much of its success was driven by market hype. The device lacked the strong user stickiness that Apple products once boasted. When the new era of smartphones dawned, BlackBerry was almost instantly rendered obsolete.
Ultimately, given that Tinkobel would eventually delve into the mobile phone market, using this project for practice seemed like a reasonable choice.
If it succeeded, great. If it failed, so be it.
Next came the naming issue.
Under Simon's guidance, Tinkobel had long since applied for a wide range of global trademarks beginning with the letter "i," including "iPhone." Since this phone was a breakthrough in using network-based email transmission technology, calling it the "iPhone" might have made sense. However, Simon was firmly against it. This device was far from the iPhone he envisioned from memory. Using that trademark prematurely would be a waste.
Simon suggested the name "BlackBerry," inspired by the phone's keypad design resembling clusters of small berries. However, this didn't align with Tinkobel's product naming conventions.
Since the decision had been made to produce the device, it didn't make sense to start with a deviation.
Moreover, introducing a product with a name that diverged from Tinkobel's established "i" series would be a nightmare for anyone with obsessive tendencies—Simon included.
After some debate, they settled on a compromise: the name "iBerry." The word "Berry" served as a reference to small fruits or clusters of berries, preserving the original inspiration behind the name. Additionally, by avoiding the color-specific term "BlackBerry," the design wouldn't be limited to black hues.
With the naming resolved, the next step was acquiring the Canadian company RIM.
RIM had gone public last year during the surge of the tech bubble but remained relatively small, with a current market capitalization of less than $300 million. If Simon waited for the Nasdaq bubble to burst, the acquisition might cost half that amount. Moreover, even without RIM, Tinkobel's massive technical resources could independently produce the iBerry phone without difficulty.
These details were handed off to the Tinkobel team.
March 7, 1997
Friday
After spending two days in San Francisco, Simon departed for the East Coast as usual.
In the office of his Boeing 767 private jet, after takeoff, Simon first reviewed the past week's box office numbers from Hollywood.
For the week of February 28 to March 6, Bridget Jones's Diary topped the charts for the third consecutive week, bringing in $19.46 million with a 33% drop in box office revenue. The film's cumulative total had reached $86.11 million. Following typical box office trends, after a sharp decline this week, next week's drop should be more moderate, meaning this romantic comedy would likely cross the $100 million mark soon. It would become the first film of 1997 from Daenerys Entertainment to join the $100 million box office club.
The second and third spots on the charts were occupied by two Star Wars re-releases, with little else worth mentioning.
In fourth place was Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. In its fourth week, it earned $5.37 million, bringing its total to $24.96 million.
Fifth place went to Christopher Nolan's Following. Also in its fourth week, it earned $4.26 million, with a cumulative total of $20.64 million.
Both films, seemingly modest indie releases, had been drawing increasing attention recently. Based on their current trajectories, it was estimated that global box office earnings alone would yield a net profit of no less than $30 million for Daenerys Entertainment.
That meant $60 million for both films combined.
And that didn't even account for future revenues from home video releases and television syndication.
This kind of profitability was something even Hollywood's major blockbusters struggled to achieve in theaters, leaving executives at rival studios feeling frustrated and envious.
Among the top five films dominated by Daenerys Entertainment, another standout was Good Will Hunting.
Just wrapping up its 13th week, the film brought in $3.35 million over the past week, pushing its domestic total to $152.51 million. Compared to the two indie films, the $10 million budget for Good Will Hunting meant an even more astonishing profit margin.
This success baffled many in Hollywood.
Despite being in the age of blockbuster dominance, Daenerys Entertainment, while producing the era's biggest hits, also seemed to churn out an endless string of surprise indie successes.
It was almost as if they were cheating.
Of course, the reality was that Simon's foresight gave him an undeniable edge.
Meanwhile, the filmmakers behind these hits were also reaping the rewards of their success. Directors like Guy Ritchie and Christopher Nolan had become hot commodities in Hollywood, attracting attention from major studios. Simon saw an email from Amy Pascal addressing this topic but remained nonchalant.
Hollywood had a well-documented phenomenon known as the "Sophomore Slump." A director's debut might be a breakout hit, but their second film often failed to replicate that success—sometimes leaving them as one-hit wonders.
Guy Ritchie and Nolan were both first-time feature directors. After the success of Lock, Stock and Following, their next projects would likely demand budgets of $20–30 million or more. Add to that the tendency of studios to grant newly successful directors excessive creative freedom, and their second films were hardly guaranteed successes.
Simon was open to collaborating with these two filmmakers but wouldn't pursue them blindly or at any cost.
This confidence stemmed from Daenerys Entertainment's strong position. With a wealth of projects in the pipeline, the company didn't need to cater to individual directors.
Other studios, however, had to make compromises. For example, Paramount had bent over backward to accommodate Michael Bay for the Transformers franchise, granting him near-total creative freedom. The result? The series turned into a bloated mess. Similarly, Warner Bros. had done the same for Nolan, letting him run wild with projects like Tenet, which ended up being a financial and logistical headache.
Daenerys Entertainment, like Disney at its peak in the original timeline, held the upper hand. Even after Joss Whedon directed two Avengers films, when creative differences arose, the studio let him walk. Meanwhile, Warner Bros., desperate to compete, had coddled Zack Snyder during Justice League, pouring $300 million into a film with disastrous results.
Back on the East Coast
Beyond spending time with his pregnant partners, Simon had another reason for this trip.
After negotiations, the Carlyle Group successfully acquired the British Perkins Engines Company, beating out Caterpillar. The final price was $1.425 billion—about $100 million more than the initial estimate, mainly due to Caterpillar's involvement in the bidding.
Meanwhile, Carlyle had also finalized a deal with XCMG, one of China's largest construction machinery manufacturers. Of the three initial targets—XCMG, Sany, and Liugong—only the latter remained in negotiations.
With Perkins Engines now in hand, the Westeros System's plans for the Chinese construction machinery sector could accelerate.
The strategy involved having Perkins Engines take over XCMG's diesel engine subsidiary, swiftly transferring production lines to China.
In Ukraine, Carlyle's efforts had also yielded significant results. In addition to acquiring expertise in port and mining machinery, they obtained a trove of shipbuilding technology. This paved the way for the acquisition of a targeted shipyard in China: Jingjiang Shipyard in Jiangsu Province. Last year, Jingjiang had made headlines by independently developing a 10,000-ton cargo ship, a milestone for non-state-owned shipyards.
Simon was well aware that China's rise over the coming decades would trigger a boom in maritime trade. While he already had plans to invest in South Korea's shipbuilding industry during the upcoming Southeast Asian financial crisis, the opportunity in China was too good to pass up.
East Hampton, Long Island
By Sunday afternoon, Simon was quietly accompanying Grace to a prenatal checkup. Another baby's gender was confirmed during the visit.
It was another boy.
This added to Simon's mounting pressure.
Six children. If they were all boys, would they end up fighting over the inheritance one day?
In a coastal estate in northern East Hampton, Simon discussed this concern with Grace while lounging on a living room sofa.
Grace, always straightforward, said, "That's why you, as their father, need to be firm. Otherwise, of course, they'll fight."
"There's a theory," Simon replied, one arm around her, "that overly strict fathers raise timid children. I'd rather avoid that."
Grace shrugged. "Well, that's your problem to solve."
"You're part of this too."
"Fine. However you want me to help, I'll do it."
Bryce Levison entered with a fruit platter, catching Grace's comment. Rolling her eyes, Bryce remarked, "It's like you're not treating him as a king but as your master."
Grace smiled without responding.
Simon, holding out his hand imperiously, said, "Bring it over. How am I supposed to eat if it's on the table?"
Bryce pouted but complied, offering the platter. "Here you go, Master. Please enjoy."
Simon picked up a slice of apple and handed it to Grace. "Wear a maid outfit next time. A little more submission in your tone would be nice too."
Bryce scoffed and shoved the platter into Simon's hands before plopping down on the other side of him. "Why don't you have Grace do it? She'll do anything for you."
Simon looked at Bryce. "Are you planning to leave anytime soon? Staying here like this isn't great for morale."
"I'm not going anywhere. Someone has to keep an eye on you so you don't bully Grace."
"Well, I can't bully her right now, so I guess that just leaves you."
Bryce smirked. "I'll scream."
"Alright, let's not turn this into a scene from certain movies."
With Simon conceding, Bryce smugly took a piece of fruit from the platter to eat.
Grace listened quietly as the two bantered. After a while, she changed the subject. "The Elite Model Look competition starts next month. Do you have any thoughts, Simon?"
"He doesn't have thoughts—he has plans to select a bunch of pretty girls... Ow, that hurts!"
Simon pinched Bryce lightly before answering, "I do have one thought. This year, the final competition should be held in Atlantic City."
"Atlantic City? Why there?" Bryce asked.
Simon turned to her. Seeing Bryce instinctively shrink back, he replied, "Do you not pay attention to your family's businesses?"
"I only care about spending money."
Grace explained, "The Levison Group owns several casinos in Atlantic City, but I've heard their performance hasn't been great."
Simon nodded. "The casino industry in Atlantic City has struggled for a long time. But since we own these properties now, we should at least try. Filming a movie set in Atlantic City is one way—there's already a project in progress. Another is to host entertainment events there to boost visibility."
Grace said, "I'll coordinate with the Levison Group to arrange more than just the finals. Other parts of the competition could take place in Atlantic City as well."
Bryce, sensing Grace's gaze, waved her off. "Don't look at me. Talk to Frank about it."
Grace nodded and then asked Simon, "The Milan Fashion Week is happening now. Are you planning to visit Europe?"
The Spring 1997 Fashion Weeks began in mid-February. New York and London had already wrapped up, leaving Milan and Paris next.
Simon shook his head. He had no interest in such events right now.
Bryce, oblivious to his mood, teased, "New York must feel so empty to you lately, with all those models in Europe. Maybe that's why you're remembering us."
Simon calmly set the fruit platter back on the table, grabbed Bryce as she tried to flee, and slung her over his shoulder. "I don't know about New York, but you seem pretty empty. Let's go fix that."
Amid Bryce's half-hearted protests and laughter, Simon carried her out of the room.
Grace smiled as she watched them leave. She resumed eating the fruit platter but found her breathing growing heavier despite the quiet. Unable to resist, she set the platter down and followed after them moments later.
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