[Chapter 428: The Bronfman Family]
It wasn't until 11 PM that Masaharu Matsushita and the other side finally settled on a rough framework for the negotiations.
The basic setup was similar to Linton's side: both parties formed negotiation teams and held talks at the Four Seasons Hotel where the Seagram delegation was staying.
Linton finally found out the name of Seagram's representative -- Edgar Bronfman Jr..
There was some good news too: the Four Seasons was less than 30 miles from the Hilton Hotel, still within the reach of his spiritual awareness.
This acquisition was turning out to be a rollercoaster; the saying "good things never come easy" definitely applied here.
But no matter what, it was crucial to understand just who they were dealing with.
...
Linton picked up the phone and called Hillary in Washington. "You know the Seagram Group?"
"Yes, the Canadian liquor giant Seagram Group?"
"Are they well-known?"
"Very well-known and extremely powerful, influential here in the U.S. What's going on, do you have a conflict with them?"
"Yeah, I'm in Tokyo negotiating with Matsushita Electronics to acquire Universal Group and am close to closing the deal, but a new player showed up today. Their leader is Edgar Bronfman, claiming to represent the Seagram Group and wanting to join the Universal acquisition talks. Can you dig up the background on Seagram and Edgar Bronfman Jr.? Who is this guy, what's his style, and how do they handle acquisition negotiations?"
"Got it. Leave it to me. I'll call you back."
Business battles of this caliber rarely remained calm and almost never got settled purely at the negotiation table -- they always involved blood, sweat, and tears.
Especially when a $6 billion acquisition was on the line. Any kind of friendly resolution here would've been suspicious.
But Linton didn't mind. If the other side played by the rules, he wouldn't break them casually. But if they acted up first, he wouldn't hesitate to unleash his thunderous tactics.
Still, gathering intelligence was critical. If open conflict broke out, he'd need to have contingency plans in place.
He hadn't yet built a full intelligence analysis team, but with Bill and Hillary Clintons -- both highly capable operatives under his command -- there was no lack of information gathering power.
---
The negotiations quickly stalled, and that night, the negotiating team reported back, each member filled with frustration and a strong dislike for Matsushita Electronics.
No progress had been made; the other side dug in, insisting the price couldn't go lower than $7 billion -- clearly waiting to see how the other negotiations played out.
At first, only Linton's side was negotiating to buy Universal, which made the relationship even, but with a new buyer suddenly emerging, Matsushita naturally took a tougher stance.
Faced with this, Linton had no better options than to keep in touch with the Matsushita negotiators. Ultimately, the real battle for Universal would be a brutal clash with the Seagram Group.
Whether that fight happened at the negotiation table or by other means depended entirely on the other side's moves.
---
Hillary, true to her title as a first-class intelligence expert, called Linton at 10 AM next day.
"Linton, I've got a full profile on Edgar Bronfman Jr.. He's the new head of Seagram Liquor Group."
"Seagram's a Jewish family business?"
"Yes, one of the top-tier Jewish families with influence several notches above the Douglas family.
Edgar Bronfman Sr., the boss, is the chairman of the World Jewish Congress and holds massive clout in the Jewish community. Last year, Edgar Sr. stepped down as family head and handed control to his son Edgar Jr., supposedly to focus on efforts to reclaim World War II deposits from Swiss banks on behalf of the Jewish people."
"They're supposed to be liquor people, right? Why would they be interested in Hollywood? Seems unrelated."
"Edgar Bronfman Jr. was a classic playboy in his youth, completely seduced by the vices of Hollywood. Back in the 70s and 80s, he invested tens of millions of dollars of his allowance into several film projects just to hit the Hollywood party scene and chase after actresses.
He lost fortunes but never gave up.
So it makes a twisted kind of sense that after taking over the family business, he would make this unexpected leap into the entertainment world. He even openly claimed within the family that he knew Hollywood better than he knew the liquor industry."
"What kind of eccentric is this guy? Losing millions just to woo starlets, and now planning to acquire Universal? Would his family really let him run wild like this?"
"This cross-industry move is definitely reckless and insane. Inside Seagram, it stirred massive opposition. Many executives even threatened to resign and pressured his aged father Edgar, who was in poor health, to veto the crazy idea. But Edgar Sr. firmly backed his son."
"Have they usually played fair?"
"Fair? Do you know how they first made their fortune?"
"Oh great, here come the stereotypes about Jewish people! Tell me."
"In the 1920s, America was gripped by Prohibition. The Bronfman brothers, first-generation entrepreneurs, spotted opportunity.
They set up a distillery just across the border in Canada, imported brewing equipment from Britain, and sourced grains from Canada and the U.S. Then they made the very liquor banned in America and sold it through influential Italian, Irish, and Jewish mafias in the U.S., who smuggled it illegally across the border. That's how they cracked open the American market and earned their first fortune. Then they bought Seagram and expanded production.
During Prohibition, alcohol consumption soared underground, and profits skyrocketed. That's how the Bronfman family became prominent tycoons and capitalists.
Afterward, they invested heavily in American politics, sponsoring campaigns and building connections deep in both the legitimate and criminal worlds.
Later, merging with Canadian liquor companies, they controlled famed premium brands like Seagram Seven, Martell, Seagram Gin, Captain Morgan, Royal Crown, and more, becoming North America's liquor powerhouse.
Edgar Bronfman Sr., the second-generation head, diversified the business.
During the 1979 oil crisis, Edgar and the DuPont family both eyed Conoco Oil.
They battled fiercely in a high-stakes takeover war, causing bloodshed and conflict.
In the end, neither side wholly won.
DuPont got 32% of Conoco; Seagram cleverly snapped up 24% of DuPont Chemical, gaining four board seats. This was hailed as a brilliant victory by Jewish capitalists against America's old money.
Edgar rose to become one of the most respected Jewish magnates.
Five years ago, he was elected chairman of the World Jewish Congress.
They have always been generous in political campaign contributions, dominating American political connections with at least five senators and eight representatives backing them quietly.
Basically, the Bronfman family story is one of a crime syndicate's rise and successful whitewashing.
Their growth was never without bloodshed or violence.
There are piles of bones under their feet.
Families like this don't play by the rules -- and they also control their own armed forces.
Now that both you and they have your eyes set on Universal, with so much at stake, I can guarantee they'll use underhanded tactics to push you out or force your hand.
You must be careful and beef up your security."
"This is Tokyo, though. Would they dare cause trouble here?"
"On the contrary, exactly because it's Japan, they'll act even more boldly. As long as there's no concrete evidence, do you think the Japanese would provoke Americans? Even if they had proof, what could they do? At worst, politely escort them out of the country. Don't forget, we have military bases and an aircraft carrier stationed right there."
"So basically, I can make a power move here, too?"
"Of course, but only with your own safety guaranteed. Want me to send reinforcements your way?"
"No, thanks, that won't be necessary. Also, please gather more detailed intel on their family members, residences, power bases, and armed forces."
"No problem..."
*****
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