[Chapter 440: $2.5 Billion Donation, New Projects]
The next afternoon, Linton was in his office reviewing Universal Group's personnel files, considering the next steps for personnel arrangements at Universal.
As for the all-important CEO position at Universal, Lou Wasserman was absolutely unfit -- he was among the first on the chopping block. But Linton didn't have a suitable candidate among his staff to take over. Robert's abilities were somewhat lacking, and the rest were even less qualified.
No matter; Hollywood was never short on media talent. He had already asked Goodman to commission the prestigious Korn Ferry International Headhunting Firm to find candidates. By the time he officially took over Universal, he should be able to pick a satisfactory choice.
Of course, he also planned to immediately remove Toshio Masaki, the current general manager of Universal Asia's film division, and Korn Ferry International was tasked with finding a suitable replacement for him as well.
---
Excitedly, Winnie came from the 15th floor down to his office. "Honey, our charity foundation's account just received an anonymous donation of $500 million. Do you know the details?"
Linton reached out and pulled Winnie onto his lap. "Sweetheart, I know -- and that's not all. There will be another $2 billion coming in the same anonymous way."
"Good Lord, that's so much! Honey, is the source of this money really clean?"
"Don't worry, it's perfectly legitimate. A regular donation, just with anonymity to avoid attracting outside attention."
"That's a relief. What's the plan for using all that money? Should we use it to pay off the last installment for the Universal acquisition?"
"That wouldn't be wise. This money shouldn't be publicly disclosed. We'll stick to the original plan and take a bank loan for the final payment on Universal."
"So, it's for further investments?"
"Right, all of it. And everything will go into the computer, communications, and internet sectors. You should start thinking about selecting suitable target companies and putting together a comprehensive investment plan."
"That sounds good. I agree those three industries have strong prospects. When will the rest of the funds arrive?"
"Within five months, with $500 million coming in every month -- a total of $2.5 billion."
"Okay, I'll prepare an investment proposal for you to review as soon as possible."
"You're the best, my Winnie."
"We're still talking business here, so keep your hands to yourself."
"Anything else? Haven't we covered it all?"
"Muah... darling, just a reminder: after these substantial donations, our foundation's scale will grow significantly. Next year's charitable expenses are expected to exceed $150 million. That's no small matter. We really should reconsider having a charity office based in San Francisco."
"Babe, I've thought of that. After the new year, I'll set up a full-fledged charity organization here in Los Angeles to handle all the foundation's expenses. Aunt Kelly will continue to be in charge. The San Francisco office will merge into this new agency."
"Aunt Kelly? Will she move to LA?"
"She already agreed. Previously, she declined because she needed to care for Judy during school. Now Judy's in college, so there are no more worries. My uncle will also resign and move to LA, but he won't work at the foundation. I'll find him a position at Universal Studios or Universal Amphitheatres."
"That's great. Your career is developing so fast and smoothly; we can't afford any tax or public scrutiny issues with the charity."
"When you have time, help them find a nice place to stay."
"Sure. Actually, the neighborhood I live in is quite nice."
"All right, sweetheart, we've covered all the business. Now, shall we take care of other important matters..."
"You bad boy, always thinking about it..."
"You don't mind, do you..."
---
Over the following two days, Linton's film company launched three projects: Run Lola Run, A Time to Kill, and Ransom.
Run Lola Run was a script developed gradually by the screenwriting department based on the outline Linton provided. After Linton's review, the final draft was approved.
This was a low-budget, high-return film and a rare female-led story -- perfect to boost Charlize Theron's star power.
It was worth mentioning that as Linton's films continued to perform well at the box office, his influence in the industry grew stronger. Since the beginning of the year, his company had been receiving solid scripts and producers started bringing projects seeking investment.
Linton Films now had more options, and Linton introduced a new policy accordingly. For projects with production costs under $3 million, the production department could make decisions independently, including scripts written in-house. However, the final profit or loss would be tied directly to bonuses for those involved.
Any project over $3 million would require his personal approval.
A Time to Kill was brought to him in May by renowned Hollywood author John Grisham, who wanted to adapt his best-selling novel of the same name into a film.
Grisham's terms were stringent. While the adaptation rights were affordable at $1 million, he demanded to serve as both producer and screenwriter.
Hollywood hadn't yet fully embraced author-driven adaptations, and major studios were unlikely to accept these terms. After being rejected multiple times, Grisham approached Linton's company for a try.
Robert thought the project was promising and passed it to Linton. After reading the script, Linton was already familiar with it -- in a previous lifetime, this film had grossed $110 million in North America. Naturally, he greenlit it immediately.
After over a month of negotiations, both parties reached an agreement: $800,000 for adaptation rights, a minimum $25 million investment, and all copyrights belonged to Linton Films.
Grisham could write the screenplay but subject to company approval. The company would assign the producer, with Grisham as executive producer. Grisham's combined fee as screenwriter and executive producer was $600,000.
After more than three months of script revisions and refinements, Linton finally approved the final version. Comparing it to his mental image of the film, since it had succeeded before, sticking closely to the original was the best choice.
Ransom was a collaboration project introduced by prominent Hollywood producer Brian Grazer. He purchased the rights to the 1956 film of the same name and invited acclaimed screenwriter
Richard Price to rework the script.
Brian packaged the new script as a film project and shopped it around major studios seeking investment.
This is a common project development model in Hollywood, but usually, top producers only worked with the traditional Big Seven studios. This time, after failing to reach terms with Paramount, Brian came to Linton Films instead.
The project landed on Linton's desk, and since the film had achieved strong box office performance in its previous version, Linton readily gave the green light, instructing Robert to begin detailed cooperation negotiations.
After over a month of negotiation, both parties agreed: Linton Films bought the Ransom project from Brian for $1.5 million, with minimum investment of $35 million. Brian would serve as producer with a $300,000 fee, and would also receive 5% of North American box office revenue.
Richard Price would be the screenwriter with a $400,000 fee.
Run Lola Run had a $10 million budget, with Bella as producer, Linton as co-producer, and Anne Fletcher as director.
A Time to Kill had a $25 million budget, with Abella as producer, John Grisham as executive producer, and James Wong as director.
Ransom was officially greenlit with a $35 million budget, Brian as producer, Nacho as executive producer appointed by the company, and Jonathan Glazer as director.
All three projects were simultaneously approved and began formal preparation.
*****
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