[Chapter 547: Global Billionaires List and Album Promotion]
In the weeks that followed, Linton stayed on the farm, spending time with Cristiana, Sophie Marceau, Monica Bellucci, and the three newborn babies. Of course, that also included little Lina, now over a year old, already talking and running around. Ignoring the chaos of the outside world, life was comfortable and leisurely.
However, all the women in his harem gradually left one by one to attend to their own careers. Even Madonna left Lina in the garden and returned to Los Angeles with Catherine to join the filming of Chicago, diving into the intense shooting schedule. Charlize, Jennifer, and Xu Qing all joined the cast of Final Destination 2. The movie Armageddon, starring Kate Winslet, and National Treasure, with Sherilyn Fenn, had both recently started production.
Meanwhile, Naomi's movie Twister had already ended its run in the North American market, earning $240 million domestically and another $220 million overseas. With Japan -- the biggest international market -- yet to release it, the global box office was expected to surpass $500 million. Nicole Kidman's lead role in The Long Kiss Goodnight had been in theaters for over six weeks, grossing $115 million in North America. With about $400,000 still coming in daily, the final domestic take was expected to reach around $120 million. Overseas, the film had already earned $113 million, with total international earnings likely to top $150 million.
The explosive box office success of Twister and The Long Kiss Goodnight propelled both Naomi and Nicole Kidman into a special category among Hollywood's female stars -- officially becoming the only two almost-super A-list actresses just below Julia Roberts in status.
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At the end of August, the latest issue of Forbes magazine released the 1996 global billionaires list. Bill Gates topped the list with $52.1 billion, Warren Buffett came in second with $41.2 billion, and Linton secured third place with a staggering $39.8 billion.
The announcement sent shockwaves across the U.S. and global media. Many questioned Forbes's credibility, especially regarding Linton's wealth. For people like Gates and Buffett, their fortunes were transparent -- mostly held in publicly traded stocks. Forbes' valuation methods for their wealth invited no controversy.
But Linton's holdings were in private companies, lacking market valuation standards, making it difficult for many to accept the announced figures. Forbes' assessment of Linton's fortune came from four main sources: Universal Group valued at $7.3 billion; Linton Media Group at $7 billion; the health products company producing the Vitality and Beauty Pills at $20 billion; and his charity foundation's holdings in publicly traded stocks estimated at $5.5 billion.
The Universal Group valuation raised few eyebrows since Linton had purchased it last year for $6.3 billion. The company's recent turnaround and successful summer releases backed up the $7.3 billion valuation, despite being still private. However, Forbes' $7 billion valuation of Linton Media Group was met with widespread skepticism.
Most doubted the $20 billion valuation of the health products company behind Vitality and Beauty Pills. Though these pills were expensive and highly sought after, production was so limited monthly that sales barely met daily demand.
Everyone knew the pills yielded high profits, but given the tiny output, how could the company be worth that much?
Only Linton and a few close associates, like Winnie, knew that Forbes had actually severely underestimated his wealth -- not overestimated it. For example, just the UPN television network under Linton Media Group made $1.1 billion in profit last year -- expected to be even higher this year. Linton Films earned an astonishing $1 billion in profit last year, expected to reach $1.2 billion this year. Meluva Publishing, having published several best-selling novels based on Linton's outlines -- especially the early-year launch of Harry Potter, selling over 12 million copies -- was projected to earn at least $100 million in profit. Fire Elf Games, powered by blockbuster hits like Tomb Raider and Resident Evil, expected profits no less than $150 million. The company's newspapers and magazines were also profitable.
Conservatively, the media group's yearly profit topped $2.5 billion. Using a standard 10x earnings multiple, its value should exceed $25 billion. The company's private status and undisclosed revenues were the only reason outsiders didn't know its true worth.
The health products company's earning power was even more astounding. Average people estimated annual profit at just $2 billion based on retail data. But in reality, the U.S. government had paid Linton a one-time lump sum of $18 billion in March alone. Considering the pills' key ingredient was his own power -- with negligible other costs -- and generous tax breaks from the White House, California, and Montana, profit margins exceeded 80%, far beyond common expectations.
Annual net profit neared $30 billion, which at the 10x multiple put the company's valuation close to $300 billion. His charity foundation's stock holdings were widely undervalued too -- far exceeding the $5.5 billion reported.
Besides that, the Skycrest Capital, secretly controlled by Linton, already managed assets approaching $10 billion -- completely off Forbes' radar.
In summary, the list grossly misrepresented Linton's actual wealth. He suspected other billionaires' figures were also inaccurate. Forbes, after all, was not a law enforcement or financial regulatory agency -- it compiled data mostly from public sources, inevitably missing hidden wealth where billionaires deliberately concealed assets.
Rockefeller, Morgan Stanley, and Rothschild family fortunes certainly dwarfed Bill Gates, though carefully hidden.
Nonetheless, claiming third place on the global wealth list offered Linton a significant advantage. He avoided the intense spotlight reserved for the world's richest, yet gained massive worldwide recognition for his power and influence.
...
This new title further boosted his image as a global financial titan. Upon announcement, his fan club's official message boards exploded with activity, drawing over 400,000 new members in just a few days -- pushing total supporters to a staggering two million, far outpacing second place Madonna by 900,000 fans.
Even the parents of Cristiana, Monica, and Sophie who helped with their daughters and grandchildren in the garden greatly softened their attitude toward Linton.
His inner circle, upon hearing the news, grew more excited than he did, rearranging their own work schedules to return to the farm and celebrate with him. This sparked nonstop parties and theatrical performances in the garden for three days straight.
Media -- especially entertainment outlets -- reacted fiercely, desperate for interviews. Yet Linton remained locked away in his garden estate, ignoring all requests, including from his own company's newspapers and TV channels.
Though media wouldn't back down, TV stations tread carefully, merely casting doubt on Forbes' honesty. Entertainment tabloids, however, ran wild, fabricating stories to boost ratings. Some even claimed Forbes was "in the pocket" of Linton, deliberately promoting him.
The coverage of Linton's third-place wealth ranking flooded news feeds, with stories more abundant than those about first-place Bill Gates. The surging hype skyrocketed Linton's popularity, accelerating his cultivation progress to the next level.
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It wasn't until September 2 that, after persistent urging from Daniel, Linton finally returned to Los Angeles to promote his new album, The Brightest Star in the Night Sky. Given his soaring popularity, Daniel's marketing plan required no flashy gimmicks.
The strategy relied on leveraging Linton's heat to dominate media headlines nationwide, kicking off a massive, authoritative first wave of promotion -- posters plastered in prime retail locations across the country.
Next, he planned to keep his two media conglomerates' outlets buzzing with coverage, while investing in influential radio stations to boost song requests and chart positions.
Unlike other artists, Linton didn't need the usual routine of nationwide press conferences, fan meetings, autograph signings, or local TV guest spots. His stature meant simply appearing for interviews in Los Angeles, on MCA and UPN networks, would send waves across the media world. Reporters would flock wherever he went.
Over the following three days, carefully arranged by Universal Records, Linton sat for marathon interviews with major outlets.
Daniel orchestrated a well-paced rollout.
...
On September 2, Linton was interviewed by over a dozen key magazine titles. Because magazines have longer lead times and less immediate impact, they kicked off the campaign.
This included the flagship title of Universal's Putnam Publishing, the high-end women's culture and fashion magazine Wave, revamped under Sharon Layman's management last year to become a top publication.
Wave was a semi-monthly magazine aimed at upscale women, shaping cultural trends with sophistication.
In March's relaunch issue, Linton graced the cover as the main feature -- sparking a sales surge and immediate buzz.
Soon after, with Vitality and Beauty Pills exposed to the public, Linton's inner circle women dominated headlines.
The second issue featured the freshly minted Oscar Best Actress and currently pregnant Cristiana on the cover -- an influence powerhouse.
The third highlighted Oscar Best Supporting Actress and pregnant Monica.
By the fourth issue, just before the official market release of those health pills, the concept of the Beautiful Angels had captured America's imagination. Madonna -- the top beauty angel who had recently given birth to Linton's daughter -- took the cover.
The fifth issue spotlighted last year's Oscar winner and expectant beauty angel Sophie Marceau; the sixth featured Naomi.
Ever since Wave's relaunch, every cover showcased Linton and his women. With the growing buzz from Vitality and Beauty Pills, the Beautiful Angel phenomenon became America's leading women's lifestyle trend. The magazine quickly rose to rank among the top four mainstream women's titles.
...
On September 3, Linton appeared on MCA and UPN networks for two entertainment variety shows scheduled to air Friday night. On UPN's program, he answered two of the most pressing questions for viewers.
The host asked, "Linton, Forbes recently announced your fortune at $39.8 billion, ranking you third globally. Many media and experts believe this figure is exaggerated and that you don't actually have this much wealth. How do you respond?"
Linton smiled but didn't challenge Forbes outright. "Of course, I don't hold that amount in cash, but the total wealth should be about right."
The host covered his mouth, surprised. "You're saying you really do have $39.8 billion?"
"Pretty much. But enough on that -- today we're here to talk about music. Let's get back to the topic."
The host pressed on, "Linton, you're now a major capitalist, controlling the Universal Group and Linton Media, plus the highly sought-after Vitality and Beauty Pills. According to Forbes, you're the world's third richest billionaire. Why do you still want to act in movies and sing for everyone?"
Linton replied thoughtfully, "I've always believed that with great ability comes great responsibility. But no matter what, everyone has the right to pursue or abandon their dreams."
He continued, "Creating the Vitality and Beauty Pills is my contribution as a genius to humanity. Since I have this ability, I must fulfill that responsibility. Becoming a capitalist and billionaire has only given me more freedom to choose what I love most -- chasing my original dreams.
Acting, singing, becoming a superstar -- that's been my childhood dream and greatest passion. And I believe in the future, as long as you like what I create, I'll keep bringing you better movies and songs."
Thunderous applause, cheers, and screams erupted.
The host asked, "Can I interpret that you founded Linton Media and acquired Universal Group mainly to support your dream of becoming a singing and acting star?"
Linton nodded, "That's part of it. Controlling two media giants certainly smooths the path for my dream. But there are two other reasons as well."
"Can you share them with our audience?"
"Sure. First, I'm bullish on the media industry -- especially Hollywood movies. Through film, we can spread our values and influence worldwide. Second, these groups help discover and nurture many more like-minded friends who share my dreams."
The host then cheekily asked, "By like-minded friends, do you mean your Beautiful Angels?"
This question was pre-approved by Linton -- only with his consent would such a bold question be asked about the boss.
"I won't deny it. Most Beautiful Angels entered my life through film and music collaborations. The media companies have definitely supported them. But it's not just them. Haven't you noticed we've also discovered excellent directors -- like Michael Bay, Anne, Zack..." He let the names trail off.
...
On September 4, Linton granted interviews to over 20 newspapers, each for 15 minutes, then held a press conference welcoming more media.
That evening, news about Linton's impending album release, The Brightest Star in the Night Sky, dominated entertainment headlines nationwide.
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