[Chapter 556: Concert Ticket Controversy and Amazon's Opportunity]
Universal Records quickly secured the venues for Linton's concerts -- the Hollywood Bowl and Madison Square Garden in New York. Naturally, news about Linton's upcoming concerts began to spread, attracting extensive coverage from tabloid media.
Universal decided to hold a press conference to officially announce that Linton would be performing concerts in both Los Angeles and New York City. Once the news broke, it sent shockwaves through the market.
Fans went wild with excitement, almost like it was a holiday. They eagerly expressed their support and anticipation in every way possible. On the Yahoo celebrity forums, the posts flooded in nonstop -- everyone was saying that since it was so rare for their idol to hold a concert, they absolutely had to be there in person.
Yet, many fans voiced dissatisfaction, thinking that hosting just two concerts, only in Los Angeles and New York, was far too few. As a singer, they felt Linton was being unprofessional and lazy, pointing out how music legends like Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Madonna, and Shania Twain toured relentlessly, performing dozens of shows every year.
Linton, however, had been in the industry for five years and had never held a concert before. Now that he was finally doing one, limiting it to just two cities seemed utterly insufficient, leaving most fans unable to get tickets. Many took to the forums, pleading for concerts to be held in their own cities as well.
The media jumped on the frenzy too, fueling speculation with ticket price predictions, guest appearance guesses, and countless analyses. Some outlets even published sensational takes to attract attention. One particularly provocative opinion suggested that Linton, as America's most gifted scientist, should dedicate himself solely to research -- specifically to scaling up production of his Vitality and Beauty Pills -- instead of wasting time on singing and acting.
Surprisingly, this viewpoint gained traction among many elites. Numerous experts and scholars penned articles supporting the idea, urging Linton to serve humanity by focusing on scientific progress.
The Wall Street Journal featured a financial expert who argued from a profit standpoint. The article broke down Linton's earnings: a hit movie like this year's blockbuster Mission: Impossible could gross about $300 million for him and his company, while a record-breaking album like Brightest Star in the Night Sky might bring in up to $400 million. The article implied that Hollywood and the music industry's profitability was routinely underestimated by Wall Street.
However, the expert predicted that if Linton immersed himself fully in research -- improving production methods for Vitality and Beauty Pills -- he could generate over $1 billion annually, far eclipsing film and music revenues.
The article made a bold conclusion: Linton should abandon show business and dedicate himself to research, as the financial upside was on a whole different level.
Unsurprisingly, fans vehemently opposed this notion. They accused critics of a moral clampdown, restricting Linton's freedom to choose his work. Linton had publicly stated on television that performing and acting as a major star was his lifelong dream and greatest passion.
Moreover, the fans pointed out that quality films and timeless music provided rich spiritual nourishment, uplifting people's spirits just as much as scientific achievements. How was one more "noble" than the other?
The debate grew heated nationwide, dominating conversations and only raising the excitement for Linton's Los Angeles and New York concerts higher than ever.
Many feared these might be the first and last concerts he'd ever hold.
Amid the ongoing debate, fans flooded Universal Records with letters, calls, and messages on the internet and in newspapers. They demanded that tickets not be sold only in Los Angeles and New York, but be made equally available to audiences across the United States.
...
Advertisers swarmed Universal's offices even before any official sponsorship announcement was made. The marketing department was overwhelmed, unable to accommodate the demand for advertising slots.
Out of necessity, they quickly put out a notice for sponsorship bids, scheduling a public auction for all ad spaces five days later, awarding slots to the highest bidders.
The auction results were thrilling: $56 million in advertising sponsorships for the two concerts, setting a record for the highest sponsorship revenue for a single concert event.
...
Beyond advertising, television networks were jockeying for broadcast rights.
Daniel knew well that in North America, the concert broadcast rights couldn't be sold to just anyone -- they belonged exclusively to MCA and UPN networks. But he used interest from other networks to drive up the price in negotiations.
Ultimately, UPN paid $20 million for the Los Angeles concert broadcast rights, while MCA paid the same for the New York concert.
Europe's TV rights were sold to Sky Television for $30 million covering both shows, and Japan's Fuji TV paid $16 million for complete coverage of both concerts.
Broadcast rights in South Korea, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, and Taiwan also sold at premium prices, breaking all records for single-concert TV rights.
Together, television broadcast rights alone fetched $110 million for the two concerts.
With ticket sales yet to begin, Universal had already raked in enormous profits from advertising and broadcast rights.
However, the ticket sales process was giving Daniel serious headaches. He was uncertain how to ensure a truly nationwide, fair ticket release.
...
Just as Universal Records wrestled with this problem, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, reached out to Winnie, a major investor from the Series A funding round, asking her to introduce him to Linton.
Hearing this, Linton immediately understood Bezos's intentions, silently admiring his sharp business acumen -- the kind of insight it took to build Amazon into a trillion-dollar tech powerhouse.
Linton met with Bezos the very next day in his office. Upon greeting, Bezos didn't immediately reveal his purpose. Instead, Linton, curious, asked him about his views on e-commerce and Amazon's future.
At this stage, Bezos wasn't yet the legendary bald icon he'd later become, but his genius was already unmistakable.
Amazon was still in its infancy after its Series A financing, valued at just about $60 million. Yet Bezos already possessed an astute vision for the enormous potential of e-commerce.
He believed online shopping would transform consumer habits and that e-commerce's market size could rival traditional retail.
His strategic goal was clear: to build Amazon into an all-category online retailer following a B2C model, essentially creating an "online Walmart" with comparable sales.
His ultimate vision extended further -- to make Amazon a global online marketplace serving internet users worldwide.
Today this foresight would be obvious, but in the early days of the internet, possessing and acting on such vision was extraordinary.
Reviewing Bezos's background only reinforced Linton's impression of him as a rare talent.
Bezos endured parental divorce at age five, but his supportive stepfather gave him a happy childhood. A natural leader from early on, Bezos served as class president and graduation representative, ultimately graduating with honors from Princeton University.
After college, he quickly rose through the ranks in tech and on Wall Street, becoming the youngest vice president at a financial firm at age 25, overseeing $25 million in assets.
Yet his restless spirit pushed him onward. By 1990, he co-founded the successful quantitative hedge fund D.E. Shaw & Co., becoming its youngest senior vice president by 1992.
In 1994, recognizing the Internet's transformative power, he left that role to launch Cadabra, which later became Amazon.com, the internet bookseller.
Thanks to his stellar reputation, Bezos didn't have to hustle for angel investors -- Wall Street capitalists lined up to invest.
However, unlike many startup founders, Bezos demanded absolute control over his company. He didn't allow any single investor to own enough stock to challenge his authority.
For Series A financing, Bezos excluded most angel investors and selected Mangrove Capital as lead investor, granting them only 15% ownership without preferential rights for future rounds.
This tight grip on ownership and long-term vision proved critical in allowing him to retain majority control as Amazon became a global giant.
Some of this background was gathered by others, some came from Linton's own future memories, and some Bezos shared during their meeting.
Impressed by Bezos's vision and personal story, Linton sincerely admired the man, calling him a true genius.
...
Rarely did Linton offer his prized farm-grown "spirit tea" to visitors, yet he asked his assistant Li Xiaoran to brew a cup for Bezos, placing it alongside his usual coffee cup.
Winnie and Li Xiaoran were taken aback, instantly reassessing Bezos with newfound respect.
After all, only a select few guests ever got to taste Linton's spirit tea -- not even top executives from GE, Cisco, or Boeing had been served.
"Here, this is tea grown on my own farm. Try it," Linton said, offering the cup.
Bezos, who had never truly tasted or understood fine tea, was honored by the gesture and took a sip cautiously.
He was immediately amazed. "Wow, Linton, this tea is incredible. I feel lighter all over, and my mind has never been so clear."
"Drink up. You won't find this tea anywhere else."
"Thank you for your trust. Could you send me some?"
"That's impossible -- our production is too limited, just enough for myself. But if you're interested, you're always welcome to visit my office."
"Alright, I'll be sure to drop by often," Bezos smiled, knowing Linton's words also meant acceptance of their growing friendship.
"Jeff, no need for formalities. What brought you here today?"
"I've seen on TV, newspapers, and the web that your fans are extremely eager for your concerts but worried about fair access to tickets. There's a nationwide call for Universal Records to sell tickets fairly across the U.S., allowing everyone an equal chance. Do you have a plan to address this?"
"That's Daniel's headache, not mine."
"Linton, I have the perfect solution. It can guarantee synchronized ticket sales across the country with equal opportunity for all."
Of course, Linton knew Bezos meant using Amazon's platform for online ticket sales to leverage the buzz and promote Amazon's e-commerce business.
Still, he played along.
"Oh? What's your plan? Tell me."
"In reality, if you sell concert tickets traditionally through box offices or even through agents nationwide, you can never be certain of equal access. There are too many smaller cities and rural areas left out.
But the rise of the internet offers a new solution -- you know Amazon started as an online bookstore. No matter where someone lives in America, if they have internet access, they can log on to Amazon, easily buy books, and have them shipped.
My proposal is to sell your concert tickets through Amazon, announcing the sale time ahead of schedule. At that moment, fans all across the country can log on simultaneously and try to buy.
Every buyer gets the same process -- completely fair. Whether you get tickets or not will depend purely on how fast you act and a bit of luck.
Wouldn't this be a perfect solution?"
*****
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