Chapter 724: Pretending is the primary productive force [please vote]

Author: Linjiangxian

Chapter 724: Pretending is the primary productive force [please vote]

In fact, Lu Yiming really deserves the most credit for Paypal being able to sell such a high price, and he deserves the money.

Historically, PayPal struggled in the Internet cold wave until July 2002, when it had to go public to raise funds. At that time, PayPal's total market value was US$900 million.

Relying on the geniuses of the Paypal gang, eBay found that its own bundled payment software was no match for it, so it had no choice but to pinch its nose and spend US$1.5 billion to acquire Paypal a few months later.

But now, with Lu Yiming's financial support and Lu Yiming's vision beyond the times, Paypal's development is much smoother than in its original history. Not only does it not need to rush to go public for financing, it can even continue to burn money and maintain its high speed.

expansion.

So far, the number of Paypal account holders has reached 19 million, and more than 380,000 transactions are carried out every day, crushing many competitors.

If not, Lu Yiming would not have been able to hold down Meg Whitman's head and make eBay accept the outrageous offer of US$3.5 billion.

If Meg Whitman had any choice, she would not make such a choice.

However, Paypal was so powerful that she tried her best, but there was still nothing she could do.

However, eBay actually did not lose money on this transaction, but actually made a profit.

On the day Meg Whitman and Lu Yiming signed the contract, eBay's stock price skyrocketed due to its successful acquisition of PayPal. Within a few days, the market value exceeded the US$29 billion mark, making technology stocks hot again.

It aroused the investment enthusiasm of countless American leeks.

In Beverly Hills, in a villa owned by Su Zhenge, Lu Yiming looked at the newspaper in his hand and showed a somewhat regretful expression: "The market value of eBay has actually increased by almost four billion U.S. dollars? Is this the money spent on paying for PayPal?"

I made all my money back and I made a huge loss. If I had known earlier, I should have quoted a higher price."

Su Zhenge happened to take out a bottle of good red wine from the bottom of the wine cellar. After hearing Lu Yiming's complaint, Hu Hu almost got angry and complained to him: "You, you have made almost one billion and still feel like you are at a loss."

?Then what are Lao Qiao and me? We are the poorest class who are so poor that we have to eat dirt every day?"

"Young man, do you know that you need to be content?"

After joking for a while, Su Zhenge pried open the cork with a "pop" sound, and then poured wine for Lu Yiming, with emotion on his face: "I thought it was really profitable to make movies before, but now when I compare with you, I suddenly feel

The box office of "Resident Evil 2" is a bit unpopular. I have been working hard for more than a year, and the box office is only one-eighth of what you would get if you sold a company. I even have to split the money with the theater chain and other shareholders.

"

Lu Yiming said seriously: "Ah, if you didn't tell me, I almost forgot. I seem to be one of the shareholders of Su Qiao Pictures, so I also have a share of the box office."

When Su Zhenge heard this, the expression on his face was distorted, and he said viciously: "Why do you have to remember this?"

The PayPal team is disbanding, and everyone decided to have a good breakup meal.

There is always a banquet in the world. The friends who once started a business together have now sold the company and are about to part ways for their own ideals.

It was Lu Yiming's suggestion to eat this meal. After all, in Xia State, whether they graduated or lost their jobs, in short, when a team is about to be disbanded, they will choose to have a breakup meal.

In the minds of those born in the 1980s and 1990s, the reunion dinner after high school graduation may be the most impressive thing.

In the office, everyone had a heated argument over where to eat after dinner.

Musk suggested: "If we want to go, we should go to Manresa, the most luxurious hotel in Silicon Valley. This is the only Michelin three-star hotel in Silicon Valley. Since it is a casual meal, of course we have to be extravagant."

"I think there's a better place to go than a big hotel," Thiel said.

Musk asked in confusion: "Are there any more luxurious hotels in Silicon Valley?"

Thiel walked to the window sill, pointed to a burger restaurant opposite the office, and said, "Here."

Musk followed Thiel's gaze and glanced out of the window, and immediately expressed that he couldn't understand it at all: "Wait, we are all billionaires now, and we ended up going to eat burgers?"

However, when some people around them saw that burger restaurant, expressions of longing and nostalgia appeared on their faces.

"Ah, I also think we should go here."

"That's a good idea!"

"I thought, if I were to leave here today, I might never be able to eat a burger from there again."

The decision of these people puzzled Musk. Lu Yiming recalled that after graduating from high school, he often missed the fried rice noodles in front of the school, and said with a smile: "Actually, that is not an ordinary burger restaurant.

For everyone, it represents the memory of the past."

Thiel lamented: "When we first started our business, we could only afford the most ordinary burgers, which cost about 4 to 5 US dollars each. In the burger shop across the street, the most expensive burger cost US$168. If

If you spend money to buy it, the store will give you a bottle of red wine

We often joked at the time that if one day IPO, we must buy the most expensive one and try it to see if it is the most delicious. Now, several years have passed, and I have not eaten that $168 burger. I think

Now is my last chance to eat it."

"Yes, you really should try it once!"

"I don't want to leave with regrets, I have to go and eat again!"

Lu Yiming looked at Musk, shrugged slightly, and said with a smile: "Look, am I right?"

Musk laughed loudly, waved his hand and said, "Let's go and eat a $168 burger!"

With laughter and laughter, everyone flocked to the burger restaurant across the street.

At this moment, no matter how expensive the delicacies are, for them, they are not as good as a burger that costs 168 US dollars and comes with red wine.

Because this is what they have been thinking about for several years, and now they finally got what they wanted.

A group of people poured into the burger restaurant, and Musk shouted at the counter: "Give us each the most expensive burger!"

The shop owner, who was wiping the tables at the counter, was stunned when he saw the dark group of people in front of him.

"Sir, are you kidding?"

One set meal costs US$168, and ten set meals cost US$1,680. Looking at this situation today, the turnover can reach tens of thousands of US dollars!

Like a child who finally had money to buy his favorite toy, Levin said to the boss arrogantly: "We want this hamburger for $168, and by the way, don't forget the red wine!"

Seeing that the strange group of customers in front of him didn't look like they were joking, the boss immediately started to get busy happily.

With so many people ordering the most expensive burgers together, today's business is simply better than Christmas.

Burgers were brought to the table one after another.

I have to say that the $168 hamburger set is quite impressive. What appeared in front of Lu Yiming was a "real" dish that included two double-layer beef patties, bread crumbs, onion rings, salad, strawberry juice and other ingredients stacked together.

·Big Mac" burger, a finger-wide piece of beef is fried to just the right temperature, making it plump and juicy.

While eating his burger, Lu Yiming asked, "What are you going to do after you make money?"

Musk just drank a large glass of red wine and gasped: "I want to develop the most awesome rocket, and I want to colonize Mars!"

When people around him heard that Musk was actually planning to break out of the earth, they immediately called him awesome.

"You are simply the light of humanity!"

“This plan sounds exciting!”

Lu Yiming knew as soon as he heard that the Silicon Valley Iron Man had embarked on his own life trajectory. He immediately came to sit next to him, put his arm around his shoulders and said: "Man, if you need investment, just tell me. I am now

You are so poor that all you have left is money. As for if you want to build rockets, this project sounds very cool, count me in!"

Musk was actually shouting casually at this time. After all, building rockets to colonize Mars would be unreliable even with a little thought.

But Musk is a person with crazy ideas and even crazier actions. Now this crazy idea is actually supported by Lu Yiming, which makes Musk even crazier. He said in surprise: "Do you also think this idea is great?"

Lu Yiming said seriously: "Of course it's great. The earth is the cradle of mankind, but people have to grow up, and they can't stay in the cradle all their lives. Our goal should be the stars and the sea!"

In just two sentences, Musk was made to burst into laughter. He excitedly held Lu Yiming's hand tightly and said, "You said it so well. Our goal is the stars and the sea! The earth is our mother.

, we will one day leave our mother’s arms and grow up on our own!”

In later generations, Musk's Starlink and Tesla have become very successful, as well as projects such as recyclable rockets and vacuum tunnels. Some of them even sound very nonsense, but in fact they have very important strategic significance.

, there is even the shadow of the military behind him. If he can be strongly bound to Musk before this, the benefits for Lu Yiming are self-evident.

Then, Lu Yiming's eyes swept over the others and said expectantly: "If you have any new projects, you can come to me. Future Capital is happy to give wings to all those who have dreams."

Lu Yiming's actions made other members of the Paypal Gang feel excited.

It is said that money buys horse bones. Lu Yiming is even willing to invest in such outrageous projects as Musk's plan to develop private rockets and colonize Mars. He is obviously an investor who is "foolish but rich in money".

Coupled with the existence of successful cooperation cases in the Paypal project, other members of the Paypal gang are also willing to continue to cooperate with Lu Yiming.

Jeremy Stoppelman, an engineer who joined Musk in joining Paypal, bravely said: "Actually, I also have a dream."

"oh?"

Lu Yiming looked at Jeremy Stoppelman and asked enthusiastically: "Tell me, what is your dream?"

Jeremy Stoppelman doesn't have many shares, so this time he only got US$3.2 million from the "spoils".

However, his technical strength is obvious to all in the team, and he is the kind of person who can definitely stand alone.

Jeremy Stoppelman immediately said excitedly: "I want to make a review website. In the past, when people wanted to go out for leisure, entertainment or shopping, they could only obtain information through newspapers, magazines or TV advertisements, or rely on...

I think these methods of word-of-mouth communication are too backward. The birth of the Internet has made the transmission of information more concise and efficient!"

When Lu Yiming heard about this plan, he immediately became interested.
To be continued...