Chapter 201: Instant Billionaire

As February arrived, Richard received some bad news.

City was out of the FA Cup!

They had lost to Shrewsbury in a tense penalty shootout.

When Richard heard the report from Miss Heysen, he sighed deeply. But he refused to dwell on the disappointment—after all, in football, there are always wins and losses.

"Is there any other news I should know about?" he asked.

"Yes," Miss Heysen replied. "Currently, we’re still near the top of the league table. And in the League Cup, we’ll be facing Arsenal in the fourth round."

Arsenal!

Finally, this was the heavyweight they would face.

Miss Heysen went on, "But Richard, there’s some buzz that their manager isn’t seeing eye to eye with their vice-chairman, David Dein."

Richard raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Why’s that?"

"Well, from what I’ve heard, it’s all about transfer money. Bruce Rioch feels Arsenal doesn’t really trust him because they slashed half of his transfer budget. He’s accusing the club of playing favorites since they never cut funding back when George Graham was in charge."

George Graham was dismissed in February 1995 for bringing the club into disrepute over transfer misconduct. He was found guilty of financial impropriety in a league investigation, leaving the board with no choice but to terminate his contract.

After that, Stewart Houston stepped in as caretaker and actually breathed new life into the team, even taking Arsenal to the 1995 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup Final. But then the board brought in Bruce Rioch and gave Houston the boot.

"That’s good. Their cracks only make things better for City," Richard said before asking Miss Heysen to brief him on City’s position in the league.

1️⃣ Manchester City – 66 pts | GD: +49

2️⃣ Sunderland – 64 pts | GD: +33

3️⃣ West Brom – 54 pts | GD: +31

4️⃣ Derby County – 51 pts. | GD: +25

5️⃣ Ipswich Town – 49 pts. | GD: +24

"What about O’Neill? Is he still mentioning Clough?"

The striker O’Neill requested but Richard rejected—Nigel Clough.

"He hasn’t said anything more about it. However, now that you bring it up, we have an offer for Keith Curle from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £650,000. Curle has also signaled his desire to leave since he’s unhappy about O’Neill stripping him of the captaincy."

Richard frowned.

"Please give me a rundown of the current City squad."

Miss Heysen began listing the players one by one, but Richard’s focus stayed on the defenders: Rio Ferdinand, Richard Jobson, Keith Curle, Gianluca Zambrotta, and Steve Finnan.

With Curle wanting to leave, City’s defense is seriously weakened.

"Did O’Neill say anything about it?"

"For now, no. He’s still trying to convince Curle to stay."

Richard shook his head. "It’s no use. As long as he can’t replace either Ferdinand or Gallas, there’s no chance. Unless one of them gets injured—and even then, with Materazzi around—it’ll be tough."

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Miss Heysen, please check my office. In the drawer marked ’France,’ you’ll find my scout reports. Look for players from AS Monaco named Thierry Henry and Lilian Thuram. Pass the reports to O’Neill. If he approves, place a bid immediately. I’ll send Marina to Monaco later to handle negotiations."

Who would be better to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Keith Curle?

Of course, Thierry Henry.

Instead of letting him struggle at Juventus before eventually joining Arsenal, why not have City steal him first? He would be perfect to complete our attacking lineup.

As for Lilian Thuram, there’s no reason not to recruit such a solid defender. With Gallas, Ferdinand, and Materazzi already on the squad, Richard believed that City’s backline would be nearly unbeatable once Thuram joined.

"How much money do you want to allocate for them?"

Richard thought for a moment. "Let’s start with 12 million."

"Six million each?"

"That depends. If you can negotiate the price down, then get it as low as possible."

"Understood."

After hanging up the phone, Richard slumped into his chair.

He picked up the fresh newspaper he had just bought that morning and began scanning through it.

[...Netscape: The Gateway Between the Internet and Reality – Young Founders Strike Gold!...]

[...Netscape Soars Past $100 Per Share – An Unstoppable Rally!...]

[...The Pioneer of the Internet Revolution – Netscape Becomes a Beacon of Hope for Silicon Valley’s Young Entrepreneurs!...]

[...IPO Jackpot! Netscape Rides the Internet Boom with Relentless Momentum!...]

Like the saying, "Woke up a star overnight," Netscape had skyrocketed over 370% in just three trading days. It wasn’t just Nasdaq’s new rising star—it had become the sensation of the global stock market.

Although its stock price began hovering after surpassing $104 per share, even if it didn’t climb further, this was already an unprecedented surge.

Investors lucky enough to secure IPO shares—or those who bought in on the first day—hit the jackpot of a lifetime, making an absolute fortune.

Done with the newspaper, Richard picked up the remote and turned on the PDP television mounted on the wall.

The screen lit up, displaying CNBC, America’s premier financial news channel.

At the center of the screen, a blonde female anchor was leading a heated discussion with two market experts. The hot topic? Would Netscape’s stock continue its meteoric rise, or was a crash inevitable?

[A 370% surge in just three days? This is an obvious bubble!]

[Why is it a bubble? Considering the limitless potential of the internet, Netscape’s growth is only just beginning!]

The young analyst’s rebuttal made the seasoned market expert, a neatly groomed man with slicked-back hair, frown.

With an exasperated scoff, he raised his voice:

[Netscape has been around for barely two years. Its total revenue is under $20 million, and its net profit? Zero. ZERO!]

He snorted and shook his head.

[No matter how promising the internet seems, does it make sense for a company like this to have a $6 billion market cap and a stock price over $100?]

[Why not? Stock prices reflect both present value and future growth potential. IT companies, born from the digital revolution, shouldn’t be judged by outdated, conservative metrics!]

The young analyst’s bold counterargument made the older expert’s eyebrows shoot up.

[Encouraging reckless speculation without proper valuation is utterly irresponsible!]

[Mr. Solan, perhaps you’re just too old to keep up with this rapidly changing era. Maybe it’s time for you to retire.]

[What did you just say?!]

The furious market expert turned red with anger, veins popping in his neck as he shouted.

Sensing the heated tension, the female anchor quickly intervened.

[Gentlemen, I think you’re both getting a little too excited. Let’s take a quick break, and we’ll return after these messages.]

With that, the screen faded to commercials, and Richard turned off the television.

The more Netscape was mentioned in the media, the higher its brand recognition soared, drawing even greater attention from investors.

"That growing attention and hope will push the stock price even higher."

With this, his episode with Netscape was almost done.

Tapping his fingers thoughtfully on the table, he called Marina Granovskaia and Karren Brady into his temporary office.

"Karren, when will you be heading back to France? And what about the players I asked you to sign—any updates?"

"Just like you instructed," Karren began. "Bordeaux managed to sign Claude Makélélé for £5 million and Reynald Pedros for £1 million from Nantes. After that, Patrick Vieira completed his medical, and we’re set to sign him too—for £2 million." She paused, then let out a small cough. "If you have any more players in mind, I’ll need additional support. The budget you gave me is already gone."

Four million pounds Richard had spent to support Karren Brady’s mission in France.

Was it worth it? Absolutely.

In fact, whether it was Zidane, Vieira, or Makélélé, Richard believed their value could easily reach £50 million if he ever chose to sell them in the future.

Not to mention, to secure Karren a seat as Bordeaux’s CEO, his City Football Group had already acquired a 10% stake—serving as a convenient justification for the financial backing. So, if Bordeaux becomes successful one day, just selling that stake alone could probably make all his investment break even.

"If I give you another four million, can you expand Bordeaux’s scouting network in Africa?" Richard asked after a moment’s thought. "For now, focus on Central Africa—countries like Cameroon and the DR Congo—" he then stopped.

After a moment of consideration, Richard added, "Also, let Bordeaux set up a scouting network in Asia, focusing especially on South and Central Asia—countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan."

Karren looked at him, slightly taken aback. "Are you thinking of recruiting players from there?"

It was a surprising directive—after all, it was rare, if not unheard of, for Asian players to break into Europe’s top leagues at that time.

Richard simply shrugged. "If there’s talent that fits, why not? But it’s not just about players. This is also about testing the waters—seeing what kind of fan interest and market preference football has in Asia. If we’re thinking long-term, we need to understand those regions."

Especially in countries with large populations, Richard was eager to tap into vast markets and passionate football fanbases. These regions held the potential to unlock millions of new supporters, creating opportunities not only for merchandising and sponsorships but also for grassroots development.

But as the saying goes, for now, Bordeaux would serve as the pilot project. Once their report comes in, City could make a more informed and confident move into those regions, potentially building a loyal following that goes beyond traditional football strongholds, and laying the foundation for a long-term presence with shared benefits.

There’s no way Richard would give Karren money for free—this is still an investment, after all. So, while City’s scouting department isn’t fully operational yet, why not use other resources to test the waters first?

Though a little confused, Karren decided not to ask too many questions. Another millions—who wouldn’t be tempted by that kind of money? So, she obediently followed Richard’s instructions.

For Richard, it was a small price to pay for long-term influence—not just over the club, but over the world football market as a whole.

"Then when will you be heading back to France to start your new role, Miss CEO?"

"Are you done here with your business?"

For Karren, this was the first time she had ever been so closely involved in a stock operation—let alone one of this scale. Being part of the Netscape IPO had opened her eyes wide.

$2.4 billion.

Her boss had just made $2.4 billion from a single investment!

As she stared at the rows of zeroes on the financial reports, she nearly passed out. It was terrifying... but also exhilarating. The kind of rush that made the world of football transfers feel almost tame by comparison.

Hearing her question, Richard’s mouth twitched.

If he said "no," she’d probably still tag along anyway.

"Yes, I’m done. I’ll head back to Manchester soon and watch City face Arsenal."

"Oh..." she responded, pausing for a moment in thought before continuing, "Then I’ll go ahead and book my ticket first."

Richard let out a long sigh, then turned toward Marina. However, just then, there was a knock at the door, followed by Jim Clark stepping inside.

"Are you busy? Did I disturb you?"

Seeing Richard was in discussion, Clark hesitated, thinking he might be interrupting something.

"No, no—Jim, please, come in," Richard said, setting aside his conversation with Marina to focus on Jim Clark.

"Have you been watching the news?" Clark asked, getting straight to the point as he took a seat.

"I have. And it just means we’re the center of attention. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?"

"It is, but..."

"What’s wrong?"

Clark hesitated, studying Richard’s expression before continuing. "To be honest, I’m a little concerned."

"What do you mean?" Richard leaned back casually into the sofa, his eyes curious.

Choosing his words carefully, Clark continued, "As you said, Netscape is practically dominating the web browser market, and the future looks bright. But..."

"But what?"

"If the stock price rises too quickly and aggressively, at some point, profit-taking is inevitable. And if that triggers a sudden collapse... the aftermath could be brutal."

He paused for a moment before adding, "Investors who got IPO shares—or who bought in on the first day—have already made huge profits. They’re beginning to sell off to lock in those gains. This sell-off started yesterday and has continued into today."

The once unstoppable rally had started to slow. Netscape’s stock was now hovering around $104, moving sideways under the pressure of profit-taking, just as Clark had pointed out.

If the stock were to suddenly crash, it would deal a major blow—especially to Richard, who hadn’t sold a single share yet.

Of course, even in the worst-case scenario, it was unlikely the stock would fall below the IPO price. Technically, no one would suffer a real loss. Still, after watching it soar past $104, any drop would feel like a missed opportunity—almost like losing money.

And for someone like Richard, who held a 40% stake in the company, even a $1 drop would translate into a massive paper loss. It wasn’t something that could be easily ignored.

But unlike Clark, who clearly showed signs of worry, Richard looked completely unbothered.

"If someone bought at the opening price on day one, they’ve already more than doubled their investment. It’s only natural they’d want to take profits."

"That’s exactly why I’m bringing this up," Clark said cautiously. "Since your shares aren’t subject to any lock-up restrictions, maybe now’s the right time to sell a portion of them."

A lock-up period—also known as a protective escrow—is a restriction placed on major shareholders during an IPO, preventing them from immediately selling large portions of stock. This prevents a market crash that could hurt smaller investors.

Richard, as the second-largest shareholder after Clark, wasn’t bound by any such restrictions. He could sell his shares on the open market at any time.

"Are you suggesting I cash out quickly?"

"Yes. Of course, not all of it—just around 10% of your holdings—no, no—" Clark shook his head, quickly correcting himself. "What I mean is, could you sell them gradually? Not all at once, so it wouldn’t shock the market too much."

Only then did Richard fully understand what Clark was getting at.

Indeed, if he dumped all 40% of his stake onto the market at once, it would flooded the market, overwhelm the system and possibly trigger panic.

Even just 10% of his stake, at the current market price, was worth over $240 million—more than enough to not only recover his initial $2 million investment but also leave him with a massive profit.

"Hmm..." Richard eyed Clark carefully before asking, "Someone contacted you, didn’t they?"

Clark gave Richard a wry smile. "Yes. It was AOL."

AOL again?

Richard’s eyes lit up with interest.

"...Understood. For now, I’ll sell only 20% of my holdings."

With his conversation with Clark finally over, Richard turned his attention to Marina. Now it was time for the iron lady to prove her worth.

"Marina, I need you to head to Monaco immediately."