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Chapter 637 - Chapter 635: The Passion of the Rich

 When Ivanta awoke the next day, Barron was gone.

  However, she didn't feel the same sense of loss she'd felt when they'd first been together.

  She knew Barron had a habit of waking up early to exercise... even after burning a ton of calories the night before, he'd still stick to it.

  It was the reason he'd always maintained such a flawless figure—his muscles resembled those of ancient Greek gods.

  Ivanta often worked out with him, but last night... The image of the two of them recklessly wandering through the ocean of knowledge flashed through her mind, and even though it wasn't the first time, Ivanta blushed and her heart began to beat fast.

  The aches she felt all over her body were a testament to the intensity of their study.

  After all, for a female knight, taming a wild horse wasn't easy... Unsurprisingly, she ultimately failed, utterly powerless to resist the horse's repeated thrusts...

  Sure enough, just as Ivanta had taken another short nap, Barron, wiping his sweat with a towel around his neck, returned to the bedroom.

  "Baby, time to get up..."

  Barron's way of waking Ivanta was unique. After showering, he walked over to the bed and saw the woman looking at him with sleepy eyes...

  With a "slap," he patted the bulge in the quilt. Then, he leaned down and kissed Ivanta on the forehead, smiling.

  As for why he didn't kiss her on the lips or cheek...

  after all, "even a tiger won't eat its own cubs"...

  ...

  "Your Highness, my friend..."

  "Hello, Mr. Badr, it's a pleasure to meet you in America."

  When Barron returned to Los Angeles from Silicon Valley, he met Badr Mohammed Elsalad, President of the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA).

  Badr had come all the way from New York specifically for this meeting with Barron.

  "We've been so disappointed by those Wall Street investment banks and funds. Your Highness, we've finally discovered that you are a true friend,"

  Badr said to Barron in the magnificent Fleur de Lys estate, with a hint of disappointment.

  "I've heard about your story. I'm deeply sorry, Mr. Bader."

  Bader was referring to the recent Madoff case. Of the $50 billion involved, at least $15 billion came from wealthy Middle Eastern nations.

  These funds are completely irrecoverable...

  It's not just the Madoff case; the sovereign wealth funds of the wealthy Middle Eastern nations have also suffered heavy losses during the current subprime mortgage crisis.

  After all, as their "protectorate," these wealthy nations reciprocate by investing in the United States—much of this money goes into the investment products of Wall Street investment banks and funds. The losses these funds suffered due to the subprime mortgage crisis are astronomical.

  This is why, in Barron's previous life, after the subprime mortgage crisis, the wealthy Middle Eastern nations began to divert some of their funds from the United States to other regions—primarily to Europe and Asia.     For example, Middle Eastern capital investment and acquisitions of European companies and real estate began to increase rapidly after the subprime mortgage crisis.

  Even Sun Zhengyi's SoftBank Group subsequently received nearly $50 billion in funding from wealthy Middle Eastern countries.

  Furthermore, increased investment from wealthy Middle Eastern countries in China also began after this period.

  This demonstrates how deeply these wealthy Middle Eastern countries have felt the deception inflicted by Wall Street capital.

  In contrast, Baron's DS Group has left a very positive impression on these wealthy Middle Eastern countries.

  For example, the first phase of the Global Industrial Investment Fund (GII Fund) raised $6 billion. The Kuwait Investment Authority and the Saudi Public Investment Fund each contributed $2.1 billion, with the remaining $1.8 billion coming from DS Holdings (Cavendish Trust).

  Unlike the fixed-income products of the second phase, the first phase of GII adopted a profit-sharing model, with DS Group receiving varying percentages based on the final returns.

  Last month, as the subprime mortgage crisis intensified, the Kuwait Investment Authority and the Saudi Public Investment Fund, suffering heavy losses from their investments in the United States, contacted the DS Group, seeking to recover their investments in the first phase of the GII Fund.

  The Madoff scandal, which had erupted at the time, inevitably fueled concerns that the DS Group, in which they had a significant investment, was another Ponzi scheme, leading to the request.

  However, the initial agreement with the GII Fund stipulated that all investments could only be withdrawn after five years, with a significant deduction for premature withdrawals. This was understandable, considering that investments in the first phase of the GII Fund, such as Four Seasons Hotels and Fast Retailing, were long-term investments requiring long-term stability.

  However, since the Kuwait Investment Authority and the Saudi Public Investment Fund insisted on a return of their investments, Baron readily agreed. This was despite the fact that the initial investment from the Kuwait Investment Authority and the Saudi Public Investment Fund, particularly in the initial phase, had been a significant sum for Baron.

  But now, with the scale of funds he controlled, those two or three billion dollars were no longer significant.

  However, according to the agreement, the fees due for the early exit still had to be deducted.

  Ultimately, the Kuwait Investment Authority and the Saudi Public Investment Fund each received a $2.5 billion refund. This was the amount Baron was able to return to the Kuwait Investment Authority and the Saudi Public Investment Fund after assessing the value of the GII-1 Fund's current holdings, deducting the early exit fees, and DS Group's share.

  This satisfied both sovereign investment funds immensely. After all, they had invested $2.1 billion and earned $400 million—not much, it might seem, but that was after deducting the early exit fees and share…

  Furthermore,

  this was in the midst of the subprime mortgage crisis… Compared to their investments in the United States, many of which had resulted in a complete loss, this was a truly conscientious return. Consequently, Baron and DS Group earned the trust of both sovereign investment funds.

  This time, Bader represented not only the Kuwait Investment Authority but also related sovereign investment funds from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries. He told Barron that these funds would gradually withdraw funds from the United States and invest in markets outside North America—including the UK.

  He hoped that the DS Group would establish a new investment fund modeled after the Global Industrial Investment Fund, or invest directly within the GII Fund.

  Bader also promised that the total investment would exceed $10 billion.

  "To be honest, Mr. Bader, we are not short of funds right now. We even have some funds seeking investment projects..."

  Baron said with some embarrassment.

  "But as a friend, I will carefully consider your proposal."

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