[Chapter 19: Future Plans]
After Yahoo!'s successful round of financing, many organizations and individuals began studying Yahoo!'s internet model closely.
John had underestimated the power of wealth, especially in a capital-driven world. What came next would depart from history as we knew it -- his small butterfly had stirred the first big storm.
Without mentioning the outside world and the subsequent impact, John's spirits were high these days. No matter the buzz around him, he felt calm and detached, almost amused by the unfolding events.
He casually flipped through the papers and realized there was really nothing earth-shattering, mostly just surprise over Yahoo!'s $400 million valuation and amazement at how quickly wealth was accumulating on the internet.
Many media outlets were bullish about the internet, even declaring it the next frontier for riches.
From John's perspective, the media wasn't wrong -- internet was indeed where the gold was headed. Looks like those so-called experts really did know their stuff.
...
"So, what's the plan, Boy? What are we gonna do next?"
"Relax, Zach. Honestly, we don't need to do much. With Jerry Yang and the rest on board, it's enough. We just quietly go back to LA and wait for Yahoo! to grow.
Just sit back and wait to get rich. Is there anything better than that? This might just be how the rest of our lives go," John said with a serious tone.
He had been thinking a lot about his next steps. After all, as someone reborn with memories from his past life, he held advantages others didn't, especially over the next 20 years -- the real boom of the internet age.
Running an internet company himself might not necessarily make him more successful than those industry giants from his previous life. Plus, he had already been in contact with venture capital firms.
Actually, once he had enough capital, he could easily imitate their moves. With the unique edge he had now, failure wasn't an option.
Those venture capital kings from his former life had influence no less than the founders of big tech companies, and thanks to complex financial maneuvers, their personal wealth was often hidden behind a maze of investment funds -- no one knew how rich they really were.
He shared his thoughts with Zach, who immediately became more serious.
"You're sure about this path?"
"Don't you think this kind of investment is crazy? I put in $500,000, and now it's nearly worth $100 million. If there's another funding round or IPO, our stake could multiply several times, even tenfold."
John cautiously suggested that Yahoo! could be worth several times or even ten times more in the future. He worried about scaring Zach off, but Zach was already stunned.
He had thought Yahoo!'s current valuation was already inflated. But John believed it was actually undervalued and could grow several times more -- that could be worth billions.
What John wouldn't tell Zach was that Yahoo!'s peak valuation would almost hit $100 billion. If he said that out loud, everyone would think he'd lost his mind.
"Alright, maybe you're right. At least you've been right so far. So, what's your plan?"
Zach trusted John completely now. After all, it was John who'd led him through this and made him a millionaire. Maybe the kid really did have some Midas touch.
"Zach, since you're a lawyer, here's what I'm thinking: We should start an investment firm. Through that firm, we can launch some funds. Behind the scenes, the parent company should set up offshore entities to keep our money flow hidden. As for the details, you'll have to handle that. I'm just throwing out the idea. The most important part is safety and secrecy -- I don't want this to end up all over the news."
"Boy, where did you learn all this? Man, you're only 17 years old, you know that?" Zach was visibly shocked.
Clearly, what John was talking about went far beyond the average person's knowledge. He shrugged innocently and joked, "Guess I'm just a genius."
---
In truth, that was exactly what John thought -- the priority was being safe and under the radar. The plan was to boost his profile through Yahoo!, then establish an investment firm or even a private investment bank.
From there, he could launch venture capital funds to invest in companies already familiar from his past life. Advantages? Tax benefits and staying out of the public spotlight.
John was already imagining what would happen if his wealth was exposed. The whole world would go nuts, and endless problems would come his way.
So, keeping things secure and low-key was essential. Otherwise, his net worth might shock the world into silence.
Neither Zach nor anyone else around him knew the kid carried memories from a past life and was destined to be a major winner this time around.
Though John was clueless about investment firms and offshore accounts, he had read enough rebirth stories and rumors. After all, who hadn't heard the saying, "You don't have to be a mechanic to know how to drive."
Even if John didn't have all the technical details down, he was far from clueless. After all, he had Zach -- a lawyer -- right beside him. It would be foolish not to make the most of that.
At first, he had fantasized about launching an instant messaging platform like ICQ, but quickly dismissed the idea.
For one, he didn't have the capacity. Managing a huge company with teams of world-class, highly educated business pros reporting in, throwing around specialized jargon he barely understood? That sounded terrifying.
He had read plenty of rebirth-themed novels and realized the protagonists, often clueless yet leading elite business teams, never seemed very reliable.
Secondly, competing head-to-head with global rivals would be exhausting, risky, and probably not worth it -- a classic case of spinning your wheels for little gain.
Thirdly, if his butterfly effect spread too widely, he might lose his biggest advantage. That would be a huge blow.
Looking back, was there a better path than investing? No company headaches, less stress; leveraging his rebirth edge; a bright future; freedom to do whatever he wanted; a worry-free, carefree life.
---
"So, next, we need some seed money. Where do you think we should get it?"
"Zach, do you think we can use our Yahoo! shares as collateral for a bank loan?" John suggested.
"That might work, but since Yahoo! isn't public, they'd probably require a guarantor or a guarantee company."
"Done. We'll figure out who or what the guarantor is when the time comes," John said, already thinking about the investment firms involved in this round.
In a few days, reaching out to them shouldn't be a problem.
He also started preparing -- figuring out which companies were just forming or had formed in the budding internet scene in '95. He'd have to do some digging online.
Meanwhile, folks across Silicon Valley were starting to feel uneasy, though none knew why.
"Well, Zach, our part is basically done here. Let's head back to LA tomorrow. I still like LA the best."
"Okay, whatever you say."
"Alright, Zach, next time I'll find a chance to let you call more of the shots."
"Boy, you do realize I'm your legal guardian, right?"
"Alright, Mr. Guardian. Get ready -- we're heading back to L.A. tomorrow. Trust me, soon I'll be buying a mansion in one of L.A.'s posh neighborhoods. Which is better, Malibu or Beverly?"
Hearing John's little mutterings, Zach's already sullen face darkened even further.
*****
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