Chasing Stars in Hollywood

The sudden exposure of the Victoria's Secret show plan made the fashion circle very lively.

For Simon, however, it was just a small hobby in his spare time.

On May 6, after three and a half months of shooting, "Jurassic Park" officially wrapped up.

Although the film was directed by the original Spielberg, Simon still went to Hawaii a week before the wrap to personally oversee the last few days of filming.

With the shooting completed, the project team returned to Los Angeles and quickly entered the intense post-production phase.

In addition to "Jurassic Park", the other two key projects at the end of 1992, the Halloween release of "The Ring" and the Thanksgiving release of "Home Alone 2", were also in the post-production stage.

Malibu, Daenerys Studios.

It was already Wednesday, May 13.

Simon spent the morning discussing the post-production of "Jurassic Park" with Spielberg and had lunch together. Starting at 1 p.m., he had three consecutive production meetings, for "Forrest Gump," "Sleepless in Seattle," and "Superman."

The progress of the three films varied.

For "Forrest Gump," Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks had just agreed to join the project, and the company was still negotiating their salaries.

For "Sleepless in Seattle," besides Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks was also set to star, making his schedule a key coordination point for both project teams.

The last project, "Superman," was already well-prepared.

After the Oscars in March, Daenerys Entertainment officially announced the main creators of "Superman" and "Cyborg."

The director of "Superman," Roland Emmerich, had been confirmed by Simon early on. The male lead was Brad Pitt, and as for the female lead, Lois Lane, Simon eventually gave the role to Courteney Cox after several requests from her.

Starring in a superhero series can greatly boost an actor's popularity but also significantly limit their future career development.

Simon didn't mind if the careers of Brad Pitt or Will Smith were altered by this.

As someone he knew from his early days in Hollywood, even though they hadn't accumulated much rapport, Simon still hoped Courteney would have better career development. He had specifically advised her to do so, given her resources and connections from having Jonathan as her agent and the popularity from the "Scream" series.

However, Courteney couldn't settle down.

Given this, Simon didn't interfere much. Courteney's image indeed suited the role of Lois Lane very well.

Speaking of which, the female lead in the "Cyborg" series was also an 'acquaintance' from Simon's memory: Halle Berry.

This beauty pageant winner and African American actress had begun her career a few years ago, previously starring in Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever" and Bruce Willis's box office failure "The Last Boy Scout." She was also set to star in Eddie Murphy's new summer release, "Boomerang."

After the production meeting for "Superman," it was already 6 p.m.

Leaving the conference room with Simon, Roland Emmerich noticed Courteney Cox approaching Simon. Wisely, he ended the conversation and quickly left with Brad Pitt and others.

Seeing the others leaving, Courteney hesitated and moved closer to Simon, tentatively asking, "Simon, do you have plans tonight?"

It was the third floor of the executive building. Emmerich and the others had just entered the elevator. Not wanting to wait for another one, Simon led Courteney towards the stairs and said, "Yes, I have a dinner appointment and then need to attend the after-party for the 'Lethal Weapon 3' premiere."

"Lethal Weapon 3" would be released the day after tomorrow, with the premiere today.

Though Daenerys Entertainment and Time Warner Group were competitors, Simon accepted Mel Gibson's invitation to the after-party, although he didn't attend the premiere itself.

Mainly because many Australian filmmakers would be attending the after-party.

Before that, at 7 p.m., Simon had invited Leslie Wexner and his fiancée, who were in Los Angeles for the Victoria's Secret show preparations, for dinner.

Hearing this, Courteney paused and said nothing more.

It was still a workday, and the man beside her had two social events in one evening, showing how busy he usually was.

Moreover, over the years, the gap between them had grown immensely, now almost insurmountable.

If he were interested in her, he would have shown it by now. She couldn't think of any reason to refuse.

As they descended the stairs together, Simon noticed Courteney's silence and asked, "How have you been recently?"

"Not bad," Courteney responded instinctively but couldn't help but think about her current situation.

In terms of her career, compared to many actresses in Hollywood who had struggled for years without success, she was already very lucky.

However, everything pales in comparison.

Under the same agent, Jonathan Friedman, both she and Sandra Bullock were of similar age and had similar starting points. Yet, over the years, Sandra Bullock had far surpassed her.

From "Speed" to the "Back to the Future" sequels to last year's "The Silence of the Lambs" and the upcoming "A Time to Kill," in six years, a series of box-office hits and some award nominations had cemented Sandra Bullock's position as a top-tier actress of the new generation.

And what about her?

So far, her most famous work was "Scream." While the series made her a household name, her popularity was still not on par with top-tier stars, and fundamentally, she hadn't shaken off the label of a pretty face.

How to distinguish between a star and a pretty face?

It's simple, look at whether a star has enough box-office appeal.

Sandra Bullock already had strong box-office appeal, but Courteney knew very well that after the "Scream" series ended, she still couldn't carry a movie on her own.

Courteney knew Simon's advice to patiently take on various roles to hone her skills and shed the pretty face label was well-intentioned and very accurate.

However, she also had her concerns.

The distance between her and the man beside her was growing. Who knew if he would still remember her after a few years of patience?

Therefore, while she still had some connection, including the care Jonathan Friedman showed her because of her initial acquaintance with Simon, it was most important for her to seize whatever opportunities she could.

Lacking much common ground, their conversation remained superficial and trivial, until they reached the ground floor.

A black Bentley was already waiting in front of the building.

Courteney hoped Simon would invite her before getting into the car: offer to drive her home, or anything, really.

But nothing happened.

After saying goodbye, she watched his car drive away and then turned to the parking lot to get her own car.

Dinner was arranged at the Malibu estate.

Although not keen on hosting parties at the Shell Villa, inviting a few people for dinner was a necessary courtesy, even if Simon wasn't entirely willing.

During their recent visit to Columbus, Ohio, Leslie Wexner and his wife had been very hospitable.

After sending off the little one in early March and spending two months thoroughly reviewing the vast Westeros system, Janet had resumed her pre-pregnancy work schedule, spending only two or three days a week on the East Coast and not going to New York at all in the past week.

When Simon got home, Janet immediately took him to the dressing room to tidy up his outfit.

After enjoying pampering her man, they went downstairs, and it was almost 7 p.m.

Just about to check the kitchen for the dinner preparations, Alison came over to remind them, and the couple went out to greet the guests.

Leslie Wexner, 55, had only recently gotten engaged at the beginning of the year. His fiancée, Abigail Koppel, was a typical French blonde lawyer in her thirties.

Exchanging pleasantries, they entered the Shell Villa. Even with his own over 300-acre estate in Columbus, Leslie Wexner couldn't help but feel envious of the villa.

Like Simon, Leslie Wexner had built a substantial business empire from a young age. He never spared expenses in his lifestyle, but even with the $2.45 billion valuation of LTD and other investments, his net worth was still less than $1 billion.

Such wealth put him at the top of the pyramid in the USA, yet in front of Westeros, he still seemed like a 'poor man.'

Wealth also had tiers.

Outside Columbus, Leslie Wexner also owned a mansion in Manhattan and a vacation home in Miami, Florida. He could afford properties that Westeros could buy, but the difference was still obvious.

The simplest example was that while many of the USA's top billionaires owned private jets, only Simon Westeros could casually use a Boeing 767 as his personal aircraft.

Many could afford a Boeing 767, but owning and using one are two different things.

Simon Westeros could easily spend tens of millions to build a dedicated hangar at Los Angeles International Airport, something other billionaires couldn't casually do.

There was also the estate in Columbus.

Though Leslie Wexner's family estate covered over 300 acres and was their primary residence, Westeros's adjacent farm estate, though only 50 acres, was rarely occupied.

Moreover, Westeros reportedly owned properties across North America, Europe, and Australia.

According to media speculation, the value of these real estates alone could secure Simon a prominent spot on the Forbes rich list.

Last year, the Forbes 400 list estimated Westeros's net worth at an unprecedented $35 billion.

Now, within a year, many could see his wealth growing visibly.

As they sat in the dining room, Leslie Wexner couldn't help but

 wonder how much money Simon Westeros had now.

In addition to overseeing the Victoria's Secret show preparations, Leslie Wexner had been in Los Angeles since Monday, discussing with the Westeros couple about the investment of the recently liquidated funds from the LTD sale.

Selling about 20% of LTD stock, after capital gains tax and some reserved funds, Leslie Wexner planned to invest the remaining $300 million.

If it came to investment acumen, few could match Simon in recent years.

Since they were partners, Simon didn't mind forming a tighter alliance with Leslie Wexner.

As an established billionaire, Leslie Wexner had excellent political connections in the USA and was also aligned with the Democratic Party.

Strengthening ties with such an ally could only benefit Simon.

After several discussions, it was decided that $100 million of Wexner's capital would be managed by Cersei Fund Management, a hedge fund under Cersei Capital.

Cersei Capital's $3 billion hedge fund had always been a target of intense interest and pursuit by many USA investors.

With Janet's personal involvement, Cersei Capital used this fund to weave a significant and eye-catching network of interests.

The remaining $200 million would be invested in two other subsidiaries of Cersei Capital, focusing on tech stocks in the coming years.

Cersei Capital's three subsidiaries—Cersei Fund Management, Apollo Management, and BlackRock Asset Management—had varying investment goals with decreasing risk, ensuring the safety of Wexner's $300 million investment.

Most matters were handled during work hours, making the dinner atmosphere quite relaxed.

Of course, the conversation mostly revolved around the Victoria's Secret show.

The project's announcement led many to probe about its details.

Naturally, there were some gossipy aspects.

If someone else were to gather the top models for a show, it might be seen purely as a commercial venture.

But with Westeros involved...

At 24, he was already incredibly wealthy and powerful, making him irresistibly attractive to many women.

In fact, many models hoping to join the show initially wondered if Westeros's intentions were less than pure. Being noticed by the young tycoon, even without formal recognition, could ensure a comfortable future.

Such gossip inevitably became material for teasing Simon during dinner, even Janet showing a playful, teasing expression.

Dinner ended around 8 p.m.

With the after-party for "Lethal Weapon 3" starting at 9 p.m., Simon invited Leslie Wexner to join.

Hollywood's fame and glamor naturally attracted many billionaires, and Leslie Wexner and his fiancée gladly accepted, heading to the city together.

With Simon's support, the Australian contingent in Hollywood had grown significantly in recent years.

In addition to early figures like Mel Gibson and George Miller, new arrivals like Nicole Kidman, Jane Campion, Peter Jackson, Baz Luhrmann, and Sam Neill had all established themselves.

Tonight's after-party saw Mel Gibson inviting numerous members of Hollywood's Australian contingent.

That's why Simon decided to attend.

The lively premiere of "Lethal Weapon 3" marked the official start of the 1992 summer season.

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