Rebirth as an American Tycoon

As June rolled in, William White lay back counting his money. His initial investment had multiplied several times over. If it kept rising a bit more, he could pay off all his taxes.

"Master, this money feels a bit too good to be true. Shouldn't we just take our winnings and run?"

William pondered for a moment and replied, "Fulton, you really shouldn't worry so much. As long as gold prices are up, silver has no place to drop. Their target is a forty-to-one ratio. Right now, gold is over four hundred, so silver should stay above ten bucks."

"Master, if it really rises that much, all our problems will be solved."

"They'll overshoot a little, then tweak it down a bit, and they'll cash in for sure. We will do just fine too."

"Do you think the Hunter family will be able to cash out that easily?"

"Ha! Of course not. But that's their problem; we're just in it for a bit of profit -- no need to worry about them."

Fulton still felt uneasy about the Hunter family striking it rich, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't hope for silver prices to drop since their family was also reaping considerable gains.

William knew all too well that the Hunter family was bound to face misfortune. Even if they didn't act recklessly like in the past, trouble would still find them.

In a way, ill-gotten gains were often akin to a stroke of bad luck, especially when they reached dramatic heights. The tragedy of the Hunter family was practically preordained.

The wealth of a family ought to match its history and status. A slight mismatch might be fine, but if it became outrageous, that wasn't wealth; it was disaster.

When it came to family heritage, the Hunter family fell short compared to the Morgans, and certainly the increasingly enigmatic Rockefellers.

These higher-tier families didn't dare to tamper with massive wealth. Yet here was this upstart family with no roots, ignorant of the consequences -- it showed just how courage can sometimes come from ignorance.

The so-called richest man in America was really just a joke. Though having over two billion bucks was impressive, being the wealthiest in America? Please!

What is the Federal Reserve, anyway?

Let's be clear: it's not a government entity; it's a non-profit organization.

That "non-profit" is just a front; the more free the service, the higher the hidden costs.

Being non-profit means there are too many interests involved, leaving no way to be transparent with the public. So they call it non-profit.

...

Filming finally got underway. The veterans in the crew learned a tough lesson; William White's reputation as a tyrant on set spread fast.

For them, when William grabbed the megaphone, he transformed into another person entirely. Not only the inexperienced rookies but even some older crew members responsible for lighting and cinematography often felt the heat.

Some of those veterans couldn't muster any complaints. In this business, skill counted above all else. His corrections left them speechless, and his approach was often just right.

Among themselves, the old hands were impressed; this was a real pro. There was no way he was just a novice who'd never directed a single film. Whether he could match the big directors was debatable, but regular directors couldn't do what he was doing.

Still, they realized he'd spent a fortune. If anyone dared to pull a stunt, there'd be no way for them to stay in the industry. The world was very real: those with money called the shots.

As the seasoned folks took filming seriously, they quickly noticed something: this director was from a different breed. He had very few wasted shots.

For a newcomer, that was highly unusual. To avoid reshoots later, beginning directors typically overshoot; wasting film isn't a big deal compared to the cost of reshoots.

Truth be told, this shoot moved at lightning speed. In just twenty days, production was nearing its conclusion. If they hadn't needed to reshoot a few scenes, they would have wrapped up already.

They had to admire this young director for those reshoots. Each added shot really made a difference, and the actors delivered much better performances.

All told, they finished filming in twenty-three days. For a small production, that was phenomenal.

Films in Hollywood felt more like assembly-line products. A project started, followed by casting, team assembly, and filming.

Post-production was even more regimented, with a nearly standardized process.

This odd production team was a different story. The producer also acted as the director, and everything moved at breakneck speed. Strangely enough, he didn't seem worried at all about whether the film would get released.

Producers rarely took on double roles. Directing and acting could fly, but producing as well? That was a stretch; you weren't a Hollywood mogul. Finishing the film was just the first step, and many more hurdles lay ahead.

Producers handled all sorts of communication, coaxing various investors, dealing with distributors, and arranging release dates -- all work that was anything but easy.

Whatever the crew thought, once filming officially wrapped, the producer showed himself to be quite the showman. Each crew member received a little bonus -- a thousand bucks, whether they were lead actors or extras.

This was a personal tip from the boss, meant for a celebratory drink. This kind of cash was tax-free and felt like unexpected income.

"Jason, you go on my behalf. I need to wrap up post-production. Time's already tight; if it goes fast enough, we might hit the end of the summer schedule."

"Alright, but a couple of the girls might be disappointed."

"I'm not in the mood for that right now; let's talk later."

"Okay, I'm off then. Don't be out too late."

...

Nobody knew that William White was making money while laid back. Even if someone told the Hunter family, they'd probably be skeptical.

The media was at a loss for words about this somewhat reckless character. They rushed to Silicon Valley, only to find that William White had vanished. Now he'd jumped into Hollywood, leaving them scratching their heads about what he really aimed to do.

Since he was now in Hollywood, opportunities for interviews sprang up. Most entertainment journalists gathered there. When it came to his film, however, they showed little interest; they wanted to focus on other matters.

Being a reporter could get quite tiresome at times. They were more interested in what would grab headlines and didn't care about the feelings of those involved.

What captured the public's attention the most?

An heir to a billion-dollar fortune.

William White really detested that label and acted accordingly, refusing to cooperate. No matter how these people spun their tales, he maintained a steadfast silence.

*****

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