Hasbro Chairman Alan Hassenfeld suddenly announced his retirement, stepping down from his position as Chairman of the Board.
As soon as this news was posted, it immediately caused turmoil in the financial sector, and Hasbro's stock price plummeted.
Sergei vaguely revealed that Alan's retirement was due to illness, but he did not elaborate.
Then, all sorts of rumors began to spread like wildfire.
Such vague news easily triggers and breeds panic, and many retail investors began to sell off their shares.
Without exception, the shares they sold were all acquired by the company's high-level executives who were poised and ready; this was a ready-made dividend Eric gave to the board members.
And at the same time, not only Hasbro's shares were acquired, but also Mattel's shares.
Hasbro suffered a major change, and Mattel was certainly the happiest; as a competitor, Mattel's stock saw a significant rise.
Killing two birds with one stone, going long and short at the same time, the feeling of making money on both ends was wonderful.
As for retail investors, they are always exploited by information asymmetry anyway.
There's a saying in the United States stock market: retail investors trade stocks to contribute to the country; the original intention isn't for you to make money, and you'll even feel happy losing money.
This situation continued for a week, and just as the market conditions were steadily declining and many people's confidence was severely shaken, Hasbro announced a press conference.
It was the same venue where the transformers copyright signing ceremony was held, except that Eric was a guest then, and now he was the host.
Most of the people present today were financial media reporters; as a company with a market value of tens of billions and a top toy giant in the United States, everyone wanted to know what exactly happened.
"Mr. Sergei, what exactly happened to Hasbro? Is Alan Hassenfeld really retiring due to illness? This is too sudden," asked a reporter from the Financial Times.
Now, rumors were flying around, one of which was that Sergei seized power, and illness was just a deceptive excuse.
"Ahem... we have also noticed that there are many negative rumors circulating in the market, so we are holding this press conference today to make a formal statement."
"Regarding Hasbro's Chairman of the Board, my uncle Alan, he has indeed developed a relatively serious illness."
"Everyone knows he is over 70 years old, and for an elderly person, illness is inevitable."
"We all didn't want this to happen, but unfortunately, the disease still found him."
"Given Alan's current physical condition, what he needs most is peaceful recuperation, but Hasbro cannot stop; the company must continue to develop."
"Therefore, for the good of the company, for the tens of thousands of Hasbro employees, and out of a responsible attitude towards the market, Alan can only reluctantly step down from his position as chairman."
"So who will serve as the new Chairman of the Board?" a Wall Street Journal reporter eagerly pressed.
"Well, this is also one of the purposes of today's press conference; we are very fortunate to have found a new leader who is capable, responsible, and visionary."
"He has been personally vetted and evaluated by Alan and has received the unanimous approval of the board of directors; he is an exceptionally outstanding young man."
"Let us welcome the new leader of the Hasbro Group!"
Clap, clap, clap, clap... Everyone attending the press conference stood up and applauded as Eric walked out from backstage.
He was wearing a suit and leather shoes today, and he even had a light makeup on.
His already handsome appearance was even more prominent, and facing hundreds of media outlets, he strode to the center of the stage.
Wow... When they saw that it was Eric Cooper who walked out, the reporters present all widened their eyes, looking bewildered and incredulous, and many couldn't help but exclaim.
What's going on?
Why would it be Eric Cooper? Or rather, how could it be him? Does he have anything to do with Hasbro?
Perhaps he does, after all, he was the one who facilitated MGM's acquisition of the transformers copyright.
And the movie was very successful, driving toy sales, so it's imaginable that both parties are currently in a honeymoon period.
However, that's all there is to it; for Hasbro, he can be considered a good partner, but he certainly cannot be considered an heir.
A reporter with a wild imagination had a thought pop into his head: "Could it be that Eric Cooper is actually Alan's illegitimate son?"
Looking at the bewildered reporters below, Eric sat down and turned on the microphone.
"I know that seeing me here, everyone is inevitably a bit surprised, which is normal."
"But this was not a spur-of-the-moment decision; in fact, since MGM began contact with Hasbro over a year ago, Alan and I have established a deep friendship."
"And Sergei, Pedro, Jinji, Raul, we have always been good friends, often meeting privately."
Several people nodded in agreement in cooperation.
"I am very optimistic about Hasbro's development, so I also bought some shares in the company; the specific share will be announced later, but in short, it meets the conditions for joining the board of directors."
"Starting a few months ago, everyone hoped to absorb me as a new director of Hasbro, but as you all know what happened later, it was delayed."
"Unexpectedly, not long ago, Alan's health suddenly showed problems, very bad problems."
"Oh my god! This is truly a sad thing." Eric looked as if he was about to cry.
"Upon learning of this, I flew overnight to visit him; his condition was not too good, and the sight of it was heartbreaking to think about. He is such a good person and shouldn't have to suffer such pain."
Eric's emotionally charged narration once again demonstrated his acting skills, no less impressive than his ability to handle the five women; it was simply heartbreaking to hear and tear-inducing to witness.
Some of the less experienced reporters on the scene couldn't help but be moved by him, already imagining the deep friendship between two friends of different generations.
As for those old hands who were used to intrigues and deceptions, they were naturally not so easily fooled.
On either side of him, several board members' mouths twitched, feeling sick to their stomachs.
Have some shame; did you forget what happened that day? Does the real situation have anything to do with what you're saying? One cannot be too Eric Cooper!
At this moment, Sergei took over: "Eric, calm down; I'll talk about the rest."
Eric nodded, continuing to be immersed in sadness.
"Alas! Due to his health condition, Alan believed he could no longer continue to fulfill his duties as chairman. We held an internal meeting to discuss this matter."
"According to the original plan, if Eric hadn't been framed, he would actually already be a director of Hasbro now."
"Although the procedures have not yet been carried out, Alan still hoped to make a choice between me and Eric."
"After careful consideration by the board of directors, we ultimately decided that Eric would temporarily exercise the chairman's authority. I personally highly approve of this result and express my firm support."
"Just as Alan said, he is too outstanding, and he holds a large amount of resources that can form an effective complement with Hasbro."
"We believe that under Eric's leadership, Hasbro's future is bright, and it will surely move towards an even more glorious tomorrow!"
As soon as Sergei finished speaking, several directors immediately applauded.
The media reporters also realized that this was not the power grab widely rumored outside; it was simply a deathbed entrustment.
And it seemed that the power transition was very smooth, with no dramatic chaos or confrontation, which was good news for boosting market confidence.
Wiping away the tears from his eyes, Eric loudly declared: "Alan Hassenfeld, he is a great man, a very respectable man."
"Under his leadership, Hasbro's development has been steady and positive for decades, and even at this moment, he is still considering the company."
"Let us pay tribute to Alan!"
"Tribute to Alan!"
A grand and dignified performance, much like the ancient Chinese system of abdication, the show was certainly well-executed.
Subsequently, Eric also took this opportunity to describe Hasbro's future development strategy.
When they heard that MGM would grant Hasbro the rights to use its various IPs, many people understood why Alan chose him.
the walking dead, pink panther, peppa pig, frozen... any one of them is a cash cow, and they are also very suitable for Hasbro's product positioning; the cooperation between the two parties will definitely be beneficial without any harm.
This press conference had not yet ended, but changes in the financial market had already begun; Hasbro's stock price ended several days of continuous decline, as if injected with a shot in the arm, suddenly starting to soar.
Almost in an instant, the stock price surged back to its original position and continued to rise steadily.
At the same time, the stock prices of MGM and Marvel also saw a significant increase.
And in the face of such a major event, even TV stations like WB and ABC, which were at odds with Eric, paid attention and broadcasted it this time.
They analyzed the pros and cons, with both praise and criticism, and the specific situation was left for investors to judge for themselves.
Compared to the financial market, the general public, upon hearing this news, was most concerned about Eric's net worth.
"Eric Cooper has too much energy! He controls MGM, Facebook, YouTube, Lionheart Network, Dual Star Entertainment, CAA, and Marvel Group, and now he's dabbling in Hasbro. Can he manage all of it?"
"Heh heh, that question is too amateur. Eric Cooper doesn't have to do everything himself; judging from his modus operandi, fostering agents is still his most common method. Clearly, Sergei Hassenfield is his new agent."
"Film and television, records, social networks, video websites, comic groups, toy companies – this is a huge web, a tightly interconnected web. Eric Cooper is connecting all aspects together, it's terrifying."
"It is rumored that Eric Cooper holds no less than 10% of Hasbro's shares, making him the second-largest individual shareholder. His wealth has taken another leap."
"Oh my god! Who knows how much Eric Cooper's assets are? Forbes, hurry up and update; I really want to see how many places he can advance."
"Heh heh, Forbes is just for entertainment; who takes that stuff seriously? Anyone on the list has hidden wealth; Forbes can only count publicly disclosed wealth."
While this issue was being discussed online, Hasbro held a shareholders' meeting, solidifying Eric's identity.
His shareholding percentage was also announced: 17%, tied with Alan Hassenfeld for first place, and this number would soon rise to 21%, making him the undisputed largest shareholder.
And Forbes, whether intentionally or not, also released its global rich list for June.
It adopted the 17% figure and, based on Hasbro's current stock price, gave a valuation of $5.5 billion.
Adding to that Marvel Group's $3.7 billion in wealth and MGM's $9.1 billion valuation.
The total wealth of just these three listed companies reached $8.3 billion.
And these figures are verifiable and calculable; companies like Facebook, YouTube, Lionheart Network, Dual Star Entertainment, and CAA have not yet gone public, so their wealth value is difficult to estimate and was not included.
However, even with $8.3 billion in wealth, he was enough to break into the top ranks of the list, soaring to 11th place like a rocket.
It's worth noting that earlier this year, when MGM relisted, he was only ranked 51st, behind Bezos of Amazon's $5.3 billion.
And now?
Even if Bezos's wealth is also growing rapidly, and even if Bezos also has many private equity funds, wealth management funds, and other hidden assets.
But no matter how hidden you are, it's impossible to hide five or six billion dollars.
He had long been left far behind!
When this ranking was announced, the focus of discussion again became what the valuations of the already mature Facebook and Dual Star Entertainment would be after they went public.
Especially Facebook, which has developed so rapidly, occupying the entire United States in just one year and beginning to enter overseas markets.
Countless businessmen are waiting for it to open advertising services, and countless investors and institutions are waiting for it to go public.
Like last time, Eric again received countless congratulatory calls, while also dealing with the insatiable demands of the five women; they seemed to have become even more fanatical.
Indeed, money is a man's courage and a woman's aphrodisiac.
In such a busy state, half a month passed quickly, and Hasbro's situation also stabilized.
Alan Hassenfeld finally accepted his fate and chose to return to his hometown in Canada to recuperate, but it is unknown how his shares will ultimately be handled.
The rampant momentum of frozen was successfully blocked by Troy, losing the box office championship in its fourth week.
However, what The Big Six didn't expect was that Troy only held it off for one week, and in the second week, frozen surpassed it again.
It belonged to the type with strong momentum but insufficient staying power.
In its fifth week, frozen officially broke the $1 billion mark in global box office, becoming the 6th film in the world to gross over $1 billion.
Queen Elsa's progress had not yet stopped.