Becoming a Russian Oligarch After Rebirth
Chapter 334 Genius Ideas_1

Chapter 334: Chapter 334 Genius Ideas_1

Wang Ye put on the white Apple earphones, pressed the power button and tested it.

Then he smiled and remarked, "A truly flawless product! It seems as if the sound quality is better than any MP3 player I’ve used."

He spoke in Russian, and naturally, the translator next to him translated his words into English for Boss Qiao.

Boss Qiao chuckled proudly, "Of course, because our iPod uses a special format, and we demand high-quality original songs from the copyright owners. MP3s out there compress the songs as much as possible because of the small capacity, losing all the details of the music, so naturally, it doesn’t sound as good as our iPod ...."

He listed a plethora of the iPod’s advantages like the superior song quality, large capacity, and advanced manufacturing process.

Wang Ye suddenly asked, "However, I heard that it’s not selling very well. Is that true?"

This question left Boss Qiao momentarily speechless.

After a pause, he tried to explain, "That’s just temporary! The key is that we haven’t received enough authorization from music companies, and thus, we don’t have a lot of songs, and the sales channels haven’t been established, that’s why the sales are unsatisfactory."

"Have you figured out how to solve this problem?" Wang Ye continued to probe.

"Of course, we have a detailed plan already and once we have the funding, we can start implementing it." Boss Qiao replied, brimming with confidence.

Even though Wang Ye had experiences from his past life, he didn’t have much to "teach" Boss Qiao on how to run a business.

Wang Ye was self-aware of his limitations...

...

"By the way, other than this iPod, is Apple preparing any new products?" Wang Ye segued.

Naturally, he wanted to ask about the truly era-defying product - the iPhone.

The current iPod is also a great product that can earn a substantial amount of money for Apple, but it’s not nearly enough!

The only product that can propel Apple to be the world’s most valuable company is the iPhone!

Boss Qiao was taken aback and instinctively responded, "No, the company’s current focus is on the iPod, we don’t have plans for other products."

No wonder, given Apple’s current capabilities, it’s certainly not enough to develop several new products simultaneously.

The iPod alone almost collapsed the company, let alone other new products.

Wang Ye nodded, picked up the silver iPod, and rubbed its smooth aluminum-magnesium alloy case, deliberately saying, "The craftsmanship of this product is excellent, and it’s very easy to use. It reminded me of something."

While speaking, he took out his mobile phone, a Nokia 3310...

He smiled and said to Boss Qiao, "You see, most of the mobile phones nowadays have plastic casings, with a very rough manufacturing process, and simple functions. But it’s currently the most convenient communication tool, and people can’t live without it. I was thinking, it would be great if the iPod had the ability to communicate. Not only could you listen to high-quality music, but you could also make calls. Especially since this product is so beautifully designed."

Listening to Wang Ye’s words, Boss Qiao’s eyes began to shine.

He nodded thoughtfully, excitedly responding, "Mikhail, that’s really a genius idea! If we could really make such a product, it would definitely sweep the world! But the development of such a product will be a significant task, and it won’t be completed in the short term."

That’s exactly what Wang Ye wanted to hear...

"In the past", Apple only began preparations for their mobile phone four years later, and when it finally came out, it was already 2007.

Moreover, the initial product had many issues and didn’t really go global.

Now, with Wang Ye’s funding and inspiration, Boss Qiao should be able to start developing the mobile phone earlier. Not only can it be launched earlier, but it could also be further refined!

As for how to develop the phone, Wang Ye is not adept at these things and does not intend to interfere. It’s better left for Boss Qiao and Cook to figure out.

After all, it’s best to leave professional matters to the professionals.

...

The proceedings went more smoothly than Wang Ye had anticipated. The very next day, while he was resting in a hotel in San Francisco, an ecstatic Milna knocked on his door.

"Boss, I just received a call from Cook. The board has approved this round of financing!"

It appears that Apple had an emergency board meeting soon after Wang Ye’s visit last night...

This also confirmed that Apple was in dire straits and desperately needed funding for a lifeline!

Given this, Wang Ye was not hesitant at all, he nodded and instructed, "That’s good, discuss with them and find a time in the next few days to complete the procedure and transfer the funds. Our goal this time is not just Apple, we still have over 300 million US dollars left, we should be able to invest in one or two more companies."

Wang Ye’s targets include Amazon and Google!

Both companies are purely Internet businesses, and after the Internet winter last year, their market value and valuation have plummeted.

Although Amazon’s market value has taken a hit, it’s still high, nearing seven to eight billion US dollars.

Google, on the other hand, has not been listed yet. However, as the search engine website with the highest market share in the United States, its valuation is certainly not going to be low.

Wang Ye is not insisting on getting these two companies. His main target is still Apple.

Only after ensuring that he can get a stake and obtain as many shares of Apple as possible, will he consider Amazon and Google.

Now that he’s become the largest shareholder of Apple and still has lots of funds left, he can consider investing in Amazon and Google.

After all, if he could acquire shares in these two companies, the return on investment would be astonishing!

When it comes to making money, more is always better.

...

Wang Ye made the right choice with Milna.

He’s been in the US financial industry for many years, and although he later decided to develop back in Russia, he still maintains a broad network of contacts here.

Thanks to Milna’s connections, and Wang Ye’s impeccable timing, the plans to invest in Google were quickly realized.

With an investment of 200 million US dollars, they manage to secure a five percent stake in Google, which is yet to be listed.

At this point, Google’s valuation has reached 40 billion US dollars!

It’s precisely because of the Internet winter that he managed to invest at this time; otherwise, the valuation might have exceeded 100 billion US dollars.

Wang Ye was fully aware that three years later, on the first day of Google’s listing, the company’s market value soared to 400 billion US dollars!

After investing in Google, the money left wasn’t much, so there was no necessity to discuss equity financing with Amazon. Wang Ye instructed Milna to directly buy some Amazon shares in the secondary market.

The primary objectives for their trip to the U.S. have been achieved, and Wang Ye’s party is ready to return to Russia.

However, on the eve of their departure, an unexpected event occurred....