Chapter 1422 Stop Loss or Counterattack

Li Mu's $5 million + $5 million to Louis Martin quickly worked.

Although Louis Martin was in Yanjing, he used his personal connections to obtain first-hand information inside Apple at this moment in an unprofessional manner.

Since Tim Cook was ordered to take over the post of CEO of Apple, there have been several intense debates on the next direction within Apple. At this time, Apple executives are mainly divided into two camps, one is It is a stop-loss faction, and the other is a counter-offensive faction.

The attitude of the stop-loss group is very simple. They will split up and sell Apple immediately to prevent Apple's stock price from falling below its net assets in the future. These people are mainly investors and the capital behind them. Their instinct drives them to just want to end this failed investment as soon as possible, and then quickly find profits from other projects to make up the hole.

For many private equity funds, the amount of money invested at the same time may exceed billions of dollars. Losing tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars on a single project is not the end of the world. As long as other projects can compete to make up this part of the funds, They can cross normally, so it is very important for them to stop the loss in time, because they do not know how big the black hole will spread next. If you want to fill a hole, you must first stop the expansion of the hole, and then according to The actual size of the hole, go all out to find a way to fill it.

As for the counter-offensives, most of them are the founders and senior management team of Apple who have been fighting side by side for so many years. Like Tim Cook, who joined the company five years ago with great trust in Apple's future, although he did not make much money, But they pinned their passion and belief on this company, and now they have to surrender immediately, which is unacceptable to them.

The view of the counter-offensive is that Apple is different from most Internet companies. Apple is a company with hardware as its core and supported by patented technology and software technology. A pure Internet company may lose 95% of its market value when it encounters a bubble. That's because they are like huge rubber balloons that have been blown up, basically leaving a lump of rubber skin after they are blown up;

But Apple is a polar bear weighing more than 1,000 kilograms. Even if the food is cut off in the cold winter, it can survive on its own fat for a long time. Even a polar bear who is hungry to the bone still has a strong fighting power. Apple The same is true. At this critical moment, Apple should calm down and think about countermeasures and find a breakthrough to counterattack the opponent.

These two factions have their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, although the number of stop-loss factions is not large enough, they control a high proportion of shares; although there are many counter-attack factions, most of them are company employees and professional managers, and their actual control over the company is also Some are not enough.

Legally speaking, the stop-loss faction has absolute power to make a decision and implement it, but they are also afraid that the counter-attack faction accounts for the majority. Once they completely lose confidence in the company, they are very likely to leave at any time. , if Apple sells it externally,

If the core team loses more than half, the company's market value will inevitably suffer a greater blow. This is the result that the stop-loss party does not want to see anyway.

When Apple's stock price fell below the $4 mark in the next third trading day, the stop-loss party and the counter-attack party still did not reach a consensus.

According to Louis Martin, the stop-loss faction is constantly persuading the counter-offensive faction to accept the company's capital plan, so as to at least ensure that everyone's jobs have the opportunity to be retained, and even if they cannot be retained, at least they can get the compensation they deserve;

The counter-attackers are also persuading the stop-loss party to have more confidence in the company. They feel that with Apple's existing technology accumulation, Apple's team will definitely find an opportunity to turn things around.

Li Mu is very concerned about Apple's internal counter-offensive led by Tim Cook. Is there any clear counter-offensive strategy at present? The iPod business has been devastated by the unlisted Mango-ME2. If Apple wants to fight Mango-ME2 Back in the city, that could really trigger the nerves of these guys and force them to decide to upgrade the iPod by half a generation, or even a generation.

However, judging from the news that Louis Martin has inquired, the counter-offensive has not yet found a very clear entry point.

Louis Martin also contributed another very valuable message to Li Mu. Microsoft is making an acquisition offer to Apple through an offshore company indirectly controlled by some of its funds, but Microsoft is not ready to take over the entire Apple. They only want to acquire Apple's operating system and Mac business line. As for the iPod and iTunes, which have become junk assets in the eyes of investors, Microsoft is not interested.

After Li Mu got the news, he cheered one after another with excitement.

Others don't quite understand why Li Mu is excited about Microsoft's intention to acquire Apple. After all, Microsoft is a behemoth in the IT field. Even Muye Technology seems a little weak in front of them. Market value, cash flow, technical reserves and profitability are all. It is much worse than Microsoft. If Microsoft also wants Apple, it is obviously difficult for Makino to ensure competitiveness.

However, Li Mu has his point of view. He told everyone: "The US government will not allow Microsoft to buy Apple, so Microsoft can only use this edge-to-edge method to achieve its goals, so they use the company to control the fund, and the fund then controls the offshore company. , turned a few corners to acquire, the purpose is very simple, just want to get Apple's OS operating system, and then make it into a human being in the operating system, so that the OS can breathe and live like shit. Not only will the OS not pose any follow-up threat to Microsoft, but it will also prevent Microsoft from being sanctioned by antitrust laws."

Speaking of this, Li Mu added: "First of all, I declare that I do not discriminate against the homosexual group. I just use some scum in this group as an analogy. Microsoft's mind is actually a gay man who is eager to find a woman to marry. , he doesn't want to have sex with a woman, he just wants to marry this woman so that no one will doubt his sexuality and his parents won't put pressure on him."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and it sounded like this was indeed the case.

Li Mu added: "For Apple, Microsoft should be the company that they are least willing to be acquired, but now, the company that they are most unwilling to be acquired has taken the initiative to find them. I believe that the Apple team must be in their hearts. Extremely upset, in this case, even if we are the initiator of killing Apple, Apple will feel that we are much more cordial than Microsoft.”

"Really?" Louis Martin laughed. "If I were Apple, then you must be the person I hate the most."

Li Mu said with a smile: "Those of you who are purely playing with capital only look at money, but you must know that geeks who play with technology value not only money, but also dignity. You can defeat them and even kill them on the battlefield. but you can't buy them into a home as slaves and then throw their kids in the shithole."

Louis Martin said: "Apple's internal stop-loss party is just like me. They are all people who are purely playing capital. They only care who gives more money. If Microsoft gives them a higher price, they will definitely not hesitate. Selling Apple, people with honor, no voting rights, they can't decide the future fate of this company."

Li Mu said: "Louise, look at the details, why is Microsoft only willing to buy Apple's operating system and computer business? To put it bluntly, they are not willing to spend a penny more for Apple, they only want to use the least amount of money to achieve their goals, so they Don't care about the iPod and iTunes business at all, let alone the life and death of Apple's employees in these two business lines;

Even if Apple's stop-loss distribution is all capital thinking, they have to consider a problem. The only cash-out opportunity for the iPod and iTunes business is to sell it together with the entire Apple. Otherwise, this is the only thing left, and no one will be interested. This part of the assets has become a bad debt, and the stop-loss party still has to pay severance pay for all employees of the iPod and iTunes divisions. Compared with Microsoft, I, the pick-up man who is willing to take over all, is the savior that Apple is most looking forward to. . "

Louis Martin shrugged and smiled, "That makes sense."

Lei Jun said: "I think Mr. Li's analysis is very correct. Even the stop-loss party does not want to leave useless bad assets in his hands. At the same time, he has to take part of the limited money to compensate employees. Microsoft must feel that now. , No one in the capital market is willing to take over Apple, they may be the only buyer of Apple, so they are unwilling to give Apple any extra offer, if Microsoft maintains this attitude, it will be a huge help for us to acquire Apple.”

Ding Jian, who was in charge of capital operations, asked Li Mu, "Mr. Li, since Microsoft has already got in touch with Apple, is it necessary for us to get in touch with Apple in the near future?"

Li Mu said: "Don't use it for the time being. Otherwise, if Microsoft knows that we are also staring at Apple, it is very likely to increase its offer and conditions, so as not to have too many dreams at night."

After that, Li Mu said to Louis Martin, "Lewis, keep your eyes on what's going on between Apple and Microsoft. I want to know what price Microsoft has quoted to Apple, and how Apple has responded to Microsoft's offer."

Louis Martin nodded: "Please rest assured, I will pay close attention to it, and I will report to you as soon as there is any movement."

Li Mu said: "Tell the senior management of Sequoia to keep silent, and don't disclose the news that Muye Technology is preparing to acquire Apple."

Louis Martin hurriedly said: "Understood, I will communicate."

Li Mu smiled with satisfaction, and said, "The rest, I will chat with them in person after I arrive in the United States."

As soon as the words fell, Li Ziwei hurriedly knocked on the door and came in, and said to Li Mu excitedly: "Mr. Li, the World Health Organization has just released the news that the epidemic warning has been lifted throughout China!"

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