Chapter Summaries

Aaron met with California politicians and business figures as he weighed the state’s political landscape and discussed South Korea’s economic crisis with Governor Pete Wilson. He backed Jerry Brown’s planned run for Oakland mayor, then bought a San Francisco villa and advanced financing and naming talks for the Los Angeles Starlight’s new stadium.

• Aaron received a call from Pete Wilson and later met him in Sacramento, where they discussed California’s political divisions and South Korea’s economic downturn.
• During a three-day Sacramento visit, Aaron met Dianne Feinstein, members of the Brown and Newsom families, and the Getty family’s Gordon Getty.
• At a San Francisco gathering, Gordon Getty introduced Aaron to Willie Brown and Jerry Brown, who said he planned to run for Oakland mayor.
• Aaron promised to support Jerry Brown’s campaign and said the Times-Mirror Group could help with public opinion.
• Aaron bought a villa in Pacific Heights and met Wells Fargo executives, who expressed interest in naming the Los Angeles Starlight’s new stadium and lending money for its construction.

Aaron discussed Wells Fargo’s expansion plans and his investments with Herbert Whitney before visiting Joey Wong in Vancouver and discussing Saks Fifth Avenue and the VCD market. The 70th Academy Awards then took place, with Titanic winning eleven awards and Good Will Hunting earning major honors as Aaron watched its box-office prospects.

• Herbert Whitney asked Aaron about Wells Fargo's interest in Seoul Bank and Hong Kong markets, and Aaron suggested other South Korean banks while declining to join the latest speculative attacks.
• Aaron explained that he had withdrawn from Omega Advisors and planned to invest $200 million in the Los Angeles Starlight, whose stadium Wells Fargo would name FNB Stadium.
• Aaron flew to Vancouver to visit Joey Wong and told her he had acquired Saks Fifth Avenue and planned to open stores across Asia.
• Aaron and Joey Wong discussed the declining prospects of VCDs before becoming intimate.
• Titanic won eleven awards at the 70th Academy Awards, while Good Will Hunting won Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Screenplay.
• Joey Wong read the awards coverage in Vancouver as Aaron focused on Good Will Hunting's $115 million North American box office and its potential overseas earnings.

Aaron reviewed Orlando Universal Studios’ expansion and backed Jeb Bush’s campaign for Florida governor, while preparing to return to Asia to address his investments in South Korea. The chapter left Aaron heading toward Jacksonville and planning a date with Charlize Theron.

• Aaron told Joey Wong he would travel to Asia to handle matters in South Korea, while she stayed in Vancouver to rest.
• Aaron attended the opening of Islands of Adventure in Orlando and reviewed the resort’s revenue and plans for new attractions.
• Aaron told Tom Williams to prepare staff training for Universal Studios Japan and keep improving the parks.
• Aaron met Jeb Bush in Tallahassee and promised to support his Florida gubernatorial campaign.
• Aaron prepared to return to Jacksonville and visit Miami Beach for a date with Charlize Theron.

Aaron discussed Jeb Bush’s strong chances of winning Florida’s governorship with Lloyd Bentsen Jr. and considered the Bush family’s value to his plans for entering the oil and energy industry. In Miami, he comforted Charlize Theron about the competition facing her upcoming film Armageddon and reflected on how his support had helped her secure better opportunities in Hollywood.

• Aaron spoke with Lloyd Bentsen Jr., who said the Bush family’s resources gave Jeb Bush a strong advantage in the Florida governor’s race.
• Aaron considered Texas’s oil and military-industrial resources and his need to enter those industries through the Bush family.
• Charlize Theron asked Aaron whether DreamWorks’ competing disaster film would hurt Armageddon, and Aaron said a good movie could still succeed.
• Aaron and Charlize discussed the box office and reviews for The Devil’s Advocate, in which Charlize had nearly played the female lead.
• Aaron told Charlize she had avoided the exploitative demands often placed on newcomer actresses, and she thanked him for giving her opportunities.

Aaron met Leon Cooperman in Hong Kong to discuss the financial crisis, the euro, and investment opportunities in Asia. He rejected buying Asia Television but considered distressed assets in Hong Kong and South Korea as the Korean Won continued to fall.

• Aaron arrived in Miami and reflected on the economic influence of the United States’ leading states.
• Aaron met Leon Cooperman in Hong Kong, where they discussed the crisis and the coming challenge of the euro to the US dollar.
• Leon Cooperman told Aaron that Lai Sun Development was struggling with debt and suggested acquiring Asia Television, but Aaron declined because he wanted an American broadcast network.
• Aaron discussed the depreciating Korean Won with Leon Cooperman and said he expected it to appreciate, while Leon suggested buying assets amid South Korea’s bankruptcy wave.
• Aaron and Leon discussed the Citibank–Travelers Group merger and the push to repeal the Glass-Steagall Act.

Aaron considered opportunities to acquire Asia Television, Golden Harvest's Southeast Asian cinema interests, and its film library amid Hong Kong's entertainment-industry crisis. He agreed Dawn would pursue Golden Harvest's cinemas and planned to take over its film copyrights, while Kristy Yang prepared to leave Asia Television for Mainland China.

• Kristy Yang told Aaron that debt-strapped Lai Sun Development was seeking a buyer for Asia Television, and she planned to leave the station and develop her career in Mainland China.
• Aaron discussed Media Asia's Mainland China expansion with Kristy Yang and planned for Joey Wong to acquire shares from Media Asia's financially troubled shareholders.
• Raymond Chow asked Aaron to buy Golden Harvest's cinema interests in Southeast Asia to raise funds for the company's crisis and its bid for land in Tseung Kwan O.
• Aaron agreed Dawn was interested in Golden Harvest's cinemas and planned to bring them under a new Dawn International Cinema Company.
• After Raymond Chow left, Aaron decided Dawn should pursue Golden Harvest's library of more than a hundred films, which he considered the company's most valuable asset.

Aaron gave Yuki Law a luxury villa in Hong Kong, took her to Seoul for a relaxing trip, and discussed his investments during South Korea’s financial crisis. He left her to return to Hong Kong while he continued investing in South Korean banks and major companies.

• Aaron brought Yuki Law to a villa in Kowloon Tong, gave it to her, and urged her to choose film roles more carefully.
• Aaron took Yuki Law to Jumbo Kingdom, then invited her to accompany him to South Korea while he handled business there.
• Edgar Owen briefed Aaron on TriStar Group’s restructuring, and Aaron encouraged further investment in its semiconductor and electronics businesses.
• Aaron instructed Edgar Owen to spread their Korean Won across South Korean banks, expecting their shares to rise after the economy recovered.
• Aaron discussed South Korean film censorship and quotas, then spent several days sightseeing and shopping in Seoul with Yuki Law.
• Aaron invested through Haihua Investment Company in South Korean banks and companies including Hyundai, SK, and LG, while Yuki Law prepared to return to Hong Kong.

Aaron agreed to have Dawn International Cinema work with CJ Entertainment to develop CGV’s cinema chain in South Korea, then discussed Titanic’s success and Norika Fujiwara’s agency in Tokyo. He also learned Avex Music planned to enter the Chinese-language market through a Taipei branch.

• Lee Mi-kyung met Aaron in Seoul and proposed that CGV cooperate with Dawn International Cinema.
• Aaron agreed that Dawn International Cinema would work with CJ Entertainment to develop CGV’s cinema chain in South Korea, with others to negotiate the terms.
• Aaron and Norika Fujiwara discussed Titanic’s record-breaking box office in Japan, North America, and Mainland China.
• Norika Fujiwara asked Aaron how to handle her agency, and he told her to manage it as she wished and offered to provide one million US dollars.
• Norika Fujiwara told Aaron that Avex Music was preparing a Taipei branch and planned to enter the Chinese-language market.

Aaron focused on expanding Dawn’s gaming and music businesses in Japan, then returned to Los Angeles after his Inglewood stadium project received formal land approval. He viewed local protests and the Hilton family’s opposition as obstacles that could not stop construction.

• Aaron discussed Microsoft’s move into console gaming and told Masayuki Horii to strengthen Universal Music Japan by signing competitive singers as physical records faced decline.
• Aaron told Norika Fujiwara that he needed to visit Osaka to inspect construction of Universal Studios Japan, and she stayed in Japan to focus on work.
• Aaron received news that the Wells Fargo Center Stadium project in Inglewood had received formal land approval and immediately returned to Los Angeles.
• Aaron and Inglewood Mayor Edward Vincent watched protests against the stadium project near Hollywood Park and discussed why the city council had approved it.
• Edward Vincent told Aaron that the Hilton family could not stop his stadium project, comparing it with Philip Anschutz’s successful effort to build the downtown Los Angeles arena.

Aaron discussed the Los Angeles Starlight’s stadium and planned 2000 NFL debut with Paul Tagliabue, then reunited with Cate Blanchett in Los Angeles. At Dawn Pictures, he reviewed upcoming productions and greenlit Entrapment with Pierce Brosnan and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

• Paul Tagliabue congratulated Aaron on resolving the Los Angeles Starlight’s stadium issue and confirmed the team would join the NFL in 2000 as its final club.
• Aaron asked Cate Blanchett about Elizabeth’s filming and discussed the upcoming release of The Truman Show with her.
• Christiana Yeri briefed Aaron on Dawn Universal’s upcoming releases and the preparations for Shakespeare in Love, The Sixth Sense, and Rush Hour 2.
• Christiana Yeri told Aaron that Kevin Costner was being considered for Entrapment, but Aaron worried that his recent flops could hurt the film.
• Christiana Yeri named Pierce Brosnan as another candidate, and Aaron accepted Martin Campbell’s recommendation and greenlit Entrapment with Brosnan and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Aaron approved preparations for The Talented Mr. Ripley and discussed Marvel’s film plans with Lauren Donner, emphasizing that Spider-Man and X-Men were crucial to Dawn’s future. The chapter left Spider-Man’s casting undecided as Marvel accelerated preparations for both films.

• Christiana Yeri told Aaron that David Fincher had chosen Brad Pitt and Edward Norton for Fight Club, then described Anthony Minghella’s proposed adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley.
• Aaron approved starting preparations for The Talented Mr. Ripley, while The Mummy opened against Collision Course and earned 43.3 million dollars in North America.
• Aaron asked Lauren Donner about Spider-Man’s director, and she said Marvel favored Sam Raimi, a devoted fan of the comics.
• Lauren Donner said Leonardo DiCaprio had been considered for Spider-Man but was not interested, so Aaron told her to keep searching internationally for a suitable young actor.
• Aaron urged Marvel to speed up preparations for Spider-Man and X-Men and raise Marvel’s international profile, while Lauren noted that Blade would be released in August.

Aaron met Britney Spears as her first single neared release, discussed films and business with Monica Bellucci, and attended the premiere of Notting Hill after Britney’s song topped charts. The chapter ended with Aisling Baker telling Aaron that riots and targeted massacres had broken out in Indonesia, leaving him enraged.

• Aaron met Britney Spears outside Marvel Building and encouraged her as she prepared to release her first single.
• Aaron and Monica Bellucci discussed Life Is Beautiful, Man in the Iron Mask, the World Cup, and his business obligations.
• Aaron saw Lakers players at a West Hollywood bar after the team’s early playoff elimination.
• The Mummy passed $100 million at the box office, and Aaron attended the Notting Hill premiere with Britney Spears, whose single had topped charts in North America and the United Kingdom.
• Aisling Baker told Aaron that riots and targeted massacres had broken out in Indonesia, and he went to the restroom, angry and shaken.

Aaron gave Britney Spears money to move somewhere quieter, then arranged for the Houston Post Group to condemn the violence in Indonesia. Back at his villa, he discussed Notting Hill, Eyes Wide Shut, and rising stock prices with Nicole Kidman, while anticipating the coming tech bubble.

• Aaron drove Britney Spears home, gave her a $400,000 check, and kissed her before she left.
• Aaron called Karen McKee and told her to use online public opinion to condemn the events in Indonesia.
• Nicole Kidman returned from the Notting Hill reception, kissed Aaron, and told him that audiences had liked the film.
• Nicole Kidman told Aaron that Stanley Kubrick had once invited her to star in Eyes Wide Shut, and Aaron predicted the film would cause controversy.
• Aaron advised Nicole Kidman to keep her Dawn shares as they discussed booming tech stocks and his investments in America Online.

Aaron celebrated Notting Hill’s strong box-office opening and discussed the Indonesia massacres, basketball, and upcoming films with Jack Wells and Catherine Zeta-Jones. At a business reception, he met Sony America president Howard Stringer as Sony’s costly Godzilla drew criticism despite its solid ticket sales.

• Notting Hill opened strongly in North America and the United Kingdom, prompting Aaron to praise the romantic comedy’s low production costs and success.
• Aaron condemned the Indonesian massacres in an interview, then told Jack Wells he trusted the Rockets and asked about the coming NBA lockout.
• Aaron attended an Entrapment dinner and later praised Catherine Zeta-Jones’s performances in Chicago and The Mask of Zorro while discussing her upcoming action scenes.
• Aaron met Howard Stringer at a business reception and considered Sony’s film output as Godzilla earned $80 million in North America but faced harsh reviews.

Aaron celebrated Hollywood’s success with Titanic and learned that Jennifer Connelly would star in The Bone Collector. He then secretly helped organize and fund escalating protests against Indonesia in the United States, which ended with police arrests and little apparent effect on Indonesia.

• Aaron spoke with Howard Stringer about Hollywood’s growth and competition before rejoining Jennifer Connelly and Leonardo DiCaprio.
• Jennifer Connelly told Aaron she would star alongside Denzel Washington in Sony Columbia’s adaptation of The Bone Collector.
• Aaron saw Chinese demonstrators protesting outside the Indonesian Consulate General in Los Angeles and called for reinforcements.
• A diverse crowd joined the protest, attacked the consulate with Molotov cocktails, and later demonstrations and attacks spread to Indonesian diplomatic sites across the United States.
• Aaron anonymously donated one million dollars to the Indonesian Human Rights Committee and covertly encouraged looting that left three people dead.
• Aaron watched police respond to the unrest in Los Angeles and concluded that the protests would probably have little effect on Indonesia.

Aaron discussed politics, Texas investment, and the Asian financial crisis with George W. Bush and Rudy Giuliani before meeting Joel Silver at a charity dinner in New York. Their conversation focused on The Matrix and Hollywood studios’ efforts to expand into the Asian market, where Dawn had already gained ground through Jackie Chan and John Woo.

• Aaron watched the Houston Rockets defeat the Chicago Bulls 102–98, then donated $1 million to George W. Bush’s gubernatorial campaign.
• Aaron and George W. Bush discussed the Clinton-Lewinsky investigation, falling oil prices, and Aaron’s plans to increase his Texas investments.
• In New York, Aaron spoke with Rudy Giuliani about the city’s declining crime rate and the President’s upcoming visit to China.
• At a charity dinner, Aaron discussed Joel Silver’s production of The Matrix and praised the Wachowskis’ film Bound.
• Aaron told Joel Silver he was looking forward to Jet Li’s performance in Lethal Weapon 4, and Silver praised Dawn’s success in expanding into the Asian market.

Aaron discussed films with Winona Ryder at his Long Island villa, agreed to support her adaptation of Girl, Interrupted, and heard that Gwyneth Paltrow liked the Shakespeare in Love script. After the Houston Rockets won the NBA Finals, Aaron urged the team to persuade Charles Barkley to delay retirement and sign a short contract.

• Aaron and Winona Ryder discussed The Truman Show and its strengths and flaws while she rehearsed for Shakespeare in Love.
• Winona Ryder told Aaron she had bought the adaptation rights to Girl, Interrupted, and Aaron agreed she could begin preparing the film after her current project.
• Winona Ryder said Gwyneth Paltrow had liked the Shakespeare in Love script, and Aaron noted that Gwyneth and Winona both suited the role.
• The Houston Rockets defeated the Chicago Bulls 4–3 in the Finals, then the NBA announced a lockout.
• Jack Wells told Aaron that Charles Barkley was considering retirement, and Aaron urged the Rockets to offer him a two-year contract.

Aaron reviewed Dawn’s television and animation projects, then reassured Winona Ryder that her planned film Girl, Interrupted was moving forward and suggested Charlize Theron for a role. The chapter ended with Winona preparing to travel to the United Kingdom to film Shakespeare in Love with director Edward Zwick.

• Aaron read reports about Disney’s interest in Fox Family Channel and reviewed reactions to Mulan.
• Aaron learned that AMC had approved the pilot for The Sopranos and would air its first season the following year.
• Winona Ryder told Aaron she was going to the United Kingdom with the Shakespeare in Love crew and asked about Girl, Interrupted.
• Aaron told Winona that Crescent Moon Pictures was developing Girl, Interrupted and suggested Charlize Theron for a role.
• Winona accepted Aaron’s recommendation and looked forward to working with Edward Zwick on Shakespeare in Love.

Aaron watched France defeat Italy in a World Cup quarterfinal with Sophie Marceau, then discussed betting on France and the expansion of French media companies. The chapter left Aaron considering the media industry while noting Luc Besson’s expensive Joan of Arc film.

• Aaron watched Italy play France with Sophie Marceau, who had bet 10 million French francs on France advancing.
• France defeated Italy in a penalty shootout, and Aaron encouraged Sophie to keep betting on France in the remaining matches.
• Aaron asked Sophie about Compagnie Générale des Eaux, which had become Vivendi and was expanding into telecommunications and media.
• Sophie explained that Lagardère Group had tried to acquire Putnam Publishing Group, but Aaron had refused the offer.
• Aaron told Sophie that Dawn’s films were performing well at the box office and learned that Luc Besson was making an expensive film about Joan of Arc.

Aaron spent time with Sophie Marceau in Paris before traveling to Manchester to watch Rupert Murdoch’s attempt to acquire Manchester United face opposition. He predicted the FA and Premier League would block the deal, while Kate Beckinsale discussed the NBA lockout and the Rockets’ Finals win.

• Aaron visited Sophie Marceau at her villa in Neuilly-sur-Seine, discussed the World Cup semifinals and his upcoming trip to the United Kingdom, and talked with her about Luc Besson’s film Taxi.
• Aaron flew to Manchester after visiting the Shakespeare in Love and Entrapment crews in London to follow Rupert Murdoch’s bid for Manchester United.
• Kate Beckinsale explained that fans opposed the acquisition and that it could create a conflict involving Sky Sports, broadcast fees, and subscription charges.
• Aaron said the FA and Premier League would not allow Sky TV to acquire Manchester United, despite Rupert Murdoch negotiating with shareholders and chairman Martin Edwards.
• Kate Beckinsale asked Aaron about the NBA lockout and the Rockets winning the Finals, and Aaron described the dispute as a labor negotiation between players and owners.