Hobart had only begun looking for partners now because the Earl's Light bulbs had already built up brand recognition and were at least a household name in Backlund.
At the same time, because electric bulbs were such a novel thing, major media outlets had begun competing to report on them, so Hobart no longer needed to spend money on further publicity.
Many nobles and tycoons in other cities were also eagerly awaiting the chance to use electric lights as soon as possible.
Then there was the fact that the negative publicity surrounding Longtail Island had been resolved. Hobart was not short of money either, so by seeking cooperation now, he could occupy an absolute dominant position.
The officers at the club all knew that the bulbs had made a fortune, but they had no idea exactly how much. Now they knew. They had made this much! The bulbs had been on sale for eleven days, and although more than thirty thousand orders had come in on the first day alone, the number of orders had gradually declined afterward.
But if Hobart claimed that Earl's Light was worth three million pounds now, no one would dare dispute it. Shares with such promising prospects were bound to carry a premium.
After learning more about the situation, everyone expressed their willingness to buy shares in Earl's Light.
Hobart added, "There is something I must tell everyone. This industry will not be profitable at the beginning. Although I currently have a vast amount of cash on hand, I need to use it to build power plants and lay electric wires. I cannot use it to pay everyone dividends!"
Building this sort of infrastructure was extremely expensive for a company. It would actually be more appropriate to construct it through the will of the state.