Universal Pictures, a Feast for the Taking

With the Vivendi crisis finally over, the Paris stock market was left in shambles. It would take at least a year or two to recover, and that was assuming things went smoothly. Otherwise, the slightest hint of trouble could make the situation even worse.

Vivendi Group's stock price and market capitalization were now a complete mess!

And Universal Pictures, one of its most important subsidiaries, was in a bad way too.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

Gustav, the owner of Lionsgate, said with a mocking smile, "Universal Pictures is like a feast laid out for the taking now. I wonder who'll have the last laugh—Zucker Wald or General Electric Company?"

"Boss, are you sure?"

Leo Punodak, vice president and renowned Hollywood producer, asked skeptically.

Gustav smiled without answering and pointed to the newspapers spread out on the table before him.

Leo Punodak picked them up and skimmed through them. Half an hour later, his expression turned grave. "Boss, you're right. The only ones who could have the last laugh are Zucker Wald and General Electric Company. As for the other buyers, they're destined to be no more than window dressing."

Recently, after the Vivendi Group crisis ended, a host of famous companies and investors had set their sights on Universal Pictures.

Their goal was clear: to acquire it!

"Vivendi Group became a global media giant in no small part because it acquired Universal Pictures. The group may be in a terrible state now, but former CEO Messier's strategy wasn't wrong. Acquiring Universal meant gaining a world-renowned content creation platform. Pair that with a content distribution platform, and you'd be practically invincible."

Leo Punodak said.

Messier's strategy wasn't wrong, but Vivendi had choked on its own ambition!

Gustav said enviously, "There are plenty of television stations in the United States, but only NBC,