1988 - Family Office
1988 - Family Office
"From this year until 1997."
"If you prefer something shorter, that's fine too."
"I'd like to discuss the details in person. It's not something to talk about over the phone."
"I'll send you a first-class ticket. We can decide on the date later."
After making that promise for our first meeting, we ended the call.
We couldn't talk for long.
It wasn't a secure line, and the details of the request could leak.
As expected, there's no method as safe as meeting and talking in person.
'Before that, it would be good to set things up in the Bahamas in advance.'
I don't particularly need Matthias's help for money laundering.
I can handle that myself.
The reason I want to entrust him with the request is for tax deferral.
'Honestly, the taxes are tough.'
Just the income tax I have to pay on this profit is roughly $1.1 million.
I earned $2.8 million, and $1.1 million disappears?
Even though the current period is when income tax is historically the lowest in the US since World War II!
It wouldn't be so bad if the taxes were used effectively.
There's a reason Buffett-nim defers through reinsurance and other hedge funds flee offshore or to Florida and Texas.
I'm also planning to move to Florida around the mid-90s.
The only hope is Coins.
Who knows, maybe they'll reduce taxes too.
I hope it becomes a dual-fund structure where net assets are in the offshore fund and Coins are earned here.
'Shall I finish organizing things then?'
I took out a notebook from the drawer.
An investment roadmap relying solely on my memory, not the Memory Palace.
It was a portfolio following specific events or macroeconomics rather than individual stocks.
After finishing organizing the roadmap up to 1997 like that...
'......That's enough for today.'
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I tapped the numbers in the notebook with my pen and thought.
'Even without the Status Window, it's like this.'
$10 billion.
The projected asset for 1997 when following purely with my own memory, without any special abilities.
The assumption of having no abilities means I didn't use insider information or M&A; information.
It means I can create that with just a $1,400 seed.
And that's a very rough calculation, so in reality, it could be even higher.
'Regression is truly a cheat, isn't it?'
It feels absurd all over again.
'If I just put that into dot-com companies and sell in 2000, how much would it be?'
Crazy. It's insane.
'Perhaps...'
If my memory is combined with the Status Window.
North Korea might be difficult, but I might be able to leave a scar on China.
I made a tremendous profit, but that's just a number that varies depending on the valuation criteria.
A 50,000% return rate is indeed a surprising figure.
But $2.5 million based on AUM (Assets Under Management)?
For an individual, it's an enormous asset, but for a Family Office, it's just a fledgling amount scattered everywhere.
"Yes. Let's contract like this."
Naturally, there were many things to be careful about when opening transactions with IBs.
It's different from Merrill Lynch's retail, which has a standard contract.
If the funds were large, I could roughly deposit them and request what to do, but there's no reason they would give such treatment to a new office.
"I look forward to working with you. Client-nim."
I finished the contract by shaking hands with the banker from Goldman Sachs.
Bank of New York for main parking and custody, Goldman as the main trading account.
In the previous round, JPMorgan was the main, but now they were too strict because it's a small office.
Surprisingly, Goldman subtly brought up the topic of Sterling Drug call options.
Even if it's a $2.7 million profit, among Wall Street traders, it's just treated as an ant getting lucky by chance.
The fact that even such a minor profit is heard as gossip...
Really, there are no secrets on this damn Wall Street?
Thanks to that, I contracted under good conditions, though.
"So, where are you thinking of investing for the long-awaited first trade?"
Bruce, assigned as our coverage manager, said with a grin.
Before opening the account, we were at a cute level by Goldman Sachs standards, but for the coverage individual, we were a reasonably sized client.
Naturally, the temperature could be different.
"Nikkei 225 futures, and I plan to enter Firestone and Federated call options."
"Anything else?"
"That's all for now. I plan to operate with a net long position."
"......You're aggressive."
Perhaps because the portfolio is composed of just a few derivatives, he gave a slight shiver.
I understand.
I originally operated portfolios divided into dozens of departments for stocks, bonds, derivatives, and hedges.
For normal investing, that's correct.
What's abnormal is going all-in on derivatives like I am now.
"Then I'll call the responsible departments."
"Thank you."
I slightly bowed my head in response.
Even though it's a small trade from a new office, they call the employees here instead of moving to the responsible departments.
Just from that attitude, I can guess what kind of coverage he is.
Someone with a decent position within the company, smooth communication, and knows how to mediate.
As expected, I have good luck in this life.
Meeting such a banker right after parting with Diana.
Of course, more verification is needed regarding ability, though.
Only after finishing the transactions and going outside the building could I finally catch my breath.
'No time to rest.'
It took several days just going around banks checking conditions and negotiating.
Moreover, opening a Family Office account isn't the end.
I also have to rent an office, hire staff, and look into law firms and accountants.
Especially people.
I need more trustworthy people.
'I miss you, Computer-nim.......'
If it were the far future, I could have operated with just a click.
'But at least I've taken all the positions now, so I can handle things step by step.'
The worry of whether to go all-in or split investments according to order was eventually decided as a compromise in the middle.
Give more weight to futures and split the rest.
$1.5 million for Nikkei 225 futures on the Singapore Exchange.
$500,000 each for Federated and Firestone call options.
I bought Nikkei futures with a notional (position size) of about $15 million.
Being able to buy futures 20 times the size with $750,000...
Clearly, even the exchanges seem to be going crazy in this era.
The remaining $750,000 was left for margin call defense, so it's essentially entered with 10x leverage.
'Your position is aggressive, but your management is very cautious. Certainly, conservative management can last longer and more stably.'
That's what a trader said after seeing my 10x leverage position.
Calling 10x conservative.
In the future, using 10x leverage gets you treated as a psychopath.
These Wall Street bastards in this era are clearly all gambling-addicted sons of bitches.
That's why they're good to deal with, though.
However, I haven't executed all the call options yet.
I set the premium conditions quite tightly, so traders will quietly accumulate whenever good supply appears.
I came home and flopped face down on the sofa.
I plan to take a proper rest like this today.
Ring ring ring-!
But.
My relaxed body suddenly tensed up.
The sad instinct of a finance person who can't help but react reflexively to a phone ring.
But it's the home phone?
Usually, calls would come to the cell phone.
"Hello."
"Hello. The review is complete, so I'm calling to inform you."
"That's faster than I thought."
I let out a sigh of relief without showing it.
Calling like this means I passed.
If I failed the review, they wouldn't even call.
They'd just send someone to collect the book.
"Congratulations on your investment success. It was a remarkable achievement."
"Hmm-. Thank you, first of all."
They tracked my account in the meantime.
I was a bit surprised.
I didn't think they had that level of capability or capacity.
"Our committee has unusually expedited your review process."
"That's something to be thankful for."
"Because your identity and future potential are clear. Also......."
"......? Hello?"
"No. My apologies. Do you wish to join our club, Client-nim?"
"Yes."
"Understood. Congratulations on your membership. Member-nim."
That organization isn't the protagonist of some enormous conspiracy theory.
Things like manipulating the world from the shadows, or those kinds of people gathering to secretly maintain slavery.
At first, I was scared because it was a secret society I didn't know about, but after various experiments in the previous round, it wasn't that incredibly huge.
It's just that with its long history and advocacy of mysticism, everyone gets fooled by that pretense.
That doesn't mean they don't commit crimes like murder at all, though.
Being a secret criminal organization, they do clean up afterward.
I was a bit surprised then.
"I'll briefly explain how to use it."
"Please."
I just listened to the woman's explanation.
I already know all the content, but there's no need to show it.
"That's all. Is there anything you don't understand or are curious about?"
"No."
"This quarter's auction is on January 30, 1988, at 20:00, and please refer to pages 7, 12, 33, 76, 88, 102, 114, 121, 147, and 158."
I jotted down the numbers she called out.
"This Saturday?"
"Yes."
"Understood. That's lucky. I'll make sure to go that day."
"Then, I hope you make good use of it. This was Nabi."
Click.
Nabi.
Should I call it a club, or a staffing agency?
You could see it as a pimp sending high-class escorts, but in reality, a much wider variety of people are traded.
High-level personnel like lawyers, doctors, and accountants, of course, but also tutors, babysitters, even cleaners.
Rather, whether sexual desire is relieved should be seen as an optional add-on.
Those for whom it's impossible are clearly marked as impossible from the start.
I opened the book and examined the pages I had written down.
The women appearing in Saturday's auction.
'What is this? Did I misinterpret?'
While doing so, I spotted one noticeable woman.
Compared to other women who each exuded their own charm and took photos like fashion spreads in various poses, a woman who took a mugshot with a stiff, hardened expression.
I calmly read through the interview content.
Form: Full employment.
Start: $50,000 per month.
Fee: Split payment of an amount equal to the annual salary over 3 years.
Education: High school graduate.
Work: Anything.
Option: All.
'At this point, isn't this a real slave?'
Saying the option is 'all' means she will comply with any task.
Even beating or abuse.
Murder or serious injury is blocked by Nabi, so it's impossible from the start.
It was a type of merchandise I had never seen before.
'$50,000 isn't a small amount, but still.......'
Of course, the price is that high.
An annual salary of $600,000 puts you in the top 0.2% of high-income earners in the US.
Unless you're someone with money rotting away insanely, it's an amount you'd feel burdened by.
'It's probably not a fake listing.'
I know Nabi goes through a very thorough verification process.
If an accident happens once, not only they themselves but even the clients could get swept away.
'The money to launder will decrease more than I thought.'
She's somewhat pretty, but not my type.
I'm not into prominent cheekbones and thick lips.
But she's merchandise I shouldn't miss.
I should assume there will be quite a few competitors.
People with sadistic tendencies or psychopaths would be sufficiently satisfied just looking at the option.
I need to go see for myself on Saturday first.
What I need most right now is people.
The amount isn't important.
What's important is whether I can buy it with money.