Chapter 96: Nikola's Day
Chapter 96: Nikola's Day
< Nikola's Day >
As the K-Vaccine rollout began, its effects started to become apparent to the world.
[ K-Vaccine Shows 97.1% Efficacy, U.S. Ramps Up Vaccination Efforts ]
[ K-Vaccine More Effective Than Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines Currently in Trials ]
[ K-Vaccine "Prevents Asymptomatic Infections Too" ]
[ U.S. FDA: "K-Vaccine is Effective, No Significant Issues." ]
[ Israel: "Noticeable Decrease in Infection Rates Among Vaccinated Individuals" ]
Israel, which had been enforcing strict quarantine measures in cultural spaces and on public transportation, announced it would grant freedom to those who were vaccinated.
[ Head of Israeli Public Health: "The Efficacy of the K-Vaccine is Astonishing." ]
[ Israeli Scientists: "If the K-Vaccine is Distributed Worldwide, It Will End the COVID-19 Pandemic." ]
The world was stunned by its greater-than-imagined effectiveness.
"The power of the vaccine is truly incredible. Thank you for all your hard work during the clinical trials."
"It was a rewarding experience for me as well."
Professor Paul had decided to leave Johns Hopkins University to conduct pharmaceutical research at Biolife.
He wasn't coming alone; he was bringing his assistants and colleagues from the university with him.
It would require a generous research budget, but with Biolife's profits, that was hardly an issue.
"I will ensure you can freely research any field you desire."
"I'm looking forward to it."
He didn't need to make money from Biolife; his only thought was to grow the company as much as he could.
The goal was to improve Surin, the artificial intelligence created by Dr. Lee Ho-yeon, which was named after his deceased younger sister, and expand research and development into all pharmaceuticals, including anti-cancer drugs.
* * *
"He's a real straight-arrow."
"I know, right? How does someone live like that?"
More than a week had passed since Jin Yoo-kyung and her secretary, Yang Hye-rin, had started staying at Kim Shin's residence.
Kim Shin would wake up early to play tennis and swim with Lee Jong-yeop.
He also used the fitness machines in the basement.
After that, he would eat with people, read and write letters, and handle business for Earth Resource and Biolife.
"Ms. Yoo-kyung, you're here."
"Yes."
"Thank you for helping me read the letters."
"Not at all. It's for a good cause, after all."
Although she exchanged greetings with Kim Shin, the mansion was always bustling with people, making it difficult to have the tender moments she had hoped for.
"This isn't the home of a man living alone."
"Managing Director..."
"I came all the way to America. I thought it would work out this time!"
Thanks to this, however, she was able to observe Kim Shin's daily life.
"Hello, Prime Minister. Yes, I heard the third shipment of vaccines has been sent."
She had often seen Mirae Group's Chairman Jin Myeong-il on the phone with high-ranking politicians, but they were mostly members of the National Assembly, senior Blue House officials, or the mayor of Seoul.
The people Kim Shin spoke with were the prime ministers and leaders of countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, and Japan.
"He's speaking directly with the British Prime Minister."
"It must be about the vaccine supply."
"Still, he's building connections that money can't buy."
Even before coming to the U.S., she knew Kim Shin was a formidable investor and the owner of Biolife.
But experiencing his influence firsthand was enough to disorient even her, a member of the Mirae Group's royal family.
"Sir. The U.S. Secretary of State wishes to speak with you."
"Really? I'll call him back later."
He spoke with the U.S. Secretary of State three or four times a week.
The Governor of California came to visit him at the mansion.
And then there was the scale of Earth Channel, which was being prepared while she stayed at the residence.
It was a venture that would combine gaming, broadcasting, and content, with an initial capital of three billion dollars.
"The man I've set my sights on is really something. The fact that I haven't been interested in other men all this time must mean my standards were incredibly high."
"It's not that. I think any woman would fall for CEO Kim Shin. He's perfect, except for the fact that he's divorced."
"The divorce makes him feel even more perfect."
"Pardon?"
"There's an unconventional air about him. The unique charm of a man with a past, you know? Don't you think?"
Her secretary, Yang Hye-rin, sighed.
"Aren't you disappointed that you can't spend time with CEO Kim Shin because he's so busy?"
"I was at first, but I'm fine now. He's working."
"Excuse me?"
"You shouldn't disturb a man when he's working. It's what makes him attractive."
* * *
Statistics began to show that those vaccinated with the K-Vaccine were significantly safer from COVID-19.
Healthcare workers in the U.S. and Europe were vaccinated first, followed by high-risk groups.
"We would like to purchase additional K-Vaccines."
Starting with an official request from Israel, purchase requests from various countries began to pour in.
"We would like to propose a purchase price of 33 dollars per dose."
"You bought them for 30 dollars last time."
"For the safety of our nation, the budget is not an issue. We want to import the proven K-Vaccine as quickly and stably as possible."
The cost to produce the vaccine at Isung Biologics was 3 dollars. This was a price that would yield exactly ten times the profit.
"Excellent. Let's sign the contract."
He accepted the multi-hundred-million-dollar deal over the phone and arranged for the formal contract to be processed through Biolife in Korea.
France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and others.
The value of phone purchases from advanced European nations and the U.S. exceeded 10 billion dollars in just a few days.
Faster production than other pharmaceutical companies proved effective in sweeping the vaccine market.
Biolife's vaccine development was more than two months ahead of its competitors, and they had boldly initiated production starting from the second phase of clinical trials.
The several-month gap between clinical trials and market release.
From a national perspective, it was such a long period that competition was impossible.
[ K-Vaccine Proves More Effective Than Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines ]
[ No Serious Side Effects Reported in the UK After One Million Doses ]
[ COVID-19 Infection Rates Decline in London Due to Vaccine Efficacy ]
[ Focus on Pfizer Vaccine's Clinical Trial Results Next Month ]
[ Pfizer: 'COVID-19 Vaccine' Approval Application Not Expected Until December at the Earliest ]
[ Moderna CEO: Goal is to Sufficiently Verify Safety. ]
[ Moderna Likely to Release Over 300 Million Doses of Vaccine Early Next Year ]
The first-mover advantage in the vaccine market.
The fact that mRNA-based vaccines were much more difficult to produce, transport, and administer was another reason for the delay.
"We've received a request for you to appear on ABC World News. They're asking for you to be the main guest."
After declining interviews with reporters, requests to appear on major U.S. networks like ABC, Fox, and CNN started coming in.
Moreover, the media's attention on me led to an unexpected development.
[ The Midas Touch. Why Did Kim Shin Sell All of His Nikola Stock? ]
[ The Only Company the God of Investing Has Fully Divested From Since COVID-19 is Nikola ]
[ Wall Street to Re-evaluate Nikola? ]
[ Korean Retail Investors Follow Kim Shin, Earning Over 200% Returns ]
[ Kim Shin, Leader of the Korea Fund ]
The existence of the Korean retail investors who followed me was being reported in the U.S. news, and the fact that I had sold all my Nikola stock became a huge issue.
As Nikola became the center of attention, its CEO, Trevor Milton, appeared on television and said:
"Nikola is creating a hydrogen ecosystem. It's a path no one has taken before, so we are experiencing some trial and error, but the same was true for Tesla. And how is Tesla doing now? I believe Nikola's current stock price does not properly reflect the expectations for its future."
"Investors seem to be skeptical because Kim Shin sold all his shares. There's even criticism that Nikola is just an empty shell. What are your thoughts on this perspective, Mr. Chairman?"
"Kim Shin was a major shareholder of Nikola. As you all know, he made a profit of over twenty times his investment in just a little over two years. A return he never would have achieved if Nikola were not a historically great company."
Trevor Milton's voice grew heated during the interview.
"Selling his Nikola stock is proof that he is not a true god of investing. In other words, it was a stupid move. We have officially entered into a technical partnership with GM. GM has agreed to purchase Nikola shares and produce our pickup truck. As everyone knows, GM is the largest automobile company in America. They possess world-class technology and manufacturing capabilities built over many years. Nikola is the most innovative company."
A smirk appeared on Trevor Milton's face.
"Would GM have partnered with us if we had no technology? Would they have formed a strategic alliance? Even a child could figure out why they chose to join hands with us. From now on, we will compete head-to-head with Tesla."
I watched Trevor Milton's television appearance.
From the perspective of Nikola's founder, it was perfectly understandable for him to think that way.
'If it were me, I'd be resentful too if someone cashed out after a 20x gain.'
How much must he resent me for cashing out over four billion dollars from his company?
The media's critical tone was also perfectly understandable.
And a partnership with GM, no less.
'Mirae Motors said Nikola was an untrustworthy company. Could Mirae Motors have been wrong?'
The next day, Nikola officially announced a strategic alliance with GM for technology exchange and production, causing its stock to surge by 40.79% in a single day.
With trading volume and profits exploding, it was, in a word, Nikola's day.
'Wow. That's incredible.'
I had been closely watching the New York Stock Exchange, where I had invested a massive sum, but honestly, all I could do was marvel at the computer screen.
The countless trades being executed as the stock price skyrocketed.
It was a moment that made you feel the raw, living pulse of capitalism.
That evening, CEO Trevor Milton appeared on television again, speaking in a strong tone.
"Kim Shin made a huge mistake. He didn't even know what kind of company Nikola, the company he invested in, truly was. What's unfortunate are the small investors who sold their Nikola shares following his misguided judgment. Nikola could have changed your lives. If only you had held on and waited a little longer. You missed that opportunity because of Kim Shin."
Until now, every coin or stock I bought had gone up.
They had soared by tens of times, and every investment had yielded huge profits.
'You can't win every game. And it's not like Nikola caused me any losses. But my reputation will definitely take a hit.'
The Midas Touch.
The God of Investing.
Perhaps the bubble around those grand titles was starting to burst.
I knew I might face criticism online, but I accepted the potential damage to my reputation with indifference, thinking it was bound to happen sooner or later.
* * *
- I sold because of Kim Shin, what a waste. If I had held on for just one more day, I would've made 40%.
- Show some respect to Mr. Kim Shin;;
- Why should I? I missed out on 40%.
- Look at how much he's made us until now. You change your tune after just one day? Besides, it's not like we lost money because he told us to sell.
- True. He just said to sell, that's it. Missing an opportunity is different from losing your principal.
- Ah... but it's such a shame.
- Nikola is one of the top 3 stocks for Korean retail investors. I bet we lost out on at least a billion dollars because of Kim Shin.
- Talk about an outflow of national wealth...
- That's a huge amount, for sure.
- But it's not like we pay him for investment advice, so we can't really complain. Mr. Kim Shin sold all his Nikola shares too. Investing is your own decision.
- I've made so much thanks to him that I'm not complaining. But I'll have to think carefully before following him from now on.
The community of Korean retail investors was on fire with discussions about Kim Shin.
Given his track record, the general mood was to treat it as a one-off misjudgment and move on.
- Hey, a report on Nikola just came out.
- Where?
- Hindenburg Research, it's a short-selling investment firm.
- Where can I see it?
[ Hindenburg Research "Nikola: How to Parlay An Ocean of Lies Into a Partnership With the Largest Auto OEM in America" ]
The report detailed all of Nikola's lies.
The manipulation of the hydrogen truck driving video, the revelation that the Nikola One unveiled in 2016 was not a hydrogen truck.
The claim of building a hydrogen ecosystem without actually producing any hydrogen.
It was a scathing report, revealing that parts claimed to be proprietary technology were actually purchased from other companies.
- What the. What's going to happen now?
- Who believes reports from short-selling firms? lol
- Chairman Trevor Milton says it's stock manipulation by short sellers. He said he's going to release a rebuttal.
- No way. Would a big company like Nikola fake a prototype vehicle demonstration? How could Wall Street have been fooled all this time? It doesn't make sense.
- Anyway, Nikola's stock dropped 15% today.
- It'll recover tomorrow. Time to buy the dip.
And the next night.
- It's down over 11% again today?
- What's going on? A ton of sell orders are coming in.
- I thought it would bounce back. I think I'll wait and see.
- Why hasn't Nikola released their rebuttal yet?
The next day.
- Down 14%.
- Is the company going bankrupt? lol
- Still no rebuttal.
- Mr. Kim Shin was right...