The Tyrant Billionaire

Giannini was getting old.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

His ability to expand and innovate was clearly declining.

Despite working for so many years, he had never established a strong network with the government. His influence extended only to the local government in California and a few Washington senators.

For a company, those connections might be enough, but for a consortium, they were clearly insufficient.

Their influence couldn't bring enough benefits to a vast financial group.

But Hardy?

He had backed Johnson's re-election campaign and had managed to push a seemingly impossible candidate into office. Initially, no one had realized it, but after the election, many analyzed the process and discovered that Hardy's maneuvers had been nothing short of brilliant.

He was a true master of strategy.

Now, Hardy was seen as the top contributor to Johnson's re-election, and Johnson wasn't stingy in showing his gratitude. The California Consortium had been included as one of the three major financial groups in the European Inspection Delegation under the Marshall Plan. This was the most direct reward.

Over the past few months,

Dozens of the consortium's companies had signed contracts, significantly boosting business for the California Consortium.

Looking to the future,

The consortium had many defense companies that needed to maintain good relations with the Department of Defense. Given Hardy's close ties with both the President and the Secretary of Defense, he could help secure more defense contracts for them, which would be crucial for companies like Lockheed's development.

Now, Hardy was not only a core member of the California Consortium but also a shareholder of Bank of America. At the rate Wells Fargo was growing, it could very well become another key pillar of the California Consortium in the future.

Hardy also had another advantage.

One that others found hard to match.

He was young.

At just 28 years old, Hardy had already accumulated considerable capital.

Giannini, on the other hand, was in his seventies, and a man of that age had limited energy and even less of an adventurous spirit.

Hardy was younger than all the consortium's leaders.

He already had significant capital.

And with boundless energy, he could continue to expand into larger markets, acquire more political resources, and build stronger connections.

Hardy's youth meant that his capital and network could continue growing for a long time.

This was something that others found difficult to compete with.

At that moment, Hardy was standing with David Rockefeller. Though they were separated by some distance, members of the California Consortium knew that Hardy and David had co-invested in a bank in Hong Kong, establishing a partnership.

The difference between an ordinary friend and a business partner was vast.

It could be said that Hardy had forged strong ties with the Rockefeller family.

In this sense, Hardy's network had expanded once again.

After chatting with David, he introduced Hardy to several members of the Rockefeller family.

John D. Rockefeller III, David's eldest brother, was in charge of the family's oil industry.

Nelson Rockefeller, David's second brother, was currently serving as the Chairman of the International Development Advisory Board in Johnson's administration.

Nelson would later serve as the Governor of New York for three terms and as U.S. Vice President. He even ran for the presidency but lost to Nixon in the party's nomination process.

Henry Kissinger was one of his subordinates.

Although Nelson lost to Nixon, he managed to push Kissinger to the position of Secretary of State, maintaining significant power. When the Watergate scandal erupted, leading to Nixon's resignation, Kissinger remained unscathed, and for decades, he continued to wield influence over U.S. politics.

Lawrence Rockefeller, the brother in charge of the New York Stock Exchange, was an incredibly skilled investor, later known as the "Father of Venture Capital," having invested in hundreds of companies, including Apple and Intel.

The New York Stock Exchange is a private enterprise, and the Rockefeller family holds a significant stake in it. In later years, some would calculate that certain Rockefeller family members only had a few billion dollars, less than some emerging billionaires, suggesting a decline in their fortune.

But this is far from the truth.

In reality, they had simply hidden their wealth deeper, out of the public eye.

The fourth brother, Winthrop Rockefeller, also pursued a political career, eventually becoming the governor of Arkansas.

The youngest of the Rockefeller brothers is David Rockefeller, who managed the family's banking empire.

The Rockefeller brothers, often referred to as the "Five Brothers of the Rockefeller Family," excelled in every field they entered. Hardy reflected, thinking how remarkable it was that this family, like an unbeatable team of brothers and sons, was so successful. It was this unity and excellence that formed the foundation of the Rockefeller family's vast influence.

Hardy thought about himself.

He was just one person.

Even if he had children in the future, who knew if they would be capable? Would they be able to inherit the family business and continue to expand it?

Never mind, he was thinking to much again.

He didn't even have a wife yet and planned to stay unmarried for some time to come. Thinking about children seemed premature at this point.

After exchanging pleasantries with the Rockefeller family, Hardy spotted Michael in the crowd and smiled as he walked over. Michael had recently been officially appointed as the Director of the White House Liaison Office in the new government.

Securing such a position before the age of thirty boded well for Michael's future career. Hardy embraced him firmly.

"Getting busier? How's it going?" Hardy asked with a smile.

"It's been eye opening, seeing things I never would have encountered before. I believe the next four years will have a huge impact on the rest of my life," Michael replied.

Michael was a deep thinker, not someone who showed off. He was skilled in strategy, and his personality was perfectly suited for a career in politics.

By comparison, while Hardy was also skilled in strategy, he didn't particularly like the nature of politics. His way of doing things was bold and direct, lacking the subtlety needed for the political arena. He preferred to stay in his lane as a wealthy businessman.