1850 American Gold Tycoon.

Chapter 188 Take Panxia? (4k)

"The shipping empire that I have spent most of my life building, are you interested in taking over?"

Vanderbilt walked to the deck, gazed at the constant traffic of merchant ships on the route, and expressed his decision.

Born as a low-level sailor, he undoubtedly has deep feelings for rivers, lakes, seas, and the shipping industry.

It was very difficult for him to make this decision.

"Except for the Nicaragua route which is in a loss, the other routes are basically making a profit. Taking over my shipping empire is a very good deal for you.

Those routes that make money every day are all created by me over the years, and you have picked up a big deal. Now I want to entrust my property to a reliable person. "

Vanderbilt confessed to Liang Yao, which was a big taboo in the business world, but he didn't have too many worries when facing Liang Yao.

Liang Yao's global shipping company can tell Liang Yao's ambitions in the shipping business just from the name.

Looking at the United States, only Liang Yao has the strength to take over his shipping empire worth tens of millions of dollars.

Perhaps Backhouse also has the financial resources, but the Astor family has a deep obsession with land and real estate, and it is impossible to abandon the flourishing real estate industry and set foot in the shipping industry.

"You want to devote yourself to the railroad industry and become a railway king and a brigadier general?"

Liang Yao cut two Havana cigars, handed one to Vanderbilt and kept the other for himself.

Of course he is interested in taking over Vanderbilt's shipping empire, but Vanderbilt's shipping empire is too huge.

It was so huge that he couldn't digest Vanderbilt's shipping empire in a short period of time.

Liang Yao currently holds nearly 2000 million US dollars in gold. If he takes over Vanderbilt's shipping empire, it means that he will have to pay more than half of his cash flow.

And there are many things he wants to do, such as expanding the production capacity of the California steel plant, building ships, building railways, entering the petrochemical industry in the future, developing the Central Valley of California, and even paying for the army, cultivating talents, etc., any of which is gold. Behemoth.

Although Liang Yao has a lot of cash, but even if it is divided into each specific industry, Liang Yao's funds are not sufficient.

What's more, Liang Yao's asset growth rate has begun to slow down after enjoying the gold dividend in the Sacramento gold-producing area.

Before the Umbrella Company succeeded in the gold rush in Australia, the gold that Liang Yao grabbed in the gold rush industry could not be as crazy as it was in 1850.

Furthermore, California in 1850 was completely anarchic, and he did not have to share his gold with outside forces, and he did not have to pay taxes. He almost absorbed all the gold in the Sacramento area by himself, and only then did he earn money in a short period of time. Millions of net worth.

This crazy gold rush model cannot be replicated in Australia. London and Australia's top snakes have to get a share of Australia's gold.

Although Liang Yao really wanted to take over Vanderbilt's shipping empire immediately, he still maintained his last sanity.

There are many industries under his umbrella. Once he faces the risk of breaking the capital chain, the consequences will be unimaginable and irreparable.

"I realized very early that the railway transportation industry would be a huge profit industry. I have not devoted myself to the railway transportation industry for a long time because the railway traffic accident that I encountered when I was 40 years old almost killed me, leaving me with a legacy. Psychological shadow, the second is because the railway transportation technology was immature at that time." Vanderbilt said.

"Now the time is ripe to enter the railway transportation industry. The railway transportation industry will be my career for the rest of my life."

"Your vision is always so precise." Liang Yao praised.

The decade before and after the Civil War was the golden age of blowout for the American railroad transportation industry.

The rail transportation network of the United States was gradually formed during this period.

This is one of the reasons why after Vanderbilt, there is no such successful railroad tycoon in the United States as Vanderbilt.

In some eras of opportunity, if you miss it, you will miss it, and there is no possibility of doing it again.

Life is not a game, and it cannot be archived anytime, anywhere.

"My vision is accurate, which is the experience of 57 years of hard work. If you want to say that your vision is accurate, your vision is definitely better than mine. You are only 20 years old this year, and the height you can reach in the future will definitely be higher than mine."

Vanderbilt sighed that time is not forgiving.

"If nothing else happens, the railway business will be the last career in my life."

"That's because I stand on the shoulders of giants, and my vision is not as good as you think." Liang Yao said very sincerely.

His good vision is based on his prediction of the direction of historical development.

There is no comparison with these outstanding natives who can actively grasp the trend of the times.

"You don't have to be humble in front of me."

Vanderbilt stroked the rudder reluctantly, as if saying goodbye to a journey of life.

"Do you know why I chose to go into shipping in the first place?

In 1829, when I was thirty-five years old, I had already made my fortune in the shipping industry, and I had a lot of options.

I could choose to be a real estate tycoon like old Astor, or I could choose to be a banker like Girard.

(Gillard: A French shipping tycoon during the Revolutionary War, and later successfully transformed into a banker, the largest investor in the First Bank of the United States.

The first recognized richest man in the United States, old Astor is the second recognized richest man in the United States. When Gillard passed away in 1831, his assets were 750 million US dollars, accounting for 6.67% of the gross national product of the United States that year. )
But I chose the shipping industry. "

"Break down the trade barriers of the coastal states!"

Liang Yao said loudly.

Business opportunities, sailor background, and love of sailing were not all the reasons why Vanderbilt was obsessed with the shipping industry for the first half of his life.

After wealth reaches Vanderbilt's level, its amount is nothing more than a number.

Businessmen at this level have more or less their own pursuits. For example, the old Astor established his ancestral precepts and took root in the real estate industry, which he thought was very safe. He hoped that his wealth could be passed on to future generations, and he would be a charterer for the United States from generation to generation.

Another example is Liang Yao himself. At this stage, he is no longer accumulating wealth for the sake of wealth.

"Haha, you are the one who understands me best." Vanderbilt laughed loudly facing the sea.

"If you've been around the time I was growing up, you can understand the horrors of trade barriers between states.

Businessmen from New York State who conduct trade in neighboring New Jersey or Connecticut will be targeted by local wealthy businessmen and even laws in New Jersey and Connecticut. Similarly, businessmen from these states will also be unfairly treated by New York State when they trade in New York State .

The state borders of the United States, although they are called state borders, are actually national borders, and the situation is not much better than that of the German states.

There is only one way to break these boundaries, and that is to make the population flow of the states more frequent through the developed transportation network, and dilute people's awareness of the state, regardless of New Yorkers, New Yorkers, and Connecticuts. , Pennsylvanians, and destroy the fortresses of interests built in the states by those old stubborn nobles in the 18th century and self-proclaimed elite businessmen. "

Liang Yao searched in his mind for knowledge about the United States at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the founding of the country. The United States at the beginning of the founding of the country was indeed an agricultural country where thirteen states were forced to live together.

The incentive for the thirteen states of the United States to form a federation is not the internal economic connection. An agricultural society with strong self-sufficiency has very limited demand for external trade.

The main reason for the thirteen states to live together is the external cause, that is, the threat of the powerful British Empire to the newly independent North American colonies.

The thirteen states can only protect themselves if they form a country.

There are naturally many problems in a country that is forcibly glued together. At present, the North-South society of the United States is divided, and the mine of separation sentiment is soaring.

"The trade barriers at sea have been broken, so now you want to break down the trade barriers between states on land?" Liang Yao said, shaking the ashes.

"It's not broken. I just made some changes in the coastal states. The transportation efficiency of trains and the places they can reach are far from comparable to shipping. This is the reason why I want to devote myself to the railway transportation industry."

Vanderbilt said.

"Of course, from your perspective, I think you have already seen that the opportunities for future development of the United States lie in the vast west, not the crowded east, and the railway will lead the development of the western United States.

Fully entering the railway transportation industry is not only profitable, but also able to make some changes for the country. The ceiling of a businessman and entrepreneur often does not depend on the personal ability of the businessman, but on the national strength of the country where he is located.

Just like Mexico and Nicaragua, there will never be a rich businessman like me in such a country. Even if it does, it will take the blood of the entire country to become a top rich man. Even if the top rich man appears in these countries, it will only be short-lived. No, weak countries do not have the environment to cultivate top rich people.

The tycoons they cultivated end up making wedding clothes for others, just like the tycoons in those small countries in Central America, they like to earn money from their own people to spend in the United States, and deposit the money in American banks or even in France and England. Bank of.

Do you think these rich people are from Central American countries, or from the United States?
I am an American, and I hope that the United States can become as powerful as the British Empire. Only when the United States is strong, can you and I become the first billionaire in the United States. "

"You are the first person who can explain such a noble reason for making money." Liang Yao teased.

He doesn't care whether Murray is strong or not, he only cares about whether the West Coast and the western region are strong or not.

At least on the issue of developing the west and the west coast, Liang Yao and Vanderbilt have the same position.

"My credo in life is to either do nothing or do my best, so I want to get out of the shipping industry and devote all my wealth and energy to the railway transportation industry. I hope you can fulfill me. Besides, you are now You need a big ship, don't you?"

Vanderbilt said.

"You are the first person who can make me so humble."

"I really want to fulfill you and take over your shipping empire, but my appetite and digestion are not as good as you expected."

Liang Yao threw the Havana cigar that he had only smoked in his hand into the sea, and paced back and forth on the deck with his hands behind his back.

Although Global Shipping Company has become one of the largest shipping companies in the United States, its shipping capacity is far from meeting Liang Yao's psychological expectations.

Even if all the ships of the global shipping company capable of oceangoing are put into the San Francisco-Eastern China (Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Ningbo, Shanghai) immigration route.

It can only carry about [-] immigrants at a time, which is still the most ideal situation without any mistakes.

If the shipping company under Vanderbilt can be swallowed, the shipping capacity of the global shipping company will have a qualitative leap.

"I can take over your shipping empire in stages and completely take over your shipping company in five years, but I have two requirements."

Liang Yao paused.

"What request?" Vanderbilt asked.

"All the shipbuilding capacity of your shipyards has been transferred to San Francisco and Los Angeles. I want to make these two places the shipbuilding centers of the West Coast and even the Pacific Rim."

Liang Yao made his first request to take over the Vanderbilt shipping empire.

Liang Yao has learned about several shipyards under Vanderbilt, with more than [-] industrial workers. It is said that the Polaris is about to be completed. Vanderbilt had previously disclosed some information about the Polaris to Liang Yao.

The Polaris has a tonnage of up to 2500 tons, a keel length of 80 meters, a deck of 82 meters, and full steam power.

Vanderbilt devoted countless efforts to the private "yacht" Polaris, which is currently the largest tonnage steamship that the United States can independently build, representing the highest level of the American shipbuilding industry.

The Polaris has epoch-making significance in the history of American shipbuilding. Even the steam warships in active service in the United States, or even the steam warships under construction, have no tonnage greater than the Polaris.

Taking over these industries from Vanderbilt is indeed a guaranteed business, almost taking over the most advanced civil steamship manufacturing capacity in the United States.

Taking over these industries from Vanderbilt can also bring at least a thousand industrial workers and thousands of jobs to California.

These are difficult to quantify in monetary terms.

"As long as you pay these shipbuilders and engineers well enough, I don't think it's a problem."

Vanderbilt agreed to Liang Yao's first request.

The Polaris is about to be completed and launched, and his career as a ship king can come to a complete end. He has no regrets in the shipping industry.

After the shipyard was sold, what Liang Yao would do was up to Liang Yao.

"What I want are not only your ships, but also veteran captains and sailors with rich sailing experience on board. I don't have much time and energy to train the crew." Liang Yao said.

There is a ship without a crew, and the ship cannot be driven.

He can also choose to recruit crew members from other shipping companies, but the efficiency is far less than directly hiring from Vanderbilt.

Even if the old crew arrives on the new ship, it will take time to adapt to the new ship.

Liang Yao hoped that the ship could be started after he got it, instead of training the crew to adapt to the new ship.

"I can't convince all the captains and crews to be employed by you, but your prestige in the hearts of these captains and crews, I am sure to convince at least 60% of the captains to be employed by you, and I guarantee that you are taking over my ship Afterwards, the ship can be directly launched.”

Vanderbilt thought for a while and said.

"I have a request too."

"What request?" This time it was Liang Yao's turn to ask.

“Pac Line, my last serious rival in the shipping industry, would not be comfortable driving Pacific Line out of the California route,” Vanderbilt said.

"I am a competitive person. The federal government wants to support Pacific Cruise Lines to defeat me on this route. I want to prove to them that I, Vanderbilt, are invincible!"

"The business related to the Nicaragua route will be transferred to Universal Shipping Company in the last year, and I will work with you to drive the Pacific Cruise Line out of the California route before your shipping empire is transferred."

Liang Yao said without thinking.

The U.S. government's support of the Pacific Cruise Line is not just trying to monopolize the route from the east of the United States to the west coast.

It is even more important to expand business in the Pacific region. In later generations, after Vanderbilt withdrew from the shipping industry, the Pacific Cruise Line gradually monopolized the Far East routes from the United States to Japan and China.

The Pacific Shipping Company is also a thorn in Liang Yao's side, a thorn in his flesh. Even if Vanderbilt doesn't say anything, he will pull out the thorn in the Pacific Shipping Company.

As for transferring the business of the Nicaragua route in the last year, Liang Yao also had his considerations.

That is, Vanderbilt currently has a wider network and greater influence in Nicaragua, and it is more appropriate for Vanderbilt to operate this route than World Shipping during this period.

(End of this chapter)