by Jacob Mesmer
“That’s fine. I’ll come to you. You’re in Colorado Springs?”
“That’s correct.”
“I can be there tomorrow, I’ll let you know when I’m settled in, and we can figure things out from there. Is that acceptable?” he asked.
“Yes, yes, that would be fine,” Tommy said. After he set the phone down, he could barely contain himself. He’d just had a conversation with a self-made billionaire and he actually felt he’d had the upper hand. And now he was coming to see him. He would definitely give Marco a call and get his input. And if Marco could swing it he’d definitely like him to be present at his face-to-face meeting with Prieto. Tommy signaled the waitress and picked up the menu, giving him seconds to choose.
“I’ll have the Cobb salad,” Tommy said, smiling to himself. After she left, he sent a text to Marco to make sure he would be free, and relatively sober, for their Skype meeting later this evening.
Then he began to get a little bit worried. If Shea was really some secret European power broker, what would his response be to his meeting with Prieto? One of the things Tommy had learned in business school about the Rothschilds was that one of the main reasons they were so financially astute, able to take advantage of global economic events, was that their information network was vastly more advanced than any others at the time, including the major world governments.
Tommy briefly glanced down as his phone, wondering if Shea was recording his every conversation. He shrugged that off as ridiculous. Old families were rich simply because they kept it in the family. If one would simply leave a few thousand in the bank, it would double every ten years or so, based on interest rates. But if a family kept passing their wealth down from generation to generation, it would never stop doubling.
Tommy opened his spreadsheet program, and imagined if Shea’s ancestors started with only a thousand dollars in today’s money. In just three hundred years, if the original money was simply invested conservatively so it doubled every ten years, in three hundred years, one thousand dollars would turn into over a trillion dollars.
Tommy sat back, amazed. He’d known about the magic of compound interest, but he’d never calculated how much it would grow if one just kept it in the family. Tommy recalled some of the complicated laws various governments had had over time regarding wealth transfer. Perhaps that was the reason the Shea family had kept so secretive. By staying behind the scenes as much as possible, they were simply protecting their family fortune from greedy governments that tended to always go broke over time.
Tommy’s salad came and he began eating slowly, thoughtfully. Maybe Shea was just a super-rich guy who wanted it kept secret. That would explain why he was in no hurry to acquire all that property. If you had a trillion dollars lying around, you wouldn’t be in any hurry to buy up a whole neighborhood. On the contrary; if you bought all of the houses at once, it might invite unwanted attention. Tommy opened up a text file on his laptop and wrote down all his thoughts, intending to bring them up with Marco tonight. He was in the middle of typing when his cell buzzed. Number unrecognized.
“Yeah?” Tommy answered.
“Mr. Ricker, Jamie Drake here, got some information for you.”
Tommy sat up, his mood and thoughts immediately shifting. Drake was the PI he’d decided on. He’d given him only the website and Laney’s access information to work with.
“Yes, go ahead,” Tommy said.
“Well, we ran all the basic hacks on the account info we got, which was used by the individual who contacted Ms. Berg, and it appears there were some sophisticated encryption programs used to hide the identity. But we also found some information from her emails regarding some gifts that were sent, as well as the tuition that was paid, and by running an advanced algorithm on all the different accounts at once, we may be able to narrow things down a bit. We haven’t gotten anything solid, but I just wanted to let you know we are making progress. My guy, my hacker, he says he’s confident that within another week, we’ll be a lot closer,” Drake explained.
“What’s the likelihood of getting an actual piece of information we can provide to the authorities?” Tommy asked.
“Well, my guy is fairly confident we’ll have some solid info on an identity, but it may not be within the United States. Meaning this guy may be operating internationally, or he might be part of some group. I’m saying it’s very likely we’ll find out who it is, but it’s also a possibility that the authorities might not be able to do anything about this,” he said.
“I see, well, I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Keep looking, please,” Tommy said.
Twenty Four
Tommy was back at his desk, busily poring over the names and financial records of the members of the community. He wanted to do some more research into the angle Marco had suggested, of buying several of the city’s bonds from the developers. His plan was to see if anything like this had been done before, and if so, under what parameters. Then he would likely hire a real estate attorney as a consultant before making any official offers to the city. The neighborhood was bound by certain restrictions of their homeowner’s association, but the rules didn’t appear to be legally binding. He was finding many cases where the rules stipulated by the homeowner’s contract had eventually been overruled by a higher court in favor of city ordinances. It was certainly a tricky situation, one he fully intended to wade into slowly. He glanced up, surprised that Mr. Shea was approaching the outside glass door to his still empty office. He walked in and stopped short.
“Mr. Ricker, how goes the acquisitions?” Shea asked. He looked around. “You are eventually going to hire some support staff, yes?”
“Yes, I was just going through a list of consults I might need to bring on board. I was thinking of doing some kind of bond deal with the city, to give us some leverage, and the laws on that seem to be particularly tricky, we definitely need some legal assistance,” Tommy said.
“I was out walking the grounds, just thought I’d pop in, not checking up on you or anything,” he said. “Although, if I can give you some advice, avoid hiring particularly attractive support staff. It may seem like a good idea, but they just end up being a distraction for everybody involved. Trust me, I know from experience!” Shea said, enjoying a laugh. Tommy laughed as well.
“Say, Mr. Shea, I had a concern, and I wondered what your opinion was on the subject,” he said.
“Shoot,” Shea said, facing Tommy, hands in his pockets.
“Say I purchase a couple of properties above market value. People start talking, rumors get started, and there’s a sudden very small housing bubble, which may attract other investors,” Tommy said.
Shea nodded, grinning. “That, Mr. Ricker, is a problem people have faced for a long time. You want to corner a market, which is essentially what we are doing, in a very local way, but you don’t want to alert anybody that you’re doing it,” he explained.
“Yeah, I see,” Tommy said, realizing that. It frequently happened in commodity markets, where certain players tried to buy a large enough percentage of the available commodity that they could effectively move the prices at will. They always ended in failure. “That’s why you want to go slowly. Maybe one per quarter, maximum,” Tommy said.
“Exactly. In times past when we’ve done things like this, it’s helpful to set up shell corporations through which to buy the properties. You’ve set those up before?” Shea asked.
“No, I haven’t, but I’m familiar with how they work. I suppose that’s another reason to bring a capable attorney on board,” Tommy said, nodding.
“Now you’re thinking. Remember, slower is better. Take your time, make a move, step back, watch what happens, and slowly plan your next move,” Shea advised. “Always think long term, you’ll never fail,” he added. “I’ll leave you to it.” He gave Tommy a nod and wandered back outside.
Tommy sat, allowing himself to daydream. Would it be possible to slowly grow a large real estate empire under Shea’s tutelage?
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“Max, when you have a moment, I’d like to speak with you, face to face,” Shea said into the speakerphone.
“Yes sir, I’ll be there momentarily,” Max said immediately. Whenever Shea wanted to speak in person, it meant he was going to receive a very special assignment. One that Shea required he understand the first time, as it would never be spoken of again, and that would almost always require various illegal activities. This was Max’s forte. Give him a complicated plan with a specific outcome, and leave the details up to him. Max loved working alone, he loved thinking outside the box, and he relished acting outside the law.
Shea smiled when Max came in, waiting for him to close the door behind him. Shea had installed a state of the art anti-recording device and anti-transmission device. Any kind of recording equipment or transmitting equipment would be scrambled. He suspected Max suspected. One of the reasons he had hired Max was that he never needed to write anything down.
“Here’s what I’m thinking,” Shea began. “I’d like to acquire GenSpan completely, within the next five years. Whether you buy the shares from the other investors privately or publicly is up to you, and how you do that is up to you. However, before that takes place, I’d like to have Ms. Berg replaced. Ideally, you’d find a suitable student of genetic research that is in the process of getting a PhD. You’d contact them, and take the next year or two grooming them to be completely loyal. How you do that is up to you,” Shea said. Max nodded. “I want all research that is done in that facility, which will very soon be the most state of the art in the world, to be owned solely by us. I want us to not only own all research, all patents, and all scientific breakthroughs controlled by GenSpan, but I want to direct it as well. I’ve done a little bit of research on this and I believe that genetic research is going to lead to the next evolution in human thinking and understanding. I want it to be controlled and directed by Shea Industries,” he said.
Max nodded. “Time frame for the replacement?” he asked.
“Find one and start grooming them. No less than one year’s time. Once he or she has proven their loyalty, as well as their research skills and academic record, you will install them into GenSpan after having removed Ms. Berg.”
“And for Ms. Berg’s removal?” Max asked.
“As you see fit, but with extreme prejudice,” Shea said. Max nodded.
“And if there are any developments in her relationship with Mr. Ricker?” Max asked.
“I think I can control Mr. Ricker. In fact, if it’s possible, wait until their relationship is sufficiently solidified, by marriage if possible, before liquidating Ms. Berg. Perhaps then Mr. Ricker, the grieving widower, will throw himself into his work. He may prove to be much more aggressive. Real estate does require a certain amount of ruthlessness,” Shea said, smiling.
Twenty Five
On the way home, Tommy got an interesting voice mail from Prieto’s secretary. Said she’d made arrangements for their twelve o’clock meeting the next day in one of the meeting rooms at the Hilton. He called Vivi when he arrived home, and they’d chatted for about forty-five minutes before Tommy decided to call Prieto and ask what exactly was going on. Because of the time difference he got a live person in his office.
“I need to speak with Prieto about our meeting,” was all Tommy said in a tone that didn’t invite any resistance. He was standing and was surprised by the silent response. Until he heard a barely audible click.
“Nelson Prieto.”
“Tom Ricker. Perhaps I missed something. We have a twelve o’clock tomorrow?”
“Uh, hang on,” he said. Tommy waited. “Oh, I see the misunderstanding. I told my assistant to get the meeting room for the whole afternoon, starting from noon, which is when I would be available. I’m getting into COS Airport at eleven. What time would work best for you?” he asked.
“That depends. I need to speak with my associate, who’ll be joining us.”
“I see. Well, let me know what time’s good for you, and then let me know. Just give me a thirty-minute heads-up. Sound good?” he asked cheerfully.
“Uh, yeah, that’ll work,” Tommy answered. “Wow,” he said out loud in his room, before calling Marco.
“What happened?” Marco asked.
“You need to get here tomorrow morning. Hilton lobby. Prieto said he’ll meet whenever we’re ready,” Tommy said.
“We? What, you got a mouse in your pocket?”
“Come on, man, I need you there. For backup. Help me tag team this guy and help me find out what he’s all about,” Tommy said, grinning.
“You do know I’m a busy professional,” Marco said.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Show up by ten, so we can come up with good questions. I’ll pay for your hotel, reimburse you for everything.”
“Serious?”
“This guy’s a self-made billionaire coming to talk to me, Marco. I need your help. This one meeting tomorrow could make us both rich,” Tommy explained.
“Right you are, boss. I’ll see you at ten in the lobby,” Marco said. Tommy immediately called Viviana back and filled her in. Set up a date with her and hopefully Marco the next evening.
Tommy sat in the lobby at nine thirty, wearing his only suit. He’d decided against wearing a tie. He had one in his briefcase if Marco thought it might help, but the vibe he got from the conversation with Prieto yesterday didn’t indicate formal wear was expected, nor required. He stood and embraced Marco when he entered the lobby.
“Long time, brother!” Marco said.
“Yeah, like six months,” Tommy said, chuckling. “You ready to get started?”
“First show me a picture,” Marco said, hand on his hips.
“Huh?”
“Your girl, man!”
Tommy rolled his eyes and scrolled through a few on his phone they’d taken at her apartment while cooking dinner.
“Damn, dude, I suck,” Marco said as he looked at them.
They sat and strategized, coming up with potential scenarios of what Prieto might be after. Finally at noon, Tommy texted him, saying they were in the lobby, and they were ready to meet. Prieto found them five minutes later after he exited the elevator. He surprised them both. About six two, gray hair, and a fairly well-built frame. Flat stomach. Brown khakis and an untucked blue oxford, sleeves rolled up to the elbows.
“Have you been waiting long?” he asked.
“No, we’ve just been kind of hanging,” Tommy said, standing. They shook hands and Tommy introduced Marco, who surprised him by acting professionally. Tommy half expected him to ask Prieto if he wanted to buy into his recent short-term loan operation. Prieto called the staff and had them cater lunch in the meeting room. After chitchatting about sports and current affairs while they ate, Prieto pushed his plate aside, indicating he was ready to get down to business.
“What do you guys know about money?” he asked.
“Other than you have a shit ton of it?” Marco asked.
“Yes, other than that,” Prieto said, grinning.
“How do you mean?” Tommy asked.
“Well,” Prieto began, “how does one get money?”
“Since you seem to be so good at it, why don’t you tell us?” Tommy said, leaning back.
“Fair enough. There’s basically three ways. You can earn it, you can inherit it, or you can steal it,” Prieto said. Tommy nodded, and briefly glanced over at Marco.
“You got yours from earning it. Your dad was a tailor. Never made much. But you turned a few thousand into a billion in less than thirty years,” Marco said calmly.
“Correct. And when I die, hopefully a long time from now, my two children, and their children, will inherit most of it. Then they can choose how to spend it, or invest it, or give it away,” he explained.
“You’re referring to the Shea family fortune?” Tommy asked.
“Tell me what you know about that,” Prieto said to Tommy.
“Well, I don’t know about Shea’s family specifically, but with some basic
calculations, in about two or three hundred years, it’s very possible for an intact family line to build up a trillion dollars,” he said.
“That’s correct. What happens when you carry that out to its natural outcome?”
“I’m not sure I follow,” Tommy said.
“I do,” Marco interjected. “He’s saying that eventually, a few families could potentially own everything on Earth. The combined net worth of everybody on Earth is about two, two fifty trillion,” Marco said.
“So, with maybe ten, twenty families that own two trillion each, that means they own ten percent of the world,” Tommy said. “Unless you convince governments to create a hugely unpopular death tax, I’m not sure why you’re meeting with us,” he added.
“Well, generally speaking, once families start amassing that much wealth, beyond five generations, they start to become very protective of their family name. They become more and more interested in setting up charitable institutions, funding colleges. Andrew Carnegie was famous for spending the first half of his life making his fortune, and then spending the second half of his life giving it away,” Prieto explained. “And that kind thinking, among wealthy families with very old names, tends to keep them from doing any damage. They start to become very concerned with their image.”
“That’s why there’re not a lot of rich families funding all those crazy startups,” Tommy noted. Viviana had explained that all the venture capitalists interested in her company were “new money,” like Prieto’s.
“Correct.”
“And you think Shea is bucking that trend? That he’s not giving enough to charity?” Tommy said.
“Not exactly, I believe Shea isn’t who he says he is,” Prieto said. Both Tommy and Marco sat up.
“What do you know about him, exactly?” Prieto asked.
“Not much. All I found was on conspiracy sites,” Marco said.
“Precisely the same thing I’ve found. And I’ve been looking into the Shea family for the last five years with similar results,” Prieto said. “And best as I can find out, about forty or so years ago, Dominic Shea’s name suddenly appeared in the family records, which are now inaccessible. There is very little record of him until recently,” Prieto explained.
