Lee Hyun-woo, who chose the path of IT after being reborn, didn’t know much else, but being able to be with two geniuses born in the same era was nothing short of a blessing.
The more he met them, the more he was amazed. Their intuition always exceeded Lee Hyun-woo’s predictions.
Even now, it was the same. Billy Keitz had figured out that Lee Hyun-woo and Steven Job wanted to hold the future operating system in their hands amidst their ping-pong conversation.
“Both places are making e-book readers, so we can’t just sit still.”
“Hey, you’re cheating.”
“What rules were there? You’re the one following along because Jungle is making an e-book reader. You always mock me for succeeding by copying, but in reality, you’re the one copying everything.”
“I’m different from you. You copied the technology.”
“Then what are you trying to copy if not the technology?”
“Passion. The spirit of challenge that leaps in even if it doesn’t make money.”
“That’s nonsense. Just admit it. You copied Hyun-woo Lee’s idea.”
“You’re the one talking nonsense.”
“Hold on, both of you! We need to clarify something here.”
“…?”
“…?”
“Let’s just acknowledge sharing and openness. There’s hardly anyone who can be free from the issue of copying.”
Lee Hyun-woo’s words were close to the truth.
Billy Keitz had talked about it so much that there was no need to mention it further, and Steven Job had tried under the name of innovation, both in his past life and this one, and it wasn’t the first time.
Even a-Pot gained more popularity by designing an existing MP3 player more stylishly and using Pineapple as the music hub.
“Sharing and openness?”
“Let’s say that’s true for us. Do you have anything you copied?”
“Great artists copy, and great artists steal.”
“Picasso said that.”
“Einstein said something similar. Creativity is just hiding your sources.”
“Yes, so I’ve always copied without others noticing. I only kept the method of copying a secret.”
“As expected…”
“You’re one of us…”
Billy Keitz and Steven Job had similar expressions for once.
It was an expression of recognizing a kindred spirit.
Seeing the two, Lee Hyun-woo continued.
“So, acknowledging sharing and openness, we should move on to the next step to have a conversation. Otherwise, we’ll just end up fighting over who came first, who copied, and who copied worse.”
“Okay, I acknowledge it.”
“I acknowledge it too. So we’re also entering the e-book reader market, don’t complain.”
“You’re not going to make computers, right?”
“If you’re probing because of the a-Mach you saw today, I’m not interested. How much do you think it will sell? Even if it sells a lot, there’s a limit. The world is dominated by Windows, what can you do with your own operating system?”
“You have to measure short and long later. That’s why we’re making an e-book reader, and in the future, the one who combines the futuristic operating system and device well will win.”
“Anyone can talk big.”
“Well, I believe you two will do well. Anyway, the three of us acknowledge sharing and openness. I hope we won’t sue each other later.”
Lee Hyun-woo smiled slyly, inserting various strategies and arrangements into the words ‘sharing and openness.’
Of course, Billy Keitz seemed to be pondering something deeply, and Steven Job didn’t even nod, but he was satisfied just showing his thoughts.
Having organized it this way, it was Lee Hyun-woo’s heart, not theirs, that felt at ease.
Here, a bit of Steven Job’s skill comes in.
“Sharing and openness sound good. In that sense, what is Jungle planning after the e-book reader? Lay it all out here.”
“I’m not falling for that.”
“Sharing and openness, right?”
“There’s a premise. It means I’ll share or open it after thinking and making it first, ahead of you two.”
“Tch.”
Steven Job shrugged his shoulders slightly. Then Billy Keitz jumped in.
“Okay. But I don’t like sharing and openness just in words.”
“What trick are you trying to pull now?”
“It’s not a trick, it’s more like a principle. I think there’s a reason Hyun-woo Lee is talking about sharing and openness, am I right?”
“Yes. If the three of us do something, an ecosystem will form quickly. If three companies say they’re making e-book readers, it will attract people’s attention at once. This attention will lead to demand, so I don’t oppose making e-book readers at two places.”
“You say that with such confidence. Anyway, as you said, we’ve allowed each other to borrow ideas in ways we can’t detect. But there’s someone here who will sue at the slightest provocation.”
Steven Job, who had been quiet for a while, tried to intervene again, but Billy Keitz raised his hand to stop him.
“Listen to me until the end. Sharing and openness are all good. But we need to draw a line. If everyone copies our ideas, as you said, the ecosystem will form quickly, but it will cause an oversupply. Oversupply creates bubbles, and there will inevitably be victims within them. So, if anyone outside the three of us wants sharing and openness, they should pay the equivalent cost.”
“Typical Billy Keitz’s petty idea. He takes care of himself and builds a wall for newcomers…”
“Don’t like it?”
“I hate it, but I agree.”
Surprisingly, Steven Job, who criticized Billy Keitz, agreed strongly.
If he wanted to oppose, he could have opposed to the end, but Lee Hyun-woo took a step back here.
There was reasonable content in Billy Keitz’s words.
“Of course, if someone copies and recreates in a way that no one knows, how can you legally address that?”
Human history, especially the history of technological invention, has always progressed in such a way, so agreeing here wouldn’t stop it later.
So when he nodded, Billy Keitz smiled and made a bold proposal.
“Then let’s exchange shares to keep our promises.”
“What? That’s ridiculous…”
“But at a 1:1:1 value. How about that? Don’t like it too?”
“…!”
Hearing Billy Keitz’s proposal, Steven Job’s eyes widened.
Despite the current controversy about the IT bubble, Macro Soft’s shares were quickly heading towards normal.
Investors realized that Billy Keitz, who had stepped down due to antitrust issues, was actually controlling Macro Soft from behind, and reinvested the money they had withdrawn.
Even without that, Macro Soft was at the pinnacle, incomparable to Pineapple or Jungle in terms of market capitalization.
How could one refuse this?
“Uh… how much?”
“Before that, you? Will you accept my proposal?”
“It feels like I’m at a loss, but okay.”
“Ha, you’re similar to Steven.”
Hearing Lee Hyun-woo’s answer, Billy Keitz turned his head left and right.
“How about a million shares?”
“Deal!”
That was Steven Job’s answer, and Lee Hyun-woo reluctantly nodded and accepted the proposed shares.
“Okay, fine. Then let’s leave the details of the share exchange to the working-level staff.”
“Deal!”
“Sounds good.”
Thus, the meeting of the three concluded with a groundbreaking conclusion.
In the end, those who didn’t expect that Lee Hyun-woo, when he first came to America, would just watch Pineapple’s all-in-one computer presentation were right.
Most of them were the media, though.
The next morning, Lee Hyun-woo met Joe Murphy after a long time.
“Busy, aren’t you?”
“Not as much as you, CEO. Hearing about Korea’s news from America surprises me every time.”
“Speaking of which, I have some news that will surprise you again today.”
“What? What kind?”
Joe Murphy’s eyes were filled with anticipation at Lee Hyun-woo’s forewarning.
What followed was beyond his expectations.
“Our company is exchanging shares with Macro Soft and Pineapple. At a 1:1:1 ratio, a total of one million shares each.”
“…!”
“Since the IPO is not far off, I thought it might help with publicity, so I’m telling you.”
“Of course, it’s good news. A 1:1:1 ratio means those companies acknowledge Jungle’s value, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Share exchanges have various purposes, but fundamentally, they mean forming a strategic partnership. Usually, it can only happen when there isn’t a significant difference in company size or market capitalization.
Even so, the fact that the three companies are exchanging shares at a 1:1:1 ratio means that Jungle’s ‘brand’ value is high, so it is expected to have a positive impact on Jungle USA, which is about to go public.
“But with the IPO just around the corner, can we let the journalists know this soon?”
“Of course. It’s not particularly a secret.”
Indeed, earlier this year, when Billy Keitz visited Korea, Jungle had already exchanged shares with Guseong Electronics and Macro Soft.
At that time, it was done based on amount ratio, not a 1:1:1 exchange method, but in a short time, it felt like Jungle had reached the same level, making Jungle’s future value feel even higher.
It wasn’t just Joe Murphy who felt that way.
When this news was conveyed to Natural Standard Fund, which had a close relationship with Jungle USA, the reaction from the chief fund manager, Alfred Baker, was also intense.
(Is that true?)
“Yes, we’ve informed the media, so it will be out in the news soon.”
(Wow, this is great news. This will boost Jungle USA’s record-breaking IPO.)
“That’s why I’m telling you.”
To achieve a successful IPO, the subscription rate must be extraordinarily high.
‘Yes, a record-breaking IPO is what I want too.’
What CEO would dislike words like historic, unprecedented, and successful?
The more ambitious a person is, the more they would want it.
‘If we achieve a record-breaking IPO, the winner this time will be Hyun-woo Lee.’
When Jungle USA was created, the parent company, Jungle, held about one-third of the shares.
Even though the shares were diluted each time new investors were gathered by issuing new shares, they still held as much as 15%.
The important thing was that it didn’t end there.
The Jungle in Korea had not yet gone public.
It was scheduled for early next year, and although the market is smaller than in the US, considering Jungle’s value, it seemed like it would be a record-breaking IPO there too.
‘Soon, Hyun-woo Lee might overtake Billy Keitz and become the world’s richest person.’
