Chapter 261 Bill Gates’ Olive Branch (6K)
The storm did not end here. After investigating the situation of YouTube, Bill Gates personally called and invited the founder Qin Shaoyan for an interview.
Unlike the last time they met at the Microsoft office, Bill Gates invited Qin Shaoyan to his home.
Speaking of Bill Gates' home, it is the most famous local landmark building, known as the House of the Future. The design concept is to combine beautiful natural ecology with top-notch advanced information technology.
This mansion, the "Future House", located in the Medina District of Seattle, Washington State, in the northwest United States, has become the most watched celebrity official residence in the world.
The villa is located on the east shore of Lake Washington, only a 25-minute drive from the city, far away from Seattle, and close to the Microsoft headquarters in Redmond.
The lakeside villa covers an area of about 6,600 square meters. It took 7 years to carefully build a lakeside villa with the most advanced technology at the time, with a total value of more than 60 million US dollars.
Qin Shaoyan and Zhang Minyi were shocked by the villa in front of them as soon as they got off the luxury car.
Disregarding the sci-fi concept of smart technology homes, the entire villa is surrounded by mountains and lakes, and is very elegantly designed.
In front of the villa is the vast Lake Washington, and behind it is a hill on the east bank of the lake. For this mansion, Bill Gates dug out almost half of the hill on the shore. It is an "earth-covering building", like a Fortress fortress.
The home is surrounded by native alders, maples and Douglas firs.
Most of the sidewalks are paved with stone slabs, and the cement exterior walls are inlaid with sandstone and granite.
Such a luxurious building amazed Zhang Pingyi, "A rich person really knows how to enjoy it."
"When you are rich, you will also build one and build it." Better than him." Qin Shaoyan said with a smile.
“Forget it, I heard that this mansion cost tens of millions of dollars.” Zhang Pingyi shook his head, “I don’t have that much money.”
"Sell the shares in Facebook and you'll be fine." Qin Shaoyan quickly estimated, "According to the current valuation of Facebook, you are worth hundreds of millions of dollars."
"Huh?!" Zhang Pingyi was stunned for a moment, "Is there that much?"
He thought about it and found that he seemed to be rich indeed.
But if you ask him to spend tens of millions of dollars to build a villa, he really can't bear it.
“Forget it, it’s such a waste of money to build this thing.” Zhang Pingyi shook his head, “It’s not such a waste if you have money.”
Qin Shaoyan glanced at Zhang Pingyi in surprise, and couldn't help but admire: "As expected of Master Zhang, his indifferent attitude towards fame and wealth is worth learning from me."
"I was just thinking about where to build the villa. Well, I didn’t expect to save on this aspect at all.”
Zhang Pingyi estimated Qin Shaoyan’s worth, and then encouraged him: “Your worth is not bad, just build one next to Bill Gates. He is more impressive and more advanced than him. "
"How mentally ill I am to spend so much money just to build a villa in the United States and then have it confiscated in 20 or 30 years." Qin Shaoyan rolled his eyes, "It's not so bad to have money."
Zhang Pingyi was stunned for a moment, a little confused, "How could someone confiscate it?"
"When the landlord's family has no surplus food, they will naturally worry about other people's property." Qin Shaoyan couldn't help but sigh while looking at the scenery in front of him.
At this time, the empire was still at its peak and arrogant. Who would have thought that in another twenty years it would be so arrogant.
“Isn’t private property protected?” Zhang Pingyi said in surprise.
"Sacred and inviolable, right?" Qin Shaoyan mocked, "Do you really believe this?"
"I heard that this is written in the U.S. Constitution." Zhang Pingyi frowned, "Is something wrong?"
"There's nothing wrong." Qin Shaoyan said with a smile, "What the Americans mean is that except for the sacred, which cannot be violated, anyone can violate it."
"Fuck?!" Zhang Pingyi was shocked. Can he explain it like this? ?
The two of them walked and talked, and entered the villa after passing the security check. At this time, Bill Gates was already waiting for their arrival in the living room.
Stepping into the wooden-framed living room, Bill Gates enthusiastically stretched out his hand to chat with Qin Shaoyan.
The two of them met last time under the recommendation of Fatty G. They chatted for a few words and then left after taking a photo. They didn't get to know each other well.
This time Bill Gates was much more enthusiastic than last time. He chatted happily with Qin Shaoyan, as if the two were old friends who had known each other for many years.
The two of them sat on the sofa and started chatting about the weather, then their mutual friend G Fat, and then naturally they talked about Facebook and YouTube.
After all, it was only the second time they met, and they had too few topics in common. They had nothing to talk about but their careers.
Zhang Pingyi sat aside with some restraint, listening to the two people chatting about everything in the world, feeling a little bored.
With his English proficiency, he could still understand the daily conversations between the two. Later, when the two started chatting about the Internet, Qin Shaoyan began to get more intense.
“The traditional Internet is still addicted to the online virtual world, and the business it develops is mainly virtual business.”
“For example, Facebook website mainly focuses on socializing with acquaintances, and it helps teenagers make friends on the Internet. Chat, share interesting stories and photos. ”
“Although the Internet provides convenience for making friends, it also squeezes out real friends. You only need to chat on the Internet, and meeting in real life becomes possible. There are no options anymore.”
“Another example is the video website. In the past, friends would get together and chat and complain while watching TV shows.”
“With the video website, you can. You can leave comments below while watching the video, and interact with friends or strangers.”
"The Internet is not just about social networking, so the future development direction and business models of Facebook and YouTube are worth thinking about."
"With the development of the Internet today, what else can we do with the Internet?" Qin Shaoyan said. While drinking coffee, he said thoughtfully, "Break the stereotypes and think about the Internet itself from a new perspective. The development direction of the Internet has entered the 2.0 era."
Bill Gates asked with great interest, "What do you think the Internet 2.0 era is like? What is the direction of development?"
"The new generation of Internet 2.0 era, I call it Internet +." Qin Shaoyan put down his coffee and made a plus sign with his finger No., "That is, the Internet plus traditional industries."
"Use Internet thinking and platforms to integrate the Internet with traditional industries, and use the advantages and characteristics of the Internet to optimize, upgrade and transform traditional industries, making traditional The industry can adapt to current new developments and create new development opportunities.”
"This is a great concept." Bill Gates said happily, "The Internet is about online and online communication, and then gave birth to the combination of online and offline. The combination of the Internet and traditional industries you mentioned is indeed a new idea. "
"This is just my immature idea," Qin Shaoyan said modestly, "The concept of Internet Plus is just a bold attempt to explore the business model of the website."
“If we rely solely on virtual business value-added on the Internet, the business model of the website is too single, which also limits the potential of the website.”
“So we should broaden our horizons and break Break through the old industry barriers, break through the ideological barriers, realize the separation and thoroughness of business theory, conduct attribution analysis of comprehensive categories in the Internet market, find new starting points, and open up new tracks.”
“For example, Facebook. The user group of the Internet is mainly young people. They like to try new things and have a strong impulse to consume. With a little guidance and publicity, they can become customers of the new business model. ”
"We are trying hard to cooperate with the catering, tourism, hotel, movie and other industries to create a one-stop entertainment service from online to offline."
Bill Gates applauded and said: "This is indeed a good one I am very optimistic about Facebook and I look forward to its performance. "
"I think if Facebook can further cooperate with Microsoft, what potential will it unleash? "
Qin Shaoyan immediately became alert, why did Bill Gates' words sound strange?
"Mr. Bill Gates, what do you mean by cooperation?" Qin Shaoyan asked tentatively.
"If Microsoft puts Facebook on the homepage recommendation of IE browser, what will happen?" Bill Gates said with a smile.
If you want to say who is the well-deserved number one traffic overlord in this era, it must be Microsoft.
To access the Internet, you need to use a computer, and the operating system of computers is WindowsXP, with a market share of more than 80%.
That is to say, 80% of users on the market are using Windows and the bundled IE browser.
If you put the Facebook URL on the homepage recommendation of IE browser, it is equivalent to doing a super traffic diversion for Facebook.
This proposal proposed by Bill Gates can be said to be quite tempting, but Qin Shaoyan understands that there is no free lunch in the world.
The other party must have wanted to get a huge reward by placing such a big bait.
Qin Shaoyan looked at the other party expressionlessly, "Mr. Bill Gates, what is the price?"
Bill Gates said in a relaxed tone: "At present, the relationship between Facebook and Microsoft The cooperation is not close yet, there are only some equity connections.”
“I think the cooperation can be further deepened and become a comprehensive cooperation.”
"Microsoft can provide Facebook with enough funds and some excellent business channels."
I understand, you are here to annex Facebook.
Qin Shaoyan would be really stupid if he couldn't understand Bill Gates's hint at this time.
No wonder he invited himself to his home so enthusiastically. Qin Shaoyan had been muttering to himself before that this guy must have some purpose. It was not to make friends anyway.
As soon as I was about to start, Bill Gates interrupted the speech and pointed it out directly.
You told me you were interested in Facebook, but it’s not impossible.
It’s just that I worked hard to build Facebook, spending a lot of money and energy, and it’s closer than my own son.
Qin Shaoyan thought for a moment and said slowly: "I also think that cooperation between Microsoft and Facebook is a great proposal."
"When I was seeking financing before, my first thought was The choice was Microsoft, because from that time on, I felt that both parties could seek further cooperation.”
“Unfortunately, the investors were too conservative during the Series A financing, so we had to choose a few more options. Venture capital, such as Sequoia and Goldman Sachs.”
Bill Gates also expressed some regrets, "It is indeed conservative, but it is not too late to cooperate."
Of course he is not blaming the investment department. In fact, there is nothing wrong with the investment department's approach.
No one can tell how far an Internet company in its early stage can grow, and no one can see through the future.
When it comes to how smart investors are, it is all done with exaggerated praise. In fact, when investing, everyone is gambling. If they win the bet, they will naturally brag about it, but if they lose the bet, no one will mention it.
“I also tend to give priority to Microsoft for Facebook’s next financing.” Qin Shaoyan said with a smile, “Facebook is still in the stage of rapid development and will need a lot of funds.”
"What if it's an acquisition?" Bill Gates asked tentatively, "What's Facebook's valuation?"
"Acquisition?!" Qin Shaoyan thought seriously, "That would cost about one hundred dollars. Billion or 15 billion U.S. dollars." "Water?" Bill Gates was confused. "The last financing was still at 5 billion U.S. dollars. How could it be so high?"
“The past was before, and now is now.” Qin Shaoyan shrugged and said, “The development of Facebook is no longer what it used to be.”
“This summer Facebook will be held An international college student summer camp is an important activity for Facebook to expand its overseas market and will greatly increase the number of registered users on Facebook. ”
"And Facebook is actively exploring business models other than Internet advertising, and will soon conduct experimental trials."
"We call this e-commerce model C2B, Consumer to Business!"< br>
“That is the group buying model. This was already discussed during the previous financing. At that time, investors generally believed that the conditions were not yet mature, so it has never been launched.”
“Now it is facing The user base of Book Network already has the conditions for implementing this business model.”
Bill Gates frowned. It seemed that Facebook’s situation was more complicated than he thought. He had it in his hands before. 's profile completely underestimates this social networking site.
It's not that Microsoft can't come up with $100 to $15 billion, it's just that the funds are too large, so it has more concerns when making acquisitions.
The biggest problem is whether it can be approved by the shareholders. This is how a business is run. As the founder and chairman, he only needs to consider careful management, while the shareholders behind him have many things to consider.
Qin Shaoyan continued with a smile, "We can take our time on the cooperation with Facebook."
"In fact, Facebook does not play a big role for Microsoft. If it is In my case, I would consider another website."
"What website?" Bill Gates asked curiously.
"YouTube." Qin Shaoyan said seriously, "From the perspective of Microsoft's ecological layout, Facebook is a social product, and Microsoft already has MSN. Facebook only plays a supplementary role."
"YouTube is different. It is a video website and a brand-new Internet product."
"YouTube can complement Microsoft's product line, and as an emerging Internet category, it has performed well in the market It’s very eye-catching and has huge potential.”
“Secondly, compared to Facebook’s valuation, YouTube’s valuation is only US$1.2 billion.”
Bill Gates’ face. He smiled and said, "YouTube is really good, and I'm very optimistic about it."
He is indeed interested in YouTube. The main purpose of calling Qin Shaoyan here this time is for Facebook and YouTube.
At first, he was eyeing Facebook. While he was thinking about it, Yahoo's acquisition of YouTube broke out.
There have been various news in the media and on the Internet, and they are also very concerned about this acquisition.
But Bill Gates did not expect that there would be so many things behind this acquisition.
After such a fuss, the YouTube website also attracted the attention of Bill Gates.
In the increasingly popular Internet wave, Microsoft has also been coveting the throne of dominance.
Unfortunately, there are more and more upstarts emerging in the Internet, and the past hegemons still occupy their positions and have strong strength.
The challengers behind appeared one after another, each showing extraordinary potential.
For example, Google, Amazon, Facebook and other companies.
Although these companies have not been established as long as Microsoft, the shortest one is just over a year.
However, these companies are growing at a fast pace, and their valuations in the capital market have been inflated. It seems that they will overtake Microsoft in a few years.
This is not alarmist, Bill Gates has seen the madness before the Internet bubble.
Yahoo was founded in 1994, and by 1999 its market value reached 100 billion US dollars.
Of course, this is related to the crazy pursuit of the stock market and the Internet bubble caused by it.
After the Internet bubble burst, many Internet companies died, and what remained were the essence that emerged from the waves.
After a few years, these Internet companies have become active again. In the past two years, the Internet has become popular again.
Unlike those empty shelves before the Internet bubble, today’s Internet companies are all powerful.
For example, Amazon’s e-commerce is not only a promising future concept in the capital market, but its business is also expanding.
Google is also conquering cities and territories in its search engine business. It relies on continuous technology iteration and R&D innovation to continuously squeeze Yahoo's market share.
Facebook focuses on the social field. It is not only popular on American campuses, but also actively explores overseas markets. As its popularity increases, advertising revenue is also rising.
Not to mention the video website YouTube, which has become a popular trend on the Internet not long after its establishment.
The previous Ice Bucket Challenge has become popular across the United States and has become a popular fashion among young people.
Bill Gates is very enthusiastic about these emerging rising stars. After all, Microsoft also needs new performance to maintain its position.
Microsoft has also been investing in Internet companies in the past two years, and has also established various Internet business departments within the company.
For example, chat tools, email, search engines, and online videos, you should have what others have.
But these things that Microsoft develops, either the products are not competitive, or they have been established for a short time and there is no market.
The fastest way right now is to buy instead of making.
Bill Gates is very happy that YouTube has not been acquired by Yahoo, and he is very happy to become its shareholder. What is even more happy is that the major shareholders and founders are also interested in taking action.
Qin Shaoyan is also very happy. The YouTube project was originally intended to make a quick buck, and he had already planned to sell it as soon as the valuation was inflated.
He himself has been away from the United States for a long time, and Facebook and YouTube are not under control at all.
Compared with other websites, the cost of video websites is much higher. Not only do they have high server fees, but they also spend a large amount of money every month to buy bandwidth.
And it’s almost time for the project to be launched.
Facebook is developing faster and faster, and if we delay it any longer, it will cause a lot of trouble.
YouTube can be sold best this year, while Facebook will have to dispose of its shares before 2007 at the latest.
So now is the time to consider how to cash out securely and safely, otherwise it may be difficult to escape after being targeted.
Now that Bill Gates has taken the initiative to speak, Qin Shaoyan thinks this is a good opportunity.
So he began to strongly recommend YouTube and persuaded Microsoft to acquire YouTube.
YouTube is now valued at US$1.2 billion, but it may be worth more than that when it is sold.
After all, other venture capital investors are on board and are counting on the website’s valuation to rise again. If Microsoft doesn’t give a suitable price, other venture capital investors will not agree to sell it.
So there will definitely be some premium during the acquisition. Qin Shaoyan estimates that it will be about 1.5 billion US dollars. Although there is a slight gap from the 1.65 billion US dollars that Google acquired the original version, he is very satisfied.
What more bikes do you want?
The original version took 20 months to sell for this price.
The current YouTube has only been established for half a year, so it is not a loss no matter how you calculate it.
Besides, if Microsoft were to acquire it, it would not make a hasty decision now. If it were delayed for another month or two, YouTube's valuation would probably rise.
The two happily chatted about the development prospects of video websites, and they were very speculative.
Bill Gates also enthusiastically stayed Qin Shaoyan and Zhang Pingyi overnight in the mansion to enjoy the luxurious services in this house of the future.
Then Qin Shaoyan and Zhang Pingyi saw that in addition to the trees all over the manor, there was also the eighteen-meter-high waterfall and the huge swimming pool.
The pool building is nearly four thousand square feet. It has an underwater music system and animal fossil patterns painted on the bottom of the pool. Swimmers can not only swim under the glass roof, but also swim outdoors. The locker room next to it has four nozzles and two bathrooms.
Of course, apart from the smart homes of this era, what impressed them most was Bill Gates’ huge fish tank.
That can’t be called a fish tank, it’s simply an aquarium with a huge whale shark in it.
The whale shark is the largest fish in the world. Not only is it rare and endangered, but it is also one of the oldest creatures in the world.
It is not as easy to feed as other fish. Whale sharks are filter feeders, feeding on plankton, giant algae, krill and small free-swimming animals.
In order to raise this whale shark, Bill Gates must have a dedicated scientific team. In addition, the maintenance cost of this fish tank is also quite high.
Just changing the water in the fish tank is a very troublesome project.
While looking at the whale shark, Qin Shaoyan explained to Zhang Ping how troublesome it was to feed this animal.
Zhang Pingyi was stunned and sighed repeatedly that rich people really know how to play.
Qin Shaoyan turned to look at Bill Gates and asked: "It's not easy to raise this whale shark, right?"
Bill Gates said proudly: "It does cost a lot, but this It can be regarded as a small contribution to protecting endangered species.”
Yes, yes, I like your sanctimonious and confident face.
Obviously the most serious damage to the environment, but they always talk about protecting the environment.
"Mr. Bill Gates loves public welfare so much, we should study hard." Qin Shaoyan said with a smile, "I have a humble request. I wonder if Mr. Gates is willing to contribute a small amount to the public welfare of rare diseases. ?”
“No problem, how much do I need to pay?” Bill Gates said generously, “Will you accept a check?”
“No, no, no, this charity does not require money. "Qin Shaoyan smiled strangely, "You just need to participate in a small game. Have you heard of the Ice Bucket Challenge?" Bill Gates was stunned. Of course he had heard of it. Yes, but the temperature is a bit low now.
“This is for YouTube promotion.” Qin Shaoyan added.
"No problem, I can participate." Bill Gates said decisively.
(End of this chapter)