booktalesy Chapter 247 The Mindset of the Rich
Chapter 247 The Mindset of the Rich
Chapter 247 The Mindset of the Rich
When talking about California's second-largest city, most people would instinctively say San Francisco. But in fact, California's second-largest city is San Diego, a city that combines sunshine and coastal charm.
Located at the southern tip of Los Angeles, a short distance south along the coastline leads to the border between the United States and Mexico. Its unique geographical location gives it both the vibrancy of the American West Coast and a touch of exoticism.
As a renowned tourist destination in the United States, San Diego boasts a stunning coastline.
Here you can see groups of lazy sea lions lounging comfortably on the shore, like a group of carefree vacationers. They often swagger ashore and even occupy the beach benches as their resting areas, just like the locals.
However, among the many attractive features of San Diego, the most delightful for tourists is undoubtedly the sea fishing.
With its abundant marine resources, San Diego has become the best place for deep-sea fishing on the west coast of the United States, attracting countless fishing enthusiasts every year.
A four-story luxury cruise ship is quietly docked in the port of San Diego. The ship has an impressive exterior and gleams exquisitely in the sunlight.
Ernst, Larry Ellison, and Jobs sat in the spacious and comfortable lounge on the first floor of the cruise ship, sipping fine wine and leisurely enjoying the pleasant time before setting sail.
Meanwhile, the crew on the cruise ship were methodically moving various supplies, making full preparations for the upcoming two-day, one-night sea fishing trip.
For sea fishing enthusiasts, a two-day, one-night sea trip is not considered long; it can only be considered a regular sea fishing experience.
Larry Ellison, as always, was outspoken. Holding his wine glass, he said with a mix of relief and disdain, "Thank goodness there's San Diego on the West Coast. Otherwise, if we wanted to go fishing, we'd have to travel all the way to the East. Just thinking about dealing with those Easterners makes me annoyed."
Those familiar with Ellison know that he has always been outspoken and has gotten himself into a lot of trouble because of it, but he continues to do things his own way without showing any sign of restraint.
With his gaze sweeping over the enchanting coastal scenery outside the window, Ellison said with great interest, "The scenery here is really nice. I'm even considering buying a house here so I can come here occasionally to escape the summer heat and relax. How pleasant that would be!"
Ellison is a well-known hoarder of houses. Not to mention the Ellison Estate currently under construction, he has purchased residences in almost every major city in the United States.
Hearing Ellison talking about buying houses again, Ernst couldn't help but tease, "You're not trying to win by sheer quantity because your own houses are of poor quality, are you?"
Ellison was taken aback for a moment, but reacted quickly and immediately realized that the other party was bringing up his manor.
He snorted and retorted defiantly, "Hmph, what's the use of a big house? The key is the interior decoration and the location. Look at the place I chose, beautiful scenery, secluded, it's simply an excellent place to live."
This sounds like choosing a burial plot.
However, Woodside, which Ellison mentioned, is indeed a rare and wonderful place.
Woodside is bordered by Half Moon Bay and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, San Francisco Bay to the east, San Francisco to the north, and Stanford University to the south, just ten kilometers away. Further south lies Silicon Valley.
It's like a small mountain range rising from two bays, offering a view and surrounding environment that feels like a paradise, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, yet not too far from it.
"By the way, where did you buy that plot of land for your house? Did you pick some desolate, desolate place?" After saying that, he laughed heartily, looking smug, as if he was certain that Ernst's choice was inferior to his own.
Ernst responded calmly, "You're absolutely right. The place I chose is pretty much a desolate wilderness."
Upon hearing this, Ellison and Jobs, who was standing next to him, both looked at Ernst at the same time, their expressions seeming to say: Are you kidding me?
Even though Ellison had just been mocking Ernst for this, he now felt it was impossible. After all, given Ernst's status and vision, why would he choose a plot of land in the middle of nowhere?
Ernst slowly put down his wine glass and extended his right hand to Ellison.
Ellison looked bewildered, completely unaware of Ernst's intentions, and instinctively extended his right hand to shake Ernst's.
The moment the two shook hands, Ernst revealed a seemingly innocent yet somewhat sly smile and said, "Hello, future neighbor."
Ellison's face immediately darkened. "You also bought land in Woodside? You bastard, that was the place I had my eye on first."
Ernst released his grip, took the glass back, and said in a serious and righteous tone, "You should be thanking me."
"I should thank you?" Ellison could hardly believe his ears, his tone filled with doubt and anger.
Ernst nodded with absolute certainty. "Because I increased the value of your Ellison Manor."
Ellison fell silent instantly, because he couldn't refute it.
Woodside is a small town with a population of only a few hundred people. Now, two Silicon Valley tycoons have chosen to buy land here and build their own luxury estates. Unless the local government is completely out of its mind, it must realize the future development potential of Woodside.
It's obvious that Woodside will be developed into a super-rich area in the United States, mainly attracting successful people from Silicon Valley.
At that time, the value of Ellison Estate will naturally increase, which is an undeniable fact.
Hearing their conversation, Jobs was also somewhat tempted. He said casually, "Now that you two have mentioned it, I'm even thinking about buying a piece of land in Woodside. Even if we don't build any houses, it would be a good investment."
In Steve Jobs' view, given Woodside's future development prospects, investing in land there is an absolute sure-fire way to make money.
"Get out!" Ellison roared in fury, yelling at Jobs, "This is where I found it first!"
Although, as Ernst said, the land in Woodside appreciated in value because of Ernst's involvement, Ellison was very unhappy about it.
His original idea was that in the future, when people mentioned Woodside, they would think of his Ellison Estate and Larry Ellison, making himself a symbol of Woodside.
What's the deal with all of you wanting to move in? Aren't you obviously trying to steal my thunder?
Ernst ignored Ellison's madness and turned to Jobs, reminding him, "Then you'd better hurry, or you'll miss your chance."
"Why?" Jobs asked, puzzled. He didn't understand why Ernst would say that.
Ernst's lips curled into a slight smile. "Because I acquired 300 acres of land in Woodside."
Jobs' mouth dropped open. He first looked at Ernst in shock, then turned to look at Ellison, whose face was ashen. After a long while, he said, half-laughing and half-crying, "If you two can't handle this, why don't you just go into the real estate business?"
Woodside is very small, the entire town is only 0.37 square kilometers, which is about 560 acres.
Ernst alone acquired 300 acres, and together with the land Ellison had previously purchased, which mostly belonged to Woodside, the two of them acquired approximately 400 acres, essentially leasing Woodside.
Although there are many towns around Woodside, there is no doubt that the land prices within Woodside itself will be the highest in the future, after all, this is the core area where the two Silicon Valley tycoons first settled.
"You've already thought it through?" Jobs asked with an air of certainty.
Ernst waved his hand and said helplessly, "There's nothing I can do. I'm a businessman, after all. In everything I do, I always want to maximize profits."
Ernst had already planned all of this when he visited Ellison Estate and saw its superb environment.
He knew that with his influence, if he chose to stay in Woodside, Woodside would definitely attract the attention of many wealthy people in California and become a new gathering place for the rich.
That's why he dared to make such an outrageous demand, asking the Woodside local government for 300 acres of land.
It's obvious that if you don't give me this much land, I'll go elsewhere to build a mansion.
The Woodside local government naturally understood the stakes involved. Although 300 acres of land was not a small amount, they had no choice but to reluctantly agree to Ernst's request.
Although Larry Ellison is a very wealthy man, his influence in the industry is still somewhat less than that of Ernst.
For Woodside, attracting a big name like Ernst to move in is undoubtedly a rare development opportunity.
Moreover, the remaining land in Woodside is more than enough to plan and build a wealthy neighborhood of over a hundred households. If necessary, they can also purchase land from nearby towns to supplement it.
For a small town with a population of just over a hundred, attracting these wealthy people to settle down is enough to support everyone in the town.
Ernst's plan was also very shrewd. He intended to sell the remaining 100 acres of land in Woodside after the land appreciated significantly, or develop real estate there, and use the proceeds to cover the construction costs of his Chinese-style garden manor.
In this way, one can not only own a luxurious estate with a beautiful environment, but also do so without spending a single penny, which is a win-win situation.
Jobs gave a helpless, bitter laugh. "Then what am I supposed to buy? With the scale of your land purchases right now, how much land do you think Woodside will leave for me? Will they even sell large areas of it?"
Although Jobs said this and seemed to be giving up, Ellison was still grumbling and expressing his dissatisfaction.
But Ernst knew perfectly well that once the two men disembarked, they would immediately have their investment advisors search for suitable land.
The town of Woodside is almost completely devoid of land, but what about the surrounding areas? There are still large tracts of land there that remain undeveloped.
Buying now will give you great potential for future appreciation.
The wealthier a person is, the easier it is for them to earn more money.
This is the herd mentality.
Ordinary people tend to follow celebrities' preferences and imitate their clothing and spending habits.
Wealthy people tend to follow in the footsteps of those who are even wealthier and more influential, emulating their choices in investments and property purchases.
In reality, what they pursue may not actually be that good. Often, they only think it's good because others are scrambling for it.
Like Woodside today, it was actually an inconspicuous wasteland before Ernst and Ellison chose to buy land there.
However, with the arrival of these two Silicon Valley tycoons, they have suddenly become a hot commodity in the eyes of many.
They, on the other hand, can easily plan ahead and reap the benefits from those who are not as wealthy as them.