I Inherited Trillions, Now What?

Everlyn stepped into Alexander Blackwell's office, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor. The room was impeccably organized, save for the cluster of documents Alexander was poring over. Seven additional files lay stacked neatly at the edge of his desk, a testament to his meticulous nature.

"Sir," she began, her voice steady, "we've sent the request for the board appointment. Now, we need to decide who will represent us."

Alexander leaned back in his chair, his piercing black eyes shifting from the document in his hands to Everlyn. "Select Paul," he said without hesitation. "He's the Team Leader of Unit 37. I just reviewed his file—he's an expert in distributed systems and AI scalability. With NVIDIA's push toward next-generation AI models, he'll integrate seamlessly. His strategic thinking and technical grasp make him the ideal candidate."

Everlyn nodded, jotting down the directive. "I'll notify him immediately, sir."

As she turned to leave, Alexander's voice halted her. "Wait. Give me a full update on where we stand."

Everlyn straightened, shifting into a more formal stance. "Of course, sir. The acquisition has been progressing, albeit with complications. Thanks to the $200 billion loan we secured, leveraging a portion of our portfolio, we've managed to keep pace with the surge in share prices. However, we're bleeding more than anticipated, largely due to BlackRock's aggressive buying spree. As of now, they appear to be stabilizing, but that could just be a temporary pause before they strike again."

Alexander's expression remained impassive. "What's the current breakdown?"

"Sir, as per your strategy, we've spent $75 billion to acquire a 5.5% stake in NVIDIA," she explained. "Our primary competitors are Vanguard, with 8.75%, and BlackRock, holding 6.7%. Additionally, we've made significant inroads with employee shareholders. Around 70% of lower-level employees have agreed to sell their shares, pending board approval. High-level executives and board members, however, are resisting fiercely. On a positive note, we've secured a 0.5% stake from one of the co-founders, which will increase our holding to 6% once finalized."

Alexander tapped his pen against the desk, a calculated rhythm that betrayed his deep thought. "Push for an additional 0.5% acquisition," he ordered. "Then halt all further purchases. Focus on locking in the board. If we're to proceed with employee share buyouts, we need their cooperation. What's the status on that front?"

Everlyn hesitated before replying. "We're facing substantial resistance. Jensen Huang, the CEO, seems to have Vanguard's full backing. With Vanguard's implicit endorsement, neutral investors are rallying to his side. He's effectively fortified his position."

Alexander's brow furrowed slightly, the first sign of frustration. "Vanguard's alignment complicates things. If they start buying, the market will react sharply. It could destabilize our portfolio, forcing us to renegotiate existing deals. What's our budget for the employee shares?"

"We've allocated $55 billion," Everlyn responded promptly. "Of that, $30 billion has been promised so far. The resistance from senior executives has kept us from advancing further. Huang likely suspects we're targeting them but doesn't seem aware of our success with lower-level employees."

Alexander nodded slowly, the gears in his mind visibly turning. "Huang is proving more capable than I anticipated," he admitted.

"Well, sir," Everlyn replied, "it's not just because he's the CEO. He's also a co-founder and the largest individual shareholder. His influence is unparalleled within the company."

"It's a delicate situation," Alexander murmured. "But I have an idea. For now, maintain our current strategy and minimize spending. This is a long game, Everlyn. Any deviation could jeopardize our position."

Everlyn hesitated before voicing her concern. "Sir, is all this worth it? We've already spent significantly more than we budgeted. If the shares don't at least double, we'll face a substantial loss. Worse, we might have to sell parts of our portfolio or endure a multi-year freeze to pay off the debt."

Alexander's gaze sharpened. "Carry on with your directives, Everlyn. And one more thing—contact..."

Meanwhile, at NVIDIA's California headquarters, two data scientists were deep in conversation.

Ethan glanced nervously at his partner, lowering his voice. "Dude, I have to tell you something, but keep it quiet."

"Yeah, what's up?" his partner, Jack, replied casually.

"A couple of guys in suits came to my place a few days ago," Ethan began, his tone conspiratorial. "They offered to buy my stock options for $1.5 million. Can you believe that?"

Jack's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, $1.5 million? They offered me $1.2 million!"

Ethan stared at him. "You're kidding. They came to you, too?"

"Yeah," Jack admitted. "I thought it was some kind of joke at first. I even chased them off. But then they came back with the offer, and now that I know they offered you more, I'm definitely asking for more."

"Are you insane?" Ethan hissed. "They made me sign an NDA. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone until the board approves the buyout."

Jack waved him off dismissively. "I signed that too, but honestly, do you think they can even pull this off?"

"Pull what off?"

"Getting the board to agree," Jack said, leaning back in his chair. "These shares were given to us as incentives to stay loyal. Selling them feels... wrong. And with the way the prices are climbing, I'm not even sure I want to sell."

Ethan looked at him incredulously. "Are you out of your mind? This is over a million dollars we're talking about! You may never get another chance like this. Take the deal."

"Maybe," Jack mused, "but what do I even do with $1.2 million? I keep thinking about it, but it doesn't feel real."

Ethan grinned. "I'm getting a Lamborghini. Already picked it out—$150,000. The ladies are gonna love it."

Jack rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, but he couldn't hide the hint of envy.

Two days later, the power struggle reached a new peak. A Blackwell Investments representative arrived at NVIDIA headquarters, the weight of the brewing conflict trailing behind them. As they stepped through the glass doors, the tension in the air was palpable—a testament to the financial warfare unfolding in one of the most critical battlegrounds of the tech world.

The stakes were higher than ever, and everyone knew it: Alexander Blackwell was playing for keeps.