The Hollywood Tycoon

Kyle tapped his pencil against the edge of his desk as afternoon light slanted through the blinds. One by one, the famed faces appeared: Ben 10 with his confident posture, SpongeBob’s infectious grin, the innocent Teletubbies clustered like childhood dreams, and Oggy slouching as if ready for mischief.

He paused, satisfied, then exhaled.

Beautiful—but not mine. Not yet.

He needs to go and get a copyright for this character.

Even though it doesn’t make money as quickly as animated films like "Cars" and "Peppa Pig", its ability to make money is not bad either. It will bring billions of profit for Kyle if he makes these shadows through, TV shows, games toys and other stuff.

SpongeBob had made 13.7 billion dollars in market, Ben 10 had made $7.35 billion in market, these two shows alone are treasure troves for Kyle.

Thinking of this high amount of money, an unconscious smile appeared on the face of Kyle.

.....

At that moment, Kyle concluded.

"I’m naming the movie-related retail chain SpongeBob SquarePants. It seems like a solid choice."

Although the name SpongeBob SquarePants for the merchandise store chain could be better, it’s certainly an improvement over the previous name "Kyle’s Shop."

...

Suddenly, September 10, 1995, appeared.

The SpongeBob SquarePants store chain officially opened its doors for business. All seven locations in Los Angeles launched simultaneously!

Even though Kyle was a reserved student in high school, he still had a few friends, so over 30 people showed up, including both male and female friends, along with a lovely teacher from school; several hours from the street where Kyle and John Smith lived also attended.

Additionally, former top negotiator Brandon made an appearance.

"Hey, hey, hey, man, everyone else came with gifts, but you showed up empty-handed?" John laughed at Brandon.

Brandon grinned and replied, "John, I’m not like them; they’re all materialistic. I came here with genuine intention."

"What a load of sincerity, you just don’t have any cash. What’s the point of saying that?" John was cut off by Kyle before he could continue.

...

The morning sun painted the bunting across the storefront in soft pastels. Inside, rows of plush animals, vintage tin cars, and handmade wooden puzzles gleamed like treasures. A modest crowd—families, friends, neighbours—stood before the doors. A single chair marked the spot where once the father would have stood. Instead, their son, now a young man, stood beside his mother, scissors in hand.

The mother stepped forward, voice steady but full of heart.

"Good morning, everyone. Today, we open these doors in honour of two dreams. The first belonged to my late husband—your father." Her gaze shifted upward, as though seeing him among the fluttering ribbons. "He dreamed of a magical toy store where every child—no matter their world—could discover joy. He sketched plans on napkins, tested models late into the night, and carried that dream here..."

Her voice caught. She took a breath, glancing at her son.

"...and then life took him away too soon. But he never lost faith that someone would carry the torch."

She looked at her son, pride shining in her eyes.

"From the day he learned to walk, our son followed him through the empty aisles, his eyes bright with wonder. As a boy, he played with the prototypes. As a teenager, he redesigned and improved them. Through grief, he stayed by his father’s side—through voice in his laughter, in his hands, in his heart."

She paused, then spoke softly:

"And now, he stands here. He asked me: ’Mom, how do I follow in my father’s footsteps without him by my side?’ I told him: ’By loving every child who walks in here, by treating each toy as if it were his imagination, by believing in the dream your father entrusted to you.’"

Turning toward the crowd, she smiled.

"So today, we honour both of them—the father we lost, and the son who kept his dream alive. May this store be a home for imagination, a place where every child can play, explore, and dream—just as he would have wanted."

Gentle applause rose. Tears glistened on cheeks. The son bent, cut the ribbon, and with a quiet strength, opened the doors. Children poured in, laughter filling the space—an echo of a dream carried across generations.

---

Time was moving forward.

More than two months had passed, and Kyle’s SpongeBob SquarePants merchandise chain was struggling. When compared to more established stores, it had no competitive edge whatsoever, especially with its poor decor.

On this particular day, John Smith approached Kyle, visibly anxious.

"Boss, the toy factory just contacted us and said our goods have filled five warehouses. If payment isn’t made soon, they will take us to the Los Angeles District Court."

"Damn it!"

Kyle exclaimed, "John, tell them life is more valuable than money."

"Is everything okay?" John couldn’t help but fret.

Truth be told, the salary Kyle provided was quite generous. Losing this reliable job would be a significant strain on his disabled mother and younger sister at home.

"Don’t worry, man. You know, Toy Story is premiering tomorrow. I will recover the money I’ve lost in the past few months." Kyle said with determination.

What do a few months of losses matter?

"Toy Story" is the first-ever 3D animated feature film and the box office leader in North America this year!

...

November 19, 1995, 11:50 PM.

Within the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

"Calm down, man, there’s no need to be anxious. This isn’t your first time watching it," Kyle murmured.

"Yeah, I know, but every time I see it, I still get a bit nervous, you know," John Lasseter replied with a playful grin.

Observing this, Kyle couldn’t help but chuckle and admonish him: "John, I’ve invested a considerable amount in the Toy Story peripheral projects. Is it fair for you to say that? It might disappoint our investors."

"I’m sorry, my friend." Lasseter quickly waved his hands in defence.

Indeed, Kyle had arranged to meet John Lasseter to watch a movie that night.

This was also part of Kyle’s strategy to win over Lasseter. After all, he would become a significant figure in the animation industry in the future. Building a solid relationship with him wouldn’t be costly, so why not?

So what were they watching today? "Toy Story," produced by Pixar Animation.

The premiere, perhaps?

Come on, where was Pixar supposed to find the funds now?

Otherwise, do you think Jobs would have been so worried a few months ago about Kyle’s $800,000 licensing fee that he would have used representatives from the Dabell Negotiation Company to negotiate?

"Hey, man, when Pixar goes public, don’t forget to take me out for a nice meal. I was the one who suggested you buy the full amount of shares," Kyle suddenly remarked.

Upon hearing this, Lasseter looked taken aback, his expression darkening.

"Khle, it would have been fine if you hadn’t mentioned that. Now it makes me feel down. I had to mortgage all my assets, including my home and car, just to raise money for the IPO. If Pixar doesn’t go public, I’ll be bankrupt."

Pixar Animation going public?

It couldn’t possibly fail!

But truthfully, Pixar Animation Studios’ decision to go public emerged quite suddenly.

A few weeks before the release of Toy Story, Jobs had a brilliant idea and informed Pixar’s founding team: Pixar should go public.

The team members were quite surprised. The movie hadn’t even been released yet, so how could they make such a movie?

Jobs’ logic was that if Toy Story flopped, the company would shut down, but if it became a massive success, Disney would sense the threat from Pixar and reopen negotiations (since Toy Story had Disney’s investment). At that point, Pixar would need enough funds to demonstrate it could survive independently of Disney, thereby securing better terms in the negotiations.

As it happened, Jobs’ assessment was spot on.

Just a week after "Toy Story" debuted, Pixar Animation went public, and its market valuation skyrocketed from an initial estimate of $20 million, or perhaps even less, to $1 billion in just one month.

That’s a fiftyfold increase!

"You don’t feel envious at all!"

"If Jobs hadn’t been so shrewd and only allocated shares to the founding team before the IPO, I would have wanted in on that."

That’s right; Kyle was filled with envy for Lasseter!

Pixar Animation had awarded Lasseter a complete share allocation. Even though he had to purchase some of it with his funds, it was still enough to ensure he would soon become a millionaire with a net worth exceeding tens of millions of dollars, far surpassing Kyle.

"Hahaha, man, after hearing your words filled with envy, I feel much more at ease. Don’t worry, I will treat you to a lavish dinner after the company goes public," Lasseter chuckled.

Shortly, the film started.

Even though Kyle had seen "Toy Story" multiple times in the future, he couldn’t help but let out a sigh when he spotted Sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear on the screen.

"I may not be part of Pixar’s internal distribution, but I can still participate during the public offering. I can’t guarantee a 50-fold return, but I can at least aim for a 10-fold gain, hehe."

With this thought in mind,

Kyle’s spirits lifted.

As long as there are profits to be made, Kyle feels cheerful!