The Tyrant Billionaire

September 19th.

The aid delegation and the survey team convened in New York for a welcome reception.

The aid delegation was led by Deputy Secretary of State Dean Acheson. The civilian survey group consisted of three teams: the California Consortium team led by Hardy, the Rockefeller Foundation team headed by David Rockefeller, and the Citibank Consortium team led by Citibank President William Rhodes.

Dean Acheson, sporting a small mustache, looked sharp and energetic. Smiling, he greeted the attendees, "It's an honor to meet all the chairmen and presidents here. Since last year, we began implementing the Marshall Plan and have engaged in multiple discussions with various European countries. We've already distributed a portion of the aid."

"President Johnson believes we can deepen our assistance further, which is why you have all been invited to join this aid survey team. Today, we're here to get acquainted, and tomorrow we set off together. Our first stop is Italy."

The venue was filled with fifty to sixty people. Many were already acquainted, being prominent figures in the business world, and they began exchanging greetings and engaging in conversation.

David Rockefeller spotted Hardy, approached him with a smile, and extended his hand. "Hello, Hardy. This is our first meeting. I'm David Rockefeller."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rockefeller," Hardy replied, smiling as he shook hands.

Hardy knew well who David Rockefeller was a third generation member of the Rockefeller family. The Rockefeller family was currently led by David's father, John D. Rockefeller Jr. At 33, David was the Chairman and General Manager of the Executive Committee of Chase Manhattan Bank and would later rise to become the head of the Rockefeller Foundation.

A 33 year old bank president was certainly considered young and accomplished.

However, David Rockefeller felt more admiration and curiosity toward the young man standing before him. Hardy was only 27, much younger than himself.

More importantly, David had the advantage of his family's legacy to manage a bank with billions in assets at such a young age, while Hardy had built his wealth from the ground up, accumulating assets worth hundreds of millions in just three to four years.

Moreover, Hardy had recently become a shareholder of Bank of America, joining the core ranks of the California Consortium.

Before this gathering, David Rockefeller had specifically researched the other team members. After all, they were both collaborators and competitors. Among them, Hardy's resume was the most compelling. Starting from a small enterprise, he had gradually expanded and merged, turning it into a conglomerate.

Even David found himself impressed.

The two exchanged a few pleasantries before David Rockefeller said, "Hardy, I find your experiences quite fascinating, especially your business strategies, which often yield maximum returns through ingenious tactics. Since we'll be working together, I hope we can discuss them further in the future."

Hardy smiled.

"Of course, I'd be happy to chat when we have the opportunity."

For Hardy, speaking openly about his real methods wasn't an option; he couldn't exactly say he was using foresight from the future to plan his moves.

However, with so many business strategies from future knowledge at his disposal, he could easily share a few to impress David.

Hardy then met William Rhodes, President of Citibank. Rhodes, in his sixties and of Jewish descent, engaged Hardy in a lengthy conversation.

Subsequently, Hardy met many chairmen and presidents of other major American corporations.

September 20th—Departure.

The first destination was Italy.

The war had inflicted significant damage on Italy, leaving many cities in ruins and the economy in dire straits. However, Italy was somewhat fortunate due to its strategic maneuvering in the latter stages, allowing it to avoid severe penalties.

To prevent Italy from aligning with the Soviet Union, the United States provided substantial support through the Marshall Plan, making Italy one of the largest beneficiaries.

It maybe hilarious but this so called "lazy nation" was actually on the losing side and got more benefits than some other countries on the wining side.

Italian Prime Minister Alcide De Gasperi welcomed the aid delegation. The Marshall Plan had been in operation since 1947, and each country had its corresponding committee. The U.S. had already provided Italy with $130 million in aid.

This time, the delegation brought the second batch of aid and the civilian investment group. The Italians knew these civilian groups were composed of major U.S. conglomerates, whose assistance could rival that of the American government.

Currently, Italy was short on food, machinery, and capital lacking almost everything. They were eager to seize any opportunity that could contribute to national development.

Italy presented a comprehensive list.

L'Azienda generale italiana petroli (Agip), Italy's largest oil company, was open to foreign investment.

The National Grid Company.

Fiat Automotive Company.

Generali Insurance Company.

UniCredit Group.

The list included over 130 companies, spanning industries such as oil, electricity, natural gas, insurance, credit, automotive, shipping, food, precision instruments, machinery manufacturing, Hospitals, dining, jewelry, and more.

The three major consortiums showed interest in many companies on the list. Rockefeller naturally had a keen interest in the oil industry.

Others had their targeted sectors. The Security Pacific Corporation, part of the California Consortium, was interested in Generali Insurance.

Meanwhile, Citibank's group saw potential in Italy's national grid business.

What if multiple parties were interested in the same business? They could negotiate privately. Since they were all part of this delegation, they could sit down and discuss co-investment opportunities.

Of course, some were focused on selling goods, like Crocker Agricultural Company, which offered Italy better quality, cheaper grain, and agricultural products.

Hardy also had his sights set on something. He was interested in a shipping company, Mardi Shipping Company. According to the information provided, Mardi Shipping previously owned several passenger and cargo ships and operated ferries on Mediterranean routes, including routes from Italy to Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, and Malta.

However, during World War II, all their ships were requisitioned, leaving the company with only two ferries. The company urgently needed investment to develop.

Hardy still had many Liberty ships and Victory ships. He could easily invest a few ships here.