novelones Chapter 278 Microsoft announces Windows 95, the prediction comes true
Chapter 278 Microsoft announces Windows 95, the prediction comes true
Then Netscape's stock price entered a stage of ups and downs.
At its peak, it reached US$75 per share, and its market value once reached US$39 billion.
This achievement is unprecedented in the financial history of the United States. It has only been 19 months since the establishment of Netscape.
It took General Dynamics nearly 50 years to reach such a market value.
Perhaps Wang Lei's words had an effect, and someone really cashed out Netscape's stock at this time.
After soaring all morning, Netscape's stock price took a sharp turn in the afternoon, reaching its lowest point of $52 per share.
Bailong Financial Group took advantage of the opportunity to buy, and the stock price returned to US$70 per share before the market closed.
The miracle Netscape created in the stock market made the entire financial market boil.
Under the hype of the media, the already hot technology stocks seemed to have been poured with red oil and boiled completely.
And Clark was not in a very good mood, not just because he had to complete a deal with Wang Lei.
He said with a gloomy face:
"Lee, you must compensate me for my losses. After listening to your words, all those dealers ran away."
Wang Lei touched his nose and smiled:
"Agents are eager to cash out, so you can't rely entirely on me."
Clark naturally understood the truth, and he smiled and said:
"Sir, you have posed a difficult problem for me. Now that you are also one of Netscape's major shareholders, can you tell me how to deal with Microsoft?"
"Haha, well, it's not the time yet. When the time comes, I will come to you even if you don't ask."
Andre and others also heard about Wang Lei's prediction, and they also disapproved of it.
This is the time when they are expanding at an unprecedented rate.
All seven of them have become multi-millionaires, and Andre is worth over $5000 million.
"Boss, there is absolutely no need for you to listen to Wang Lei's alarmism.
After tonight, Netscape will become the hottest entrepreneurial star in Silicon Valley. As long as we continue to stabilize the market and open up new profit points, it will be a matter of time before we become a giant with a market value of tens of billions.
At that time, even if Microsoft does end, we will not be afraid at all. "
Andre's analysis makes sense. Most capital and investors follow the herd blindly.
It is not an exaggeration to call Netscape the number one stock on the Internet. Number one often represents monopoly, and monopoly represents huge profits.
Clark also felt that he was affected by Wang Lei's alarmism. Maybe the other party had no response strategy and was just bluffing.
……
Under the bombardment of news, Netscape became a hot star in the financial market.
Microsoft naturally also sees that browsers are profitable.
They naturally announced the launch of Windows 95.
At the product launch conference, a Microsoft spokesperson showed its pre-installed ie.01 browser to many attendees!
The news made headlines at the same time that Netscape stock topped $100.
The giant is gone!
To Clark and other shareholders' relief, Microsoft's newly released ie.01 browser was a bit rough.
It is not very perfect in various functions and is far behind Netscape Browser in technology.
Netizens are not convinced by ie.01, and its impact on Netscape is minimal.
But what worries Clark is that Microsoft has hit him hard again.
They publicly announced that they will set up a browser business unit and invest $[-] million every year to optimize browser technology!
A technical team of nearly a hundred people was born.
This news caused Netscape's stock to fall slightly that day.
Facing the aggressive Microsoft, Andre and other founding teams inevitably felt anxious.
Clark, who had no idea, came to visit Wang Lei with gifts.
Looking at Wang Lei’s newly bought mansion in Palo Alto, Silicon Valley, it’s a lie that Clark is not envious.
"Mr. Clark, please come in."
Qi Xiaona, who was pregnant, asked the housekeeper to take the red wine brought by Clark and took him to Wang Lei's study.
Looking at the antique study room filled with famous calligraphy and paintings, as well as the magazines and various newspapers on the desk, Clark had a new understanding of Wang Lei.
The other party is not a playboy as some media calls him. Wang Lei values learning more than anyone else, and his success is not accidental.
Clark was filled with anticipation and a hint of regret.
If Wang Lei's investment had not been directly rejected, perhaps their relationship would have been closer.
"You're here?"
"Yes, you expected it all. Microsoft has really entered the market in a big way and is slowly eroding Netscape's user market.
I can't sit back and watch anymore, otherwise, in less than a year, Netscape will be a thing of the past. "
The speed of development of Internet companies is indeed unmatched by other industries. Perhaps just one product can make it a sought-after target for capital and investors.
But this is also its fatal point. Once it is abandoned by users, it will turn from prosperity to decline in the blink of an eye. The decline of a giant may often only take a month.
Wang Lei doesn’t want to abandon Netscape yet. Amazon, Yahoo search engine, eBay and many other Internet companies he has invested in require the existence of Netscape browser.
Thinking of this, Wang Lei said slowly:
"I don't know, have you ever thought about making Netscape Browser free and open to the public?"
Yes, it now costs money to use Netscape Browser. Each user needs to spend $99 to purchase a browser license.
The price is cheaper in retail stores, priced at $40 per serving.
This is the profit point that the Netscape team came up with in order to successfully go public.
It was indeed a good idea when the giants didn't end up, but now it has become a talisman for Netscape.
Clark was a smart guy and he immediately thought of the joints.
He said to himself:
"Windows 95 sells for $210 a copy.
Although the price is high, 100 million copies were sold within just one week of release, and sales are still rising.
Every user who purchases it can use the IE browser for free, which means that every time Microsoft sells a copy of Windows 95, they will have one more potential browser user. "
"Yes, Netscape does not lack funds after its public offering. As a shareholder, I hope Netscape can return to free."
Although he knew that this was the key to competing for users, Clark could not make up his mind immediately.
If it returns to free, the purchase fees of paid users will be refunded.
Netscape is not short of money, but they actually don't like this small amount of money.
The most troublesome thing is that Netscape has lost its only profit point, and Netscape's financial report for the next quarter will become very ugly.
That will be the real disaster. Without Microsoft's intervention, Netscape's stock price will plummet.
Investors will abandon Netscape immediately if they see no profit points.