In April 2001, the dot-com bubble was still ongoing, and companies in Silicon Valley continued to go bankrupt.
While busy with The Lord of the Rings, Gilbert also kept an eye on developments in Silicon Valley. Thanks to his cautious management, his social networking and search engine companies were not significantly impacted.
On the contrary, with ample financial resources, these two companies acquired several small and medium-sized firms with core technologies at a very low cost, further strengthening their growth.
Additionally, the companies in which Gilbert held shares—such as Apple and Amazon—were also thriving amid the bubble.
During an interview with a financial newspaper, Jeff Bezos mentioned a conversation he had with Gilbert:
"Actually, the entire development plan for Amazon was determined through my conversations with director Gilbert," Jeff Bezos said.
"Gilbert has an extraordinary vision and pointed out the future direction for our company.
If he hadn't become a film director, he would undoubtedly be an outstanding entrepreneur and strategist..."
Bezos's words surprised many business tycoons in Silicon Valley and Wall Street. But upon further reflection, they found his statement quite reasonable.
If Gilbert lacked vision and decisiveness, his social networking and search engine companies could not have grown so quickly to become two of the top ten internet companies in the United States.
Similarly, Steve Jobs, at a forum, expressed a similar sentiment.
He stated that Apple's swift recovery from its financial crisis, its revival, and its strong cash flow were all closely tied to Gilbert.
Gilbert might not understand technology, but he understood the future.
In Jobs' words, Gilbert possessed an unparalleled imagination for the future, while he had the technology. Their collaboration was a perfect synergy.
Perhaps it was this visionary imagination, inherent to Hollywood directors, that enabled Gilbert to conceive so many ingenious ideas and strategies.
Jobs' remarks intrigued other Silicon Valley tech firms, prompting them to seek partnerships with Hollywood directors known for their creativity, even offering them executive positions.
To use the promotional language of certain products from a past life, these directors were offered the title of "Chief Creative Officer."
However, after some collaboration, these tech companies discovered that not everyone was like Gilbert. Many directors proposed ideas that were simply impossible to realize.
But Gilbert's concepts and innovations, while ambitious, were always achievable with effort and technological breakthroughs. That was the difference.
Despite this, movie fans were displeased with Bezos and Jobs' comments—Gilbert was born to make films.
If he were to shift to business, wouldn't that mean fans would no longer get to watch great movies?
As a result, Bezos and Jobs found themselves at the center of a backlash—perhaps one of the few large-scale recorded instances of internet outrage since the birth of the web.
But just as Gilbert's fans were flooding the internet to denounce Bezos and Jobs, the 2001 Forbes Global Billionaires List was released.
Bill Gates, with $58.7 billion from Microsoft, secured the number one spot. Second place was held by the "Oracle of Omaha," Warren Buffett, with $33.2 billion.
Third place also belonged to a Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen, with a fortune of $30.4 billion. Fourth place went to Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle, with $26 billion.
No wonder his son, David Ellison, was so ambitious about making a name for himself in Hollywood—with a father ranked fourth on the global billionaire list, it was no surprise that he had such confidence.
It was rumored that Larry Ellison's daughter had also entered the film industry. Unlike her brother, who pursued mainstream cinema, she opted for the independent film scene.
Fifth and sixth places went to German supermarket tycoon Karl Albrecht and Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Holding Company's Alwaleed bin Talal.
The rankings then became interesting: seventh through eleventh place were all occupied by members of the Walton family, the primary shareholders of Walmart.
Finally, at number twelve, an unexpected name appeared—Gilbert.
With a net worth of $17.8 billion, he ranked twelfth on the Forbes Global Billionaires List.
This took many by surprise. Gilbert's achievements in filmmaking had always been so dazzling that people often forgot he was also an ultra-wealthy billionaire.
In fact, last year, Gilbert had already been climbing toward the top twenty. This year, he leaped straight to twelfth place.
The Forbes evaluation read:
"We still do not know the full extent of Gilbert's holdings or which companies he controls.
His fruit company is not obligated to disclose financial statements, so we can only estimate his wealth based on his known shares in publicly listed companies.
In reality, his actual wealth is likely even higher."
A curious journalist managed to catch Gilbert outside the headquarters of Melon Studios and asked for his thoughts on the Forbes Billionaires List.
Gilbert responded:
"Lists like these should be taken as entertainment. From what I know, there are definitely more than eleven people wealthier than me."
When Gilbert mentioned "eleven," he was referring to the eleven individuals ranked ahead of him.
North American society has never been short on conspiracy theories, and Gilbert's statement sparked widespread speculation. People began wondering if there were hidden families controlling governments and even the world itself.
As a result, the legend of the Rothschild family resurfaced, and the public eagerly discussed it with great enthusiasm.
Not just the Rothschilds—other families like the Morgans, the Rockefellers, and even the Habsburgs were also brought into the discussion.
The truth of the matter was unknown, and it didn't really matter. The public simply enjoyed the spectacle, while the media jumped on the opportunity to generate sensational stories.
When Gilbert read these reports and theories, he couldn't help but laugh.
These journalists should really be writing scripts and making movies instead—it would be a waste of their imagination otherwise.
Conspiracy theories always have an audience, and Gilbert had long grown accustomed to them. Whether they were true or not, he just saw it as entertainment.
It's worth noting that Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, through his company Cheung Kong Holdings, ranked 18th on the Forbes list with a net worth of $12.6 billion.
Meanwhile, the Kwok brothers of Sun Hung Kai Properties, also from Hong Kong, ranked 23rd with $11.5 billion.
This just goes to show that Hong Kong's wealthy elite are quite formidable.
But as Gilbert said, these rankings are just for fun. Taking them too seriously would be a mistake.
Apart from stirring up public discussion, the Forbes Billionaire List had no impact on Gilbert's work. He continued to move forward with the production of The Lord of the Rings at a steady pace.
After last year's success, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was highly anticipated. Theaters didn't even need to see an early screening to commit to giving it prime screen space and a wide release.
Still, to follow protocol and reassure theater owners and fans, a preview screening was held in April.
The general consensus was that the film successfully continued the story of its predecessor while delivering even higher quality.
In particular, the Battle of Helm's Deep and Gandalf's return were standout moments that deeply moved audiences.
Disney and Warner Bros. ramped up their promotional efforts for The Two Towers, though in reality, the hype had never died down. They simply intensified their marketing campaign.
Now, they were telling fans: The Two Towers is finally here—get ready to buy your tickets!
In addition to teaser trailers included in DVDs, new previews were aired during the Super Bowl and on television to maintain excitement.
The Two Towers wasn't just highly anticipated in North America—fans around the world were eagerly awaiting its release.
The Times in the UK conducted a survey on the most anticipated films, and The Two Towers topped the list. Second place went to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
However, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was still in its early planning stages, and based on production progress, fans wouldn't get to see it until at least 2002.
In France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and even India, The Fellowship of the Ring had won over countless fans, and The Two Towers was consistently ranked as one of the most highly anticipated movies.
Naomi Watts, since winning the Oscar for Best Actress, had been thriving, landing roles in multiple films.
She even took Ocean's Eleven away from Julia Roberts. The film was being directed by Steven Soderbergh.
This bald director had just won an Oscar for Traffic and quickly gathered an all-star cast, including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Naomi Watts, to shoot Ocean's Eleven.
In addition, Naomi Watts also landed a role in Intimate Strangers and did voice work for Ice Age.
Cameron Diaz, on the other hand, wasn't as focused on winning an Oscar. She had been taking fewer acting roles and instead enrolling in management courses to learn how to run a company.
She had once told Gilbert that she planned to retire from acting around the age of 40 to become his right-hand woman in business.
This smart woman understood that, in terms of beauty, she couldn't outshine Naomi Watts or Jennifer Connelly. In terms of elegance, she couldn't match Charlize Theron.
But she figured she had a sharp mind, so she could focus on business management and help ease Gilbert's workload.
Recently, Cameron Diaz had been working with Martin Scorsese on Gangs of New York.
Jennifer Connelly's career was sailing smoothly.
She had originally planned to undergo breast reduction surgery, but since Gilbert liked her figure, she abandoned the idea.
She landed a role in Sweet Home Alabama and was also working alongside Nicole Kidman in the drama film The Hours.
It was said that the biggest investor in this film was Tom Cruise's production company. Clearly, his relationship with Nicole Kidman was still going strong, unlike in the previous timeline where their marriage fell apart.
After all, they already had a daughter, and Gilbert was even the girl's godfather!
Perhaps the most unique case was Charlize Theron.
Aside from starring in The Matrix sequels, she was also determined to win an Oscar for Best Actress.
To that end, she sought Gilbert's opinion.
"There's a very interesting role," Charlize said, "but it would require a lot of effort on my part. I'm not sure if I should take it."
"What role?" Gilbert asked curiously.
"Do you remember Aileen Wuornos? The highway prostitute and serial killer."
"Wasn't she sentenced to death?"
"Yes," Charlize nodded. "A director wants to bring her story to the big screen and has invited me to play the lead role."
"So what's your concern, darling?" Gilbert asked.
Charlize hesitated. "To play this role, I'd have to shave my eyebrows and gain thirty pounds."
For a star like Charlize, who had built her career on commercial films, maintaining a glamorous image was crucial.
If she destroyed her looks for a role but didn't achieve the desired results, the consequences could be severe—even career-ending.
Gilbert said, "Charlize, my advice is: If you want to do it, then go for it. Through conventional roles, your chances of winning an Oscar are slim. You have to take risks."
The Academy voters loved seeing glamorous stars ruin their looks for a role—playing maniacs, psychopaths, or physically unappealing characters.
It was a problematic trend, but if Charlize wanted an Oscar, she had to make sacrifices and choices.
Charlize had always been a woman with strong opinions. Seeing Gilbert's support, she no longer hesitated and agreed to take the role.
But she still asked, "If I become ugly, will you stop liking me? Will you lose interest in me?"
Gilbert was momentarily stunned, then chuckled. "You'll change back, won't you? I never doubt your love for beauty, Charlize."
Hearing that, Charlize felt reassured.
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