Revenge of the Heir

Investments

It took another week for the review he ordered to be completed, and he smiled as he realized that not only had he accomplished his personal objective of gaining minority shares of each of the high table companies, a few of them he was majority shareholder. He had of course funnelled the shares through multiple businesses, so for a few days his family would think that they had weathered the storm.

He smiled as he saw a conference with all 6 of the High Table Families was scheduled to begin at lunch time, and smiled even further when he realized they were catering lunch for him. He smiled as he looked at the literally dozens of proposals that he had been flooded with from the 32 lower houses of the Heinrich Family, and began to review them before he met with the High Houses.

Each one had been given the green light by his investment team, as he saw that most of them actually made great sense. His own investigations made several other investments possible, as it would both reduce costs for the family overall, and still remain profitable even with the discounted materials. His biggest project so far was a distribution company, that collected the parts and materials for a bulk discount, and than ran everything to the companies inside the family that would use them.

It wouldn't be a large profit margin, but he knew he could make 10 percent on the transactions between their current supplier and them. He approved the vast majority of the proposals he was sent, and closed the last file just as the 3 Uncle's he was plotting against the hardest entered the offices.

They were making a beeline for his conference room, and it was clear that they believed they had not weathered the storm well at all. Each of their share prices had taken a large hit, Kevin losing 20 percent of his share price through the exchange that left Eric with 53 percent of his company. It was only a few seconds later he saw the other 3 walk off another elevator, and he decided to beat them there.

Each of them was surprised when they walked in and he was sitting there with a stack of files. When Pamela walked in last, he motioned for her to close the door.

"What is this about?" he asked them.

"This is bout the slaughter that our companies are experiencing right now. What are you doing to ensure that we as a Family will not lose control?" Kevin demanded.

"I did just that, the Trust now owns roughly 20 percent of each of your companies. You will of course be able to purchase them in the future, when you have regained control of them. I am under the impression that each of you is now a minority share holder. Why don't you explain how that has happened?" Eric demanded of the 6 of them.

Kevin was dumbfounded when he heard that, as before their father had just turned them back over. "What purpose do you have for retaining them?" he demanded as all of them nodded.

"I did as asked, and will continue to do so until such time as it is no longer necessary. The mere fact I had to purchase shares to prevent each of you from being taken over, shows that none of you can be trusted to maintain control of your companies. I will hold the shares in the Trust necessary to ensure that our family maintains a majority control when possible. I was unable to prevent Anthony or Kevin from losing the Majority share of their companies. I believe Kevin will find between his shares and what I was able to acquire we control 47 percent of the shares. Anthony, 49 percent. The rest of you I was able to obtain shares to make up the 51 percent necessary to maintain control." Eric told them bluntly. He wasn't telling him that those percentages could easily be added to what he was able to acquire outside of the Family Trust, and used against them.

All of them seemed pissed that he would keep their shares. "So you will attempt to hold our own companies hostage against us?" Anthony demanded as he slammed the table.

Eric laughed as he looked at all of them. "Did you think I would repeat the mistakes of your father and just return them after scraping your asses out of the fire? You have used this maneuver for the last time, as I will not give you so much as a discount on the shares when you are finally abled to repurchase them. As for the voting power they hold, you can consider those votes abstentions in every vote from here forward. I will not be exercising them, except to protect the interest of the remainder of the family."

The 6 of them were blown away, as they knew that for some of them it could be as much as 21 percent of the shares would not be voted for the foreseeable future.

"How does this benefit the family?" Kevin asked confused.

"How does essentially giving you free money benefit the rest of the family? I was asked to prevent a disaster the 6 of you created, and I mostly accomplished that. I genuinely hope for your sake you are able to get the funds needed to repurchase those shares, after each of you regains the majority of shares for each of your companies." Eric said knowing he owned a minimum of 35 percent spread over 35 companies between the 6 of them. He had indeed invested heavily, and that number wasn't including what he had the family purchase.

"This is an outrage Lord Eric, nothing gives you the right to withhold our assets from us." Pamela demanded angrily.

Eric laughed at her outburst, knowing that it would make them even angrier. "I believe the fact that I paid 280 million for those shares of yours gives me every right. Unless you would like to purchase them back now?" he asked her knowing full well that they didn't have the funds available to buy but a fraction of them.

"We will take this to the rest of the family, never before has the family retained the shares of any of the family companies." Marcus said believing they held the upper hand with the family.

"I would be willing to bet when they hear it will come out of the investment and disbursement funds that they won't side with you. In fact I would be willing to bet that no matter where the money originated from, they wouldn't side with any of you. So go ahead, inform the family you expect me to take Billions of dollars out of their pockets to benefit you. See how they react." Eric said calling his bluff. "I informed the 6 of you that things in this family would be changing, and I could care less if the 6 of you retain your seats. Your families are in majority control of your companies, between the shares each of you holds, and now what the family holds. As soon as each of you can claim you are the undisputed majority share holders of your company, you will be allowed to purchase those shares from the family trust at market value. Let this be a lesson not just to you, but them as well. The free ride is over, and only those who do what is expected of them will benefit from the family name. Now if there is nothing else the 6 of you have to waste my time with, it seems you forgot the catering for this lunch meeting. I am hungry and will be going to lunch, do not waste my time with this s**t again."

Eric returned to his office and was not surprised to see that Kevin and Marcus were both waiting for him, as he had left them in the conference room pissed beyond belief.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Kevin demanded as he opened his office door.

"I believe I am returning to work, which I suggest the two of you do as well. As for what I am working on, you have no need to know that at the moment." Eric replied as he walked in and the two men followed.

"You cannot change how this family operates without the consent of the family." Marcus said defiantly.

"I have not changed how the family operates. I am simply doing as I was asked by Anthony, and saving the High Table Family businesses from being taken over by outside forces. Something that each of you is actually charged with, and will be brought before the family at the next Conference. Just because your father rescued you twice before when the lot of you did this, does not mean I am expected to do the same. I am nothing more to you than the new Lord, who is establishing control over his functions. If I were to do this for you, I would be expected to do the same for the remainder of the families. Despite your personal beliefs, the family does not have the funding to do so. As such none of you will be given preferential treatment, of any kind in any amount.

"Add to this circumstance that I highly doubt you can pay one years tribute, let alone the two that will be required, and you will likely be disqualified from receiving any investment from the family funds. Your companies are no longer at risk of you losing control in the near term, and that is my investment in protecting our future. So, I suggest if you wish your family to be treated as equals, you figure out how you will be paying the required tribute. You may as well begin preparing your defenses as well, because you will be brought before a tribunal to explain how this has happened as it is against the rules you are expected to follow." Eric told them coldly as both men became angrier. "Feel lucky I do not have the power to strip the 6 of you of your positions outright, otherwise I would have already done it for these actions. Now get the f**k out of my office, and do your jobs."