Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm-Chapter 431 - 430: The Music Industry in Shock as the Catalog Changes Hands

"There's no need to be angry over these people. Soon, they won't be your problem anymore."

Martin's words made Michael Jackson smile.

"You're right. Soon, they'll be your problem. But I trust you, Martin. My good brother, they won't be a problem for you."

"They definitely won't," Martin said, raising his glass of juice with confidence. "I can handle them."

Michael looked at him with envy. "If only I had your kind of power. Mottola has been pushing me to the edge lately."

Martin quickly added, "Even though my father and Mottola have a decent relationship, I have to say—this time, he's gone too far."

Michael chuckled. "Honestly, I don't hate him as much as you might think. I just can't stand him. We actually had some good times working together. Back when he was managing me, he planned my career exceptionally well... But as we both became more successful, his true nature started to show—his obsession with control, his lack of respect for the artists under him, and yes, some racial bias."

His expression turned complicated.

The truth was, without Mottola, there wouldn't be Michael Jackson, the King of Pop.

But at the same time, without Mottola, he wouldn't be in such a humiliating position now.

"He's just a pawn," Michael said suddenly. "His controlling nature hasn't just made life miserable for me and the other artists he oversees—it's also pissed off the Sony board. They've wanted to get rid of him for a while now, replacing him with a more manageable executive."

Michael shook his head and sighed. "Looking back at how this whole conflict between Mottola and me started, it's clear those old men from Japan played a major role in stirring the pot. We were both manipulated. But now, neither of us can back down—me or Mottola."

He looked Martin in the eye and said seriously, "Martin, you told me you'd take revenge for me—that you'd take the other half of the catalog from Sony. Were you serious?"

Martin hadn't expected Michael to bring it up first, but he maintained his calm demeanor.

"Of course, I was serious. I'll make them pay. But first, I need you to do me two small favors."

"Oh? What are they? Just say it."

"First, we need to keep our deal a secret for now. Second, I need you to make a strong public statement."

Sony Music, Boardroom Meeting

"...Like I said before, someone is behind this. Yes, someone is pulling the strings."

"My legal troubles, the smear campaigns—it's all because they want something from me. And what is it? The SONY/ATV catalog that I co-own with Sony."

"I won't let them get their way. These attacks and false accusations won't break me. I'll fight them to the end."

"If necessary, I'll invoke my exit clause and exercise my buy-sell rights. I'll sell my half of the catalog to anyone but Sony—to EMI, to Universal, whoever I want."

"I want them to know—even if they destroy me, they still won't get what they want."

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

Mottola put down the newspaper he had been reading and turned to the Sony board members.

"You've all seen it now. This is Michael's stance."

"To be honest, I believe he means it. I used to manage him—I know him. Michael is incredibly stubborn. Once he makes up his mind, it's nearly impossible to force him to change."

"So let me say it again—now is the best time to sell our half of the catalog. If Michael moves first, the value of our share will plummet."

As he spoke, Mottola studied the board members' expressions and saw that most of them looked tempted.

Sensing the opportunity, he added, "I've already spoken to my friend Grant Meyers' son—Martin Meyers. I convinced him to buy Sony's share of the catalog."

"Oh? How much is he offering?" one of the Japanese board members asked with interest.

"Six hundred million."

The board member frowned. "Six hundred million dollars?"

"That's right."

"That's far too low. The entire catalog is worth over four billion."

"That's just an estimate. Honestly, six hundred million is the best I could negotiate. Martin wasn't even interested at first—he thinks it's nothing but trouble."

"Can't we get a little more?" another board member asked.

Mottola hesitated, pretending to struggle. After a moment, he sighed. "I can try to push for a little more."

Then he added, "But if this goes through, someone from Japan will need to convince the higher-ups to approve the sale."

The Japanese board member nodded. "Leave that to me. I'll make a call back home."

Three Days Later

Martin received the good news.

"Martin, it's done. Send your people over," Mottola told him.

Martin was ecstatic. "Thanks, Uncle Mottola. Your share will be transferred to your account as soon as the contract is signed."

"Can you wire it to my offshore account? The tax agencies are a pain to deal with. Also, after this, I might move back to Italy," Mottola said.

"No problem," Martin agreed.

May 20

A bombshell announcement sent shockwaves through the North American music industry.

The SONY/ATV catalog had changed hands—Meyers Pictures had acquired 100% ownership and rebranded it as the Meyers Music Catalog.

Shortly after, both Mottola and Michael Jackson publicly confirmed the news.

The Sony board was furious. By now, they realized they had been played.

"Where the hell is Mottola? He has to take responsibility for this!"

"Uh... Mottola has already resigned."

"That bastard! We've been screwed!"

"Is there a way to reverse this? Can we sue Martin Meyers?"

"It's useless. Every one of us signed that contract."

"Damn it! Those damn Americans are all snakes."

"Hey, I'm American too. And technically, Mottola is Italian."

"Isn't Martin Meyers American? Isn't Michael Jackson American?"

"Uh... That's just you lashing out."

"You're damn right I'm lashing out! What are you gonna do about it?!"

"Alright, enough. Arguing won't change anything."

"So that's it? We're just going to let this go?"

"What else can we do?"

"Martin still releases music through Sony, doesn't he? We can block his albums."

"Mottola took care of that before leaving. Martin already bought out his contract. And let's be honest—at this point, he doesn't need to release albums to stay relevant or make money."