Chapter 823: 282, 130 million US Dollar investment

Walker has taken over the Astor Family for over a year, yet the Astor Family is not flourishing in terms of its members.

But this does not mean that Walker has completely taken control of the Astor Family!

As a once top-tier family in the United States, even though their primary income comes from rent collection, the Astor Family also owns sizable companies.

The people in the company started their careers with Walker’s father or grandfather and also hold pivotal positions in the Astor Family’s enterprises. They played a role in Walker’s rise to lead the Astor Family!

As mentioned before, the Astor Family had stakes in supporting Citibank and were once major shareholders, which led to the family’s financial dealings being mainly conducted through Citibank!

This also indirectly explains why other consortia and families are willing to venture into banking to ensure their financial security, whereas the Astor Family did not.

Because at that time, the Astor Family had a very close relationship with Citibank, even to the extent that Citibank was the spokesperson for the Astor Family in the US banking sector!

However, with the death of Walker’s father, the Astor Family began to decline, losing control over Citibank. During this period, the actual controllers of Citibank, the Stillman Family, started introducing the Rockefeller Family, which led to the Astor Family’s increasingly waning influence in Citibank.

After becoming the Sect Leader of the Astor Family, Walker has been thinking about how to secure his family’s financial safety.

Now, as Donnie has established Venus Bank and acquired Breton Bank, Walker naturally wants to transfer the Astor Family’s funds from Citibank to Breton Bank.

After all, compared to Citibank, Walker trusts Donnie more!

However, a problem arises, as mentioned above, the Astor Family is not just Walker alone; Walker trusts Donnie and wants to deeply link his interests with Donnie.

But other members of the Astor Family have their own vested interests and business partners developed over time; now that it involves such crucial matters concerning the Astor Family’s finances, they naturally won’t easily obey Walker’s commands.

This could even potentially lead to internal strife within the Astor Family!

This issue is known to both Donnie and Walker.

So now, Walker wants to discuss with Donnie how to resolve this problem!

“Previously, when Apollo Chain battled with A&P, they utilized the fact that A&P’s executives had grown accustomed to a stable life. Although most of the Astor Family’s business is from collecting rent, the more stable it is, the better; but this also means lesser opportunities for growth. When we discussed building the Block Building, you also faced quite some opposition, right?”

Donnie, sitting calmly on the sofa, said.

Walker understood Donnie’s point: “So you mean to say, if I ensure the Astor Family’s main future industry remains rent collection, then I cannot easily move against these people now?”

Donnie nodded: “Indeed, it’s difficult. These people are the veterans of the Astor Family, and if they resist you, you really might not be able to handle it!”

Walker asked: “So are we supposed to just let the Astor Family’s funds stay in Citibank?”

Donnie explained: “If you can transfer the Astor Family’s funds to Breton Bank, that would naturally be better!”

The main income of the Astor Family is from rents, which also implies that the Astor Family has a very strong cash flow; placing this money in Breton Bank would indeed be a substantial deposit!

But the problem also arises here; such a large amount of funds, Citibank would definitely not be willing to let it go easily, and this would cause opposition from people within the Astor Family who have financial dealings with them!

“Do I have to wait until these people grow old and can no longer move before I take action?”

Walker is dissatisfied with the current state of the Astor Family.

Donnie analyzed for him: “That certainly won’t work. Those people will definitely train their own successors, and if the Astor Family continues to develop in this manner, maybe in a few decades, the family’s assets will end up in the hands of these successors!”

“So, what should I do?” Walker asked Donnie straightforwardly.

After thinking for a moment, Donnie said: “The most important thing now is that you lack absolute prestige in the Astor Family’s business, but due to the nature of your family’s industry, it’s hard for you to create new prestige!”

A consortium that gains massive benefits from collecting rent has little room for innovation, naturally making it difficult to create greater prestige for its heirs!

Donnie thought for a moment and said: “The Block Building will still take more than a year to complete, which is a bit too long. I have a good suggestion for you now; if this works out, it should definitely help boost your prestige within the Astor Family!”

Walker’s eyes lit up, asking: “What’s the plan?”

“Open up a new track. As long as this track can bring more land and capital to the Astor Family, then your prestige will naturally rise, and you can use this new track to support your own people while removing some disobedient elders!”