The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 317: The Internet Haven of Dreams]

After finalizing the business plan, Hawke set up a shell company overseas, which then took absolute control of Bart and Neville's newly registered investment firm in the Cayman Islands. The latter provided an initial investment of $2 million, while Zuckerberg contributed his technical expertise and programming skills as equity. Thus, a brand-new internet company was founded in Cambridge.

Leveraging Harvard's student network, Zuckerberg recruited nine developers to build the server infrastructure and design the website.

Following Hawke's instructions, the website was named SugarBaby.

The platform would eventually have two types of users: content creators, known as SugarBabies, and subscribing members, called SugarDaddies.

A perfect match.

Anyone who understood the implications knew exactly what it meant.

With the establishment of SugarBaby, the company's policies were officially put into legal effect. As shareholders and founders, the three of them were bound by a clause stating that even if they left SugarBaby and sold their shares, they were prohibited from engaging in the online media industry for the next ten years.

...

For the first time, the two of them were meeting a real big shot.

Inside a suite at a luxury hotel, Hawke got straight to the point: "You two are good at external relations. Focus on website promotion."

Bart immediately responded, "Understood."

Hawke continued in an indifferent tone, "If this site is executed well, it may not surpass Twitter, but reaching a billion-dollar valuation is entirely possible."

Neville's eyes lit up. "We'll drop all our other businesses and dedicate ourselves fully to SugarBaby."

Hawke asked, "Any ideas for promotion?"

Bart glanced at the boss, recalling Twitter's growth trajectory, and said, "We've considered inviting adult film actresses from the Valley. That could bring in a large male user base, and we'd ramp up advertising. But if we only rely on that, rapid growth will still be difficult."

Neville added, "This kind of platform is easy to copy. If we don't secure an absolute first-mover advantage, a well-funded competitor could derail SugarBaby's growth."

The two of them bounced ideas off each other, and Bart continued, "Valley actresses are attractive, but they're professionals. There are already plenty of ways to access their content. In this regard, other celebrities — like Hollywood stars and socialites — would be far more appealing."

Edward, listening on the side, understood their point. "You want to follow Twitter's marketing model?"

Bart grinned. "Twitter is a mainstream media platform, so certain content can't be posted there. But on SugarBaby, we have no such restrictions — photos and videos can be more… explicit."

Neville turned to Hawke. "Boss, you know Hollywood celebrities inside out. Could you give us some guidance in this area?"

Their line of thinking aligned with Hawke's own plans.

He had come prepared. Picking up a copy of Entertainment Weekly, he handed it to Bart. "The recent film White Chicks not only topped the North American box office for its opening weekend but also generated a huge buzz across the U.S. It's been the hottest movie for the past month."

Bart took the magazine and saw two blonde women on the cover.

Neville, having watched the film, muttered, "Boss, those two women are fake. The actors playing them are the Wayans brothers — Marlon and Shawn."

Bart's mouth twitched. "Black actors in whiteface, gender-bending, cross-dressing… Some people like that kind of thing, but it's pretty niche."

Neville added, "The Wayans brothers' film was a massive hit, but getting them onto our platform would be too expensive."

The two of them went back and forth like a comedy duo.

Hawke raised his hand to cut them off. "Not the Wayans brothers. I'm talking about Maitland Ward, one of the supporting actresses."

Bart looked at the magazine cover again. Below the two "white chicks" were two female co-stars — Anne Dudek and Maitland Ward.

Hawke continued, "You two are good talkers. Go approach Maitland Ward. According to my sources, she doesn't mind working in this kind of industry. If we can get her on SugarBaby, it'll create a major publicity boost."

Edward pulled out a business card and handed it over. "Here's the contact information for Maitland Ward and her agent."

Bart took the card and put it away carefully.

...

As a red-blooded man, Hawke had a lasting impression of Maitland Ward. It was rare for someone to have made a name in mainstream Hollywood before transitioning into the adult industry.

Stallone had done something similar before he became famous, but his future was uncertain at the time.

The actress who played Tyrion's lover, Shae, in Game of Thrones had a similar trajectory, appearing in multiple films before switching careers.

Denise Richards, the lead in Starship Troopers, had once been a high-end escort — before later making headlines by entering the industry alongside her own daughter.

But Maitland Ward? Cases like hers were extremely rare.

Hawke remembered that she had made the transition before 2010. The first time he'd seen her in a related context was on Playboy's programming.

She had been a Hollywood child star, so she had probably faced all sorts of pressures growing up and wasn't too fazed by this line of work.

Her most famous role was in White Chicks, and after that, she had practically disappeared from Hollywood.

Hawke had asked Dwayne Johnson's agent wife for some details — Maitland Ward had only earned $20,000 for her role in White Chicks and didn't receive any backend profits.

...

Neville placed the business card on top of the magazine.

Then Hawke said, "Do you guys know Paris Hilton's former assistant, Kim Kardashian?"

"Of course. I even met her once," Bart responded quickly. "Kim used to appear on In Paris' Company with Paris a few times. After leaving Paris, she's been building her socialite persona through Twitter. I heard her late father was O.J. Simpson's lawyer, and she's used that connection to get into the professional sports scene. I even saw some tabloid rumors saying she's dating an athlete."

Neville asked, "Boss, are you thinking of inviting Kim Kardashian to join the SugarBaby site?"

Hawke nodded. "I'm good friends with Paris Hilton, so I know quite a bit about Kim. This woman is desperate for fame. You two should reach out to her and see if she has any tapes like Alison Faith and Josh Hartnett's."

Bart had followed the Paris Hilton tape scandal and other celebrity leaks, so he knew just how much traffic this kind of content could drive.

Counting Kobe Bryant and Paris Hilton, this would be Hawke's third time pulling off something like this.

From a PR strategy standpoint, it was an old trick — but old tricks work as long as they deliver results.

And let's be real, even a decade from now, this kind of thing would still rake in millions of Stans.

Neville, always quick on his feet, asked, "And if Kim Kardashian doesn't have a tape? Should we… help her make one?"

Hawke smirked. "Give it a shot. If she refuses, we'll find another high-profile but low-status female celebrity. With Paris and Alison as precedents, someone will take the bait."

Bart and Neville took notes.

Hawke checked the time and said, "You guys will handle the actual execution — I don't want my investment going to waste."

They escorted Hawke and his team downstairs, watching as they drove off.

...

Bart turned to Neville. "Let's split up the tasks. Mark will handle the website. Which part do you want to take on?"

Neville thought for a moment. "Kim Kardashian wants to be famous, but she doesn't have a clear path. She'll be an easy target. You want to handle it?"

Bart didn't hesitate. "You take care of Maitland Ward. I'll lock down Kim Kardashian. If we pull this off, SugarBaby will blow up overnight."

Neville grinned. "Hell, maybe twice overnight."

...

The two hopped in their car and drove to their rented office, where they found Zuckerberg hard at work.

Nine other employees were fully focused on their tasks.

These guys were pouring every ounce of their energy into building their dream version of the internet.

At the time, some Silicon Valley companies were already experimenting with similar sites, but most were rough and unpolished.

A platform like SugarBaby, with its interactive model, was on the cutting edge of the trend.

Zuckerberg had transformed over the past few months into a full-fledged depraved mastermind. When he saw them walk in, he said, "I just thought of a new feature for the site."

Bart immediately perked up. "You're a genius — what's the idea?"

"I've been looking at other Silicon Valley sites," Zuckerberg said. "Most of them are just boring click-and-watch setups — no fun, no engagement." His brain was on fire now. "What if we add a customization module for SugarBaby creators?"

Neville asked, "You mean custom videos or photos?"

Zuckerberg used himself as an example. "Take me, for instance. I love girls in school uniforms or office wear. Girls dressed like that are so much hotter than just being naked. But what if I find a creator who has the perfect body and face for my taste, but her clothing style totally turns me off? Isn't that frustrating?"

He kept going, getting more excited. "So, we introduce a custom feature — users can pay creators to produce content exactly to their preferences."

"Brilliant!" Bart saw even bigger potential. "This could be a premium feature. SugarDaddy users would need to subscribe to a certain number of SugarBaby posts before unlocking customization."

Zuckerberg lit up. "Yes, yes, yes! This will skyrocket revenue."

Neville pointed out, "For this to work, we need tons of high-quality SugarBaby creators to sign up."

Bart nodded. "As long as we build a solid brand and always pay creators on time, young women will flock to the platform."

Zuckerberg had been immersed in this world for months. He had gained deep insight into certain demographics. "Why bust your ass studying or working hard when posting a few select photos and videos can make you way more money? What do you think those girls will choose?"

Neville added, "Some of these low-income girls wake up at 6 AM, work two jobs, and still barely make ends meet. If they have this option in front of them, a portion will definitely take it."

Bart smirked. "And once they get used to easy money, there's no going back."

Zuckerberg laughed. "Our site is destined for greatness."

*****

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