Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet

1.7 billion pounds is no small amount, but it's far from sufficient to run an international special operations organization. Without a stable funding source and with most of the assets tied up in fixed properties, even leasing them out in today's economy wouldn't generate much rental income. It's no wonder Philip and the others are struggling to keep Kingsman afloat.

"Tell me the real reason you're so eager for me to take over," William stared into Wilson's eyes. "Don't try to deceive me. If I find out you've lied to me after I take over, I'll destroy Kingsman myself."

"Hah, you wouldn't even need to lift a finger. If you refuse, we don't know how much longer Kingsman can even hold out," Wilson replied after a moment's thought. "The main issue is lack of funds. The financial crisis six months ago hit hard, wiping out a lot of people's wealth and confidence. While some still believe the situation might improve over the years, Kingsman is a money-guzzler that can't wait that long. Without money, we can't survive this difficult period."

The nobility has been arguing about Kingsman's funding for years. With England's influence waning over the past two decades, they would rather sell Kingsman's assets than dig into their own pockets. Many of them feel they no longer need Kingsman's protection, now that the 'Red Bear' to the east has fallen. 

With some unwilling to contribute, others who might have supported the organization through this difficult time have also withdrawn.

At this, Wilson paused and looked at William.

Thanks to his heightened senses, William could tell from the faint increase in Wilson's heartbeat that he wasn't lying. He signaled for Wilson to continue.

Seeing that William was interested, Wilson immediately went on, "The second issue is also related to funding. Since we've been self-financing, the Kingsman division in America has been drawn toward American interests. If things keep going this way, England's Kingsman might align itself with the U.S. division, or even get absorbed entirely. 

This is something neither my grandfather, my father, nor the noble families can tolerate. If it came to that, we'd rather dismantle Kingsman than let it fall under American control.

So, if you refuse to take over, I don't think Kingsman will survive much longer. After 151 years, it's on the verge of collapsing."

This probably explains why that lunatic Poppy was able to so easily dismantle Kingsman in the second movie. William couldn't imagine a mere drug dealer, no matter how wealthy, managing to launch dozens of coordinated strikes in London without significant internal vulnerabilities.

Watching Wilson's subtle expressions and gestures, William concluded that Wilson was being honest with him.

However, his own heart began racing as he asked, "Couldn't you turn Kingsman over to the English government?"

Wilson chuckled. "Do you think the government lacks special agencies? Besides, there's no way we would entrust a noble organization to them. We wouldn't feel secure sharing our secrets with them, and it's obvious that Kingsman would disappear within a few years."

"Aren't you worried I might turn Kingsman into my own private force?" William asked.

"Not at all. In fact, we're hoping you'll do just that," Wilson laughed. "Those 1.7 billion in assets will be placed in a trust fund, so handing Kingsman over to a fellow member of the nobility is more beneficial for us than destroying it or turning it over to the Americans or the government."

After considering this for a moment, William asked, "If Philip and the nobles let go, who will oversee Kingsman in the future?"

"My grandfather and the committee will, though as long as your actions don't harm England's interests, they'll leave you to do as you see fit."

Heh, maybe that was true when Philip was in charge, but if William took over, he knew better than to believe they would really stay out of his affairs. He wasn't naive enough to trust that there would be no oversight, and without any oversight, he would reject the deal.

After weighing the pros and cons in silence, William finally told Wilson, "Give me the documents. I'll give you my answer tomorrow."

"OK, the documents are in Buckingham Palace. I'll bring them to your home personally in a little while." Having spent enough time around William, Wilson could tell he was interested this time; otherwise, he would have refused outright, just as he had before.

Without saying goodbye to Harry or Laura, the two returned directly to Buckingham Palace. After half an hour, Wilson collected a box handed over by Philip's elderly butler.

Back at the estate, William took the box down to the basement and spent some time scanning the thick stack of documents into Sunday's main server.

Reclining on the couch, he browsed through the holographic documents. "Kingsman's situation is actually better than I expected. Although they currently have just over 200 people in total, including personnel and logistics, the organizational structure is intact. London alone has two underground bases, and while they look prosperous on the surface, they're struggling in secret. The only real issue is funding.

Without a stable income, even with spending cuts, Kingsman still has annual expenses of 100 million pounds. But for William, finding one or two hundred million pounds a year isn't a challenge. Just from Kingsman's tailor shops selling custom bulletproof suits, they could potentially earn tens of millions annually. With some additional sources, the annual expenses could be covered.

In fact, William had considered taking over Kingsman before. The autonomy, independent operation, investigation, and adjudication rights were immensely appealing. Now that Philip intended to hand over control completely, William would have the authority to act without needing to justify himself to any official body, as long as his actions weren't publicly exposed.

As for the idea of growing Kingsman's wealth or limiting expenditures, William didn't care much about that now. He was not aiming to increase its assets in the short term. Its current size was ideal for him at this stage.

Perhaps after several years or even a decade, once he had fully established control, he would consider expanding Kingsman, but only once he was sure he wouldn't be working for someone else's benefit. After his recent experience with too much support backfiring during his title promotion, William had no intention of drawing more attention from Philip or the nobles.

At this stage, his ambitions weren't that grand.

Additionally, he still had the option to replace Kingsman's elite agents. When that crazy drug dealer woman from Kingsman 2 took action, he could simply play dumb and let her eliminate the current agents without lifting a finger himself. Of course, he'd keep Harry Hart, but he could personally rebuild Kingsman after its destruction, recruiting new agents on his own terms, and controlling the funds. William was confident that under these conditions, he could keep all the new elite agents firmly under his control.

With that in mind, William instructed Sunday, "Start tracking down anyone with a golden circle tattoo and look for a middle-aged woman named Poppy who deals drugs."

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [[email protected]/Mutter]

[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]