The richest actor in Hollywood.

Inside this private club, there was a large banquet hall that could accommodate hundreds of people. Matthew, along with Amanda, who was in charge of the charity foundation, stood at the entrance of the hall, welcoming the celebrities and dignitaries arriving to support the event.

"Many of your ex-girlfriends are here," Amanda noted, glancing at Britney Spears and Charlize Theron who had passed by earlier. "Is it true that first loves and former fiancées are the hardest to forget?"

Matthew didn't respond. At that moment, a plump Black woman entered the hall, and he greeted her with a smile, "Oprah, I'm so glad you could come."

To be honest, he hadn't expected Oprah Winfrey to accept the invitation.

Matthew shook hands with Oprah, who smiled and said, "What you're doing can help many Africans. I had to support you!"

She turned to Amanda, "Is this your new girlfriend? Aren't you going to introduce her?"

Amanda brushed her short hair back and said directly, "Hello, I'm Amanda Thomas, the head of Matthew's two foundations."

Oprah immediately realized her mistake, "Sorry, Miss Thomas."

"No problem," Amanda said graciously. "Ms. Winfrey, we're honored to have you here supporting our charity."

"It's my pleasure," Oprah said magnanimously. After a few pleasantries with Matthew and Amanda, she went straight to the voluntary donation area near the entrance and pledged $100,000.

This kind of donation was completely voluntary and a common practice at Hollywood charity foundation events.

Aside from being criticized for his philandering, like Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew had a very good public image. Thus, Amanda operated the charity foundation conservatively, using well-established methods common among American foundations.

However, Oprah didn't leave with the staff. Instead, she returned to Matthew and said, "I've been waiting for you to come on my talk show for years. You won't keep me waiting forever, will you?"

Matthew smiled, "Of course not."

The fame of Oprah's talk show in North America was unmatched, and many people were eager to appear on it.

However, with his manager Helen Herman absent, Matthew couldn't make any promises lightly.

Next, a series of heavyweight guests arrived, including top-tier figures like Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, and Steven Spielberg. The latter two had worked with Matthew during the filming of "Band of Brothers."

Tom Cruise, still accompanied by his fiancée, chatted with Matthew and reminded him to attend his pre-wedding party at the Hollywood Celebrity Center next month.

Since Tom Cruise had attended his charity event and generously pledged $200,000, Matthew wouldn't back out and would definitely attend the pre-wedding party.

As the number of arrivals dwindled, Matthew asked Amanda to go prepare for the upcoming auction when a middle-aged man with distinctive features and a short, chubby man entered the hall.

"Welcome, Quentin," Matthew greeted Quentin Tarantino with a handshake, then extended his hand to the other man, "Hello, Harvey."

Harvey Weinstein shook his hand briefly, a forced smile on his face, "Hello, Matthew."

Matthew hadn't expected Harvey Weinstein to come. Amanda had sent an invitation to Quentin Tarantino, but not to Weinstein.

But since Weinstein was here and there were many prominent journalists present, Matthew couldn't turn him away.

Quentin Tarantino and Harvey Weinstein didn't linger with Matthew and soon entered the banquet hall.

Charlize Theron, who had just finished chatting with Johnny Depp, headed toward her table. The seating arrangements were interesting—her seat was next to Keanu Reeves.

Walking along the aisle between the two rows of oak round tables, Charlize heard someone calling her.

"Miss Theron."

She turned to see pop music queen Britney Spears sitting at a table near the aisle. "Can we talk for a moment?"

Charlize considered it and then sat down next to Britney. "What is it?"

She had never had any dealings with the pop music world.

Britney, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders and her makeup flawless, asked, "Are you still seeing Matthew?"

Charlize frowned slightly. She suddenly remembered Britney was Matthew's first love. "No, our engagement was called off, but we're still friends privately."

Seeing Britney about to say something, Charlize cut in, "Are you planning to get back with Matthew?"

Britney shook her head, "No." She lowered her head, then said, "I just can't understand why he's become like this."

Charlize understood what she meant, sighed lightly, and said, "How many male stars in Hollywood aren't like this?"

Britney was momentarily speechless. Charlize stood up and walked toward her table. She never denied that she had genuine feelings for Matthew, just as he had for her, but she also understood his nature and had anticipated the current situation.

Being with someone as philandering as him could only lead to heartbreak.

As Charlize walked away, Britney looked over at the auction stage, where Matthew was talking to a woman with short hair, and shook her head. It seemed he never lacked for beautiful women since they broke up.

She scanned the banquet hall and saw Rachel McAdams, Jessica Alba, Scarlett Johansson, and recently hyped Adriana Lima.

"Matthew's heart is indeed large," Britney muttered, shaking her head again.

She then recalled Charlize's last words. Male stars in Hollywood were indeed all like that.

Besides, Matthew was now an A-lister, and most in Hollywood believed he had a bright future. As long as he didn't make a fatal mistake, he was likely to become a commercial superstar.

A superstar's success wasn't just about one or two blockbuster movies, but a long-term accumulation.

Gazing at Matthew again, Britney pondered. Who would have thought that Matthew Horner could achieve what he had today?

Not just her, but neither did Steven Spielberg nor Tom Hanks.

"Tom," Spielberg adjusted his round glasses, "If I remember correctly, you cast Matthew Horner in 'Band of Brothers,' right?"

"He had a unique aura," Tom Hanks recalled the audition. "From the first moment I saw him, I knew he was perfect for Ronald Speirs."

He shook his head, "But I didn't expect that in just a few years, he'd become this big."

Spielberg, not only a director and producer but also a studio owner with his own metrics for star value, added, "He reminds me of Cruise in the '90s, with a keen eye for roles. Whether it's period pieces or modern dramas, his films are always box office hits."

Spielberg laughed, teasingly telling Tom Hanks, "If he has a few more successful films, Hollywood will have another superstar on par with you."

Tom Hanks nodded, "I have high hopes for him. He's a smart guy. Matthew Horner clearly knows his strengths and weaknesses. The films he chooses cleverly hide his relatively weaker acting skills while highlighting and amplifying his strengths. His success is no coincidence; he's a man of great ability and vision."

As long-time partners and friends, Spielberg and Tom Hanks spoke frankly. "Michael recently filmed a commercial with him and was very impressed with Matthew Horner. He highly recommended him to me."

Tom Hanks remained silent. This was a decision for DreamWorks, and he wouldn't influence his friend's judgment.

Like Tom Cruise, many attendees had ulterior motives for coming to Matthew's charity gala. Harvey Weinstein and Quentin Tarantino were among them.

Harvey Weinstein, looking at Matthew, told Tarantino, "If your new film could have a box office star like him as the lead..."

Tarantino glanced at Matthew, "Casting him as a psycho killer?" He thought for a moment. "Matthew Horner would indeed make a good killer."

Weinstein laughed, "I'll call Matthew over later, and we can talk."

Tarantino nodded, "Sure."

Weinstein looked over at Matthew again. This actor's commercial value was immense, so much so that Weinstein couldn't resist the urge to leverage it for more profit.

He was a businessman, and all those Oscars he had won over the years were never for artistic achievement but for commercial gain.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our charity gala is about to begin."

A tall woman with short hair stood on the auction stage at the front of the banquet hall. Her words immediately quieted the room.

"Gentlemen, ladies, dear friends!" Amanda temporarily took on the role of host. "Welcome to the Matthew Horner African Refugee Foundation and Matthew Horner Children's Charity Foundation inaugural dinner. Now, please welcome Matthew Horner!"

Matthew strode onto the stage and began a speech he had prepared for a long time, delivering it with passion and energy.

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