Peterson returned to the United States to deal with the legal issue of the acquisition of Volkswagen, but it was not a trivial issue like finding a lawyer to consult on the acquisition contract.
It's about breaking down big issues like Volkswagen's corporate protection laws.
The Volkswagen Protection Act is a law introduced by the German government to protect the Volkswagen Group from unfair competition.
The Germans may have felt that this would guarantee that their industry would not fall into the hands of foreigners, but they were naïve, and Peterson would tell the German government in his own way that nothing could stop the Blackstone group.
Peterson has worked in the business sector for many years and has the same influence in politics as a member of Congress.
Immediately after returning to the United States, Peterson rushed to Washington to meet with the current Secretary of Commerce.
The Department of Commerce is located in the Hoover Building on Constitution Avenue in Washington.
Peterson arrived at the agreed time, and he was soon led into the Hoover Building by his former subordinates.
Peterson is here today not for anything other than to lobby the Secretary of Commerce to take a series of measures against Volkswagen so that they cannot be sold in the American market.
Peterson considers the matter from the perspective of a longtime politician who argues that anti-competitive treaties like the Volkswagen Protection Act not only shut out American investors, but also give Germany's auto industry a huge advantage.
Under the protection of this law, the American auto industry is simply competing with the German government.
Now in the United States, the automotive industry is facing a joint squeeze from American and European automakers, and its market share is gradually declining, and the role of the automobile industry in employment is definitely not negligible to the government.
Peterson quickly reached a preliminary agreement with the Secretary of Commerce, but the Secretary of Commerce also suggested to Peterson that the issue could be discussed with the German side through U.S.
Trade Representative Clayton Ute.
And he also promised Peterson that he would give Volkswagen a little color within his scope of responsibility.
"Peterson, I heard that your Blackstone has been doing well recently, and it has been injected by big Wall Street companies" After finishing business, the Secretary of Commerce suddenly talked about Blackstone's development.
"Yes, we accept funds from investors, but the way we cooperate is different, we use a partnership system, and the direction of the company's business is still in the hands of me and Schwartzman, and most of the time the other party just wants to make financial investments" Peterson suddenly had a stir, he heard that the other party had something to say, what did he mean Why did he pay attention to his small company for no reason.
"Do you remember my youngest son, Larry, who graduated from Dartmouth this year and wants to work on Wall Street in investment, I know what you're capable of, and if you don't mind, I hope you'll take him with you," the Secretary of Commerce said bluntly.
The reason why he dared to make such a direct request was mainly because Peterson was also a member of officialdom and understood the rules of officialdom.
The Secretary of Commerce seems to be beautiful, but in the United States, the power of the president is very large, if something goes wrong, it is common for cabinet members to come out and top the bag, American politicians are also people, and they also have to think about the future for their families, if they throw their sons to Goldman Sachs or Morgan Stanley, they will definitely be scolded by the media.
On the contrary, Peterson's Blackstone company has the support of a large consortium behind it, has no worries of its own, and at the same time is not too eye-catching, and with Peterson's ability, Blackstone's development is only a matter of time, and it is definitely a good place to install his youngest son in Blackstone.
Peterson said to the Secretary of Commerce: "Larry, yes, I watched him grow up, don't worry, brother, I won't treat Larry badly" After saying goodbye to the Department of Commerce, Peterson rushed to the office of the United States Trade Representative without stopping.
If there is a trade dispute between the two sides, the U.S.
Trade Representative will stand up to resolve the issue.
When it comes to the U.S. trade representative, this position is a bit like an ambassador for an international organization, but because of the key role of trade in economic life, the trade representative actually has a significant weight in the president's cabinet.
U.S.
Trade Representatives typically come from Wall Street and U.S. academia, and the current Trade Representative, Clayton Ute, is from Wall Street.
Peterson had a lot of dealings with Lehman Brothers when he was with him, and the two had a good relationship.
So when Peterson dialed Clayton's personal phone by phone, the two first caught up and then got down to business.
"Clayton, I want you to do me a little favor I and some friends want to invest in the Volkswagen Group in Germany, but the German government has a special Volkswagen protection law to prohibit foreign investors from buying Volkswagen, I would like to ask you to communicate with the German side to see if there is a way to get around it," Peterson asked on the phone.
"Who are you involved in the acquisition of Volkswagen" Clayton was taken aback when he heard Peterson's words, he didn't know that the acquisition of Volkswagen was such a big thing, who was so bold "We at Blackstone are very interested in the automotive industry, so we have joined forces with several banks in the UK and the US to buy Volkswagen, but the Germans have used the law to hinder our normal business activities.
This is hard for me to accept in any way, Clayton, you know how many German cars flow into the American market every year, on the one hand, they are making a lot of dollars from us, and the Germans are closing the door when we want a fair chance to compete.
Clayton, do you think that's fair?"
Peterson explained to Clayton over the phone.
"Anyway, I hope you can succeed If Volkswagen is really bought by you, are you considering moving some of your factories to the United States?"
Clayton asked again, as an official, everything will be considered in terms of trade surplus, employment, etc., this has become a professional habit.
"Of course, Clayton, if we can get what we want, then I'm willing to move the production line of the golf to the United States, I think that kind of car is a nightmare for Japanese cars, cost-effective cars made in the United States, at least 200,000 jobs, Clayton If you want to run for Congress, I can put this gift in your hometown," Peterson said nakedly seductively.
"Peterson, you know me too well, do I have any reason to refuse, to hell with the Germans and Japanese," Clayton said excitedly. t1706231537: