Anil Ambani Of Reliance ADA Wants To Invest In Manka Bros....

Good morning.  Last night, as Haim Saban and I were watching the Dodgers lose but still manage to clench their division, I received a very interesting visit from that guy that invested all that money in DreamWorks [Executive Assistant Note:  His name is Anil Dhirubhai Ambani of the Reliance ADA Group].  He said he just happened to be down the street at Steven Spielberg's house dropping off the $500 million dollar check.  As he passed my estate, he asked his driver who lived there.  When he found out I lived there, he immediately told the driver to stop and see if I was home. 

Long story short - he came in and said with great fanfare that he would like to invest $2 billion dollars for an equity share of Manka Bros. Studios.  Haim let out a high pitched squeal and said "take it, take it, take it!"  I asked Haim to go get us some chai or something and leave us alone.  I then gave Anil my one word response:  "No fucking way." 

As he stood there stunned, I told him a story.  A story about three brothers named Mankewitz who left the safety and comfort of glorious Bulgaria in 1901 to come to America with nothing but a bag full of gold that their father left them before he died.   Thanks to a favorable commodities market at the time, the Mankewitz brothers (changed to 'Manka' at Ellis Island) were able to parlay that gold into a major movie production studio - The Khan Mankewitz Moving Pictures Company.  Over the years, through war, multiple divorces, Academy Awards snubs and economic downturns, the brothers prevailed and built the world's largest media company.  Manka Bros. Studios is 90 years old - and, as I told Anil, there is no f-ing way in hell I am giving up any form of control!

I saw a tear in Anil's eye when he said:  "But you will go bankrupt."

"Then we will go bankrupt!"  (But I know we won't because our 2009 movie slate is going to be huge!) 

I shook Anil's hand and walked him out.  "Thanks so much for your $2 billion dollar offer.  It would have really fixed some things at the studio - saved us from massive cutbacks and layoffs; fought off Carl Icahn and his hostile takeover attempt; allowed us to pay for some of the huge projects were moving forward with... but, just like my father and uncles would have told, Manka Bros. is not for sale - not even five percent."

I saw a glint of respect in his eyes because I think he saw for the first time in his life that there are some people that just can't be bought.

I then saw Haim Saban run screaming after Anil.  "Wait, wait, Univision is for sale!"

Khan Manka, Jr. - Chairman & CEO - Manka Bros. Studios