Chapter 9 - WHY THE VALUATION PAGE MATTEREDThe confidential page showed Lawson was considering reducing Sterling’s valuation by approximately $82 million.
Reason:
customer-concentration risk and unresolved packaging-line remediation costs.
If Graham knew our internal ceiling, negotiation changed.
If a rival bidder knew, worse.
Mason forwarded the page to someone saved as:
R.P.
R.P. turned out to be Rachel Price, strategy director for a private-equity firm that had previously considered buying Sterling.
Mason had consulted for her firm.
He sent:
Looks like Lawson haircut is bigger than Sterling thinks.
Rachel replied:
Source?
Mason:
Family room. Don’t ask.
That was enough to end his claim of accident.
Had Rachel used the information?
Investigation found she forwarded it internally but her firm never made another bid.
Legal questions followed.
But for us, the key was simpler.
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Mason had monetized proximity to Chloe’s family.
The birthday livestream exposed him because he became careless in public.
