GrossCorp

## Overview

**GrossCorp** is a multi-national technology, media, and grocery conglomerate and holding company headquartered in Lakkos, Karkaros. It is Lakkos' highest grossing multimedia companies based on revenue.

Founded in 64 BF, its subsidiaries are globally market various service-related products, including entertainment and news. It is among the largest music, venture capital, and investment corporations. Its services include proto-social networks, music, etc. The company surpassed a value of 300,000 Zloty in 5 BF, becoming the first purely Lakkosian company to cross this valuation mark (Shrimp Shack would be higher). The company remains private, although is in the opening phases of becoming public following a establishment of their headquarters.

## Subsidiaries

As a holding company, GrossCorp has incorporated and bought out many rival companies in its time, leaving in its path of innovative monopoly on its respective markets. Holdings include:

* **GrossMart**, a Lakkosian national retail corporation operating a (soon-to-be) chain of supercentres, discount department stores, and grocery stores in Lakkos and planned abroad. GrossMart consistently ranks in national surveys as the highest ranking retail chain in regards to revenue.

* **GrossNews** is a Lakkosian international conservative news and political commentary television channel and website based in Lakkos. It also has a partnership with Gross+, which itself is owned by GrossCorp. It is currently the most watched cable network in Lakkos, and generates over 40% of its parent company's profit. GrossNews is known for its biased reporting in favour of the Lakkos First party and the monarchy of Zweglony, portraying opposition parties in a negative light. GrossNews has denied bias in its news reporting, stating that its journalists act independent of the station.

* **Gross+** is a Lakkosian subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the GrossCorp entertainment division. The service primarily distributes film, books, news, and television series producted by GrossStudios, with dedicated content hubs for its different brands and IPs.

* **GrossStudios** is a Lakkosian film and television production company under Gross+.

* **Grossify** is a Lakkosian radio station and music services provider founded in 15 BF (1965). It is one of the largest radio and music providers in all of Lakkos, offering copyright restricted audio content as a freemium services, with basic features being free with advertisements and limits control. Additional features can be unlocked by purchasing their premium version, granting commercial-free listening and access to experimental offline listening technology.

## Early History

GroßMarkt, the predecessor to GrossMart and GrossCorp as a whole, was founded in 54 BF by Lakkosian immigrant and entrepreneur Heinrich V. Groß (Groß would later be Lakkosized to "Gross"). Groß would spend over 2,000 Zloty, selling his home and assets in order to purchase a small run-down department store.

Groß would work for two years to stock the store, both through personal labour and a mass-theft operations with local crime-rings, the fact of which would only come out posthumously to great controversy. GroßMarkt would expand in 45 BF (1935) to create a small news subsidiary called GrossNews, prompting the name change from GroßMarkt to GrossCorp.

GrossCorp would go on to invest (and eventually acquire) a small film studio renamed GrossStudios. By 30 BF (1950), GrossCorp was a national conglomerate and influential business. GrossCorp. Heinrich would die at the age of 85 in 23 BF (1957), just one year before the massive "GrossTower" -- the skyscraper headquarters in Oldtown -- was created. The corporate empire would pass down to his heir, Larry J. Gross.

## The GrossTower Attacks

In 15 BF (1965), a bomb would explode near the based of the GrossTower as a result of terrorist actions LLA (Lakkosian-Liberation Army) after GrossNews' denouncing rhetoric over the few years prior. One LLA member (who couldn't be identified) would be killed in the explosion, likely ensuring the bomb would go off, whilst other LLA conspirators were untraceable. GrossTower was built on hollow ground, especially after a recent excavation under Antonio Alessandro, resulting in one of the four pillars collapsing two minutes after the initial blast. The result was a domino effect of structural collapse across the board. The GrossTower attacks would kill over 400 people, including 346 GrossCorp employees.

Many chairmen would be killed and Larry would struggle to recover financially. Despite government aid, GrossCorp would file for bankruptcy the following year after reconstruction efforts. A government bailout by the Consul would save the company, but would suffer a yearly tribute tax to the Consul (an arrangement in question regarding Zweglony following the founding of the Lakkosian Republic). The GrossTower attacks would become Lakkos' most violent terrorist attack ever and result in violent state repression of the LLA.

## Recent History

Following the government bailout, Larry J. Gross would seek to continue the company's conglomeration efforts, looking into the possibility of gambling as a result of the legalization of gambling in Serenus. Failures to produce a viable and effective casino system would result in the selling of the research to Trevisani, eventually falling into the hands of Les Hitaliano who'd put the plans into action.

Larry J. Gross would open **Gross+** in 6 BF (1974) and buy out various radio stations in Lakkos. Talks would begin the following year to make the company public after businessman Pietro Flu offered to buy a portion of the company. Larry would not refuse the offer, although negotiations would come to a slow and cold stop.

## Controversies & Criticism

GrossCorp has been attacked by environmental groups for its mass-industrialization leading to the destruction of native wilderness and the lumber industry. GrossCorp would respond proudly by planting ***over ten trees*** in honour of the wilderness movement. This move was generally seen as being "out of touch", resulting in the company recruiting younger generations to PR positions.

GrossNews has been accused of being conservative and royalist propaganda, using slander and conspiracy theories to slight political opponents. GrossNews has been accused, further, of taking bribes against individuals, most notably during the FishGate scandal with Pietro Flu.

## Political Activism

In 4 BF (1976), GrossCorp would create an "anti-global warming iceberg", a human-made iceberg outside the north coast of Lakkos. The iceberg would be subsequently be bulldozed under the state by Zweglony for the creation of a naval galleon.

GrossCorp changes its social-media's colours to a rainbow flag during June, and apologizes yearly for the corporation's early years of thievery and cooperation with organized crime.