In the 2015 erotic romance film, ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,‘ Christian Grey is the CEO of a billion-dollar company, Grey Enterprises Holding Inc. As a 27-year-old entrepreneur, Christian has access to vast amounts of wealth and influence through the prism of his company’s success. It is immensely profitable, allowing him to accrue an elevated societal status. The service of chauffeurs, drivers, helicopter pilots, and penthouses is child’s play in the businessman’s book. In turn, his responsibilities as company head often keep him busy and away from Ana, the protagonist and Christian’s love interest. Considering the corporate opulence depicted throughout the narrative, one might be compelled to look for a deeper exploration of Grey Enterprises and its genesis.
Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. is a Fictional Company
The company, owned and managed by Christian Grey, in ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ is a fictional creation crafted by E.L. James in her novel of the same name. It is a global multinational conglomerate with diverse interests across various industries and sectors. Throughout the narrative, the company is involved in sustainable energy solutions, better agricultural practices, and innovation while dabbling in competitive markets like telecommunications, medical technology, manufacturing, and shipping. As such, the same highlights Christian’s methods and business practices as an up-and-coming force within the private sector industry. Like him, his offices are sleek and pristine, and his penthouse is fitted with modern luxuries and the best amenities possible.
The headquarters of GEH, Grey House, is a tall, elegant skyscraper that rises high into the Seattle sky. Ana and Christian’s pivotal first encounter happens in the latter’s glass-fronted office when the former comes up to interview him in place of her friend, Kate. The intimidating establishment reflects its mysterious owner and his lurking secrets. The production crew taped the sequence for Christian’s company headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia. One of the Bentall Towers spread around the downtown area, specifically Bentall Tower 5 at 550 Burrard Street, was utilized as the Grey House. However, because of the vastness of Christian’s empire, his influence casts a more enormous shadow than just the confines of his company’s Seattle office. There are several penthouses, properties, and business establishments under his leadership and that of GEH.
Business and work are intrinsically tied to the billionaire’s nature, as he is controlling and obsessive over his interests. The romantic and erotic scenes between Ana and him outshine the precise nature of the work done at GEH. Still, the luxury of his lifestyle is often present in their non-business-related plot points. Christian is demanding and unemotional, a trait that would make him a severe and dominant presence amongst his boardroom colleagues. Additionally, the weight of running a multinational profitable company surrounds him with an aura of dark magnetism, which seduces and attracts Ana to him from their first meeting. The business efficacy imprinted in the CEO also surfaces in the contract negotiations he holds with Ana before they engage in BDSM play themselves.
Although Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.’s business is a significant player in Christian Grey’s wealth and status, its influence over the narrative is primarily notional, as the romantic and sexual relationship between the business magnate and Ana dominates the story’s core. Thus, like its role within the film, the company is secondary to reality through its fictional conception.
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