The Gedong Project


We didn't divorce immediately because my biggest concern was Sean and Brenden. It all seemed resonably stable. Made and I no longer lived together, and did whatever she did while I mostly stayed with the boys.

But suddenly it all came to a head, and I didn't even recognize it had happened.

It took me a few years to realize why the Singapore agreement contained one overwhelmingly fatal seed of destruction.

The next to last page contained a paragraph "Kedonganan". This was land we had purchased—in Made's name, of course, as were all other properties—with plans to build a new restaurant / nightclub to be called "Gedong".

2006

I worked on the plans for the next few years until I had a complete architectural and business plan.

The Kedonganan project

Potential investors loved it. An equity capital investor I knew flew out from New York to meet me in Los Angeles to discuss financing and suggested a new 'Waterfall /Flip' structure. This was a bit too innovative for potential partners we knew in Bali, but the real problem was Made Jati's shock at hearing the investmant plan.

As explained in detail later in The murder of Bob Ellis...

"Made and I married in 1985, Bob and Noor in 1986, and at that time foreigners could not own businesses or properties in their own name. The common solution was to place it in the Indonesian partner's name.

"But in recent years laws changed to allow PMAs or Foreign Capital Corporations so that foreigners could secure ownership in their own right. In 2005 I was planning a new venture, a nightclub / restaurant named Gedong. Made had assumed it would be in her name, as with Uluwatu and Kori and our homes. She flew into a rage when she found out it would be a PMA."

It seemed reasonable and a good solution to me—as I am sure Bob Ellis's plan later seemed to him. Neither of us realized the intense anger it would provoke in our Indonesian wives. For Bob it proved fatal, literally.


Proyek Gedong


Kami tidak bercerai segera karena kekhawatiran terbesar saya adalah Sean dan Brenden. Semuanya tampak cukup stabil. Made dan saya tidak lagi tinggal bersama, dan dia melakukan apa pun yang dia lakukan sementara saya sebagian besar tinggal bersama anak-anak.

Tapi tiba-tiba semuanya memuncak, dan saya bahkan tidak menyadari bahwa itu sudah terjadi.

Butuh beberapa tahun bagi saya untuk menyadari mengapa perjanjian Singapura mengandung satu benih kehancuran yang sangat fatal.

Halaman kedua terakhir berisi sebuah paragraf "Kedonganan". Ini adalah tanah yang telah kami beli—dalam nama Made, tentu saja, seperti semua properti lainnya—dengan rencana untuk membangun restoran / klub malam baru yang akan disebut "Gedong". Pada tahun 2006 saya mengerjakan rencana tersebut selama beberapa tahun berikutnya hingga saya memiliki rencana arsitektur dan bisnis yang lengkap. Proyek Kedonganan

The Kedonganan project

Calon investor sangat menyukainya. Seorang investor modal ekuitas yang saya kenal terbang dari New York ke Los Angeles untuk bertemu dengan saya membahas pendanaan dan menyarankan struktur baru 'Waterfall /Flip'. Ini agak terlalu inovatif untuk rekan potensial yang kami kenal di Bali, tetapi masalah sebenarnya adalah keterkejutan Made Jati saat mendengar rencana investasi tersebut.

Seperti yang dijelaskan secara rinci kemudian dalam Pembunuhan Bob Ellis...

Bagi saya, itu tampak masuk akal dan merupakan solusi yang baik—seperti yang pasti tampak bagi Bob Ellis nantinya. Tidak seorang pun dari kami menyadari kemarahan hebat yang akan ditimbulkannya pada istri-istri Indonesia kami.