| Paschim |
Posted
on 19-Mar-02 10:55 PM
The Casino
Lendup Dorje, a Bhutanese Prince moved to Nepal in the Seventies after some internal palace tussle in Thimpu. Charismatic and flamboyant, Dorje had the contacts, money, and looks to carry himself savvy anywhere in the globe. But he chose Nepal for refuge. And identified a Greek businessman as a potential foreign direct investor in one of Dorje’s brewing business interests in Kathmandu.
Dorje then went to Athens to meet this potential investor, and put himself up at a fancy hotel. At a restaurant, he set out, characteristically, to become a conspicuous client, drinking expensive single-malt, looking around at regular intervals, ensuring that his presence is felt. The way he did what he did seemed only mildly pretentious, but not vulgar at all. Aristotle Onassis - the Greek tycoon who later married John F. Kennedy’s widow, Jackie - was also at the hotel restaurant then. Onassis, quite bemused by this conspicuous visitor whose brown skin was clearly not a result of the tan that the Greek sun produced, asked the waiter about the gentleman. Impressed with the Bhutanese royal title and his address in Nepal, Onassis approached Dorje to have a chat.
Dorje was cool. He impressed Onassis, who at the end of the chat said, “Your Highness, if I can be of any help to you during your stay in Greece, don’t hesitate to ask.” Dorje, pretending not to have been too affected by this incredibly generous offer from the Laxmi of the Mediterranean himself, replied, “Mr. Onassis, I would really appreciate if you visited this restaurant tomorrow morning at breakfast. I have my crucial meeting with this Greek businessman who wants to invest in Nepal. When we are talking, I’d be obliged if you walked near our table, and gently patted my back and walked away as if we'be been buddies for decades.”
The next morning, Dorje met his victim, the Greek businessman for the deal-making breakfast. Onassis dropped by at the venue, and patted Dorje exactly the way he had begged the previous night. The Greek businessman’s jaws dropped when he saw Onassis patting Dorje, and Dorje, without looking back, saying, “Hey - I’m in the middle of making a deal, yaar. Don’t disturb me now. Will catch up with you later.”
Onassis, incredibly amused by the South Asian talent, walked away smiling. The Greek businessman then and there agreed to invest his fortune in Nepal with Dorje. Lendup Dorje has since moved back to Thimpu. The Kingdom of Nepal’s first casino that the two men founded is still running in Kathmandu, and the rest, as they say, is history.
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Is this fact or fiction?
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 20-Mar-02 04:51 PM
This is a fascinating 'tale'. The first casino in Nepal was made in 1968. So this
incident happened when Aristotle Onasis was probably dating queen Kennedy,
since they married in 68. Surely, a time to be generous, and to look generous for
otherwise dour Onasis.
Wish someone with the inside knowledge would tell us about this 'Sting' operation.
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Just to digress a little bit.
I once saw this Roberto Deniro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci movie " Casino". This
movie I always remember , because the way they kill Joe Pesci and his brother in
this movie is probably " the most brutal " killing I ever watched in any movie.
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