Indonesian tycoon Hary Tanoesoedibjo will fly to New York next week
for meetings with Trump’s sons on resort projects in the Southeast Asian
nation. Days later he will watch in Washington DC as Trump is sworn in
as U.S. president.
While their association began long before Trump
ran for office, Tanoesoedibjo’s itinerary, with its mix of corporate
and political conversations, illustrates the tricky task for Trump in
divorcing himself entirely from his sprawling international business
empire -- with interests in about 20 countries -- once he’s in office.
Tanoesoedibjo, who is founder of media and real estate conglomerate
MNC Group and may harbor political aspirations of his own, will meet
Trump’s sons Don Jr. and Eric on Jan. 18 in New York to discuss their
deal to upgrade two
resorts in Bali and West Java.
The following day he will leave for Washington, having been invited by
the Trump family to attend the inauguration with his wife.
“I have to underline that it’s a business relationship,”
Tanoesoedibjo, 51, said in an interview on Monday at his gated residence
in South Jakarta. “I’m sure when he becomes president, Mr. Trump,
everything won’t be much different from now.”
Trump’s plan to let
his sons run the business empire during his presidential term hasn’t
satisfied politicians from both parties, who continue calling for him to
divest completely to resolve conflicts of interest. While he has
pledged to do
no new deals
during his administration, ongoing projects still in their early stages
are set to test ethical boundaries. Trump is set to outline a plan to
leave his corporate entanglements when he holds a news conference on
Wednesday.
Read more: Trump’s son-in-law Kushner to take unpaid White House role
Tanoesoedibjo is confident in the strength of
his partnership
with the Trump Organization, which entails the upgrading and then
operation of a 700-hectare resort and golf course in Lido, West Java,
and a 100-hectare complex in Bali. The meeting in New York will discuss
details of the projects, with construction of the resort in Lido set to
begin next year, he said.
“I deal with them regularly, with the
two children who run the business now,” he said. “The good thing I like
about the Trump family, the three children are all good people, very
professional and humble.”
“I deal more with the sons,” Tanoesoedibjo added. “Right from
the beginning, because Don. Jr covers the whole organization, Eric is
more design and Ivanka is something more basically fit-in, fit-out,
interior.”
Download Link
