The Friday Gold Shipment

The Sampoerna Group, which in large part funds my university, traces its genesis to a tiny cigarette cart Great Grandpa Sampoerna started over 100 years ago. Most of what eventually became a gigantic international cigarette business was sold to a global conglomerate years ago, though they still retain control of a few brands in Indonesia. Now they trade in coffee and other products, including Gold, which they offer for purchase to all employees affiliated with any Sampoerna endeavor.

Last Friday was our first gold delivery and I picked up my three grams in the HR office, each gram ingot no bigger than a micro SIM card. It's like working for a university/duty free shop:  coffee, curriculum, cigarettes and all.

Strange as it is picking up a small slice of one's paycheck in mini gold ingots, it's much better to have your employer sitting on a substantial gold reserve than many of the alternatives. For example, it sure beats the struggling university I worked for in Kentucky years ago where our paychecks would bounce from time to time. I will keep my eyes open for new opportunities as perhaps next month some jewelry or clove cigarettes might be available from the Sampoerna Group, in exchange for part of my wages.  In the meantime, I will ponder the wildly diverse institutions for which I have worked.




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