Ted Kheel and his associates had just acquired themselves a strip of paradise. The land that the Americans had bought consisted of 77.8 square km (30 sq. miles) of unspoiled rainforest and jungle at the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic. It also included some 8 km of idyllic, palm-fringed coastline, whose azure waters were sheltered by vibrant coral reefs. 

For all its breathtaking natural beauty, however, the domain around Punta Borrachón had few obvious uses. Not only was it remote but also inaccessible. The surrounding jungle was dense with no roads running through it, while the nearest town lay several hours away and the country’s international airport even farther.

For the past 30 years, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has worked tirelessly to put an end to the disease that has now claimed at least 38 million lives over some decades. (The true figure is likely higher owing to persistent under-recording.) Inspired partly by the bravery of Ryan White, a young boy who died of AIDS after a contaminated blood transfusion, Elton decided to commit himself to the struggle against this cruel blight on humanity.

Reetu Gupta hadn’t slept at all. Covid-19 – recently declared a pandemic – was creating intense uncertainty the world over. Occupancy at her family’s chain of hotels across Canada, of which she was the CEO, was in freefall. However, it wasn’t the unprecedented business turmoil that was keeping her awake, as she explained in an early-morning phone call with her younger brother. All that Reetu could think about was how the pandemic was going to affect others, recalls Suraj Gupta.

She kept saying how there were already so many people suffering in the world, even before the health crisis hit. With things deteriorating so fast, she said we had to think of ways to help. I wasn’t at all surprised by her reaction; trying to assist others and make the world better is just her mentality.