This German newspaper describes his life in (or on?) Tonga in even more detail: https://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/portrait-einmal-tongaer-...

It is a very interesting read, and I can only recommend it. Some of it is one sentence after another that left me astonished.

Are the expat parts in Cryptonomicon inspired by him (small sovereign island nation in south east asia)? He was involved with cyberspace and Neil should have known about him from Snowcrash.

Love to hear how that self-sustaining island project worked out!

Just today I clicked a to shortlink for my German Univeristy and thought "curious they use a non-EU shortlinker, is that legal or secure?".