French businessman Gauthier Toulemonde plans to isolate himself on an uninhabited island in Indonesia for 40 days and run his company via solar and wind-powered computers and satellite phones.

Fascinated by the novels of Jules Verne and the expeditions of famous explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, during his childhood days, Gauthier Toulemonde always dreamed of going on his own little adventure in an exotic paradise. He’s definitely not the only person in the world to have such a dream, but while others would consider the experience a break from their everyday lives and, more importantly, their jobs, Toulemonde plans to work a full 8 hours a day, managing his company 10,000 km away. On October 8, the 54-year-old French entrepreneur, who runs Paris-based philatelic publication services company Timbopress, will be transported to a 700 meters long, 500 meters wide island somewhere in Indonesia, where he will spend the following 40 days alone, keeping in touch with the world via the internet and a satellite phone. For safety purposes, the modern-day Robinson Crusoe has decided not to reveal the exact location of his temporary home.

Photo: Webrobinson.fr

But why would anyone go through the trouble of working from an exotic island thousands of kilometers away, unless they absolutely have to? He says it’s the perfect opportunity to show the world how solar energy and modern technology allow us to live differently and work over extremely long distances without wasting  a single second of our precious time. He plans to manage the company all by himself, keeping in touch with his employees, suppliers, banks and customers, with the help of two computers and two satellite telephones, all powered by solar and wind energy. The little gear he plans on carrying to the Indonesian island includes two solar panels, a computer and a tablet, and HD digital camera and two tents, one for himself, and one to protect the electronics from humidity. As for sustenance, Gauthier Toulemonde plans to fish, hunt and forage his food every day, and use a seawater desalinator  and rainwater to quench his thirst.

Photo: Webrobinson.fr

Toulemonde says the 40-day experience will allow him to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a real-life Robinson Crusoe and at the same time promote a new way of working. “And if that means I’ll inhale less , CO ₂ even better,” the Frenchman said. His experiment begins on October 8, and you can follow his progress on the Webrobinson website (in French).

Sources: France Bleu, Terrafemina