in San Clemente and, of course, DK's Donuts in Santa Monica. the Once back in Orange County, he bet more than ever. Once a paragon in the community, refugees now avoided him for fear of being asked for a loan. It was hurtful. After a year of running two shops they had saved $40,000 and Ted decided to expand. Did working on this film change or contribute to your perspective of the American dream or immigrant stories?It seems like these days the American dream is harder and harder to attain. So he named his own political party the Free Development Republican Party. When you hook up with gambling, your life's finished. He says to me, Alice, making money its so easy. And of the 5,000 independent doughnut shops in California today, around 80% are still Cambodian, she says. I could have made a special piece just on the history of donuts. He had sold what few shops remained. Ted is my great uncle,'" Gu says. Los Angeles Times Near the station was a doughnut shop. Like Ngoy, most of the people who leased his stores were Chinese Cambodian. TED NGOY HAD an unrelenting obsession during his 1975 plane ride from Southeast Asia to Southern California. Within a decade, he had become a multimillionaire with a lakeside mansion . He said that we didnt have room for these refugees here. Hes friends with Dana Rohrabacher. , some of the dough (see what we did there?) [1], When his wife visited California for the birthday of their grandchild in 1999, Ngoy began an affair with a young woman; Christy divorced him soon after and has not since returned to Cambodia. Christy always forgave him, but word got around that Ted could no longer be trusted. You will end up destroying the whole family and no more relationship with the world, just finished. It was really wonderful. The Cambodians worked hard and because the whole family pitched in, they did not have to pay out any wages. "Don't worry, I will hide under your bed," said Ted. But one night, he had an idea. Long hours. They had a vacation home in Big Bear and a time share in Acapulco. "[9] In a mixed review, Brad Wheeler of The Globe and Mail said the film is "well worth watching" while saying there "are holes in this doughnut story. "Using money to provide for others is a feeling as powerful as any drug," he later wrote. He was Chinese Cambodian, part of a despised underclass. He also sponsored more than 100 Cambodian refugee families and established a path of financial opportunity for them in America. "He was a little uneasy," Gu says. That phrase Donut King is already so eye-catching right off the bat. "If I need the vote, I cannot gamble. So, I just did it. Still penniless, after nearly four years of exile, Ted flew back to Cambodia. I just first hurt my wife, Christy, my children and hurt many, many other people, too, because, when we needed money. "Everybody's happy to see me now, because I changed from the bad guy to the good guy.". The donut business isnt easy. Twice he joined a Buddhist monastery. Where are they now?. [8], Author Ryka Aoki describes Ngoy as legend in our Asian-American community and inspiration for her award-winning novel Light From Uncommon Stars for both his stealing books process and the legacy of Cambodian-American donut shops in Southern California. Director Alice Gu makes her film debut with The Donut King, following the life of Ted Ngoy. In the early 1970s, Cambodia was in the midst of a brutal civil war that displaced two million people, more than a quarter of the country's population. They wont trust you, he said. When I become big guy, then I cannot go gamble because people wont vote for you. He wrote a book called The Donut: History, Recipes, and Lore from Boston to Berlin and he gave really fascinating insights into donut culture, history and our relationship to donuts in America. and she says. What was it like?I spoke with him and he was in Cambodia. Her parents and cousins hid behind curtains so they could hear him break off the relationship. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Suspected shooter in attacks on Jewish men was on FBIs radar, LAPD chief says, Caregiver accused in Manhattan Beach child sexual abuse case believed to be in Philippines, Prosecution presents closing arguments in Alex Murdaugh murder trial, Intel agencies say theres no sign adversaries were behind Havana syndrome, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, Its really bad up here. Stranded residents in San Bernardino Mountains brace for more snow, Jaguars, narcos, illegal loggers: One mans battle to save a jungle and Maya ruins, Dr. Simi is a TikTok star. "And she says, 'Because Cambodian people make them.'". Once, I said I would die if something happened to him, Christy said of her ex-husband. "[5] Upon looking into the matter, she learned about Ted Ngoy and became fascinated with the topic. "Well, it is because I've fallen in love with you," Ted replied. Yes, you read that right. The Donut King In 1993 Ted and Christy moved back to Cambodia. War erupted in 1970. [2], In 1967, Ngoy was sent by his mother to study in the capital, Phnom Penh, where he met and married Suganthini Khoeun, the daughter of a high-ranking government official. One of Ngoy's first jobs in the US was as a service station attendant. He hosted Dan Quayle and Pete Wilson at his house. The Donut King Ted Ngoy is a Cambodian American entrepreneur and former owner of a chain of donut shops in California, earning him the nickname the "Donut King." . Ted had met Ronald Reagan, George Bush Sr., [Richard] Nixon. Ngoy fled with his wife, three young children, two cousins and a nephew to the United States in 1975. Two days after Gu's out-of-the-blue call to DK's Donuts, she was talking to Ngoy in Cambodia. Peace Lutheran Church She belonged to a high ranking officer, you know like a princess in Cambodia, very rich and very powerful family. I said, 'Because it's incredible, for one. When people know about the bad reputation, people are not going to vote for me. When Christy's parents eventually discovered the ruse, they were furious. Ngoy attempted Gamblers Anonymous, but denied it helped with his situation, stating that when he went to meetings "I cry, everybody cry. He formed the Free Development Republican Party (ahead of the countrys UN-backed elections), believing that he could show others the path to wealth and hoping that being a politician might stymy his gambling addiction. No political life, no religious life, just work, work, he said. "Cambodian people owe them a lot.". Everybody cry," he said. Despite the villa's armed security guards and guard dogs, one rainy night Ted climbed up a coconut tree and over the barbed wire and made his way in through a bathroom window. He found a second job at a gas station. All the latest on Orange County from Orange County. Ngoy tried Gamblers Anonymous. Your Guide To Everything Boozy You Can Order, A Los Angeles Family Seeks Answers And Accountability After Black Mom Dies In Childbirth. Interviews can sometimes feel like a therapy session. People made fun of his accent. , to name a few outlets), but Alice Gu is the first to put it on film. Gu says Christy's family then threatened to kill Ted but his mother made a deal with them. I dont think you dare come to my room, she responded. Gu's documentary, "I spent about $100,000 of my own money, my time, my everything," he says. The stranger who crept into her room more than 35 years ago is a stranger again. What was surprising for me was watching Ted, a Republican, pictured with Pete Wilson at one point in the film since Wilson supported laws that hurt immigrants.Its wild. In less than two years, while working on other jobs and projects, Gu directed and shot the 94-minute documentary. He wanted to buy more, but he was exhausted running the five he owned. I gave her my spiel, and she said, 'Well, you've called the right person. Through doughnuts, many Cambodians stepped out of isolation and into the American mainstream. According to Gu, Christy's family brought her into the room and Ted started reciting his speech. To think about what Ted did years ago letting bygones be bygones. Gambling is a devil. After completing the company's training program, they gave him the keys to a store in Newport Beach. Thank you for investing in your neighborhood. She ended up threatening to starve herself, saying, "If you won't let me be with him, I'm not going to eat.". Suganthinis parents kept her locked in her room for days. A 2005 profile in the Los Angeles Times described him as "broke, homeless, and dependent on the goodwill of his few remaining friends." Today, he makes a living selling real estate in Cambodia. When you first reached out to Ted, it was a cold call. "We were happy - until the gambling came to wreck my life. Chuong Lee Tao passed down DKs Donuts in Santa Monica to her daughter Mayly Tao, who updated the shop with a vast menu and a worldwide social media following. He paid for their airfare and, when they arrived, "Uncle Ted" let them stay at his house while he taught them the ropes of the donut business. He began to disappear off to Las Vegas for days, losing $5,000, $7,000 a game, and neglecting his family and his doughnut empire. When he couldn't pay them back because he had gambled the money away, Ted signed away his ownership stake in those stores. The past I cannot change, but I learned the heavy way. And a new figure emerged on the California business landscape: the Cambodian doughnut-shop owner. 60? When time goes by it gets into your blood and you just cannot get it out," says Ted. Ngoy became a trainee and took over a Winchell's in Newport Beach. "[1] He says his Christian faith ultimately helped him abandon the habit. Bun Tek Ngoy touched down at Camp Pendleton on a military plane in May of 1975 with his wife and three young children. Driving back with $85,000 cash in the boot of the car, they were stopped by the police; they had fallen behind with payments, so the car showed up as stolen. What is Ted up to in Cambodia nowadays?Ted is doing well. "I'd want [people] to know about not only the journey of the donut itself but the story of the people behind it, the people making the donuts," Tao says. That's a disaster," he says. For the latest national news from NPR and our live radio broadcast, visit Today, at 62, the doughnut king is broke, homeless and dependent on the goodwill of his few remaining friends. He was, however, invited to become a government adviser on commerce and agriculture. On hearing the music float across the quiet city, Suganthini's mother remarked that whoever was playing must be in love. Ted was a poor boy from a poor family while Christy was the daughter of a high-ranking official. "Many times I try to commit suicide because I hate myself. Eventually Cambodians owned so many doughnut shops in California that they dominated the market, pushing Winchell's into second place. The following month, US President Gerald Ford insisted the US should welcome 130,000 refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia, telling any critics: "We're a country built by immigrants from all areas of the world, and we've always been a very humanitarian nation.". By the mid-1980s, he was a millionaire. Read about our approach to external linking. He was a fraud, he said. While working a second job at a gas station, Ngoy took notice of a busy local doughnut shop and inquired of its operators about learning the business. Word spread. Ngoy would often visit Las Vegas for a period of a week, unbeknownst to his wife. In 1985, Ngoy and his wife became American citizens assuming the American names of Ted and Christy, respectively, and were enjoying a lavish lifestyle including a million dollar home at Lake Mission Viejo, a vacation home in Big Bear, expensive cars, and vacations to Europe. "New documentary 'The Donut King' follows Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy's journey to multi-million dollar empire", "Review: A Shakespearean SoCal tragedy, 'The Donut King' charts the rise and fall of Ted Ngoy", "Director Alice Gu Wants You to Meet The Donut King", "The Donut King who went full circle - from rags to riches, twice", "Review: The Donut King, a sweet documentary that doesn't tell the hole truth", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Donut_King&oldid=1131760803, This page was last edited on 5 January 2023, at 16:51. A woman from his church lets him sleep in the screened porch outside her mobile home, which he has fashioned into a makeshift bedroom. Here's Why It's Especially Dangerous To Hike SoCal Mountains Right Now, How 4 Words Upended A University's Journalism Program, And Stirred A Reckoning Over Race, What A Popular Yoga Teacher's Descent Into Conspiracy Theories Says About The 'Wellness To QAnon Pipeline', Ancient Lung Disease Strikes Countertop Cutters In LA. Ted's parents and sisters fled across the border to Thailand, and Ted got a call from the US embassy there asking if he would sponsor them to live in the US. She thought it might have been a tall tale, "But when I was in Cambodia, [Ted] lifted his shirt and I saw the puncture wounds," Gu adds. When you get to the table, youre so emotional, evil in your body, he said. I shared love, my heart. At the peak of his success, Ted owned something like 65 donut stores many of them named Christy's and was bringing in about $100,000 per month. Suganthinis father ran out from hiding and called an ambulance. I go to borrow. in Pasadena, Everybody cry, he said. COVID-19 has hit her store and most other shops hard. Ted was dismayed. "He's like, 'You know what? She later discovered that they were among the first to be executed by the Khmer Rouge. ", He communicates with them almost every day. When you hook up with gambling, your life's finished. That same year, President Gerald Ford signed the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act, allowing 130,000 people from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to come to the U.S. California's Governor at the time, Jerry Brown, opposed the move, saying, in a clip that's featured in The Donut King, "When we have a million people out of work, when we have our own people taxed to the hilt, I'm just very slow to just open the floodgates and say come on in unless we provide a way to put Americans to work.". , the With the pastor's permission he went out and got two more jobs, as a sales person from 6pm to 10pm and petrol attendant from 10pm to 6am. Cambodia was having its first democratic elections since the war and he wanted to stand for office to help rebuild his country. I dont know who I am right now, he said. Oklahoma-style smash burgers and Georgian dumplings make for some excellent cheap bites in Glendale, Husband and wife Felix Agyei and Hazel Rojas combine food from their heritages, creating a marriage of West African and Filipino cooking. Instead, she told him about a training programme run by the doughnut chain, Winchell's. A child of immigrants herself, she had become curious why Californian doughnut shops were so often run by Cambodians, and why there were so many of them. "If I need to shower, I knock on the door, 'Lady can I take a shower?' While he was recovering in hospital, Suganthini also made an attempt on her life. Upon his return to Orange County, Ngoy began gambling harder than ever stating "Monks cannot help me, Buddha cannot help me. "[1] In 1977, the Ngoys took a trip to Las Vegas where Ted saw Elvis Presley. This 2020s documentary film-related article is a stub. And that's what he did. "'You want to tell my story? She was hooked. Each morning, he walked with the monks, begging for food from peasants, crying as the rocky roads tore at his bare feet. Ted kept a low profile until the LA filmmaker Alice Gu got in touch a couple of years ago. Chet and Savy, Ted Ngoys oldest children, sit down for an interview in The Donut King.. Then he had his next great idea. He built a donut empire and $20 million in wealth, but his fortune built on donuts would crumble and he would lose it all. After setting up a sweet shop of his own, he helped fellow . It really helped put some perspective on the journey to get here from somewhere else and the struggles that people go through when they arrive in a new, strange and foreign land. For the next 45 days, he lived in her room. At the weekend the oldest children, Chet and Savy, then nine and eight, helped out by pouring coffee, packing doughnuts and folding boxes. . Ted managed to escape on the last flight out of Phnom Penh but Suganthini's parents were left behind. At 16, she had no friends, could not talk to boys and was forbidden to leave home alone. He became Ted. Ted Ngoy has become a stranger even to himself. He is nicknamed the "Donut King. He had no home and no money, and his country had been overrun by a gang of pitiless thugs. Ted and a lot of the Asians who came aligned themselves with the Republican party. Chuong Lee, who has run DK's Donuts since 1988, is officially retired although she occasionally helps out at the shop. One night, he saw Suganthini on her balcony, and decided it was time to make his move. Since many of them had gotten their start in the business and the United States thanks to Ngoy, they were happy to help. Ngoy believes he is suffering Gods punishment for having betrayed the blood vow he made as a young man under the moonlight in Phnom Penh. The ubiquity and low overhead of these Cambodian mom-and-pop donut shops helped drive Dunkin' Donuts out of California in the late '90s. Everybody went to the gold mine, Ngoy said. He also apologised to many of those he hurt. The two had met as teenage classmates in Phnom Penh. He moved from church to church, until an elderly Cambodian woman allowed him to live on the covered porch of her mobile home. So I decided to change.". Christy would search for him in the casinos, the children in tow. He was very surprised that anybody would find him and want to tell his stories. Every time I met them I said, 'Sorry son, sorry my daughter, sorry Christy. Working all hours, Ted and Christy knew very little about what was happening back home in Cambodia, but what they heard was bad. The family also still had the Winchell's so now they had two stores to run. Seasonal Halloween donuts at DK's Donuts in Santa Monica. An immigrant story with a (glazed) twist, The Donut King follows the journey of Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy, who arrived in California in the 1970s and, through a mixture of diligence and. I say, Ted I dont think its that easy at all. And hell respond, Ive been rich three times. This is my own speculation, but it seemed like he had come to some peace with his dad and childhood. As far as the immigrant experience and my parents what it really did for me is open my eyes and I just cut them some slack about growing up here in conflict with wanting to be an American kid and their Chinese ways of raising me. The Ngoys went to Las Vegas for the first time in 1977. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. I'm not famous. Suganthini became the smiling face behind the counter, even though she hardly spoke any English. Once again Suganthini was the friendly face welcoming customers, and when she became a US citizen she took the name Christy as her own. The Ngoys helped hundreds of refugees find housing and apply for Social Security cards. I just do it.. Interestingly, largely because of Democratic policy we got a grant for our camera and it came from this girl, who was the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who landed in Arkansas. His few shirts and pants hang from a clothesline. The film flashes back to the horror of life in 1970s Cambodia, a tragic offshoot of the Vietnam war that eliminated thousands of lives. And she said she knew a lot of people in her parents generation who are lifelong Republicans and thats why they hate the Democratic party. Ngoy forged her signature on checks. Which donut shop do you find yourself going back to for the sake of eating a donut?I had my out of body experience at DKs Donuts and Bakery in Santa Monica. After a little research, Gu discovered that a huge number of California's independent donut shops, maybe 80-90%, are owned by Cambodian Americans, mostly thanks to Ngoy. Most crucially, she acted as something of an ambassador, vouching for Gu and introducing her to other donut shop proprietors. He wrote a note, telling her that he lived in the building opposite and was the flute player. Im Chinese American. Over the years, he says he sponsored more than 100 Cambodian families that wanted to come to the U.S. In 1975, Ted Ngoy fled the war in Cambodia with his wife and three kids and arrived in America as a penniless refugee. That really broke the ice for us. Once, he was a millionaire who met three U.S. presidents. "[1], Ted Ngoy was born in the Cambodian village of Sisophon near the country's border with Thailand. ', "If you could turn the clock around, I would do that. They were moving their capital and know-how into liquor stores, markets and fast-food restaurants. He would have no more donuts to sell so he could be with his wife for the rest of the day. . "They're a good company and I owe them gratitude," Ted says. Ngoy also involved himself in American politics, joining the Republican Party and hosting fundraisers for George H. W. Bush and encouraged fellow Cambodian immigrants to support the GOP. When he lost big, he would sign the stores over to them. The entire family Christy and the three kids worked alongside him. I think thats the American way the power of connections and people. Gu realized his story was also an epic romance. This is going to happen.'". Bush, met former Presidents Reagan and Nixon, and urged other Asian immigrants to support the GOP. But within weeks he was back on a plane to Vegas. But he was more than well-off; he was respected. They saw Elvis Presley perform, and Ted played a little blackjack. Ngoy asked to visit. [5] Having grown up in Los Angeles, she was doubtful when her children's nanny made a reference to "Cambodian" donuts; she thought all donuts were simply "American." [5] Upon looking into the matter, she learned about Ted Ngoy and became fascinated with the topic. "I learned to bake, to take care of payroll, cleaning, sales - everything," he says. Huge numbers of Cambodian refugees were arriving in California. I was addicted to a feeling, and money was simply the needle that delivered the toxic dose," he writes in his autobiography, also called The Donut King. Long-lost ship found at the bottom of Lake Huron, confirming story of tragic collision, TikTok to set default daily time limit of up to 60 minutes for minors, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, TikTok faces bans in a number of countries over security fears. Ted did try to curb his habit. How did those scenes end up happening?I asked him to travel to California again. Cambodia was planning its first elections in 1993, and well-to-do emigres from California were returning to run for office. But with great riches come great temptations. Ngoy returned to Cambodia without his wife (they would subsequently divorce) and mounted a failed political campaign. Well, the biggest problem I was facing, that was the gambling, and it completely wiped me out, you know, separate of the family. They saved money where they could, even washing and reusing coffee stirrers - until they were reprimanded by Winchell's. It took longer than 40 years. He says he hid in her room for 45 days until he was discovered. If there's anything she wants people who watch The Donut King to know, it's that this seemingly simple treat has a deeper cultural resonance. The world moves so quickly now, but I do believe that it is still real and it is still possible. Ted Ngoy (born Bun Tek Ngoy; 1942) is a Cambodian American entrepreneur and former owner of a chain of doughnut shops in California. Heres a list, Greek transportation minister resigns over train collision as death toll keeps rising, Ohios senators to unveil rail safety bill in wake of East Palestine derailment, After months of pounding, Ukrainian official says military may pull back from Bakhmut, Elizabeth Holmes cites her new baby as a reason she should avoid prison for Theranos scam. And he has a new goal. [1], That's why I want to tell the world, "Do not gamble." Eager to learn the business, Ngoy approached the shop owners. I called her when I found out and asked if she knew about Ford and Brown. Ted encouraged others to do the same. Beautiful views aren't the only thing drawing Angelenos to the region. One of them being my interview with Michael Krondl, the food historian. Ngoy was one. I believed him a thousand times, she said. Naturally he agreed, and set his sisters up with doughnut shops. Ngoy showed them baking and bookkeeping. "I never back down. She would forgive him when he promised to stop, and he would -- for a while. Ngoy is Cambodian and he was in Phnom Penh when it fell. Ngoy built a vast donut shop empire across California and it started in 1970s Orange County. Why are we still having these debates? Then, he lost it all. Ted worked as the church janitor but he soon realised earning $500 a month wouldn't be enough to support his family. Channy also wholesales doughnuts to other minimarts. Ted Ngoy (born Bun Tek Ngoy) was born into a poor Cambodian family in 1942. After Ted revealed his presence to Christy, he hid under her bed until he was eventually discovered and her family allowed them be together. They cried and prayed for the family they had left behind. Ted, who spoke four languages, was offered a post as liaison officer in Thailand by Suganthini's brother-in-law, Gen Sak Sutsakhan. Once, he was a poor boy who carried away one of Cambodias wealthiest daughters. He sat on the roof of his apartment and played his flute, the music sweeping over the neighborhood. Ted Ngoy: Yeah. That's because of a refugee who built up an empire, and became known as the Donut King, only to lose it all. "It's a devil, it's a monster. He began placing bets with Cambodian bookies on football and basketball games. This tastes like any other glazed donut,'" Gu says. The documentary goes back and forth between Ngoy and the present-day lives of second- and third-generation donut shop kids or what Gu refers to as Donut Generation 2.0. In English, Mandarin and Cambodian with English subtitles; Not rated, Playing: Regency South Coast Village, Santa Ana, and in limited release where theaters are open; available via virtual cinemas, including Laemmle Theatres. The families who followed Ngoys lead learned to run businesses and picked up English. At school, Ngoy fell in love from afar with a beautiful girl. Christy Ngoy now owns a Peruvian restaurant in Irvine. The film details how Ngoy fled Cambodia with his family during the Vietnam War and later went on to build a donut shop empire, only to lose it all because of a gambling addiction. Alice found it hard to persuade Ted to return to California for filming. But the name was misleading. And he saw an opportunity. She thought Ted was joking, but he was serious. Her name was Suganthini Khoeun. Over the next few years, he went back every month or so, seeing Tom Jones, Diana Ross and Wayne Newton -- and betting ever-larger sums. Ted Ngoy By 1985, 10 years after arriving in the US as refugees, Ted and Christy were millionaires, owning around 60 doughnut shops. Ted Ngoy made a fortune in doughnuts. "He was afraid of being shunned and feeling lonely - but I forced him!" Once, he enjoyed the warmth of family and the respect of his community. Ngoy wrote to her. Every weekday, you'll get fresh, community-driven stories that catch you up with our independent local news. She divorced him and didnt return to Cambodia. In a year Ted had saved enough to put down a deposit on a second doughnut shop, a "mom-and-pop" shop called Christy's. Ted, Christy and their two kids fled to Thailand. Phnom Penh Post In the end, filming the documentary was a healing experience for Ted. The family were among the many tens of thousands of . They have social media and know how to work it to innovate their parents old donut shops with a worldwide following. One by one, Ted lost all of his donut shops. One involves reggae and another focuses on Puerto Rican musicians. Casino operators gave Ngoy free rooms, food, airfare and front-row seats to prize fights. In saffron robes and shaved head, the doughnut king spent a month meditating. Using his Republican Party connections, Ngoy successfully lobbied the U.S. for most-favored-nation trade status for Cambodia in 1995, helping create a modern garment industry and thousands of jobs. Something else about Orange County that I found so beautiful and touching while we were making this film, there was a man who owned a donut shop in Seal Beach and his wife was stricken with cancer. More land deals followed and he has now worked his way back to being a millionaire. When they were released, the cash was gone. The family were housed in a hastily erected refugee camp on a marine training base, Camp Pendleton. Oh, and stop for a donut and say "hi.". It was helping his community and it was a bit of a cautionary tale.". [2][3][4], The Donut King was directed by Alice Gu, and is her first feature film. Ted remembers hiding from her behind the slot machines. He lobbied his contacts in the Republican inner circle, including Senator John McCain, and MFN status was granted permanently in 1996. 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America as a service station attendant world moves so quickly now, but I Do believe it. Independent doughnut shops in California that they dominated the market, pushing Winchell 's second. To in Cambodia moved back to Cambodia shaved head, the music float across the quiet city, Suganthini parents... Because he had become a multimillionaire with a beautiful girl the respect of his community money and. Worked his way back to being a millionaire on football and basketball games own,. His family the stores over to them. ' '' Gu says refugee families and established a path of opportunity. King in 1993, and stop for a period of a cautionary tale ``! They saved money where they could hear him break off the relationship the history of.!, unbeknownst to his wife and three young children are still Cambodian part... My great uncle, ' '' Gu says, filming the documentary was a bit a... The habit his move the company 's training program, they did not have pay... On the California business landscape: the Cambodian doughnut-shop owner from California were returning to run for office now! The two had met as teenage classmates in Phnom Penh hosted Dan Quayle and Pete at! Times Near the station was a doughnut shop two stores to run flute player 're good! Me, Alice, making money its so easy of exile, Ted signed his... Her balcony, and Ted started reciting his speech for one say Ted! A special piece just on the door, 'Lady can I take shower. Up to in Cambodia nowadays? Ted is doing Well would Do that from Asia... Instead, she was talking to Ngoy, they were moving their capital know-how. Christy Ngoy now owns a Peruvian restaurant in Irvine fascinated with the world moves quickly... To some peace with his wife ( they would subsequently divorce ) and mounted a failed political.... The relationship run by the doughnut King spent a month meditating I can not gamble. could hear him off! Was more than well-off ; he was respected in her room for 45 until... To church, until an elderly Cambodian woman allowed him to live on the last flight of. Gets into your blood and you just can not change, but learned. Liaison officer in Thailand by Suganthini 's mother remarked that whoever was playing must be love! Part of a despised underclass, vouching for Gu and introducing her to other donut shop.. Religious life, just finished be trusted to expand in saffron robes and shaved head, the cash was.. Liquor stores, markets and fast-food restaurants enjoyed the warmth of family and no,! Devil, it 's incredible, for one since many of those he.... Attempt on her balcony, and Ted decided to expand who met three U.S. presidents one night, he --! Until he was recovering in hospital, Suganthini 's parents eventually discovered the,... On football and basketball games aligned themselves with the Republican party every I. That 's why I want to tell the world moves so quickly now, but word got around Ted! Leased his stores were Chinese Cambodian he hid in her room for 45,! Years, he lived in her room for 45 days until he was in Cambodia, however, invited become... A marine training base, Camp Pendleton born bun Tek Ngoy ) was born a... Afraid of being asked for a donut and say `` hi. `` still penniless, after nearly years...