Mia: Okay, so today we’re diving into a pretty crazy story: Robert Jenkins, the self-proclaimed King of X, and his connection to the legendary Starck Club in 1980s Dallas. I gotta admit, I'm kind of clueless about this whole scene, but it sounds like something straight out of a movie. So, what's the deal?
Mars: Man, it is! Think neon lights under a highway overpass, Philippe Starck design… the Starck Club was *the* place to be. And Jenkins, he was the guy fueling the party. Back then MDMA was legal until '85, so Jenkins cooked small batches and tested them in a gay club setting. Heard rave reviews, so he partnered with Rob Widdowson to create “Heaven.
Mia: So, he wasn't some shady dude in a lab coat hiding out in a basement?
Mars: Nah, not at all. He was actually pretty well-connected. West Austin upbringing – dentist dad, Neiman Marcus mom... even bounced around military school after a little quaalude incident. Total counterculture vibe. Then, he hooked up with China Bob Carson – pot dealer since junior high and together, they started see real big-league drug ops in Richardson. It blew their minds.
Mia: Okay, so they just roll into Dallas and set up shop, basically?
Mars: Pretty much! I mean, back then, MDMA was, like, legal-ish. Jenkins, he wasn't just some random dude. He was practically a pharmacist and small-batch enthusiast. These small batches allowed him to partner up with Rob Widdowson to create “Heaven,” a slightly tweaked formula.
Mia: Like baking cookies, right? First batch is burnt, next thing you know, you're Gordon Ramsay!
Mars: Exactly! And once they got into the Starck Club – where even Prince and Tom Cruise were rumored to have dropped by – they branded the pills. Food coloring, anise oil flavor, little logos... Suddenly, everyone wants some. It became a status symbol!
Mia: Wait, I heard something about Paris… a fashion scene connection?
Mars: Oh yeah! He teamed up with a magazine publisher, Eric Kimmel. They were like, Let's export this to Europe! Paris runway scene, big raid, Kimmel got busted, Jenkins barely escaped.
Mia: Wow. So, it all eventually fell apart?
Mars: Yup. A buddy Kevin got pinched in a weed farm bust and flipped on him. Jenkins got convicted for aiding and abetting. He did some time, but when he got out, he straightened up. Patched things up with his folks, even got married and now?
Mia: Don't tell me he's still cooking up batches in a trailer somewhere.
Mars: Haha, no way! He’s chilling by the San Marcos River, living in a silver Blue Bird bus. Can you believe it?
Mia: Wild! From King of X to riverside chillin’. Any regrets?
Mars: He says he regrets going after Kimmel.
Mia: Unreal. Robert Jenkins – what a story! From cotton gin country to X kingpin, and back to a silver bus. Thanks for sharing that, really interesting.