Northeast Borneo (Sabah) was  rented  from the Sultan of Brunei by British businessman Alfred Dent.
A British businessmen purchased all of Borneo outright from the Sultan of Brunei.
mnli hypothesis: A British businessmen purchased all of Borneo outright from the Sultan of Brunei. premise: Northeast Borneo (Sabah) was  rented  from the Sultan of Brunei by British businessman Alfred Dent.