[1] De la Fontaine started his career with the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1708 when he was sent to Batavia.
He served in this capacity until 25 February 1727, when the new governor, Pieter Gysbert Noodt, assumed office.
De la Fontaine then applied for discharge from the service of the VOC, but his request was rejected, and the company gave him a promotion to senior merchant and increased his salary substantially.
[3][4] In 1736 De la Fontaine again asked to be released, in part because he wanted to ensure good education for his children.
In February 1738, De la Fontaine and his family sailed for Holland, where he bought Westerhout, a farmstead at Wijk aan Zee and lived there until his death.