Sukanto Tanoto is undoubtedly one of the wealthiest most successful individuals in Indonesia today. The RGE Chairman directs business ventures across the globe, and his group of corporations is worth about $16 billion right now.
Nevertheless, reaching this level of success did not come easy, and as he stated during the Wharton Global Modular Course, Mr. Tanoto’s life was quite difficult at first, particularly in the challenging times of the mid 1960s, when he began earning money as an entrepreneur.
The Mid 1960s – A Difficult Time
Indonesia was a war-torn country in the mid-60s, and, as Chinese schools closed, young Mr. Tanoto found himself unable to attend school any longer, being forbidden, as a student of Chinese origin to attend regular Indonesian schools.
During his speech, Mr. Tanoto recalled terrifying events that have left a mark on him for his entire life. He remembered how paratroopers would land near his old school and how life became increasingly difficult and frightful for people living in his community.
One particularly shocking event was the disappearance of a family who lived nearby his home. Three days after they were taken from their home, the family’s remains were found in a nearby river.
Nevertheless, the fear of living in a war zone did not deter the young man from trying to continue learning and starting his own business. In 1967, his dream was realized as he finally managed to set up his own contractor business.
Succeeding as a Contractor
Although things began improving in his home country, Mr. Tanoto found his new venture to be challenging, and he soon realized he had to be extremely active and engaging in order to succeed.
At first, he and his workers began facilitating construction and repair projects of every kind, from repairing cars, machinery and AC units to building roads and housing.
Although it was bitter work those first few years, it was not long before Sukanto Tanoto’s efforts paid off, and due to his commitment, perseverance and desire to learn, it soon became clear that he was destined to become a truly successful entrepreneur.