I had a marvellous lunch today with a very successful Indonesian businessman. He shared his bit and pieces of his life, family, thoughts and business. He is truely a rich & humble man. Although he is born with priviledge, as his family background is very rich, but he never rely on his background to gain rich. He relies on himself to be where he is today. Now, he is a million millionaires :) maybe even more than that digits :) He set foot out to pursue his business with only RM25, which was his 3 months salary back in 1987. He went to Jakarta with that money and nothing else, all started from scratch. Hearing his story, I find him very pitiful during his endeavour and I am truely admired him. He went to every paper mills or to any people that were using paper (he is into paper business) -- door to door, called them up...all means were used to engaged informations or business with them. One of the stories was on his first business to Malaysia. He came to Malaysia many years ago. He would go to wet market to get a pack of rice and a packet of tissue. He is smart. He would contact the manufacturer of the tissue paper and the packet that wrapped his rice (fyi, is only plain white rice) -- from there he picked up his lines of customers. One customer would introduce another customer let to another customer and the rest is history. He is humble as in he is not over engrossed with business. He prefers to make friends instead of only business liasing. Some may not have any business dealing with him but they do keep good contacts with each other.
Additionally, he spread his business to China. He is a chinese Indo but he does not know how to speak or understand chinese or any other languages. He only knows Bahasa Indonesia. He is illiterate and he said he is not clever in school. But he is very brilliant in making money. While at China, he took risk with stranger. Once landed at the China airport, he would eye for a reliable person and stopped him. He would then called his taiwanese friend that know chinese and indonesian to speak to that stranger so that he could join ride with that stranger to the meet up location. He was lucky that he eyed the correct person as that person sent him to the destination safely. He said he did not want to take cab as afraid would meet bad guy that either would kidnap or injure him or tour him around the city without dropping him off at the correct address. While at there, he was exposed with strong alcohol drinks, cigerattes and women. However, he had none of those. He would pour away the drinks, left the cigerattes burning on table and he was at the hotel room while his partner had fun with those women. His partner returned to the room 4am in the morning.
Not only he has good business skills, he is a family man. He strongly loves his wife and family. His personal philosophy is man shall not engage with women other than own wife. According to him, can be husband and wife - is a union fated...wife is the one brings luck to the husband. Women outside mostly wants money. A man can give money to his wife but not other girls. He said a man will know where his money goes to with his wife such as where she keeps it or spends it but with other girls, a man may not know where the money goes to. No matter how a man flirts outside, a man's heart is always back to his legal wife. He will not forget his first love. He said man is always tempted with women, he is just a typical man but he restrains from doing it because if there is a first time, there will be second, third and so forth. He seems to be a man with principle :)
As of his personal life...well, for all his disadvantages, he wants his wife to have them. Such as, must know more languages than him (read and write) and must know how to use computer. During his younger days, his friend told him to get an Ipoh wife. Ipoh girl knows 5 languages, know computer and hardworking. So, off he went to Ipoh in search of a wife..hehehe..and he finally found one. His wife will travel with him around on some of his business trips to be his eyes (go through documents/interpretor) and hands (computer) :) Currently, his wife is holding and is incharged of account in his company. When asked why he does not learn chinese as his wife is a chinese, he said he did memorize but the next morning, he will forget..hehehe..but he is very alert over his wallet. Missing a note, he will know. He has good brain on numbers, anything less or missing, he will know instantly. No wonder, he can keep good amount of money in the bank :) His family has a tradition of many children. His dad has 39 children from 4 wives. He is the 3rd wife son. His elder mom delivered 16 children. Do you know why all 4 wives bear his dad so many children? Because for each pregnancy/child, one is given 1kg of solid pure gold. Gave birth to a boy, would get slightly more gold. However, for himself and also his siblings, they have only one wife. All love thier wife dearly and strongly believe on any affairs are bad or improper. Aren't thier wives lucky? They married to super rich and family men!!
Business - He shares with me where to do business. Which country has promising gain from business. Of course, some from his experience when he told me stories about it. You know, something money can't buy - successful people's experience!!
Readers..I know you guys may think I am naive to believe a man's words. Well, I do believe him majorly because my dad is thier friends for many many years. Personally, I know them since my childhood days. I dine with his brother and his family before. I met him before and he can recognize me just now during lunch. He remembered he met me before. So, practically I know all of them are from pleasant background and have good heart.
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