On Life and Love

On the launch of his autobiography, Indonesian business titan Mochtar Riady shares with gemma koh a personal account of how he engages the people in his life.

 

It’s not every day that you get a glimpse into the rags-to-riches success of someone like Indonesian Chinese tycoon Dr Mochtar Riady. So his English-language autobiography, Mochtar Riady: My Life Story (2017) “is a rare moment when he actually pauses and reflects on the past”, shared his grandson John, who described his 87-year-old grandfather as “a man of discipline, a man of principle, a man of dedication and…a man of the future” at the book launch in October.

Through engrossing anecdotes, Riady shares how he overcame living through hardship and political turmoil during his formative years. Readers learn about his foresight, strategies and Midas touch that enabled him to turn around ailing banks and eventually build his empire that is the Lippo Group. The business legend also charts the globilisation of his conglomerate, now one of Asia’s largest and most diversified, with investments ranging from real estate to hospitality, and telecommunications to digital technologies. The philanthropist also shares the values that have guided him and the people that shaped his journey.

Here, he shares additional personal perspectives:

AT THE LAUNCH OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY, YOU MENTIONED THE PROVERB “BEHIND A SUCCESSFUL MAN IS A WISE WIFE.” LI LIMEI SERENDIPITOUSLY SAVED YOU FROM DEATH WHEN YOU WERE COURTING; SHE SUPPORTED THE FAMILY BY LEARNING TO SEW WHEN TIMES WERE HARD; SHE ADVISED YOU TO RETURN A GIFT OF GOLD BARS FROM A CUSTOMER SO AS NOT TO BE BEHOLDEN TO HIM. YOU’VE SHARED YOUR STRATEGY OF WINNING HER MOTHER OVER; BUT HOW DID YOU WIN OVER LIMEI’S HEART?