Perhaps no other Indonesian embodies the spirit of entrepreneurship more than Ciputra. He is a nouveau riche and living icon in Indonesian business sector. Born in Parigi, Central Sulawesi on August 24th, 1931, he arrived in Bandung, West Java, to study architecture at the Bandung Institute of Technology. But even before he completed his studies, Ciputra and his friends had already set up an architectural consultancy firm. This firm was the foundation stone he used to create a property empire. His empire, The Tycoon, now controls three property groups and one media business with total assets of more than $ 2.5 Billion. “We must start with a dream. Entrepreneur must innovate constantly, never give up and think in three dimensions”, said the nouveau riche. Those words ring true today as he continuous his dreams of helping  millions of school children gain a better education through his school building program.

That never say die spirit stood him in good stead when the 1997 financial crisis tore through his empire. The full brunt of the crisis hit him in February 1998 when he and a number of his field managers visited a property project which had stalled. The project was abandoned and the houses left in finished. more…