After Suharto gained power in Indonesia in the mid-1960s, he stayed as
the country's president for more than three decades, helped by the
powerful military, hefty foreign aid and support from a coterie of
cronies. A pivotal business backer for his New Order government was Liem
Sioe Liong, a migrant from China, who arrived in Java in 1938. A
combination of the Suharto connection, serendipity and personal charm
propelled him to become the wealthiest tycoon in Southeast Asia. This is
the story of how Liem built the Salim Group, a conglomerate that in its
heyday controlled Indonesia's largest non-state bank, the country's
dominant cement producer and flour mill, as well as the world's biggest
maker of instant noodles.

The book features exclusive input from
Liem, who died in 2012, and his youngest son, Anthony Salim. It traces
the founder's life and the group's symbiosis with Suharto, his generals
and family. After the tumultuous 1997-98 Asian financial crisis sparked
Suharto's fall and a backlash against the strongman's cronies, Anthony
staved off the crushing of the debt-laden group. Told in a journalistic
style, the story of the Salim Group provides insights into Suharto's New
Order. For business executives, students and anyone with an interest in
Southeast Asia's largest economy, the volume makes a valuable
contribution towards understanding the country's modern history.