In 2013, Tahir contributed more than US$100 million to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, an organization that provides funding for efforts to fight major diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, polio and malaria.

“My son-in-law is forbidden to enter my business,” Mochtar Riady told Dato’ Sri Prof. Dr.  Tahir, just two weeks after he married  Rosy Riady, the tycoon’s eldest daughter on March 23, 1974. It was shocking to him because the 22-year-old man was Mochtar’s own choice according to the wishes of Rosy’s grandmother.

Rosy, the eldest of Mochtar’s six children, is one year younger than her husband.  It was an arranged marriage.

A week after his marriage, Mochtar told Tahir about his principle that none of his in-laws were allowed to join his businesses. However, the owner of the  Mayapada Group said he was not surprised at all by Mochtar’s blunt warning.

“I didn’t mind what he was trying to say. It’s the way he said it that surprised me. It was brief, straightforward, without any introduction, more like a conversation between a boss and his subordinate,” the Indonesian of Chinese descent said.

When the two got married, Rosy was the daughter of a bank owner in Jakarta. Meanwhile Tahir, who was born on March 26, 1952, was the son of a clothing shop owner in Surabaya. The two did not know each other beforehand, so the marriage was like a dream for Tahir and his life afterward was something he had never imagined.

“I entered a new life that I could never have guessed before what it would be like. All I thought of was a light [of a brighter life]. I never realized that from that moment on, I would experience an enormous inner battle adapting to the culture of Riady’s family,” he said.

 Tahir and Rosy’s marriage was arranged by Rosy’s grandmother, who picked him as his family originally comes from the same village in Fujian province, China, as her.

In an interview with The Jakarta Post at his office building on Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta, earlier this month, Tahir talked about various issues, including his bittersweet experience as the son-in-law of the legendary banker and his relationship with his in-laws.

During the conversation he repeatedly emphasized his respect toward Mochtar and acknowledged that the name of his father-in-law alone was very helpful for him in beginning his own business empire. However, he didn’t hide his feelings that even until now, he still has difficulties fully understanding the family of his wife.

In the early years of his marriage, Tahir promised himself that he would prove his word to Mochtar; that he would be much better than his father-in-law.

So what did Tahir get from the founder of the  Lippo Group giant?

“In terms of material benefits, the answer is nothing,” the father of two daughters and one son said in his biography Living Sacrifice. The book was launched in a ceremony on Wednesday. It was attended by  high-profile national figures, including Indonesia’s third president B.J. Habibie and property magnate Ciputra.

JP/Jerry Adiguna

In 2013, Tahir contributed more than US$100 million to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, an organization that provides funding for efforts to fight major diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, polio and malaria.

'€œMy son-in-law is forbidden to enter my business,'€ Mochtar Riady told Dato'€™ Sri Prof. Dr.  Tahir, just two weeks after he married  Rosy Riady, the tycoon'€™s eldest daughter on March 23, 1974. It was shocking to him because the 22-year-old man was Mochtar'€™s own choice according to the wishes of Rosy'€™s grandmother.

Rosy, the eldest of Mochtar'€™s six children, is one year younger than her husband.  It was an arranged marriage.

A week after his marriage, Mochtar told Tahir about his principle that none of his in-laws were allowed to join his businesses. However, the owner of the  Mayapada Group said he was not surprised at all by Mochtar'€™s blunt warning.

'€œI didn'€™t mind what he was trying to say. It'€™s the way he said it that surprised me. It was brief, straightforward, without any introduction, more like a conversation between a boss and his subordinate,'€ the Indonesian of Chinese descent said.

When the two got married, Rosy was the daughter of a bank owner in Jakarta. Meanwhile Tahir, who was born on March 26, 1952, was the son of a clothing shop owner in Surabaya. The two did not know each other beforehand, so the marriage was like a dream for Tahir and his life afterward was something he had never imagined.

'€œI entered a new life that I could never have guessed before what it would be like. All I thought of was a light [of a brighter life]. I never realized that from that moment on, I would experience an enormous inner battle adapting to the culture of Riady'€™s family,'€ he said.

 Tahir and Rosy'€™s marriage was arranged by Rosy'€™s grandmother, who picked him as his family originally comes from the same village in Fujian province, China, as her.

In an interview with The Jakarta Post at his office building on Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta, earlier this month, Tahir talked about various issues, including his bittersweet experience as the son-in-law of the legendary banker and his relationship with his in-laws.

During the conversation he repeatedly emphasized his respect toward Mochtar and acknowledged that the name of his father-in-law alone was very helpful for him in beginning his own business empire. However, he didn'€™t hide his feelings that even until now, he still has difficulties fully understanding the family of his wife.

In the early years of his marriage, Tahir promised himself that he would prove his word to Mochtar; that he would be much better than his father-in-law.

So what did Tahir get from the founder of the  Lippo Group giant?

'€œIn terms of material benefits, the answer is nothing,'€ the father of two daughters and one son said in his biography Living Sacrifice. The book was launched in a ceremony on Wednesday. It was attended by  high-profile national figures, including Indonesia'€™s third president B.J. Habibie and property magnate Ciputra.

The world'€™s richest person Bill Gates wrote a testimony in the book.

In 2013, Tahir contributed more than US$100 million to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, an organization
that provides funding to efforts to fight major diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, polio and malaria. The foundation allocated the same amount of money. Most of the Indonesia Health Fund'€™s $200-million will be spent in Indonesia.

'€œA group of us '€” including Tahir, Michael Bloomberg, Larry Ellison, Carlos Slim and others '€” came together to fund the last mile of eradication. Together, this group mobilized nearly $600 million to fund vaccination campaigns in polio epidemic countries and other countries at the highest risk for outbreaks,'€ Gates wrote.

Tahir is one of Indonesia'€™s leading pilantrophists and at an international level he is probably the most prominent. He said as a son of Indonesia he was obliged to share his luck and wealth with other Indonesians to enable them to prosper too.

He is active in various social organizations and the government has acknowledged his contribution to the country.

In the 523-page biography, Tahir reveals the story of his life.

The eldest son of Ang Bung Ing and Linda Sindawaty shared with readers his journey starting from his bitter experience as a member of a poor family along with his two daughters. His relationship with his parents-in-law and his wife'€™s siblings and their partners.

His relationships with his in-laws are the most interesting parts of the book as he explains his experiences in detail, including the time he handled the problems of one of his brothers-in-law, who had difficulties repaying his debts after gambling away a large sum of money.

In 1986, Tahir established the Mayapada Group. He obtained the license to own a bank in 1990. The Mayapada Bank started its operations in 1991.

He was very surprised when Mochtar asked him to come to his office only to state his intent to control the new bank.

'€œI will take over your bank with a 60 percent share, but under one condition; you are not allowed to be involved. After 10 years I will return [the bank] to your children,'€ Mochtar told him.

He firmly rejected Mochtar'€™s proposal.

For Tahir, there are three people in the world in whom he has absolute trust and love: His father and mother, to whom he has 100 percent obedience and his wife, who he describes as the most precious gift from God to him.

Rosy has maintained her gentleness and neutrality bridging the gap between her husband and her big family.

'€˜'€˜She understands her husband'€™s position and her family'€™s culture although it has been hard for her,'€ Tahir said.

Rosy, did not attend the book launch. Tahir told the audience that his brother-in-law James Riady took his wife on a visit to Latin America just when he was about to launch his book.

 '€œI am 90 percent sure it was intentional,'€ Tahir joked.

Mochtar himself has reportedly finished his biography and is currently searching for the right moment to publish it.

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