NOT many businessmen from East Indonesia stand out. They can all be counted on the fingers of one hand. The name of Muhammad Jusuf Kalla is the most prominent among these few. He has controlled the Kalla Business Group for around 32 years. Under him, it has developed rapidly into one of the foremost conglomerates in Indonesia.

Established by Haji Kalla in 1952, the Group continued to grow. Its tentacles began to spread into almost every sector of