WHEN Forbes magazine first started counting the number of millionaires outside of the United States in 1987, only 96 rich men made the world list. Within a decade, however, the figure shot up to around 300. And Indonesia has always managed to snag a spot.

In 1992, Liem Sioe Liong, alias Soedono Salim, who acquired 500 companies worth US$2.8 billion, was named Asia's biggest magnate. However, as the monetary crisis loomed and during its early days