EVER since the 1997 economic crisis, it seemed as if the Salim family had been swallowed up by the earth. This family, once the richest in Indonesia, vanished after the family home in Jakarta was burned down by crowds of people. The founder of the group, Liem Sioe Liong, also known as Sudomo Salim, was reported to be living in Singapore. Anthony Salim, the crown prince, was busy doing business overseas.

Ten years after the crisis, the situation