In the era of democracy, more power comes from money than from the barrel of a gun. And a man named Arifin Panigoro has money—a lot of money—at a time when Indonesia is turning into a democratic country. Perhaps that is why he has rapidly become an important figure in national politics. His friends see him as an asset to his party, and his enemies see him as a threat worth taking note of.

Arifin Panigoro himself is well aware of the p