The Gunung Kawi Fortune Teller Behind Salim's Business Success
In a 1975 flight to Hong Kong, Sudono Salim, also known as Liem Sioe Liong, accidentally met Mochtar Riady. The encounter led to a serious discussion about banking.
During the conversation, Riady expressed his desire to establish a new bank. In response, Salim mentioned he was seeking someone to manage his three banks—Bank Windu Kencana, Bank Dewa Ruci, and Bank Central Asia (BCA)—and considered Riady the right fit.
Thus, driven by shared interests, they collaborated to build BCA. Under Riady’s leadership, BCA became Indonesia’s largest private bank from the 1980s to the present. Had Salim not appointed Riady, the story might have been different. Salim likely anticipated this outcome, as his choice was not arbitrary but carefully calculated.
However, the calculation was not mathematical or economic, but based on a fortune-teller’s advice.
“Upon returning from Gunung Kawi [to consult the fortune-teller], he confidently stated, ‘I will be Tang Sheng for Mochtar’,” Salim was quoted from the book Liem Sioe Liong and Salim Group: Pillars of Soeharto’s Business (2016) by Richard Borsuk and Nancy Chng.
According to Gunung Kawi: Facts and Myths, Gunung Kawi is known as a site for mystical visits, including seeking prophecies from local healers. Salim had a specific mission each visit. As noted by Richard and Nancy, Salim frequently travelled between Surabaya and Gunung Kawi—a three-hour journey—up to three to five times a year to meditate in Chinese temples. Before launching major business ventures, he would consult the fortune-teller and perform rituals.
“At the temples where he prayed, Liem often relied on supernatural methods to decide his next steps. One common practice was shaking a bamboo tube filled with marked sticks until one fell out, then having the monk or fortune-teller interpret the inscription,” said Richard and Nancy.
Salim fully trusted the fortune-teller’s words, fearing significant losses if he ignored them. He applied this not only for starting businesses but also for predicting the suitability of locations. In 1968, he and the ‘Gang of Four’—comprising Sudwikatmono, Djuhar Sutanto, and Ibrahim Risjad—decided to begin operations from a cramped, small room instead of a spacious, comfortable one. The room had only one telephone, one desk, and two chairs without air conditioning. Salim insisted on keeping it due to its favourable feng shui, which later proved correct as the ‘Gang of Four’ business thrived.
Moreover, his belief in mystical practices contributed to the exponential growth of his other businesses, making him immensely wealthy.