Chairul Tanjung is an Indonesian businessman, the founder and Chairman of CT Corp, a massive, diversified conglomerate with dominant interests in finance, retail, media, and hospitality. Born in Jakarta in 1962, his early life was marked by hardship: his father was a reporter whose magazine business was forcibly shut down by the government during the Suharto regime, leading to financial strain.

Despite this, Tanjung demonstrated immense academic achievement, graduating from high school and pursuing a bachelor's degree at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Indonesia. While studying, he exhibited his entrepreneurial drive by starting a shop with friends selling books and t-shirts, quickly pivoting to selling doctor and laboratory equipment. Ultimately, he dropped out of dental school to dedicate himself fully to business, a decision that launched his multi-billion dollar career.

Chairul Tanjung's entrepreneurial journey began with a small manufacturing venture. He established PT Pariarti Shindutama, producing shoes for kids with a small bank loan. His first major order was for 160 pairs of shoes to Italy, providing crucial early validation. However, he separated from his partners shortly after due to differing business visions.

He later founded CT Corp, building an empire through aggressive diversification. His strategic genius was acquiring and building massive assets in sectors central to the Indonesian consumer: Banking (Bank Mega), Retail (Carrefour Indonesia, Transmart), and Media (Trans TV, Trans7). This synergy of finance, consumer retail, and media control cemented his status as a dominant industrialist. His public visibility led to a political role, serving briefly as the Coordinating Minister for Economics (2014). His biography, Chairul Tanjung Si Anak Singkong (Chairul Tanjung, the Cassava Boy), highlights his rags-to-riches, self-made story.

Chairul Tanjung's social impact is massive and structural, stemming from CT Corp's role as a major employer and provider of essential financial, retail, and media services across Indonesia. His companies employ tens of thousands of people.

His personal commitment is formalized through his foundations, supporting education and social welfare. His life story, particularly the narrative of overcoming his father's persecution by the former regime, serves as a powerful inspiration for Indonesian entrepreneurship and resilience.

Chairul Tanjung maintains the composed, professional style of a successful Indonesian statesman and tycoon. His attire is consistently formal and refined, favoring tailored suits and a polished aesthetic. His public persona is defined by his humility and his rags-to-riches narrative, documented in his biography Chairul Tanjung Si Anak Singkong.

Residing in Jakarta, his luxury is the security of his multi-billion dollar fortune, which affords him autonomy over his vast empire spanning finance, media, and retail. His life is a testament to the profitability of identifying and dominating key consumer sectors in a rapidly modernizing nation.