Indonesian businessman Tahir or Dato Sri Tahir has an estimated net worth of $2 billion. He is #736 in The Forbes Billionaires List, #7 in Indonesia and #13 in Indonesia’s 40 Richest List as of March 2013. He was born on March 26, 1952 in Surabaya, Indonesia to a father who had a business making pedicabs and a mother who owned a fabric shop. He needed to quit medical school in Taiwan because of his father’s illness. He later studied business in Nanyang University in Singapore, Nanyang Technological University’s predecessor.

Tahir then returned to Indonesia after graduation. In 1986, he founded the Mayapada Group, an Indonesian-based conglomerate. He started his empire with a garment and textile manufacturing business. Four years later, he started Bank Mayapada, one of nation’s largest privately held banks these days. Majority of his wealth comes from his bank and real estate holdings. He now owns several buildings in Jakarta, hotels in Bali and Batam, and a new tower in Singapore. He is also a co-investor in the license that publishes Forbes Indonesia.

Tahir is known for his charitable works. He has donated more than $50 million to universities in China, Indonesia, United States, and Singapore where he is a permanent resident. In April 2011, he donated $1 million to the University of California, Berkeley for international student fellowships for students in the fulltime MBA program at Berkeley-Haas. It was one of his duties as a member of the university’s board of trustees. He has also spent a fair amount as president of the Indonesian Table Tennis Association to help send Indonesians to Beijing for coaching and training. Her wife is also into charity. Rosy, the daughter of another Indonesian tycoon, Mochtar Riady, recently started h2h Charity. She also has a vintage shop in Jakarta wherein the proceeds are donated to help provide schooling for underprivileged children in Indonesia.