Barney Yiu

The Hakka Billionaire Barney Yiu

The main character was from Guangdong, China, who migrated to Indonesia to make his livelihood in 1930. In his first job to sell coffee throughout Java, he built a distribution network for himself; and his entrepreneur journey began when he partnered a fellow clansman in garments, and also bought into a leather tanning factory. He was detained during the Japanese occupation, but found an opportunity subsequently to provide assistance to the Independence Freedom Fighters. After the war, he received support to start a bank and provided micro credit loans and funded shop houses development. However, impacted by the devaluation of the Rupiah in 1959, and growing political uncertainty, the 'Jakarta Tiger' moved his base to Hong Kong. With funds which he brought out of Indonesia, he started in real estate development and became one of its early successes, in addressing the growing manufacturing and housing needs in the territory. But as ill luck would have it, the bank deposit run in 1965 hit his business hard, and he decided to relocate back to Indonesia. His last ventures there included banking, as well as starting a high school for Chinese students who had to suspend their education previously.