“Hopefully this book can inspire the younger generation to be more courageous, not to be complacent, but to compete, struggle and fight for their beliefs. Don't let there be a spoon‐fed generation. Pak Mochtar is a great inspiration for our generation.”

Joko Widodo
President, Republic of Indonesia

“I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to Pak Mochtar, for the many things that he has done for this country, especially during the 10 years I was president. I am confident that Bung Karno (Sukarno), Pak Harto (Suharto), Pak (B.J.) Habibie, Gus Dur (Abdurrahman Wahid) and Ibu Megawati (Soekarnoputri) would say the same thing: thank him for his work.

I've read about his life, from the time he moved to Jakarta from Malang, and even until now and hopefully I will continue to read about his works in the future. After reading his book, having joined him on the journey of his life, it is clear that Pak Mochtar is not just a Man of Ideas, but also certainly a Man of Action. Normally success starts with ideas but then those ideas need to be fought and worked hard for, until the goal is finally achieved.

He is certainly a man of ideas, a hardworking man, a persistent man, and an accomplished man. Thomas Alva Edison has said that genius is just 1 percent inspiration, and 99 percent perspiration, hard work. I am sure that the road he travelled has been like that—and this book is a witness to that journey.”

Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Former President, Republic of Indonesia

Many businessmen, the world over, have written books about building empires, despite being born into poverty. This book traces a similar arc of stunning success from humble origins, yet it is a truly unique account of an exceptional life. It is the autobiography of an Indonesian Chinese businessman who has an indomitable spirit and a great capacity for overcoming adversity. This book describes his occasional missteps as well as a lifetime of achievements spanning Southeast Asia, China, Korea and the West. At the same time it provides a lively and first‐hand account of Indonesia's economic development after years of stagnation and decline. It is also a well‐organised guide for aspiring businessmen that also grips the reader with its entertaining anecdotes. In 1935, his grandmother tells him that he must leave the family village: “You must leave to come back—study and equip yourself with skills before coming back,” she says. Thus begins this fascinating tale of the man behind the Lippo empire.

In these memoirs, we are given an insight into his analytical mind as we follow his personal story as well as the developments of one of Indonesia's most globalised conglomerates. Dr. Riady describes how he came to learn about banking, trade and numerous other economic ventures. He shares his views on the five imbalances of China, his passion for education and his philanthropic work in Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China and the West. He is a passionate advocate for understanding the unpredictable nature of the economy and preparing for disruptive global changes, particularly the digital technological revolution which has already transformed the way we live and work.

On the more personal side, he shares details of the hardships he faced and overcame, offering his experience of four wars and five “dynasties” and the pain endured under Japan's World War II occupation of what is now Indonesia.

His first step was the hardest. Along the way, he embraced the business and work practices of the West, Indonesia and China, and this helped lay the groundwork for the growth of his numerous banks and ultimately, the building of the Lippo Group. He also muses on the friendships that helped him succeed, including his ties with business titans such as Li Ka‐shing of Hong Kong and Jack Stephens of the US. From them, he learnt to play his role in international banking and commerce. It is these experiences that helped him set the course for his Group and adapt to the often bewildering global changes over the years.

Growing up in Indonesia and developing his business, even in hard times, he appreciated the vastness of his country—which stretches from Sumatra in the west to Papua in the east. He learnt how it was a cauldron of conflict between various religious groups even before the arrival of Dutch colonialists and their oppressive rule over Java. He learnt and understood real revolution and war, playing his own modest part in the nation's drive for independence from the Dutch. He did all this out of a profound love for Indonesia—his home.

He concludes that the future is in one's family. He ends by saying “All I have is hope”, a short phrase that is reflective of his optimism and general enthusiasm for life and his work.

Today, the Lippo Group is one of Asia's largest business groups, with its main businesses in Indonesia. It is the biggest consumer services group in Indonesia and manages the country's largest portfolio of retail malls. It is also the leader in department stores, hypermarkets, broadband internet service, and hospitals. Beyond its market leadership and scale, it is also establishing itself as the partner of choice for many blue chip foreign investors looking to participate in the growth of Indonesia's vibrant economy.

Dr. Riady has many stories and life lessons to reflect on, but at 87 years old, he is still a man excited about what is to come and always looking into the future.

S. R. Nathan
Former President of Singapore

In my years of public service, I was fortunate enough to bear witness to Pak Mochtar's lifetime of contributions to our country. Few people can say that they have endured the chaos of civil war, the feuds of rival warlords, a harsh military occupation and a revolutionary struggle for independence. Fewer still can say that in addition to witnessing these earthshaking events, they also managed to overcome personal grief and hardship in their childhood before finding the inner strength to build a conglomerate that compete on the international stage and directly employs over 115,000 people across Asia. Pak Mochtar is a rare breed of man that exemplifies true grit. He is someone who can legitimately make all of these claims—but the Pak Mochtar I know would be too modest.

Pak Mochtar could be credited as being one of the most influential figures in the modernisation of the nation's banking sector. He firmly believed that the business of banking is about trust. Like myself, he also believed in the power of technology, and introduced the first ATM machines. Pak Mochtar made banking into a science, but equally understood the art of banking, and in doing so, the banks Pak Mochtar built grew to become amongst the country's largest, even to this day. Beyond banking, he has also unofficially negotiated on the government's behalf on issues of trade and capital flows. Pak Mochtar's Lippo is largely seen as an Indonesian blue chip company and is a trusted household name. Millions of people enjoy daily the quality services Lippo provides across sectors from telecommunication to retail to healthcare and education. Lippo strives to meet needs that the government has not yet been able to address, working closely with the government in both conceptualisation and implementation.

More important than the hardships he has weathered and the successes he has achieved, is the fact that he has always had his sights fixed on more than his own welfare and empire. Even as he strived to build his businesses from nothing, he never forgot the importance of being “good” and not merely “successful”. He has demonstrated what it means to act in the larger interests of community and country. As a banker, he had the utmost integrity in his dealings despite the many temptations and moral hazards. In his book, he talks about the differences between being a “good” and “successful” banker—I can testify to this unshaking veracity to serve meaningfully. Even the township in Indonesia that was built by Pak Mochtar—Lippo Karawaci—stands as a unique example of a responsibly built township. Lippo Karawaci is actually built at a lower elevation than the surrounding villages so as to serve as a water catchment for the area, diverting flooding in the flood‐prone neighbouring villages. It is also the greenest township. Pak Mochtar has also made it his mission to bring quality healthcare and education to Indonesians everywhere—establishing hospitals and schools in places where few other companies have wanted to venture—such as Papua and NTT. Furthermore, in everything that he does, he has emphasised the need to invest in human capital and employ modern technology—two key pillars for any country's development, a conviction which I deeply share.

I am reminded of the past, when I was asked by President Suharto to return to Indonesia in 1974. At that time, Indonesia was about to embark on an industrialisation drive. It was a tall order and achieving this vision would require massive amount of capital investment, but more importantly an investment in human capital and technology. In 1976, I was appointed Chief Executive of the new state‐owned enterprise Industri Pesawat Terbang Nusantara (IPTN), later on named Indonesian Aerospace (Dirgantara). Two years later, President Suharto appointed me as Minister of Research and Technology. By this time, IPTN had grown considerably, specialising in the manufacture of helicopters and small passenger planes. And by the early 90s, Indonesia began to see the fruits of our labour, and I oversaw 10 state‐owned industries including ship‐ and train‐building, steel, arms, communications, and energy. Over the years, I have seen the importance of human capital and technology in enabling any country to achieve their full potential. As President of Indonesia, it is this transformation in human capital and technology—and the impact they have on people's lives—that is amongst my proudest achievements. Pak Mochtar has been an excellent entrepreneur in his endeavour to build up our country in these two areas and I am grateful that our country has such enlightened community leaders.

Indonesia has come a long way, but the journey never ends. As I reflect on the journey of our great nation and the challenges that lie ahead, Indonesia is grateful for the service and dedication of individuals such as Pak Mochtar. If future generations of Indonesians will read this book and find an example to emulate, I am as hopeful as Pak Mochtar that Indonesia has a bright future ahead.

B. J. Habibie
Former President of Indonesia

The biggest story unfolding in our world today is the return of Asia. As Larry Summers, the former President of Harvard University, has said, “The rise of Asia and all that follows it will be the dominant story in history books written 300 years from now, with the Cold War and rise of Islam as secondary stories.” After having lain dormant for almost two centuries, many Asian societies are waking up and resuming their natural roles in the world order. This massive Asian resurgence is truly a remarkable story.

No‐one would have predicted this massive Asian resurgence in the year 1929, when Dr. Riady was born. Asia lay totally prostrate then. The two great Asian nations, China and India, had fallen. India had been completely colonised. China was completely defenceless as the Western colonial powers seized territories. It lay like a fallen animal being torn apart by wolves. China's travails were to become worse in the 1930s, as the Japanese began an occupation of much of the country—an occupation that would endure until the end of World War II.

Southeast Asia, with the exception of Thailand, had also been fully colonised. As Dr. Riady moved between Indonesia and China in his childhood, he seemed to move between two universes which were devoid of hope. All over Asia, people were suffering from foreign colonial occupation, conflict and poverty. As Dr. Riady says, “During my first 20 years, I had experienced four wars. At the age of eight I lost my mother.”

This is what makes the Mochtar Riady story so fascinating. He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Nor was he born in promising times or in a hospitable place. During his first 20 years, as both China and Indonesia experienced tragedy after tragedy, he should have felt discouraged and despondent. In his early adulthood, he also lived in tumultuous times. From 1949 to 1965, under Sukarno's rule, Indonesia seemed to go from crisis to crisis.

Yet, even if Indonesia had been stable then, Dr. Riady would still have suffered a major disadvantage in Indonesia. The Indonesian Chinese population was viewed with suspicion as economic exploiters. From time to time, massive anti‐Chinese riots would break out. Dr. Riady has experienced many in his life, including one as recently as 1998. In almost every dimension of his life, Dr. Riady had to struggle against the odds. The result of these massive struggles was magnificent success. The success of Asian businessmen like Li Ka‐shing and Dr. Riady, both of whom are good friends, is one key reason why Asia is experiencing a great resurgence. This volume therefore should not be read as the story of one man. It provides a window into the extraordinary story of the return of Asia.

Memoirs can be boring. This one isn't. It combines remarkable personal anecdotes with many wise insights into the nature of life. Dr. Riady could have died in 1949, at the age of 20. Just before he was about to board a boat to the northern Chinese city of Tianjin to join China's communist forces, a letter appeared from his girlfriend in Indonesia, Li Limei. This led him to decide to return to Indonesia instead. Fortunately, he didn't board the boat. It sank and all the passengers died.

He also explains how he persuaded his reluctant father and future mother‐in‐law to allow him to marry Limei. Shrewd as ever, he offered his future mother‐in‐law business advice. It worked. She consented to the marriage. The business anecdotes are equally revealing. Dr. Riady has tried all kinds of businesses, from shipping to banking, from real estate to the new digital world. Along the way, he faced many near‐death experiences. However, as he wisely observes in the beginning, “Experiencing failure gave me stamina, and my ideals gave me the courage to face hardship. It later became clear to me that within crisis there is opportunity, and from suffering springs limitless vitality.” Having experienced a difficult childhood myself, I agree completely with his observations. Equally importantly, the success of entrepreneurs like Dr. Riady explains why Indonesia has made continuous economic progress over several decades. These entrepreneurs were instrumental as partners of the government in bringing industrialisation and modernisation to Indonesia. It was their ingenuity, financial prowess and guts that contributed to Indonesia's transformation. So, as much as it has been an Asian resurgence, it has also been a remarkable Indonesian story.

This memoir also contains valuable political insights. Dr. Riady describes his meetings with two key Asian political leaders, Xi Jinping and Joko Widodo. Dr. Riady describes Xi Jinping's eagerness to learn about economic development when he was a young official in Fujian province. Similarly, President Joko Widodo told him that in terms of development, Indonesia needed to look to China. These two remarkable leaders, Xi and Widodo, also explain why the great Asian resurgence is moving ahead steadily.

Successful fathers can sometimes stifle the growth of their sons. Dr. Riady explains how he allowed his children to fly on their own wings. He watched on television how eagles teach their young to fly. They pick them up, hoist them in the air, and then let go. As Dr. Riady says, “In teaching your children to make their own way in business, you have to be brave enough to let them learn from their failures… Failure is indeed the mother of success.” This is wise advice that all parents should heed.

From the deeply personal to the larger economic and political stories, this book is full of valuable insights into how Asia has undergone such a remarkable transformation in the past few decades. A lot of this was the result of brave men like Dr. Riady taking brave decisions when others ran away. In 1984, many panicked and left Hong Kong when the British announced their impending withdrawal. Dr. Riady's sixth sense told him instead that there was great opportunity in Hong Kong. The rest, as they say, is history.

Dr. Riady has done Asia, and the world, a big favour by writing this candid memoir. Future historians will learn a lot from his insights. Future generations will also benefit from his wise observations on how to succeed in life and how to deal with failure. Dr. Riady and his family have also supported many worthy philanthropic causes. Clearly, his life story will inspire many generations to come.

Kishore Mahbubani
Dean of the LKY School of Public Policy
National University of Singapore
Author of The Great Convergence: Asia, the West and the Logic of One World

Dr. Mochtar Riady, founder and Chairman of the Lippo Group, is one of Southeast Asia's best known and most respected business titans.

Born in Indonesia in 1929, Dr. Riady graduated from Southeast University in Nanjing, China. Despite his humble beginnings, Dr. Riady built one of Indonesia's biggest and most international conglomerates. He has been a key figure in the development of many of Indonesia's most important banks, gaining a reputation as a “bank doctor ” who was able to bring ailing institutions back to financial health. Today, the Lippo Group is a pan‐Asian investment holding company with interests across a vast array of industries including real estate, telecommunications, retail, healthcare, banking and e‐commerce.

An avid philanthropist, Dr. Riady has taken a keen interest in promoting education and public health. His foundation manages 52 schools and three universities, as well as a nanotechnology research centre, which bears his name. He has served as chairman of the board of trustees of Universitas Indonesia, and held positions on the boards of Xiamen University, the Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences of the University of Arkansas and the University of Southern California, where Dr. Riady became the first foreigner to serve as a trustee. The National University of Singapore's business school building is named after Dr. Riady as a tribute to his exemplary life.

The Lippo Group has played a critical role in providing affordable medical care in Indonesia, working closely with the government health programme. The group has built state‐of‐the‐art hospitals, including one of the nation's top cancer treatment centres, while its medical school helps train future doctors and nurses needed to staff the nation's hospital system.

Dr. Riady was the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Laws from Golden Gate University of San Francisco and an honorary professorship from his alma mater, Southeast University.

Dr. Riady resides in Jakarta with his wife, Limei, and enjoys the company of his 6 children, 20 grandchildren, 46 great grandchildren, and their spouses.

My story is a tale of two countries. First and foremost it is about Indonesia, the land of my birth and the country that has given me so many opportunities over the years. But I must also acknowledge the birthplace of my father, who left his homeland, China, in search of a better life elsewhere. These two countries—and their distinct cultures—have been a constant source of strength for me over the more than eight decades of my life.

Even my name reflects this debt to two cultures. To many people, I am Mochtar Riady while to others I am Li Wenzheng. In fact, I am both of them. (I will explain how this came about in the first chapter of this book).

The early years of this story were marked by poverty, warfare, political upheaval and economic chaos. At times, death was not far away. Tragedy came early as my mother died when I was only eight years old, tearing a huge hole in the fabric of our family. But my father's wisdom and guidance helped me endure this profound sorrow, and enabled me to make my way in the world. Later on, my Christian faith became my guiding light. It taught me that as I built an increasingly global corporation known as the Lippo Group, there was more than one way to judge success. We are merely temporal stewards of the blessings that we have been graciously given and we must use these blessings to bless others for the eternal glory of God.

My early life of suffering and hardship could not be farther from my comfortable circumstances of today. Even in the wildest dreams of my youth, I could never have imagined the path that I would take or the years of health and happiness that I would be able to enjoy. I now find my greatest pleasure in my expanding family. Counting my wife and myself—and three more generations of direct descendents—there are 97 of us as I write this account. And later this year we may be blessed with one more great‐grandchildren.

I also find great pleasure in the numerous schools and hospitals that have been built by the Lippo Group and the Riady family foundation. These continue to serve their communities across Indonesia, giving youngsters the educational tools they will rely on in the future and providing medical care to those in need. I am filled with joy when I gaze upon the letters of thanks and the photos of healthy former patients that now adorn the walls at the Mochtar Riady Comprehensive Cancer Center in Jakarta. These are vivid testament to the inspiring service of the doctors, nurses and other dedicated employees at that leading provider of medical care. And I find similar satisfaction in the fact that the Lippo Group continues to provide a livelihood for more than 110,000 employees and contributes to the economic development of Indonesia as well as China and places beyond.

Over the last 20 years, many friends—both old and new—have suggested that I write an autobiography. One of the most persistent was the late Gu Guanqun, the dean of my alma mater Southeast University (formerly Chung Yang or National Central University) in the Chinese city of Nanjing. In the past, I have resisted such suggestions in the belief that fortune is fickle, and a final assessment would be best left to someone else after I am gone.

But in the spring of 2014 I accepted an invitation from a friend and fellow Christian, Brother Yu Jieling, to go on a trip to the Middle East in search of the origins of the Bible. During that trip I found my friend and travelling companion frequently directing the conversation to my past experiences. I began speaking freely about events of long ago and giving a candid account of my life. Soon after our stimulating journey came to an end, I received a 106‐page transcript of our conversations entitled Brother Riady's Oral Account of His Life. Reading it left me both delighted and moved by my friend's effort. The transcript inspired me to seriously consider compiling an account of my own. Looking back at the past would at the very least let the younger members of my family learn more about my tumultuous life. And perhaps the stories of how I was guided by my father's dedicated hand would one day aid them in their own role as parents.

The eight decades of my life can roughly be divided into four distinct 20‐year periods.

• The first period (1929–1950) covers the hardship and suffering of my early years.
• The second (1951–1970) saw the creation of a business that grew in step with the young Republic of Indonesia.
• The third (1971–1990) witnessed the progress of an outward‐looking business amid the great tide of globalisation.
• The fourth (1991–2010) saw a global adjustment to the rise of China.

In my book, I also describe the most recent years of my life where I have focused on trying to be a role model for my children, grandchildren and great‐grandchildren.

These years have passed in what seems like the blink of an eye. My memories of the past are like unfiled records in an archive, chaotic and disordered. For someone who never even kept a diary, compiling this history is a humbling task. I ask my readers to forgive my oversights and any inaccuracies. And I sincerely hope this tale will be of interest and of use to a broader audience.

Before I begin my personal story, I would like to offer a brief account of some of the events that helped shape the modern state of Indonesia. In sharing my perspective of the economic and political developments of these early years, I hope to provide a sense of the difficulties that had to be overcome as I tried to start a trading business, break into the world of banking and finally build a company that became the Lippo Group of today.

The first chapter of this book explores my years as a young boy in China, yet most of the events I describe actually took place in Indonesia, the country of my birth and my home for more than eight decades. The world has certainly become familiar with China's dramatic emergence as a global power, but not many people know of Indonesia's story. For example, how many know that the country, the world's fourth most populous, played a pivotal role between the great powers in the Cold War era, or that Indonesia's role in the Asian financial crisis of 1997–1998 was critical?

Certainly, Indonesia, even prior to the early years of the Republic, was not isolated from world politics or events. The country's struggle for independence was fuelled by a history of occupation and colonial rule—first by the Dutch and then the Japanese. However, it was Japan's occupation of Indonesia during World War II that helped set the stage for the end of colonial rule in what was then known as the Dutch East Indies. The Japanese encouraged nationalist sentiment to counter Dutch influence while the nationalist movement saw Japan as a useful tool in the drive to throw off Dutch colonial rule. Just two days after the announcement of Japan's surrender in August 1945, the Indonesian revolutionary leaders Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta declared independence. But it took more than four years of bloody struggle before a peace treaty formally ended colonial rule in what is now Indonesia.

It is hard to overstate the importance of the anti‐colonial movement. This was seen as a just cause and part of an international drive to break the grip of Western colonial powers over much of what became known as the Third World. A new group of political leaders emerged to unite disparate peoples and forge new national identities in many parts of the world, including Indonesia. Even from my vantage point as a young student on the periphery of Indonesia's struggle, the importance of this movement was clear. My classmates and I were swept up in the political tide of the times, joining in public protests and adding our voices to the chorus of opposition to Dutch colonial rule.

The man who embodied this new political consciousness in Indonesia was Sukarno, a leader who had fought against colonialism his entire life and became the nation's first president. He championed Pancasila, the five major principles of the foundation of the Indonesian state. These principles, which fused socialism, nationalism and social justice among other ideas, became the nation's official ideology.

Nations born from armed struggle are fundamentally different from those created through peaceful means. Divisions are often deeper, particularly when the struggle is a prolonged one. In Indonesia, the struggle did not end at independence. The new nation continued to contest Dutch rule over Western New Guinea, and it was not until 1963 that the territory was incorporated into Indonesia.

President Sukarno achieved significant victories on the political front, establishing an international standing for the Indonesian people and strengthening their national pride. I believe we should recognise him as a hero who is worthy of our esteem and deserving of our respect and admiration. However, his political victories came at a price. The new nation's hostility to colonialism, combined with Indonesia's increasingly warm ties to the former Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China, eventually led to antagonism with the West. And that spilled over into relations with Indonesia's neighbours: confrontations with the newly independent state of Malaysia, and later Singapore, which were viewed in Jakarta as mere puppets of British imperialism, were protracted.

ECONOMIC PROBLEMS IN A YOUNG NATION

Economic problems plagued the young nation from its earliest days. The announcement of Indonesian independence was closely followed by the introduction of a new currency known as the Oeang Republik Indonesia (ORI). This gradually replaced the banknotes issued by the Japanese Government during the war. The Dutch‐occupied area had also issued its own Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA) banknotes. So, from 1949 to 1951, there were three different currencies circulating in the Indonesian market. The poor printing quality of the ORI made for easy counterfeiting, and as a result fake notes in circulation were plentiful.

In March 1950, the Indonesian Government adopted “currency reforms” in which all NICA notes with a face value above 2.50 rupiah were cut in half—literally. The left half of the note remained in circulation at 50 per cent of its original value, and the right half was exchanged at the central bank for a 40‐year government bond. The measure was aimed at withdrawing the NICA notes from circulation to unify the nation's currencies. It was also supposed to keep inflation in check, but the benefits were limited and short‐lived.

Another “reform” followed in 1959 when banknotes were reduced to 10 per cent of their original value. In 1965, the value of banknotes was again reduced—this time to a mere one‐thousandth of what they had been. This too was supposed to deal with mounting inflation. Instead, it made inflation worse and led to capital flight. It wasn't much help in encouraging savings either, and this was particularly important to me as I was trying to build a banking business. That same year, inflation reached around 600 per cent and monthly interest on bank savings was as high as a staggering 20 per cent. Indonesia's economy was nearly bankrupt, and bank runs and bank failures were all too common.

During these protracted periods of high inflation, the salaried class, particularly civil servants, struggled to make ends meet as salaries failed to cover expenses. However, when civil servants finally discovered that there was a market for the power they held, even for the simplest government approvals, they began to live more comfortably. The selling of authority spread through the ranks of the bureaucracy and Indonesia was ensnared in widespread official corruption. The Indonesian people are still grappling with the effects of this history of corrupt behaviour.

Economic problems, the growing influence of the country's communist party, Partai Komunis Indonesia (PKI), and hostility from the West, brought an end to the Sukarno era. The transitional period near the end of Sukarno's rule was one of great instability, with deadly attacks on communists—suspected and real. Many of those in Indonesia's Chinese community were targeted as well.

By 1967, one of the nation's military leaders, General Suharto, had consolidated power, becoming Indonesia's second president. Suharto introduced more market‐oriented policies and encouraged foreign investment. During his more than three‐decade rule he also adopted a more pro‐Western foreign policy and ended the confrontation with Malaysia and Singapore.

While the Suharto era had a far better economic track record, it too experienced deep problems. In 1997–1998, the Asian financial crisis hit Indonesia, and the banking system was one of its major casualties. Companies faltered, banks failed and the nation's currency collapsed. The country was forced to turn to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank for aid, ultimately leading to the fall of Suharto.

The political and economic storms of the last 65 years have been a harsh test for Indonesia. But we the Indonesian people can say that we have weathered this storm, emerging stronger from this protracted struggle. In the account of my life story on the pages that follow, I hope to show what that struggle was like on a personal level. I also hope it makes clear why I feel so optimistic about the future of my family, my company and my country.