Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Everyone knows that participation in general elections (elections) requires large capital. Candidates are willing to spend a lot of money in order to win the contest.

However, a lot of money also does not guarantee victory. There are many people who have spent a lot of money, but failed in the elections.

As a result, wealth is lost and position is not obtained. Stories like this not only happen today, but have also existed since the past.

One of them is the story of a businessman from Brebes, Tjarab, which is in the daily spotlight Independent (28 October 1978). What’s the story?

At first, Tjarab was a successful farmer in Brebes. Around the 1960s, he already had 10 buses, a fishing boat, two cars, 200 hectares of rice fields and 30 hectares of salt ponds.

Apart from that, he is also building a gas station worth more than IDR 250 million. On this basis, he earned the nickname “landlord”, or the equivalent of crazy rich in the present.

At the same time, the hustle and bustle of the election to elect a new village head makes Tjarab tempted. He wants to run for village head to gain power and position.

With lots of money, he is confident that he will win the contest. He then ran for office in 1966.

“In 1966, he nominated himself and to attract supporters he spent more than IDR 2 million,” wrote the daily Independent.

Unfortunately, even though a lot of money was spent, the election results stated that Tjarab had failed. I’ve lost a lot of wealth, I can’t even get a position.

Not to mention, he was also ridiculed by many neighbors for this embarrassing defeat. In a situation like this, he decided to live in the rice fields alone, while returning to farming.

However, Tjarab’s mind has since been confused. He thought of gaining wealth quickly but without praise, namely gambling. As a result, the proverb “He fell down the stairs” happened directly to him.

“I was involved in gambling until everything I owned was gone, including the house and rice fields,” said Tjarab.

Even though he was down as a result of participating in elections and gambling, he did not give up. Remaining assets, such as rice fields and ponds, are properly utilized to become treasure-mining machines.

He repented, no longer wanted to gamble and chose to focus on farming. From here he slowly got big results in the harvest. One harvest, he can make a profit of IDR 250 million.

This success slowly meant that his wealth slowly began to increase. In the 1970s, daily Independent said his assets reached IDR 1 billion, a fantastic amount in his time.

He also founded his own company called PT Sumber Bawang in 1977 which operates in agriculture, fisheries and transportation. Even though he has become crazy rich in Brebes, Tjarab does not want to inherit his wealth to his children.

“My children have to work if they want to live happily and have enough,” he said.

[Gambas:Video CNBC]

(mfa/sef)