Profits in the coal business have been amazing. Many of the players in this business have become wealthy overnight, or have seen their wealth multiply. Even the small-time players are like local kings. The major business players who control this expansive business rank among Indonesia's wealthiest. They are all quite influential on the political stage, whether openly or behind the scenes.

In this edition, we present portraits of some of these "coal kings." Their profiles are not limited to their jet-set lifestyles. They include the struggles from bottom up in building their businesses and the various disputes they have had to face. It also covers how they deal with the fall of the price of this fossil fuel as a result of the crisis and the abundance of natural gas.