The 2025 Forbes list of the world’s 50 richest self-made women shows that female billionaires now hold a combined net worth of USD 276 billion. Although this figure is about USD 10 billion lower than the 2021 peak, it remains far above the USD 118 billion recorded in 2017.
Within this global landscape, two names from Southeast Asia, both from Indonesia, made the list, underscoring the region’s growing presence in the global business map.
Globally, the top position is held by Rafaela Aponte-Diamant of Switzerland, with a net worth of USD 38.8 billion. In Southeast Asia, however, attention centers on two Indonesian entrepreneurs, Marina Budiman and Dewi Kam, each worth USD 4.8 billion and ranked 16th globally, the highest positions held by women from the region.
Marina Budiman: Indonesia’s Richest Woman in Tech
At 63, Marina Budiman has a net worth of USD 4.8 billion, making her the ninth-richest individual in Indonesia. Her wealth primarily comes from PT DCI Indonesia Tbk (DCII), a data center firm she co-founded on July 18, 2011, alongside Otto Sugiri and Han Arming Hanafia.
DCII grew into Southeast Asia’s first Tier IV data center operator. Budiman has served as President Commissioner since 2016 and, as of April 2021, held 26.27 percent of the company’s shares, making her its second-largest shareholder.
A graduate in economics and finance from the University of Toronto in 1985, Budiman began her career at PT Bank Bali before moving into technology at PT Sigma Cipta Caraka. In 1994, she also co-founded Indonet, Indonesia’s first internet service provider.
In March 2025, DCII shares plunged during Indonesia’s worst market turmoil in a decade. According to Bloomberg, Budiman lost an estimated Rp57 trillion (around USD 3.6 billion) in just three days, driven by both domestic and global factors. Despite this setback, she remains Indonesia’s richest woman.
Dewi Kam’s Billion-Dollar Stakes
Dewi Kam, 74, also holds a net worth of USD 4.8 billion. She owns a 10 percent minority stake in PT Bayan Resources Tbk, one of Indonesia’s major coal producers.
Beyond mining, Kam is involved in power generation projects through PT Sumber Energi Sakti Prima (SSP), including the Cilacap and Jeneponto coal-fired power plants, both classified as strategic energy infrastructure.
In 2006, she also handled a USD 687 million Coal-Based Chemical Plant project in South Sulawesi as part of an Indonesia–China energy cooperation initiative.
Data from Indonesia Corruption Watch further lists her name in the offshore leaks database of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), citing affiliations with offshore entities registered in the British Virgin Islands and Samoa, including Savill Universal Ltd and Overseas Finance Ltd.
