A Smoke And Mirrors Act From Tutut?

The 500 or so Indonesian tollbooth attendants employed by President Suharto's eldest daughter, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana--or Tutut--wear uniforms that have no pockets. That way, not a penny goes astray from the $184,000-a-day operation, a network of toll roads on the Indonesian island of Java. This cash cow is just one of her businesses, which range from selling General Dynamics Corp. warplane parts to running a pulp mill with Marubeni Corp. The President's favorite daughter is estimated to be worth anywhere from $400 million to $2 billion.

Now, the aging Suharto has designated Tutut, 48, as his heir apparent. And that poses a problem for Tutut. To become the acceptable future President of Indonesia's 200 million people, she has to get out of the business of doing business--or at least give the appearance of it. Analysts think she is taking the first steps to cut her visible connections to her companies. The result is dealmaking that is typically Indonesian in its complexity but that probably will leave Tutut in a stronger position, politically and financially, than ever.