The founder of Kompas Gramedia, Jakob Oetama, passed away

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Kompas Gramedia founder Jakob Oetama (88) died at Mitra Keluarga Kelapa Gading Hospital, Jakarta, on Wednesday (9/9/2020).

Quoted from Compass TV, the family has arrived at Kelapa Gading Hospital.

The body is scheduled to be transferred to a burial site in the Kompas Gramedia building.

Jakob Oetama was born in Borobudur, Magelang, on September 27, 1931. The deceased died at the age of 88.

Jakob Oetama began his career as a teacher for the first time. However, he then chose the path of being a journalist and later founded the largest media network, Kompas Gramedia, together with his partner, PK Ojong.

Jakob Oetama’s fight to breed Kompas Gramedia

When lifting Essence and Compass, Jakob Oetama and PK Ojong share the task. Jakob is in charge of writing, while Ojong is in business.

However, then the situation became difficult for Jakob. After 15 years together with Ojong to build Compass, Ojong died suddenly in his sleep in 1980.

Ojong’s departure left a heavy burden. The burden suddenly falls on Jakob’s shoulders.

Also read: Jakob Oetama: PK Ojong and I are inseparable

If all this time his concentration was in the publishing field, now he was also “forced” to deal with the commercial aspects.

Jakob humbly recalled: “I had to know business. I humbly admit that my business management skills are nil! But I feel that there is capital, I can speaking! My strength is that I know I don’t know business. “

It is humility that he does not know the business that has led to the development of the Kompas Gramedia Group to the size it is today. This humility also made him not feel proud of what he accomplished.

He never felt rich among the poor, nor did he feel poor among the rich.

Read the full story in VIK’s multimedia journalistic work Jakob Oetama 85 Years: The Legacy.