[2] After starting as a supplier of equipment and materials for the state-owned oil firm Pertamina, Tanoto moved into the forest industry in 1973.
[3] Tanoto's business interests are represented by the Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) group of companies, previously known as Raja Garuda Mas.
[8] Tanoto's business interests are represented by the Royal Golden Eagle (RGE), a global resource-based group of companies with manufacturing operations in Indonesia, China, Brazil, Canada and Europe and sales offices worldwide.
Since Tanoto started his entrepreneurial journey in 1967, the business has grown considerably, with a workforce of over 80,000 people and its assets exceeding US$35 billion.
[11] In early 2016, Tanoto announced an update of the RGE groupwide business principles - to do what is good for community, country, climate and company.
[16] The company has denied the claims, stating it has a commitment to implement practices that mitigate climate change and promote sustainability.
According to that report, "Tanoto, through his business empire, carries the dubious distinction of being the single largest driver of deforestation in the world identified by Greenpeace."