Prabowo Subianto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Excellency General (Hn.) (Ret.) Prabowo Subianto
Official portrait, 2024
8th President of Indonesia
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 October 2024
Vice President	Gibran Rakabuming Raka
Preceded by	Joko Widodo
26th Minister of Defense
In office 23 October 2019 – 20 October 2024
President	Joko Widodo
Deputy	Sakti Wahyu Trenggono (2019–2020) Muhammad Herindra (2020–2024)
Preceded by	Ryamizard Ryacudu
Succeeded by	Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin
2nd General Chairman of the Gerindra Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 September 2014
Preceded by	Suhardi [id]
Military offices 22nd Commander of Kostrad In office 20 March 1998 – 22 May 1998 President Suharto B. J. Habibie Preceded by Lt. Gen. Sugiono Succeeded by Johnny Lumintang (acting) Lt. Gen. Djamari Chaniago 15th Commandant General of Kopassus In office 1 December 1995 – 20 March 1998 President Suharto Preceded by Brig. Gen. Subagyo Hadi Siswoyo Succeeded by Maj. Gen. Muchdi Purwopranjono
Personal details
Born	Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo (1951-10-17) 17 October 1951 (age 73) Jakarta, Indonesia
Political party	Gerindra
Other political affiliations	Golkar (until 2008)
Spouse	Siti Hediati Hariyadi ​ ​ (m. 1983; sep. 1998)​
Children	Didit Hediprasetyo
Parents	Sumitro Djojohadikusumo (father) Dora Marie Sigar (mother)
Relatives	Hashim Djojohadikusumo (younger brother) Sudradjad Djiwandono (brother-in-law)
Residence	Merdeka Palace
Education	The American School in London
Alma mater	Indonesian Military Academy
Occupation	Politician army officer businessperson
Signature
Nicknames	08 Pandu
Military service
Allegiance	Indonesia
Branch/service	Indonesian Army
Years of service	1974–1998
Rank	General (honorary)
Unit	Special Forces (Kopassus)
Commands	Kopassus Kostrad
Battles/wars	Operation Lotus Insurgency in East Timor Papua conflict Operation Mapenduma
Service no.	27082

Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo (EYD: Prabowo Subianto Joyohadikusumo, born 17 October 1951) is an Indonesian politician, businessman and retired honorary army general who has been the eighth president of Indonesia since 20 October 2024. He was previously the 26th Minister of Defense under president Joko Widodo from 2019 to 2024. Prabowo is Indonesia's third president who had military background after Suharto and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY). He has been described as a right-wing nationalist.

Family

Prabowo, 12 years old (standing right), with his siblings and grandparents, Margono Djojohadikusumo and Siti Katoemi Wirodihardjo

Prabowo's father, Sumitro Djojohadikusumo (1917–2001), was an economist who served as former President Suharto's minister for the economy and minister for research and technology. Sumitro named Prabowo after his own younger brother, a martyr hero who died in a battle against the Japanese in Lengkong, Tangerang during the Indonesian National Revolution. Prabowo's mother, Dora Maria Sigar (1921–2008), was a Protestant Christian of Minahasan descent, who originated from the Sigar-Maengkom family in Langowan, North Sulawesi. They were married in Utrecht, Netherlands.

Prabowo has two older sisters, Bianti Djiwandono, who was born in 1948, and Maryani Djojohadikusumo, who was born in 1950. His only brother, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, was born in 1954. Prabowo's eldest sister, Bianti, is married to Joseph Soedradjad Djiwandono, Governor of Bank Indonesia from 1993 until 1998. While her older sister, Maryani, is married to Didier Leaistre, an entrepreneur from France. Hashim's pribumi conglomerate business interests stretch from Indonesia to Canada and Russia. Between 1966 and 1968, the family lived in London, where Prabowo attended and graduated from The American School in London. Sumitro subsequently encouraged his son to attend a military academy. One of Prabowo's role models was Turkish military figure Atatürk, and according to peers and observers, Prabowo was talented with a passion for stratagems and had an appetite for political power.

Prabowo's grandfather, Margono Djojohadikusumo, was the founder of Bank Negara Indonesia, the first leader of Indonesia's Provisional Supreme Advisory Council (Dewan Pertimbangan Agung Sementara), and a member of the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence (Badan Penyelidik Usaha Persiapan Kemerdekaan ).

Prabowo married Suharto's daughter, Siti Hediati Hariyadi, in 1983. They have a son, Didit Hediprasetyo, who lived in Boston before settling in Paris to pursue a career in design. Prabowo is uncle to Rahayu Saraswati Djojohadikusumo.

Career

Prabowo with U.S. defense secretary Mark Esper in November 2019

Prabowo inspecting Indonesian soldiers in October 2021

Prabowo with U.S. defense secretary Lloyd Austin in June 2022

Prabowo Subianto graduated from the Indonesian Military Academy in 1970 and mostly served in the Special Forces (Kopassus) until he was appointed to lead the Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) in 1998.

After being discharged from the military, Prabowo joined his brother Hashim Djojohadikusumo's business. He purchased Kiani Kertas, a paper pulp and plantation company based in Mangkajang, East Kalimantan. Prior to Prabowo's purchase, Kiani was owned by Bob Hasan, a businessman close to former President Suharto. Today, Prabowo's Nusantara Group controls 27 companies in Indonesia and abroad. Prabowo's companies include Nusantara Energy (oil and natural gas, coal), Tidar Kerinci Agung (palm oil plantations) and Jaladri Nusantara (fishery industry).

Prabowo rebranded Kiani Kertas to Kertas Nusantara. The company was established in 1990 and is part of the Nusantara Energy. It controls an area of 3,400 hectares used for paper mills, employee housing, private schools, and various company facilities. Kiani has been awarded ISO 900–2005 status as one of the highest quality management companies.

In early 2008, Prabowo's inner circle, including Fadli Zon, established the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), which nominated Prabowo for the presidency in the 2009 elections. Prabowo was the wealthiest candidate in the 2009 election, with assets of Rp 1.5 trillion (about US$150 million) and US$7.5 million. However, having won 26 out of 560 seats in the Indonesian parliament, the party did not have the required numbers, and Prabowo ran as a vice presidential candidate to Megawati Soekarnoputri, daughter of Indonesia's first president Sukarno. The pair, referred to colloquially by the Indonesian media as Mega–Pro, earned 27% of the vote and lost to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his running mate, economist Boediono.

He contested the 2014 presidential election and was defeated by Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, which he initially disputed. He made another unsuccessful run for the presidency in 2019 with Sandiaga Uno as his running mate and with the support of Gerindra, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Democratic Party and Berkarya Party. His refusal to accept the result saw his followers stage protests that sparked deadly riots in Jakarta. However, after a heated contestation, Prabowo Subianto joined the cabinet as Minister of Defense for the 2019 to 2024 period.

2024 general election

Prabowo with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu as chief guest of the Republic Day celebration, 2025

On 7 January 2023, Prabowo Subianto launched his third presidential campaign for the 2024 presidential election. On 14 February 2024, in an unofficial report, Prabowo succeeded in leading three voting lines by getting 58% of the vote. This resulted in a statement by The New York Times which wrote that democracy in Indonesia is threatened with abandonment. Prabowo went on to win the quick count conducted by all surveys and called for unity as he pledged to be president for all Indonesians and will form a government that will be led by "the best sons and daughters of Indonesia".

Honours

National honours

Prabowo Subianto's official portrait with his presidential decorations

Prabowo is automatically awarded the highest class of all civilian and military star decorations upon taking office as president, but he had already received several of these awards —and other awards— while serving as minister of defense.

• Star of the Republic of Indonesia, 1st Class – 2024
• Star of Mahaputera, 1st Class – 2024
• Star of Mahaputera, 2nd Class – 2024
• Star of Merit, 1st Class – 2024
• Star of Humanity – 2024
• Star of Democracy Upholder, 1st Class – 2024
• Star of Budaya Parama Dharma – 2024
• Star of Bhayangkara, 1st Class – 2024
• Guerilla Star – 2024
• Sacred Star – 2024
• Star of Dharma – 2024
• Star of Yudha Dharma, 1st Class – 2022
• Star of Kartika Eka Paksi, 1st Class – 2022
• Star of Jalasena, 1st Class – 2022
• Star of Swa Bhuwana Paksa, 1st Class – 2022
• Star of Peace Veteran – 2023

In addition, Prabowo has also received the others awards while serving as an Indonesian Army officer:

• Star of Kartika Eka Paksi, 2nd Class
• Star of Yudha Dharma, 3rd Class
• Star of Kartika Eka Paksi, 3rd Class
• Military Long Service Medal, 24 Years
• Military Operation Service Medal in Aceh
• Military Instructor Service Medal
• Military Operation Service Medal IX Raksaka Dharma w/ 1 gold star
• Timor Military Campaign Medal w/ 2 gold star
• Role Model Medal

Foreign honours

Ribbon	Distinction	Country	Date	Reference
	Commander of the National Order of Merit	France	1997
	Knight of the Royal Order of Sahametrei	Cambodia	Unknown
	Grand Cordon of the Order of Military Merit	Jordan	Unknown
	Grand Commander of the Exalted Order of Malacca (Datuk Seri) (DGSM)	Malaysia	26 July 2022
	Distinguished Service Order (Military)	Singapore	21 November 2023
	Collar of the Order of Zayed	United Arab Emirates	13 May 2024
	Grand Collar of the Order of the Sun of Peru	Peru	14 November 2024
	Grand Commander of the Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Johor (DK I)	Malaysia	27 January 2025

Images for kids

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  Indonesian Army's Nanggala commando unit in East Timor led by Prabowo Subianto

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  Prabowo Subianto opens the 2011 Pencak Silat SEA Games tournament held in Taman Mini, Jakarta. He is the Chairman of Indonesia's pencak silat organization.

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  Prabowo Subianto accepts the Gerindra Party's nomination rally for the 2014 presidential election in Lembah Hambalang, on 17 March 2012

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  Prabowo Subianto and Indonesian President Joko Widodo on 11 October 2019

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  Inauguration of Prabowo Subianto as Minister of Defense, 2019

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  Prabowo with South Korean Minister of National Defense, Lee Jong-sup on April 2021.

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  Prabowo at the Shangri-La dialogue, 1 June 2023.

See also

In Spanish: Prabowo Subianto para niños