Prabowo Subianto facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids General (Honorary) (Ret.) Prabowo Subianto
Electoral portrait, 2023

President-elect of Indonesia
Assuming office 20 October 2024
Vice President	Gibran Rakabuming Raka (elect)
Succeeding	Joko Widodo
26th Minister of Defense
Incumbent
Assumed office 23 October 2019
President	Joko Widodo
Deputy	Sakti Wahyu Trenggono (2019–2020) Muhammad Herindra (2020–present)
Preceded by	Ryamizard Ryacudu
2nd Chairman of the Gerindra Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 September 2014
Preceded by	Suhardi
22nd Commander of Kostrad
In office 20 March 1998 – 22 May 1998
President	Suharto B. J. Habibie
Preceded by	Lieutenant General Sugiono
Succeeded by	Lieutenant General Johnny Lumintang (acting) Lieutenant General Djamari Chaniago
15th General Commander of Kopassus
In office 1 December 1995 – 20 March 1998
President	Suharto
Preceded by	Brigadier General Subagyo Hadi Siswoyo
Succeeded by	Major General Muchdi Purwopranjono

Personal details
Born	Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo (1951-10-17) 17 October 1951 (age 72) Jakarta, Indonesia
Political party	Gerindra
Other political affiliations	Golkar (until 2008)
Spouse	Siti Hediati Hariyadi (m. 1983; div. 1998)
Children	Didit Hediprasetyo Djohohadikusumo
Parents	Sumitro Djojohadikusumo (father) Dora Marie Sigar (mother)
Relatives	Hashim Djojohadikusumo (brother) Rahayu Saraswati Djojohadikusumo (niece)
Alma mater	Indonesian Military Academy
Occupation	Army officer politician businessperson
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Indonesia
Branch/service	Indonesian Army
Years of service	1974–1998
Rank	General (honorary)
Unit	Kopassus
Commands	Kopassus Kostrad
Battles/wars	Operation Lotus Insurgency in East Timor Insurgency in Papua Mapenduma crisis
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 is the president-elect of Indonesia.

Family
Career
- 2024 general election
Honours
- National Honours
- Foreign Honours
Images for kids
See also

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

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

Prabowo as chief of Indonesian Armed Forces Command and Staff School (Sesko ABRI) in his uniform with multiple decorations

As an Indonesian Army officer, Prabowo received the following awards and decorations:

National Honours

Grand Meritorious Military Order Star, 1 Class
Army Meritorius Service Star, 1 Class
Navy Meritorius Service Star, 1 Class
Air Force Meritorius Service Star, 1 Class
Army Meritorius Service Star, 2nd Class
Grand Meritorious Military Order Star, 3rd Class
Army Meritorious Service Star, 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

Distinction	Country	Date
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 Order of Malacca	Malaysia	26 July 2022
Distinguished Service Order (Military)	Singapore	21 November 2023

Images for kids

Indonesian Army's Nanggala commando unit in East Timor led by Prabowo Subianto
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.
Prabowo Subianto accepts the Gerindra Party's nomination rally for the 2014 presidential election in Lembah Hambalang, on 17 March 2012
Prabowo Subianto and Indonesian President Joko Widodo on 11 October 2019
Inauguration of Prabowo Subianto as Minister of Defense, 2019
Prabowo with South Korean Minister of National Defense, Lee Jong-sup on April 2021.
Prabowo at the Shangri-La dialogue, 1 June 2023.