James Riady

James Tjahaja Riady
Born	(1957-01-07) January 7, 1957 Jakarta, Indonesia
Occupation	Entrepreneur
Known for	Deputy chairman of Lippo Group
Spouse	Aileen Hambali
Children	Caroline Riady Djojonegoro, John Riady, Stephanie Riady, Henry Riady

James Tjahaja Riady (; born 7 January 1957 in Jakarta) is a prominent Indonesian entrepreneur serving as the deputy chairman of the Lippo Group, a leading conglomerate in Indonesia. As the son of founder Mochtar Riady, James holds a significant position within Southeast Asia’s corporate environment. In 2005, Lippo transferred ownership of Lippo Bank to Malaysia’s Khazanah. Following his conversion to evangelical Christianity, he has devoted considerable time to theological education.

Early life

James was born to Mochtar Riady and Suryawati Lidya and received his schooling in Macau before pursuing higher education at the University of Melbourne in Australia. His formative years were marked by an emphasis on self-reliance, equipping him for a career with international business scope.

Business activities

In 1977, James Riady ventured into the U.S. market when Arkansas banking figures W. R. Witt and Jackson T. Stephens invited him to collaborate with Worthen Banking Corporation, aiming to establish Lippo Group’s presence in American banking. The Riady family maintained connections with Arkansas governor Bill Clinton. During the early 1980s, James and his father secured licensing rights from Zenith Electronics to manufacture color televisions domestically, leading to the construction of a large production facility near Jakarta.

Worthen Banking Corporation faced legal challenges in 1985 due to allegations of illicit preferential loans routed through Lippo Finance and Investment, involving James Riady and associates including Liem Swie Liong. Subsequently, James acquired California’s Bank of Trade—the oldest Chinese-American bank—but federal regulators imposed cease-and-desist orders citing risky lending practices and money laundering concerns, which ultimately led to the bank’s sale.

After relocating to Los Angeles, James co-founded Lippo Bank alongside Taiwanese financier John Huang; however, the bank encountered financial losses and legal scrutiny over problematic loans and money laundering activities. In 2018, he collaborated with Johnny Rayati to enter Washington state’s cannabis industry.

Together with former Arkansas governor Jim Guy Tucker, Riady launched AcrossAsia Multimedia Ltd., with plans to develop Indonesia’s largest cable television network through Kabelvision; this initiative did not succeed.

The Riady family extended their investments into U.S. real estate by purchasing Los Angeles’ US Bank Tower for $367.5 million via OUE, a Singapore-listed entity under their control. In 2020, Silverstein Properties acquired the tower from OUE for approximately $430 million.

Clinton finance scandal

James Riady’s career has been overshadowed by corruption allegations. During the 1996 U.S. presidential election, he was a significant donor to the Democratic Party. A 1998 U.S. Senate investigation into the campaign finance scandal led to Riady pleading guilty to violations involving foreign contributions. He incurred an $8.6 million fine—the largest penalty recorded in a campaign finance case.

KPPU bribery scandal

In 2008, Billy Sindoro, an executive at Riady’s Jakarta-based First Media, was apprehended for bribing officials from Indonesia’s anti-monopoly commission (KPPU) amid a commercial dispute with a Malaysian firm. Sindoro was convicted of corruption charges. The Riady-owned Jakarta Globe later featured a sympathetic article profiling Sindoro during his incarceration.

Obama Visa Waiver

In 2010, it was disclosed by the Washington Post that Riady was granted a visa waiver by the Obama administration allowing his return to the United States, despite a prior ban imposed during the Bush era due to convictions related to moral turpitude. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated she was unaware of this waiver, while officials from the State Department confirmed that Riady's history continues to pose a considerable barrier for any future U.S. travel permissions.

James Riady lives with his family in Lippo Village, Karawaci, under strict security measures. His involvement in controversies surrounding campaign finance has attracted substantial media scrutiny; Indonesian human rights advocate Hendardi once commented that Riady’s "primary accomplishment was exporting corruption to the U.S."

Evangelical activities

After embracing Christianity in 1990, Riady has actively engaged in evangelical work by founding charitable organizations, foundations, and Christian-based educational institutions aimed at spreading his faith within Indonesia’s predominantly Muslim society. These initiatives have sometimes led to tensions with conservative Islamic factions.

Riady played a key role in establishing the private Christian university Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) located in Karawaci-Banten through the Pelita Harapan Education Foundation. Together with Johannes Oentoro, he initiated a scholarship program designed to support exceptional students from across the nation, many of whom go on to give back to their local communities.

Art collection

As an avid art collector, James Riady has invested millions acquiring individual pieces. His extensive collection, comprising more than 700 paintings by renowned domestic and international artists, is displayed at the UPH Painting Museum within Lippo Karawaci’s Matahari Towers. The assortment features works by artists such as Raden Saleh, Affandi, Hendra Gunawan, among others. Selected artworks have also been presented in high-end shopping centers and residential developments, bolstering Lippo Group’s cultural footprint.

Family

James Riady lives in Karawaci alongside his wife, Aileen Hambali, and their four children: Caroline Riady Djojonegoro, John Riady, Stephanie Riady, and Henry Riady. He is the son of the influential businessman Mochtar Riady.

External links

• US Department of Justice statement
• Washington Post profile from 1998