Sandiaga Uno

Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno
Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno
Born	June 28, 1969 (age 57); Pekanbaru, Indonesia
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, investor, politician
Years active	1990–present
Known for	Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (2020–2024), Deputy Governor of Jakarta (2017–2018)

Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno (born 28 June 1969) is an Indonesian entrepreneur, investor, and political figure who served as the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy from 2020 until 2024. He formerly occupied the role of Deputy Governor of Jakarta, having been elected alongside Anies Baswedan in the 2017 gubernatorial race, where they triumphed over the incumbent duo Basuki Tjahaja Purnama ("Ahok") and Djarot Saiful Hidayat. He stepped down from this position to become the vice-presidential candidate running with Prabowo Subianto in the 2019 presidential election.

After completing his studies at George Washington University, Sandiaga progressed through various corporate roles before launching his own enterprises, eventually becoming among Indonesia's wealthiest businessmen. In 2015, he exited his business ventures to join the Gerindra. Upon accepting the vice-presidential nomination, he relinquished his Gerindra membership in accordance with a coalition agreement.

Business career

Sandiaga Uno earned his undergraduate degree from Wichita State University in 1990 and obtained an MBA from George Washington University in 1992, with financial support from William Soerjadjaja due to familial ties to Astra International. He started his professional journey at Summa Bank in 1990, followed by a role as investment manager at MP Group Holding Limited in 1994, and later served as Executive Vice President at NTI Resources Ltd in Canada until the 1997 Asian financial crisis led to the company's insolvency.

In 1997, together with high school classmate Rosan Roeslani, he co-established PT. Recapital Advisors. The following year, he co-founded Saratoga Capital alongside Edwin Soeryadjaya, son of William Soerjadjaja. Both firms have continued to thrive. Recognized by Forbes as Indonesia's 29th wealthiest individual in 2009, Sandiaga broadened his investments by acquiring a majority (51%) stake in Mandala Airlines in May 2011. By 2013, Forbes ranked him as the 47th richest person in Indonesia.

In 2016, Sandiaga's name appeared among those listed in the Panama Papers, although he denied any involvement in illicit activities.

Political career

Midway through 2015, Sandiaga transitioned into politics by resigning from positions held across 16 subsidiaries of Saratoga and Recapital between April and July. He joined the Gerindra party as vice chairman of its supervisory board, positioning him as second-in-command after Prabowo. His bid for Jakarta’s governorship in 2017 gained traction with grassroots organizations such as "Sahabat Sandiaga Uno" supporting his campaign.

Throughout early 2016, he intensified efforts to connect with Jakarta’s electorate, making numerous daily visits amid speculation about a grand coalition involving seven political parties. This proposed alliance ultimately fell apart after the ruling PDI-P endorsed incumbent governor Ahok along with support from Golkar, Hanura, and Nasdem. The opposition put forward Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, backed by the Democratic Party, PAN, PKB, and PPP.

The remaining parties Gerindra and PKS formed a coalition endorsing former Education Minister Anies Baswedan as their gubernatorial candidate with Sandiaga as his deputy. Sandiaga himself proposed Baswedan to Prabowo, considering him a more fitting choice.

Following a highly polarized election and the imprisonment of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok), Sandiaga was inaugurated as deputy governor on 16 October 2017.

In 2018, accusations emerged claiming he paid opposition parties Rp 500 billion (approximately US$35 million) each to secure their endorsement for his vice-presidential candidacy alongside Prabowo in the 2019 Indonesian presidential election. Despite these allegations, he resigned from his deputy governor role on 10 August 2018 to pursue the election; this resignation was officially accepted on 18 September.

After Prabowo's election loss, Sandiaga remained out of public office until his appointment as Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy on 22 December 2020. He rejoined Gerindra but resigned once more on 24 April 2023 before affiliating with the PPP on 14 June 2023.

Academic involvement

Indonesian media reported that Sandiaga Uno received the designation of "distinguished research professor in residence" at George Washington University. Nonetheless, he clarified that this recognition was granted due to his entrepreneurial research contributions rather than a teaching role.

Paradise Papers

In November 2017, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism included Sandiaga in the Paradise Papers probe, linking him to ownership of an offshore entity, NTI Resources, along with multiple shell corporations registered in the British Virgin Islands. Sri Mulyani, Indonesia's Minister of Finance, committed to examining the validity of these allegations and promised to pursue appropriate measures if any violations were confirmed.

Initiative

Prior to his tenure as deputy governor, Sandiaga introduced the entrepreneurship program OK OCE (One Kecamatan, One Center for Entrepreneurship), which he actively promoted during his electoral campaign. Initially, his older brother Indra served as the program’s president; however, concerns regarding nepotism led to his prompt replacement.

Awards

Star of Mahaputera, 3rd Class () (14 August 2024)