Gibran Rakabuming Raka is the current mayor of Surakarta in Central Java, and the eldest son of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

Coming from an entrepreneurial background, Gibran once said that he did not want anything to do with politics and that he would only focus on his businesses, independent of his father’s political influence.

Everything changed dramatically a few years ago, after he successfully ran for mayor in his hometown, where his father once governed too. Gibran now finds himself running for vice president in the 2024 general election, alongside presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto of the Gerindra Party.

What is his background?

Gibran spent most of his childhood in Surakarta. As a young man, he enjoyed a life of privilege as the son of a successful furniture businessman, who would one day become president.

One of these privileges was to study abroad in Singapore at Orchid Park Secondary School.

In 2007, Gibran earned a bachelor’s degree from the Management Development Institute of Singapore. He then pursued further studies at the University of Technology Sydney in Australia, graduating in 2010.

After completing his studies, Gibran returned to Indonesia, and it was around this time that Jokowi was elected president for the first time.

Upon his return, Gibran dove head first into his entrepreneurial journey by establishing Chilli Pari, a catering business that would lay the foundation for his future endeavors.

He then launched Markobar, an F&B venture selling sweet martabak that has since expanded to 33 outlets across Indonesia.

Gibran’s business expanded to include Pasta Buntel, CS Coffee Shop and a raincoat enterprise named Tugas Negara Bos, showcasing a versatility that extends beyond his palate.

Together with his brother Kaesang Pangarep and celebrity chef Arnold Poernomo, Gibran cofounded Mangkok Ku, a start-up selling rice bowls with Indonesian ingredients.

He also ventured into tech with the establishment of Goola, a culinary start-up that has secured significant funding. He also created the job search application Kerjaholic.

Throughout Gibran’s entrepreneurial career, he has claimed not to have received any privilege from stakeholders or policymakers due to his status as the President’s son. He even insisted that he would never get into politics, to prevent any potential conflict of interests.

However, in a surprising pivot in 2020, Gibran entered the political arena by joining the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

His aim? To run for the position of mayor of Surakarta in the 2020 regional elections.

The unexpected move garnered support from various parties, including the Golkar Party, Gerindra, the National Mandate Party (PAN), the NasDem Party, Perindo and the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI).

Gibran's political aspirations materialized in a resounding victory, securing 86.53 percent of the vote in the Surakarta mayoral election, a feat that officially saw him assume office on Feb. 26, 2021.

His political journey took another unexpected turn on Oct. 22 of this year, when he was declared Prabowo’s running mate after a controversial Constitutional Court ruling on eligibility that later led to the removal of his uncle, chief justice Anwar Usman, from his leadership post. Prabowo used to be Jokowi’s rival in the 2014 and 2019 elections, but has since become one of his closest allies in the cabinet.

What can he bring to the table? 

As of Jan. 30, 2023, the former entrepreneur reported a total wealth of around Rp 26 billion ($1.67 million).

Gibran’s selection by Prabowo as vice presidential candidate is a calculated move to attract votes from Jokowi's supporters, leveraging his familial ties.

Prior to Gibran’s appointment, pro-Jokowi volunteer groups were split on whether to officially declare their support for Prabowo or for PDI-P nominee Ganjar Pranowo.

The Gibran factor managed to shift the positioning of the PSI into supporting Prabowo after it previously declared its support for Ganjar.

The PSI even named Gibran’s younger brother Kaesang as its chairman, just two days after the latter signed up for the party.

Prabowo and his political backers are hoping that the presence of the incumbent’s son on the ballot will translate into more votes for the alliance in the upcoming election.