Erick Thohir (born 30 May 1970) is an Indonesian businessman and politician who has served as Minister of Youth and Sports since September 2025, following his tenure as Minister of State-Owned Enterprises from October 2019 to September 2025.[1][2] He founded the Mahaka Group in 1994, building a conglomerate focused on media, advertising, and publishing that has expanded into various sectors.[3][4]Thohir gained international prominence through investments in professional sports franchises, acquiring a controlling stake in Italian Serie A club Inter Milan in 2013, where he served as president until 2016, and owning Major League Soccer's D.C. United from 2012 to 2018.[3][5] His earlier involvement included a brief co-ownership of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers from 2011 to 2012, reflecting a strategy of leveraging sports for global business expansion.[3] These ventures stabilized club finances amid financial distress, though they drew criticism for conservative spending on player acquisitions.[6]Entering politics in 2018 as co-chair of President Joko Widodo's re-election campaign, Thohir's appointment to the State-Owned Enterprises portfolio emphasized corporate governance reforms, company consolidations, and anti-corruption initiatives across Indonesia's vast network of state firms, managing assets exceeding hundreds of billions of dollars.[7][8] His ministry pursued fiscal discipline and national development projects, including pushes into electric vehicles and infrastructure, while facing unsubstantiated allegations of involvement in fuel import irregularities at Pertamina, which were publicly refuted by authorities.[9][10] In his current sports role, Thohir has defended policies restricting participation of Israeli athletes in Indonesian-hosted events on security grounds, amid international scrutiny.[11]
Early life and family background
Childhood and upbringing
Erick Thohir was born on May 30, 1970, in Jakarta, Indonesia, into a family of mixed Chinese and Sundanese descent.[5][4] His father, Teddy Thohir (also known as Mochamad Teddy Thohir), co-founded and co-owned Astra International, a prominent automotive conglomerate that expanded into a diversified business group starting from vehicle assembly and distribution.[12][13] His mother, Edna Thohir, contributed to the family's Sundanese heritage from West Java.[14]Thohir grew up in a middle-class entrepreneurial household where business acumen was emphasized through direct involvement in family operations. As a child, he assisted in these ventures, gaining hands-on experience in commerce that fostered an independent mindset, as his father reportedly discouraged reliance on the family conglomerate and encouraged forging separate paths.[15][16] This upbringing occurred during Indonesia's New Order era under President Suharto, a period of rapid industrialization and economic growth that highlighted private enterprise amid state-guided development, shaping Thohir's early appreciation for competitive markets and self-reliance.[7]
Education and early influences
Erick Thohir completed his secondary education at SMAN 3 Jakarta.[17] He then pursued higher education in the United States, beginning with an Associate of Arts degree in communication from Glendale Community College in California in 1990.[3] This was followed by a Bachelor of Arts in advertising from American College in California in 1991.[18] Thohir earned a Master of Business Administration from National University in California in 1993, with studies emphasizing advertising and marketing principles.[19][20]His early professional experiences centered on practical immersion in business operations rather than formal entry-level positions. Thohir assisted in managing his family's restaurantchain, including PT Hanamasa, which provided foundational exposure to entrepreneurship amid Indonesia's economic challenges, such as the 1998 Asian financial crisis that impacted the sector.[19] In 1992, while completing his MBA, he founded PT Mahaka Advertising, an outdoor advertising firm that marked his initial independent venture into media-related services, leveraging networks built through U.S. education and family ties without evident reliance on political affiliations.[20] These steps underscored a self-directed progression, prioritizing market-driven opportunities in advertising and consumer-facing industries.[4]
Business career
Establishment of Mahaka Group
Erick Thohir co-founded the Mahaka Group with partners Muhammad Lutfi, Wisnu Wardhana, and R. Harry Zulnardy through the establishment of PT Abdi Bangsa Tbk on November 28, 1992, initially as a media-oriented entity without reliance on government subsidies.[4][21] The venture capitalized on Indonesia's emerging private media landscape under the New Order regime's gradual deregulation, prioritizing operational efficiencies and market demand over state support.In its foundational year of 1993, PT Abdi Bangsa launched Harian Republika, Indonesia's inaugural daily newspaper explicitly targeting the Muslim community, which quickly gained traction through content focused on Islamic values and national issues, generating revenue from subscriptions and advertising without public funding.[22] This move marked the group's entry into print media, leveraging Thohir's post-education return from the United States to apply international business acumen to domestic opportunities.By 1994, the group diversified into advertising services via PT Avabanindo Perkasa (later Mahaka Advertising), expanding revenue streams through client contracts in a competitive sector driven by private innovation rather than preferential access.[23] Following the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis and subsequent Reformasi-era liberalization—which dismantled media monopolies and spurred private investment—Mahaka navigated volatility by streamlining costs and forging commercial partnerships, culminating in its 2002 public listing as PT Mahaka Media Tbk and sustained profitability from core media operations.[21]
Expansion into media and other sectors
Following the establishment of core advertising operations, Mahaka Group expanded its media portfolio through targeted acquisitions in the early 2000s, capitalizing on Indonesia's post-crisis economic recovery and rising demand for print and broadcast content. In 2001, the group acquired Harian Republika, Indonesia's largest circulation Muslim-oriented daily newspaper at the time, which became a flagship asset under subsidiary PT Pustaka Abdi Bangsa.[21] This move positioned Mahaka to benefit from the advertising surge driven by urban growth and consumer spending, with the newspaper's circulation and ad revenues contributing to the group's scaling in a competitive market. By 2003, Mahaka restructured as a multimediaholding company, incorporating additional print, radio, and early television ventures such as Jak TV, a regional free-to-air station.[21][24]The mid-2000s saw further diversification within media-adjacent sectors, including outdoor advertising via Mahaka Advertising, which exploited infrastructure development and city expansion for billboard and transit ad placements without reliance on government subsidies. These expansions aligned with broader market liberalization, enabling revenue growth from diversified ad streams amid Indonesia's GDP rebound exceeding 5% annually post-2004. Mahaka's media revenues demonstrated sustained scaling, as evidenced by later financials showing operational resilience; for instance, consolidated revenues reached Rp 170.2 billion in 2022, up 1% year-over-year despite digital disruptions, reflecting adaptive investments in content production.[25]Into the 2010s and beyond, Mahaka ventured into digital platforms and entertainment synergies, launching online extensions of Republika and partnering for licensed publications like Golf Digest Indonesia to tap global content trends. This shift culminated in the 2022 rebranding to Mahaka X, emphasizing media technology convergence with digital creators and streaming, amid an advertising boom fueled by internet penetration rising from 10% in 2005 to over 70% by 2020. Strategic alliances, such as those with local investors in Visi Media Asia for television assets, underscored opportunistic entries into volatile sectors, prioritizing market-driven opportunities over protected arrangements.[19]
Key business deals and partnerships
In 2001, Thohir's Mahaka Group acquired Harian Republika, Indonesia's largest Islamic newspaper at the time, which was operating at a loss and nearing bankruptcy; under his leadership, the acquisition facilitated operational restructuring that restored profitability by leveraging market demand for faith-based content.[19][14]Mahaka Media, the core entity of Thohir's group, pursued consolidation in the fragmented media sector, including the 2004 acquisition of PT Suara Irama Indah, a radio broadcaster, which expanded its portfolio to include audio content distribution amid rising advertising revenues in Indonesia's growing media market.[26]A pivotal international partnership emerged in 2008 when Independent News & Media (INM), an Irish conglomerate, invested €4.8 million in PT Abdi Bangsa Tbk (Mahaka's predecessor), acquiring a stake while Thohir retained 52% control; this deal provided capital for digital expansion and cross-border content synergies, though INM later divested amid global media shifts.[27][19]In late 2016, Thohir led a consortium that injected IDR 2 trillion (approximately $149 million) into Asuransi Jiwa Bumiputera 1912, a distressed unit of the century-old insurer PT Asuransi Jiwa Bumiputera 1912, whose liabilities exceeded capital by over IDR 17 trillion as of 2015; the investment, structured via promissory notes and asset transfers worth IDR 3.2 trillion to an affiliate, granted the group full ownership of the revitalized entity and addressed solvency issues through fresh capital and product diversification.[28][29][30]
Sports ownership and management
Basketball investments
In 2011, Erick Thohir acquired a minority stake in the National Basketball Association's Philadelphia 76ers as part of a diversification strategy for his business interests beyond Indonesia.[19] The investment, valued at approximately $21 million for a 15% share, positioned Thohir and his Indonesian partner Handy Soetedjo among the franchise's owners through a consortium that also included high-profile investors like actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.[19][31] This made Thohir the first Indonesian and one of the earliest Asian investors in an NBA team, with the league's approval formalized on October 20, 2011.The rationale centered on the NBA's high franchise valuations and global merchandising opportunities, which offered potential for asset appreciation and passive revenue streams from media rights and sponsorships, aligning with Thohir's media holdings via the Mahaka Group.[19] NBA team values have since risen substantially; for instance, the 76ers' franchise was valued at around $140 million at the time of Thohir's entry but exceeded $4 billion by 2023, reflecting league-wide growth driven by international expansion and broadcasting deals.[19] Thohir maintained a limited operational role, focusing on financial contributions rather than day-to-day management, consistent with his approach to sports as a commercialization vehicle for branding and returns.[32]Thohir divested his 76ers stake around 2013-2014 following his acquisition of a controlling interest in Italy's Inter Milan, redirecting focus toward European football operations.[33] This exit capitalized on the NBA investment's appreciation while avoiding conflicts with his expanding soccer portfolio, underscoring a strategic pivot to assets with higher active involvement potential.[33] No further direct basketball investments by Thohir have been reported post-divestment.
Football club acquisitions and leadership
In October 2013, Erick Thohir led an international consortium, International Sports Capital (ISC), to acquire a 70% controlling stake in Inter Milan from the Moratti family for approximately €250 million, marking the first time an Asian investor held majority ownership in a major European football club.[34][35] As the club's newly appointed president, Thohir focused on financial restructuring, including debt renegotiation and commercial revenue growth through Asian market expansion, which he later credited with achieving stability over five to six years despite ongoing losses reported in club financials.[36][37] During his tenure until June 2016, when Chinese group Suning Commerce acquired a majority stake while Thohir retained a minority interest and initial presidency, Inter improved from an eighth-place Serie A finish in 2012–13 to fourth in 2015–16, securing Europa League qualification, though the club recorded net losses exceeding €140 million annually amid heavy investments in squad rebuilding.[38]In the English football scene, Thohir co-invested in Oxford United, joining efforts with Indonesian businessman Anindya Bakrie, who had entered the club's board in 2019; together, they secured a 51% majority stake in September 2022 from previous Thai ownership, emphasizing long-term sustainability and facility enhancements as part of their strategic involvement.[39][40] Under this ownership shift, Oxford United, competing in EFL League One, achieved promotion to the Championship via playoffs in May 2024, reflecting improved on-pitch performance with a 10th-place regular season finish followed by playoff victories, though direct causal links to Thohir's leadership decisions remain tied to broader investment commitments rather than operational control.[41]Domestically, Thohir acquired a significant stake in Indonesian club Persis Solo in March 2021 alongside Kaesang Pangarep and other investors, targeting elevation from Liga 2 amid efforts to professionalize operations and boost supporter involvement.[42][43] The club successfully won the 2022 Liga 2 title, earning promotion to Liga 1 after a 14-year absence from the top flight, with leadership emphasizing disciplined team-building and community ties, though subsequent Liga 1 campaigns have seen mid-table results, such as 14th place in the 2023–24 season, highlighting persistent challenges in sustaining competitive edge.[44]
Role in Indonesian football governance
Erick Thohir was elected chairman of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) on February 16, 2023, securing 64 votes at an extraordinary congress in Jakarta for a term extending until 2027.[45][46] His appointment followed calls for total reform in Indonesian football governance, amid ongoing efforts to professionalize the federation and align with FIFA standards.[47]Under Thohir's leadership, PSSI pursued professionalization measures, including the naturalization of foreign-born players of Indonesian descent to bolster the national team, a policy defended as a short-term strategy to elevate performance while building domestic talent pipelines.[48] By September 2025, Thohir announced an end to new naturalizations, shifting emphasis to diaspora recruitment and strengthening the domestic league to sustain improvements.[49] Investments in infrastructure and talent development were prioritized, contributing to modernization of PSSI operations and hosting events like the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2023, which Thohir credited with boosting grassroots participation and federation credibility.[50][51]These reforms correlated with FIFA ranking gains, with Indonesia climbing from 173rd in 2019 to 123rd by April 2025—its best position in 15 years—and a further rise to 129th by September 2024, reflecting consistent progress since 2021.[52][53] Thohir set long-term targets, including top-50 global status by 2045 to align with Indonesia's projected economic growth, alongside mid-term goals like top-16 in Asia and enhanced Asian Cup competitiveness.[54] Efforts ensured FIFA compliance, including clearance for Thohir's dual role as PSSI chair and sports minister in September 2025, despite scrutiny over potential political interference.[55]However, governance faced setbacks with Indonesia's failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in October 2025, prompting Thohir to apologize publicly and terminate coach Patrick Kluivert's contract after poor results in the fourth-round qualifiers.[56][57] This outcome intensified pressures on Thohir's leadership, raising questions about strategic execution despite ranking advances and regional hosting successes, such as Asian Cup qualification pushes.[58] Thohir denied unrelated allegations of PSSI interference in regional FIFA matters, emphasizing focus on internal reforms over external disputes.[59]
Political involvement
Entry into national politics
Erick Thohir's prominent role in organizing the 2018 Asian Games and Asian Para Games in Jakarta and Palembang elevated his national profile, leading to his recruitment into politics by President Joko Widodo. As chairman of the National Organizing Committee, Thohir oversaw the event's logistics and delivery, which was widely regarded as a success in promoting Indonesia's infrastructure and soft power.[60]On September 7, 2018, Widodo appointed Thohir as chairman of the TKN (Tim Kampanye Nasional), the national campaign team for his 2019 presidential re-election bid against Prabowo Subianto. In this capacity, Thohir coordinated strategy, drawing on his media ownership and business connections to secure funding and endorsements from the private sector, particularly entrepreneurs who favored Widodo's pro-growth policies. His involvement emphasized pragmatic mobilization over partisan ideology, with no reported personal scandals tainting the effort.[61][62]Widodo's campaign secured victory on April 17, 2019, with 55.5% of the vote, paving the way for Thohir's cabinet inclusion. On October 23, 2019, following Widodo's inauguration for a second term, Thohir was sworn in as Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN), transitioning from private-sector leadership to overseeing a portfolio controlling assets worth over $700 billion and employing millions. This move aligned with Thohir's expressed interest in applying corporate efficiency to state entities, reflecting a pro-business orientation toward economic nationalism that prioritized performance metrics and consolidation over ideological state expansion.[14][63]
Tenure as Minister of State-Owned Enterprises
Erick Thohir was appointed Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) on October 23, 2019, as part of President Joko Widodo's second cabinet, tasked with overseeing Indonesia's portfolio of approximately 114 SOEs at the time.[64] His tenure emphasized streamlining operations through mergers and divestments to address inefficiencies and enhance profitability, reducing the number of SOEs from 114 in 2019 to 47 by 2024 via consolidation efforts.[64] Thohir initiated corporate governance reforms, including plans to further consolidate into 30 entities across 11 sectoral clusters by 2025, aiming to eliminate redundancies and improve fiscal performance.[65]During the COVID-19 pandemic, Thohir coordinated SOE involvement in national logistics, particularly through state pharmaceutical firm Bio Farma, which prepared fill-and-finish facilities for vaccine production and distribution starting in early 2021.[66] He ensured private sector support for the vaccination program without profit motives in SOE-handled distributions and visited production sites to verify readiness for downstream vaccine handling.[67][68] These efforts facilitated the procurement and rollout of vaccines, leveraging SOE infrastructure for equitable access amid global supply constraints.[69]In 2025, Thohir advanced the establishment of Danantara, a sovereign wealth fund launched on February 24, modeled to manage SOE dividends and oversee strategic investments, with initial transfers of significant dividends from SOEs to the fund.[70] He described Danantara's mandate to complete 22 strategic programs within six months as a major challenge, positioning it as a holding structure to centralize oversight and drive long-term efficiency in SOE operations.[71][72] This initiative built on prior merger groundwork, with implementation timelines extending up to three years for full sectoral integrations.[73]
Transition to Minister of Youth and Sports
On September 17, 2025, President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated Erick Thohir as Minister of Youth and Sports via Presidential Decree Number 96P of 2025, replacing Dito Ariotedjo in a cabinet reshuffle that shifted Thohir from his prior role overseeing state-owned enterprises.[74][1] This transition underscored a strategic emphasis on integrating Thohir's longstanding sports management experience—particularly in football—with governmental priorities for youth empowerment and athletic advancement, amid ongoing SOE restructuring that left its ministry under acting leadership.[75][76]Thohir's mandate prioritized youth development, which he described as frequently sidelined in favor of education and employment focuses, pledging to strengthen the interplay between sports and holistic youth programs.[77] He committed to enhancing athletic infrastructure and preparations for events like the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, while advocating innovation, unity across disciplines, and equal resource allocation beyond football to foster long-term competitiveness.[78][79][80]Retaining his chairmanship of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI)—cleared by FIFA on September 23, 2025, as posing no interference risk—enabled Thohir to align federation efforts with ministerial objectives, targeting sustained improvements in global standings, such as building on Indonesia's prior ascent to 129th in FIFA rankings through dedicated national team investments.[55][53] This synergy drew on Thohir's private-sector background to promote public-private collaborations for overlooked youth initiatives, including sports tourism and athlete welfare enhancements like proposed pension funds for elite performers.[81][82]
Upon assuming office as Minister of State-Owned Enterprises in October 2019, Erick Thohir launched a comprehensive restructuring program centered on clustering SOEs (BUMN) into sector-specific holdings to streamline operations, eliminate overlapping functions, and foster professional management akin to private conglomerates. This approach involved grouping entities by industry, such as finance, mining, food security, and construction, with flagship companies like Bank Mandiri for financial services and PT Pertamina for energy leading the clusters.[83][84] By mid-2024, these efforts had reduced the total number of SOEs from approximately 120 to around 40 core entities, significantly curtailing bureaucratic layers and redundant subsidiaries that previously hampered agility.[84]Key efficiency measures included targeted mergers, dissolutions of underperforming firms, and selective divestments to offload non-core or low-revenue assets. Notable mergers encompassed port operators like Pelindo subsidiaries and construction firms such as PT Hutama Karya, PT Waskita, and PT PP into consolidated holdings to optimize resource allocation and project execution. Thohir oversaw the dissolution of three dormant SOEs by late 2023, with plans to liquidate four additional ones, targeting entities that had ceased operations or incurred persistent losses without strategic value.[85] Divestment initiatives focused on market-oriented privatization, including the sale of stakes in mining assets like PT Vale Indonesia to state mining holding MIND ID in 2023 and preparations for initial public offerings (IPOs) of subsidiaries such as Pertamina Geothermal Energy, alongside a policy to privatize SOEs generating under Rp 50 billion annually to attract private capital and reduce fiscal burdens.[86][87][88]These reforms yielded measurable gains in financial performance and state contributions, validating their anti-bureaucracy intent through empirical metrics rather than patronage-driven allocations. SOE revenues rose from Rp 1,930 trillion in 2020 to Rp 2,933 trillion in 2023, reflecting enhanced operational synergies and cost controls post-clustering.[89] Dividends to the state, a key non-tax revenue stream, more than doubled to Rp 81 trillion in fiscal year 2023—a 102.1% increase from prior levels—before climbing further to Rp 85.5 trillion in 2024, enabling greater fiscal flexibility amid economic pressures.[90][91] Such outcomes stemmed from governance upgrades, including ministerial regulations on task assignments and sustainable oversight issued in 2023, which prioritized profitability and reduced losses in previously inefficient firms without relying on ad hoc bailouts.[92]
Contributions to national development projects
Under Erick Thohir's leadership as Minister of State-Owned Enterprises from October 2019 to August 2024, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) played a key role in advancing Indonesia's infrastructure projects, including the development of the new capital city, Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN). SOEs such as PT Adhi Karya (Persero) and PT Pembangunan Perumahan (Persero) Tbk participated in IKN construction efforts, contributing to approximately 40% progress in certain development phases by September 2023.[93] Thohir's ministry proposed a state capital injection (PMN) of Rp44.24 trillion for 2025, partly to bolster SOE involvement in IKN and related infrastructure, emphasizing sustainable economic contributions over short-term expenditures.[94] Additionally, SOEs under his oversight facilitated clean energy provision to IKN, with PT PLN (Persero) rapidly deploying solar power plants to support the project's electricity needs by July 2024.[95]Thohir directed SOEs toward critical toll road expansions to enhance national connectivity and economic efficiency. His administration sought capital injections totaling Rp24 trillion in 2023 to rescue stalled toll road initiatives managed by firms like PT Waskita Karya and PT Hutama Karya, preventing project delays amid financial pressures.[96] By June 2024, he proposed another Rp44 trillion PMN for 2025, with the majority allocated to toll road developers including the Yogyakarta-Bawen and Solo-Yogyakarta segments under PT Adhi Karya, aiming to complete key routes and generate long-term returns through increased traffic and revenue.[97][98] These efforts focused on mergers, such as integrating Waskita Karya into Hutama Karya, to streamline operations and prioritize viable projects with measurable economic multipliers like reduced logistics costs.[99]During the COVID-19 pandemic, Thohir coordinated SOE-led procurement of Sinovac vaccines through PT Bio Farma (Persero), securing agreements in August 2020 for up to 250 million doses by the end of 2021 to accelerate national immunization.[100] This initiative, overseen alongside Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, enabled Bio Farma to process and distribute bulk supplies, starting shipments in November 2020 and supporting Indonesia's vaccination rollout that reached millions by early 2021.[101] Thohir emphasized Bio Farma's preparedness for vaccine filling and logistics, ensuring emergency response capabilities without disrupting core SOE functions.[102]Thohir promoted export-oriented SOEs to enhance Indonesia's global trade position, highlighting firms like PT MIND ID (mining) and PT Perkebunan Nusantara (plantations) to capitalize on rising commodity prices amid geopolitical shifts.[103] In April 2024, he urged these entities to leverage international opportunities for revenuegrowth, aligning SOE strategies with broader economic resilience against global volatility.[103] This approach contributed to SOE diversification, reducing reliance on domestic markets and fostering competitiveness through targeted export initiatives.[104]
Sports development initiatives
As Minister of Youth and Sports, appointed on September 17, 2025, Erick Thohir has prioritized infrastructure enhancements, including reviews of stadium projects aligned with FIFA standards, such as the proposed 20,000-capacity venue in Depok and upgrades to Jakarta International Stadium to meet international requirements.[105][106] These efforts build on PSSI-led initiatives like the National Football Training Center, established on 34.52 hectares to serve as a hub for development, with FIFA workshops in April 2025 focusing on safety and capacity upgrades for existing facilities.[107][108]Thohir's youth programs emphasize talent identification and academies, continuing PSSI's Elite Pro Academy (EPA) model, which supplied most players for the Indonesia U-17 team in 2025 competitions, demonstrating returns through competitive placements.[109]FIFA Forward funding supports nationwide youth academies and early-age programs, with Thohir advocating foundational development to elevate FIFA rankings toward the top 100, a goal tied to sustained participation growth from diaspora and domestic leagues.[110][111]Private sector contributions, covering 70 percent of PSSI operations, integrate non-state models to diversify funding and reduce fiscal burdens, enabling scalable youth engagement without proportional government increases.[112]Pragmatic measures include past naturalization of 19 players since 2023, which bolstered national team performance and rankings from outside the top 130 to 125th by late 2024, though new approvals ended in September 2025 to prioritize local pipelines.[113][49] Foreign coaching imports, such as Patrick Kluivert's tenure from January 2025, provided tactical expertise amid transitions, aligning with competitiveness targets despite recent evaluations.[57] These steps aim for measurable outcomes, including higher youth enrollment in structured programs and infrastructure yielding long-term ROI through event hosting and talent export.[114]
Controversies and criticisms
Allegations of cronyism and SOE contract awards
Critics have alleged that during Erick Thohir's tenure as Minister of State-Owned Enterprises from October 2019 onward, contracts awarded by SOEs exhibited patterns of favoritism toward business allies and family connections, particularly in the energy sector.[63] Such claims intensified amid investigations into Pertamina's oil import and export manipulations from 2018 to 2023, where rumors surfaced linking Thohir and his brother Garibaldi "Boy" Thohir, owner of coal giant Adaro Energy, to enriched private firms through manipulated refinery outputs favoring imports.[10] However, Indonesia's Attorney General's Office explicitly refuted these rumors in March 2025, stating no evidence implicated Thohir or his brother in the graft scheme, which involved five Pertamina executives and led to state losses exceeding IDR 193 trillion (approximately USD 12 billion).[115] The SOE Ministry similarly dismissed the allegations, emphasizing ongoing probes without ministerial involvement.[116]These assertions align with broader critiques of Indonesia's SOE sector as a "wet" ministry prone to cronyism due to discretionary contract awards with limited oversight, a structural issue predating Thohir's appointment but persisting under his reforms.[63] No court convictions or formal charges against Thohir have materialized as of October 2025, despite heightened scrutiny of SOE corruption cases like those at Pertamina and PT Timah.[117] Thohir responded by initiating a comprehensive review of Pertamina's structure in March 2025 to enhance governance and prevent recurrence, framing it as part of his "SOE Clean-Up" initiative aimed at curbing mismanagement.[118] Independent analyses note improved professionalism in SOEs under his leadership, though persistent investigations suggest incomplete eradication of favoritism risks.[119]Separate controversy arose in early 2022 over Thohir's receipt of an honorary doctorate, criticized by academics at Jakarta State University (UNJ) as undeserved political patronage lacking scholarly merit.[120] UNJ Lecturers Alliance spokesperson Andi Saputra argued that Thohir, alongside Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, possessed "no academic achievements whatsoever" warranting the honoris causa title, reflecting a pattern of Indonesian universities conferring such degrees on politicians amid regulatory debates from 2000-2020.[120] Thohir's defenders viewed it as recognition of economic contributions, but the backlash underscored perceptions of cronyistic elevation in elite networks, with no revocation or formal challenge ensuing.[121] As with contract allegations, empirical gaps persist, as the award complied with prevailing policies without proven impropriety.[122]
Failures in national sports performance
Under Erick Thohir's leadership as PSSI chairman since 2023 and Minister of Youth and Sports since August 2024, Indonesia's national football team experienced notable setbacks, culminating in failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The team was eliminated from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) third round of qualifiers after a 0-1 loss to Iraq on October 12, 2025, finishing with insufficient points to advance despite earlier progression from the second round. This outcome followed a series of defeats, including losses to Saudi Arabia and others in Group C, marking Indonesia's continued absence from the World Cup since its inaugural participation in 1938.[56][58]Performance metrics highlighted execution shortfalls despite substantial investments in coaching and naturalization of foreign-born players. Under head coach Patrick Kluivert, appointed in January 2025 on a two-year contract, the team recorded three wins, one draw, and four losses in eight matches, failing to secure qualification and leading to Kluivert's dismissal on October 16, 2025. FIFA rankings reflected stagnation or regression: Indonesia climbed to 123rd in April 2025 after qualifier wins but dropped two spots to 127th by December 2024, with points at 1133.41 amid inconsistent results. Critics attributed these to governance lapses, such as frequent coaching changes—including the dismissal of Shin Tae-yong—and overreliance on high-profile hires without addressing foundational talent development gaps.[57][123][124]While the team advanced to the round of 16 at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup—its best in decades—these partial successes did not translate to broader progress, with public frustration mounting over unfulfilled promises of rapid elevation. Post-qualification failure in October 2025, media outlets like The Jakarta Post linked the results to systemic issues in PSSI management, including inadequate youth pipelines and match preparation, amid heavy spending on infrastructure and foreign expertise. Fans and analysts, including those citing a 1-5 loss in March 2025, blamed Thohir personally for "total failure" in leveraging investments effectively.[125][58][126]Defenders of Thohir's approach argue for a long-term perspective, pointing to foundational reforms like naturalization policies that yielded temporary ranking gains and positioning Indonesia as a Southeast Asian contender. Thohir himself apologized publicly on October 12, 2025, emphasizing ongoing evaluations and potential overhauls for future cycles, such as the 2027 Asian Cup. However, skeptics counter that such defenses overlook causal disconnects between resource allocation and on-field outcomes, with calls for structural PSSI reforms intensifying as a potential turning point.[127][56][127]
Political maneuvering and honorary titles disputes
In late 2022, Erick Thohir was positioned as a potential vice presidential candidate for Indonesia's 2024 election, leveraging his proximity to President Joko Widodo and his role in economic recovery efforts, with speculation centering on a pairing with presidential frontrunner Prabowo Subianto.[128] However, these prospects were upended in October 2023 when Widodo's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, rapidly entered the race as Prabowo's running mate following a Constitutional Court ruling—presided over by Gibran's uncle Anwar Usman—that lowered the age requirement for candidates with prior elected experience, enabling the 36-year-old's eligibility.[129] Critics, including political analysts, framed this as dynastic maneuvering prioritizing family ties over merit-based selection, sidelining figures like Thohir who had built public profiles through policy achievements rather than presidential lineage.[130] Thohir's supporters countered that his exclusion reflected elite capture dynamics, where entrenched power networks favored loyalty to Widodo's inner circle over reform-oriented independents, though Thohir himself publicly downplayed personal ambitions and endorsed the Prabowo-Gibran ticket.[130]Separately, Thohir faced backlash over honorary academic titles, particularly the University of Negeri Jakarta's (UNJ) decision in 2020 to confer upon him an honorary doctorate in management sciences.[131] A coalition of UNJ lecturers protested the award, arguing it lacked substantive scholarly justification given Thohir's absence of academic publications or research contributions, and accused the university of yielding to political pressures amid his recent appointment as Minister of State-Owned Enterprises.[120] The controversy intensified debates on nepotism and the erosion of academic integrity in Indonesian higher education, where such honors to sitting officials were seen as symbolic endorsements rather than merit recognitions, with the lecturers' alliance spokesperson emphasizing that "Ma'ruf Amin and Erick Thohir have no academic achievements whatsoever to deserve the titles."[120] Defenders, including university administrators, justified the degree based on Thohir's practical contributions to national economic management and crisis response, positioning it as acknowledgment of applied leadership over traditional scholarship, though regulatory shifts in honorary degree policies from 2000 to 2020 had already broadened criteria, fueling perceptions of institutional capture by political elites.[121] These disputes highlighted tensions between Thohir's technocratic image and accusations of entitlement through symbolic accolades.
Honors and personal life
Awards and recognitions
In 2018, Erick Thohir was named Businessman of the Year by Forbes Indonesia, recognizing his contributions to the media and sports sectors through ventures like the Mahaka Group.[3] That same year, he received the Golden Award from the Indonesia Journalists Association for his media industry innovations.[3]For his oversight of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) as minister from 2019, Thohir earned the Best Leader for SOE Transformation award from CNBC Indonesia in 2023, highlighting reforms that improved efficiency and governance.[132] In 2024, he was further honored with CNBC Indonesia's Game Changer in SOEs Business & Transformation award for advancing structural changes and performance metrics.[133] Additionally, in 2023, detikcom awarded him as Tokoh Transformasi BUMN for driving enterprise consolidation and operational enhancements.[134]In sports administration, Thohir received the FIBA President's Award in 2023 for his role on the FIBA Central Board and contributions to basketball development.[135] As chairman of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) since 2023, he accepted the FIFA Forward Gold Award in June 2025 on behalf of PSSI for the successful implementation of a national football training center project in Nusantara, marking a first for Indonesianfootball governance.[136] Earlier, in 2012, he was honored by Indonesia's Minister of Youth and Sports for his broader impacts in the sports industry, including ownership stakes in international teams.[137]
Family and philanthropy
Erick Thohir was born on May 30, 1970, in Jakarta to Mochamad Teddy Thohir, a prominent Indonesian entrepreneur and co-founder of Astra International, and Edna Thohir, of Chinese descent.[4][60] His family background includes mixed Chinese and Sundanese heritage.[5] Thohir has an older brother, Garibaldi Thohir, a billionaire coal magnate, and a sister named Rika Thohir.[15][138]Thohir married Elizabeth Tjandra in 1998; she converted to Islam prior to the marriage.[139][5] The couple has four children: sons Mahendra Agakhan Thohir (also known as Aga) and Mahatma Arfala Thohir (Arfa), and daughters Makayla Amadia Thohir and Magisha Afryea Thohir (also referred to as Maghisa).[4][140] In October 2025, their daughter Magisha married Moshe Panjaitan in a Bataknese ceremony.[141]Thohir founded the Darma Bakti Mahaka Foundation, an organization focused on raising funds for social and charitable activities in Indonesia, including support for education, healthcare, and welfare initiatives.[4][14] He has also been associated with Dompet Dhuafa Republika, a charitable entity linked to his media interests, contributing to community welfare programs.[4] In November 2021, as Minister of State-Owned Enterprises, Thohir personally planted and donated trees to launch the "Make Indonesia Green" environmental campaign.[142] His family's contributions include support for the At-Thohir Mosque in Los Angeles, established as a gift from IndonesianMuslims, which Thohir expressed emotional appreciation for upon its 2022 inauguration.[143]