Indonesian President Reportedly Offered $1 Billion Bribe, Official Reveals
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto was allegedly offered a $1 billion bribe – equivalent to Rp. 16.5 trillion – by unnamed parties, according to a revelation made by Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and Energy, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, on Saturday, October 18, 2025. The disclosure came during an event hosted by FORMAS in Kuningan City, South Jakarta, and highlights ongoing challenges to the government’s anti-corruption efforts.
Djojohadikusumo recounted a conversation with President Subianto several months prior, during which the President casually mentioned the attempted bribery. “Why did you call?” Djojohadikusumo quoted Prabowo as saying, “’I just want to tell a story, I just want to be bribed by someone.’” When pressed for the amount, Prabowo reportedly responded with the staggering figure of $1 billion.
“Yes, Mr. Fahri [Deputy Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas Fahri Hamzah] has heard the story. I’ll just open it. People are reckless, our president wants to be bribed with $1 billion dollars,” Djojohadikusumo stated, emphasizing the audacity of the offer. He further revealed that he, too, was later approached with a similar proposition – a $1.5 billion bribe – which he promptly declined.
The official attributed their resistance to the influence of a higher power. “I think our God helps. Our God helps. This is the struggle we face. We do good or try to be good, the demons come, sir,” Djojohadikusumo explained. “Satan came to Prabowo. But it turns out that God Almighty also protected him. God took care of me. This is what we are facing, the threat the Indonesian nation is facing.”
The revelation of the attempted bribery coincides with the government’s reported successes in reclaiming illegally exploited resources. Djojohadikusumo highlighted the re-control of approximately 3.7 million hectares of forestry land previously used for illegal oil palm plantations, as well as efforts to dismantle illegal mining operations and combat the oil and gas mafia.
Despite these gains, Djojohadikusumo cautioned that criminal elements remain active, continuing to target high-ranking officials with bribery attempts. “But there are still criminals. They want to bribe the president, they want to bribe the president’s brother, they want to bribe others. We have to be alert,” he warned. “One year has had many challenges, many trials. I think we are grateful, our government is strong. The government is intact.”
The incident underscores the persistent challenges to good governance and the ongoing battle against corruption within Indonesia, even as the administration asserts its strength and commitment to reform.
