At Donald Trump’s election night party at Mar-a-Lago last year, rubbing shoulders with Elon Musk, Robert F Kennedy Jr and other supporters of the presidential candidate was an Indonesian businessman: Hary Tanoesoedibjo.
Though less internationally recognised than others in the room, Hary is an important business partner for the presidential family, with a central role in developing two of the Trump Organization’s biggest real estate projects in Asia.
It is a role that has come under a renewed spotlight since Hary was mentioned in an inadvertently broadcast conversation between the US president and his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto last month, in which they appeared to be discussing Trump Organization business.
Prabowo told Trump “we’ll look for a better place” and said “I told Hary”. It was not clear what he was referring to as some of the conversation was not audible. The conversation at a summit in Egypt also highlighted Trump’s growing interest in Indonesia, which he has called “a new friend” of the US.
Trump’s family business has two large real estate developments — including one in the popular tourist island of Bali — that have faced troubles with regulators and multiple delays.
Trump is also trying to convince Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country by population, to join the Abraham Accords — his signature policy to normalise ties between Israel and Muslim nations — and to support his peacekeeping plan for Gaza.
Prabowo also appears keen to build stronger ties with the US, despite Trump’s imposition of hefty tariffs on Indonesian imports.
“The mood is improving,” said Dino Djalal, former Indonesian ambassador to the US of the relationship. “Both leaders have come to know one another, and President Trump has shown that he likes Prabowo, judging from the public comments that he has made about him.”
While the Trump Organization’s business in the country has not played a role until now in the broader relationship between the two countries, the hot mic moment suggests it may in the future, say some observers.
“The relationship between Trump and Prabowo is very dynamic, and it’s not [just] about trade anymore but has spread to personal matters,” said Bhima Yudhistira, executive director of Indonesia’s Center of Economic and Law Studies, citing the conversation between the leaders.
Indonesia’s foreign minister Sugiono called the leaders’ exchange “casual”, adding: “I think President Prabowo and President Trump have a fairly close relationship, and they may discuss many things beyond official state matters.”
The US president’s family business first partnered with Hary and his conglomerate MNC a decade ago to build Trump-branded golf courses and luxury residences in Bali and Bogor, a former Dutch colonial hill station outside the capital Jakarta.
The golf course in Bogor opened in March after years of construction delays. A few weeks before the launch, the environment ministry found that the MNC-run special economic zone — within which the golf course is located — had failed to obtain necessary permits.
Residences and clubhouses at the golf course are still under construction. The special economic zone is still under investigation by the ministry for alleged environmental violations. MNC has denied allegations from the ministry that its development had caused sedimentation in a nearby lake. It has also said previously that it was adhering to applicable laws and regulations.
Hary, the Trump Organization and MNC did not respond to requests for comment.
In Bali, the Trump Organization first signed an agreement in 2015 to develop a golf club and resort. Some local media reports suggest it has been abandoned.
In an interview with CNN following the hot mic conversation, Eric Trump said the Bali project was still in the works. “We have two of the biggest projects in Indonesia. They are probably two of the most consequential real estate projects in the region that started before my father’s first presidency,” he said when asked about Trump mixing business and politics.
Habib Abiyan Dzakwan from CSIS Indonesia said it would be unwise for the government to provide any special treatment for the Trump Organization. “That will bluntly reaffirm impressions [that] doing business in Indonesia is driven by political ties rather than anchored in rule of law. Others may either ask for the same or be hesitant to invest altogether,” he added.
Prabowo’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
US President Donald Trump’s “personal assets are in a trust managed by his children, and have nothing to do with his presidential decision-making”, said White House spokesperson Anna Kelly. Eric Trump did not respond to requests for comment.
Indonesia is also becoming more important politically for Trump as the US president looks to implement his peace plan for Gaza and persuade more Muslim nations to join the Abraham Accords.
Jakarta does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, and has ruled out any normalisation of ties until Israel recognises an independent Palestine.
Prabowo, who wants to play a bigger role in international affairs, has offered to deploy as many as 20,000 troops to Trump’s international stabilisation force as part of the Gaza peace plan — the largest such offer so far.
If Prabowo’s promised peacekeeping forces come through, “the value of Indonesia to President Trump would be much higher,” said former ambassador Dino.
Hary, 60, may be key to strengthening ties until then.
The Indonesian billionaire and the US president have a lot in common.
Hary’s business venture began in 1989, when he founded a stockbroking company that he gradually built into a conglomerate with interests in media, tourism, hospitality and financial services. It also organises the annual Miss Indonesia beauty pageant.
His family is also involved in politics. Hary founded a political party in 2014 and has expressed interest in seeking Indonesia’s presidency, citing Trump as an inspiration. His political career has not taken off, however: his party has failed to win seats in parliament and his bid for the vice-presidency was unsuccessful.
Trump appears to have remained close to Hary, who attended his first inauguration as a personal guest. In a video message posted by Hary on social media last year, the US president called him “my partner, my friend”, adding: “He has been my friend for a long time actually.”
Additional reporting by Alex Rogers in Washington
