Sandiaga Uno, whose full name is Sandiaga Salahudin Uno, was born in Rumbai, Pekanbaru, Riau, on June 28, 1969. He is the son of Razif Halik Uno and Mein R. Uno, with his father originating from Gorontalo.
This can be observed from Sandiaga’s surname “Uno,” as his father initially worked as an employee at Caltex in Riau. After leaving that job, his father moved the family to Jakarta in the 1970s.
Education
Sandiaga began his education at SD PKSD, then attended SMP 12 Wijaya Jakarta Selatan, and continued to a Catholic high school. Sandiaga Uno proved to be a bright individual, as evidenced by his Summa Cum Laude graduation from Wichita State University in Kansas, USA.
After graduating, he worked at William Soeryadjaya’s Bank Summa. Due to his excellent performance, he received a scholarship to pursue further studies at George Washington University, USA, where he graduated with a perfect GPA of 4.00, a proud achievement.
Working in Singapore
In 1993, Sandiaga worked in Singapore, joining Seapower Asia Investment Limited, an investment company, as an Investment Manager. Two years later, in 1995, he moved to Canada and worked at NTI Resources Ltd as the Executive Vice President.
Becoming Unemployed
Despite earning a monthly salary of $8,000, the 1997 financial crisis hit his company, leading to bankruptcy and layoffs, including Sandiaga. He decided to return to Indonesia and embark on a new venture. Despite facing rejection from 25 companies, this experience became a turning point, leading Sandiaga to shift his mindset from an employee to an entrepreneur.
“…I became an entrepreneur by ‘accident.’ As an entrepreneur born from an accident, I didn’t design to be an entrepreneur.” – Sandiaga Uno.
Becoming an Entrepreneur Due to ‘Accident’
Drawing on his experience, Sandiaga founded PT Recapital Advisors in 1997, a financial consulting company, with his high school friend Rosan Perkasa Roeslani. Although faced with skepticism, the company gained a client six months later.
Establishing an Investment Company
In 1998, Sandiaga and Edwin Soeryadjaya founded the investment company PT Saratoga Investama Sedaya. Leveraging a strong network, the company focused on telecommunications, mining, and forestry. They raised capital, acquired financially troubled companies, improved their performance, and sold them at a higher price. One notable acquisition was Bank BTPN.
Currently, Sandiaga Uno serves as the CEO of various large companies, including Saratoga Capital, PT Tower Bersama Infrastruktur Group Tbk, PT Adaro Energy Tbk, and PT Recapital Advisor.
Entering the List of Richest People
Forbes listed Sandiaga Uno among the top 40 richest people in Indonesia in 2013, with a wealth of $400 million, ranking 29th. His investment firm, Saratoga Capital, is known as Indonesia’s largest investment firm with 20,000 employees. In 2015, he resigned as CEO of PT Saratoga Investama Sedaya Tbk.
Currently, Sandiaga Uno serves as the National Economic Committee and treasurer of the Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals Association. He is an active speaker at various entrepreneurship seminars, emphasizing courage and optimism as keys to future success.
According to Sandiaga, entrepreneurship is about 30% networking and the rest comes from hard work and maintaining trust in building a business.
Wealth of Sandiaga Uno
As of September 2016, Sandiaga Uno’s total wealth was around IDR 3.8 trillion according to the State Officials’ Wealth Report (LKHPN). In 2017, Globe Asia estimated his wealth at IDR 7.2 trillion. However, by 2018, his wealth had decreased to around IDR 4.3 trillion or approximately $300 million.
Sandiaga Uno is listed among the top 100 richest people in Indonesia according to Globe Asia.
Family of Sandiaga Uno
Sandiaga Uno is married to Nur Asia. They met in junior high school, continued their relationship through college, and eventually got married. They have three children named Sulaiman Saladdin Uno, Anneesha Atheera Uno, and Amyra Atheefa Uno.
Political Career
While known as a successful entrepreneur and one of Indonesia’s richest individuals, Sandiaga Uno entered the political arena.
Vice Governor of Jakarta
His name gained prominence in Jakarta’s public discourse when he entered politics and ran as the vice-gubernatorial candidate of Jakarta, supported by the Gerindra party, alongside Anies Baswedan as the gubernatorial candidate. In the Jakarta gubernatorial election, Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno emerged victorious over their opponents, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama and Djarot Syaiful Hidayat.
2019 Vice Presidential Candidate
In August 2018, Sandiaga Uno was chosen as the vice-presidential candidate for the 2019 presidential election by Prabowo Subianto, who ran for president. This required him to step down from his position as Vice Governor of DKI Jakarta.
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