Jokowi’s 36-Year-Old Son Rises to VP, Securing the Outgoing Leader’s Indonesia Legacy
- Gibran is set to become youngest VP in Indonesia history
- He’s mayor of Solo for three years, runs food ventures
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Indonesia is set to get its youngest-ever vice-president in Joko Widodo’s son, which may allow the outgoing leader to wield influence beyond the end of his final term.
The rise to power of Gibran Rakabuming Raka, 36, has been dizzying. Four years ago, he was a wedding caterer who also sold Indonesian-spiced pasta wrapped in leaves. In 2021, he ran largely unopposed to become the mayor of Solo, a city of about half a million people, about a seven-hour drive from the capital Jakarta.