In this biography
Quick facts
- Born
- 4 July 1984
- Birthplace
- Singapore
- Country
- Indonesia
- Nationality
- Indonesian
- Known for
- Founding Gojek and later leading Indonesia’s education ministry
- Founded
- Gojek, 2010
- Cabinet service
- Education minister, 2019–2024
- Education
- Brown University; Harvard Business School
- Legal status
- 2026 first-instance conviction under appeal
Why this life matters
Nadiem Makarim represents the rise of Indonesia’s platform economy and the difficult transfer of start-up methods into public education, a record now inseparable from an appealed 2026 corruption conviction.
Timeline
Key moments
Founded Gojek
Started a call-centre service connecting customers with motorcycle-taxi drivers in Jakarta.
Launched the Gojek app
Helped turn the service into a mobile platform for transport, delivery, payments and other daily needs.
Left Gojek for government
Resigned from company leadership and became minister of education and culture.
Took on research and technology
Led the enlarged education, culture, research and technology ministry until October 2024.
Convicted at first instance
Received a ten-year sentence in the Chromebook procurement case; he denied wrongdoing and appealed.
From a call centre to a regional platform
After studies at Brown and Harvard and work in consulting and e-commerce, Nadiem Makarim founded Gojek in 2010. Its 2015 app combined transport with delivery and payments, making the company a defining example of how mobile platforms could organise Indonesia’s informal urban services.
A founder enters the cabinet
President Joko Widodo appointed Nadiem education minister in 2019. His Merdeka Belajar agenda promoted greater flexibility in curricula, assessment and higher education, while the pandemic pushed digital access and school technology toward the centre of policy.
The Chromebook case
In June 2026 a Jakarta anti-corruption court convicted Nadiem over the ministry’s Chromebook procurement programme and sentenced him to ten years. He denied bribery, self-enrichment and state loss and filed an appeal; as of this page’s September 2026 review, the first-instance judgment was not final.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Nadiem Makarim
- Who is Nadiem Makarim?
- Nadiem Makarim is a gojek founder and former education minister. Nadiem Makarim represents the rise of Indonesia’s platform economy and the difficult transfer of start-up methods into public education, a record now inseparable from an appealed 2026 corruption conviction.
- What is Nadiem Makarim best known for?
- Nadiem Makarim is best known for founding Gojek and later leading Indonesia’s education ministry.
- When and where was Nadiem Makarim born?
- Nadiem Makarim was born on 4 July 1984 in Singapore.
Sources and further reading
How this biography was checked
Core dates and offices are checked against the sources below. This profile was last reviewed on 8 September 2026.
