Prabowo Welcomes Bill Gates At The Palace, Discusses Support For MBG And Global Issues

President Prabowo Subianto (right) received the arrival of Microsoft founder and world philanthropic figure Bill Gates at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (7/5/2025). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto welcomed the arrival of Microsoft founder and world philanthropic figure Bill Gates at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday 7 May morning at 08.15 WIB.

In the courtyard of the Merdeka Palace, the President and Bill Gates shook hands, then the President invited Bill Gates to enter the credential room at the Merdeka Palace.

The two of them chatted, then interspersed with a photo session together. The President then invited Bill Gates into the president's office.

Several ministers of the Red and White Cabinet were seen following President Prabowo and Bill Gates behind. The ministers who accompanied President Prabowo in a meeting with Bill Gates this morning, including Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Head of BKPM Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono.

On a separate occasion, Deputy for Protocol, Press and Media of the Presidential Secretariat Yusuf Permana told reporters in Jakarta, Wednesday, explaining that President Prabowo and Bill Gates are scheduled to discuss a number of issues, including sustainable development.

"President Prabowo and Bill Gates are scheduled to hold a meeting at the Merdeka Palace to discuss a number of sustainable development initiatives, particularly on global health issues, nutrition, financial inclusion, and public digital infrastructure," said Yusuf Permana.

Bill Gates, who is currently working with the philanthropic world, continues his journey to Jakarta, after visiting Singapore. In Singapore, with his philanthropic foundation, Bill Gates directly inspected several sustainable development initiatives.

William Henry Gates III, then known as Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, a well-known software company from the United States that created a micro-computer revolution in the 1970s to 1980s. Bill Gates was then widely known as the first billionaire in 1987, when he was 31 years old.

Forbes' list of richest people in May 2025 put Bill Gates in 13th place with a wealth value of 113 billion US dollars.

Bill Gates has left Microsoft's management since 2014, and since then he has been more involved in the world of philanthropy, and efforts that concern innovation, as well as those that support sustainability.

Presiden Prabowo mengungkap kedatangan Bill Gates pertama kali saat Sidang Kabinet Paripurna di Kantor Presiden, Istana Presiden Jakarta, Senin (5/5).

"On May 7, the day after tomorrow, a world leader named Bill Gates will come here, asking to meet me for a long time. He asked to meet him, if I'm not mistaken, his letter came from November. He asked to meet, among others, to express support and appreciation for our nutritious meal," President Prabowo told the ministers of the Red and White Cabinet during a cabinet meeting.

Prabowo continued that he did not know the form of appreciation Bill Gates wanted to give. However, free nutritious food (MBG) continues, even though the government is not given assistance or awards.

"In fact, he wants to help us, I don't know what form I just said that 'we were given help, we were not given assistance, given awards, were not given awards, we did this because we believe that this is true and this is an investment in our children,' continued President Prabowo.