GoTo says Gojek founder Nadiem has no role in company

GoTo said on September 5, 2025, that Nadiem Makarim, Gojek founder and former Indonesian education minister, has no role in the company’s management or operations.

The company clarified that Nadiem stepped down as president commissioner in October 2019 and has had no involvement since.

It also said he is not a controlling shareholder and that its activities are not linked to his work as a minister.

Nadiem, who co-founded Gojek before it merged with Tokopedia to form GoTo, was detained this week as a suspect in a government corruption case.

Prosecutors allege the case centers on a 9.3 trillion rupiah (US$574 million) Chromebook procurement project during his term as minister, with an estimated state loss of 1.98 trillion rupiah (US$122 million).

Authorities say the devices were unsuitable for many schools due to a lack of internet access in target areas.

🔗 Source: Jakarta Globe

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Tech leaders face reputational risks when transitioning to government roles

Nadiem Makarim’s case illustrates the challenges tech entrepreneurs face when moving from private sector success to public service, where different accountability standards apply.
Makarim built Gojek into Indonesia’s first “decacorn” valued at $10 billion in 2019, but now faces corruption charges over a $574 million Chromebook procurement program that allegedly caused $122 million in state losses1.
His resignation from GoTo’s President Commissioner role in October 2019 to join the cabinet created a clear separation that now protects the company from reputational damage, with GoTo emphasizing he has had “no involvement in GoTo’s operations or management since”1.
The case demonstrates how past business achievements provide little protection against corruption allegations in government roles, where procurement decisions face intense scrutiny from anti-corruption agencies.

Indonesia’s public procurement remains vulnerable despite anti-corruption efforts

The flawed Chromebook program exemplifies systemic weaknesses in Indonesia’s procurement system, where technology purchases often fail to match local infrastructure realities.
Investigators found the program problematic because it provided internet-dependent devices to schools in remote areas without stable internet access, highlighting inadequate feasibility assessments in government procurement1.
This pattern reflects broader procurement vulnerabilities, with the KPK recording 158 corruption cases in Indonesia’s infrastructure sector in 2017 alone, resulting in state losses of Rp 1.1 trillion2.
The case occurs despite Indonesia’s establishment of specialized anti-corruption institutions like the KPK in 2002, suggesting that institutional frameworks alone are insufficient to prevent procurement-related corruption3.