Cover Ben Sumadiwiria, the man behind Indonesian “billionaire” persona Bobby Saputra (Photo: Amru Shakir)
Ben Sumadiwiria, the man behind Indonesian “billionaire” persona Bobby Saputra (Photo: Amru Shakir)
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Meet Ben Sumadiwiria, the man behind Indonesian “billionaire” persona Bobby Saputra
“Indonesia has an air of mystery around its wealthy, who are more discreet and secretive, so it wasn’t hard to act as the son of the richest man in Indonesia,” chuckles Ben Sumadiwiria. And so, Bobby Saputra was born, the fictional heir to a bottled water empire. The 32-year-old content creator has 1.5 million followers on Instagram and is known for his outrageous social media videos, flaunting his “wealth” and lifestyle.
But before he became a content creator, Ben actually trained as a chef. “I went to culinary school in Bandar Sunway, and living in Malaysia, I was exposed to a wealth of Asian cuisine for the first time, having grown up in Germany,” he recalls fondly.
Above Ben Sumadiwiria, better known as online internet personality Bobby Saputra
Ben Sumadiwiria, better known as online internet personality Bobby Saputra
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While the character Bobby Saputra is satire, some do believe it to be true: “Some of my childhood friends I grew up with in Europe actually believed it too,” he laughs. In reality, though, this couldn’t be further from the truth—Ben doesn’t actually consume social media and isn’t able to be contacted through Instagram, only using the app to post videos. “I’m not into cars or luxury lifestyles; my hobbies mainly include tennis and eating good food,” he says.
Above Bobby’s Burgers will open its first store outside Indonesia in TRX, Kuala Lumpur
Above Wagyu burger
Bobby’s Burgers will open its first store outside Indonesia in TRX, Kuala Lumpur
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It is the latter that actually forms the basis of his business venture, something far more exciting than a bottled water empire: burger chain Bobby’s Burgers. With three booming outlets in Jakarta and one in Surabaya, March 29 will mark the first outlet opening outside Indonesia, in Kuala Lumpur’s TRX.
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Above Ben hopes to bring more Indonesian products to the world stage
Ben hopes to bring more Indonesian products to the world stage
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A nod to his Bobby Saputra persona is a truffle Wagyu burger, comprising two thick patties slathered with “a special truffle sauce made with real truffles, not the fake stuff,” Ben quips. That aside, he hopes Bobby’s Burgers is a catalyst for more Indonesian representation on the world stage. “We don’t have enough Asian products to represent us, and I hope to bring Indonesian and Malaysian culture to the rest of the world,” he ends.
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About
Katelyn is the dining and travel editor of Malaysia and Indonesia. Based in Kuala Lumpur, she offers readers an inside look at the movers and shakers in Asia’s growing food and beverage industry.
