The Mystery of Indonesian President Soekarno's Gold: Where Is It Buried?

Sukarno's eldest son, Guntur Soekarnoputra, confirmed his father's statement. In an opinion column in Media Indonesia (September 26, 2020), Guntur stated that Sukarno's finances were always thin, even before he became president.

It's no wonder he often borrowed money from his friends from the movement era, one of whom was Agoes Moesin Dasaad.

Citing an interview with Cindy Adams, Sukarno was once nearly given a building by the people. However, he refused, claiming he didn't want to inconvenience them.

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Indonesian historian Ong Hok Ham also refuted rumors of Sukarno's vast wealth. In Kuasa dan Negara (Power and State) (1983), Ong debunked this story and provided the true historical facts. One of these relates to the story of Sukarno inheriting the wealth of the Islamic Mataram kingdom.

Ong said it was impossible for someone to inherit wealth from an ancient kingdom, let alone inherit gold bars. The problem was, the wealth of ancient kingdoms wasn't as vast as imagined. Even Islamic Mataram, when it still existed, had debts to the Dutch East India Company (VOC).

If it were true that it possessed such wealth, the kingdom should have paid its debts. However, if such wealth could indeed be inherited, how would the inheritance process have been carried out?

Ong also stated that the story of Sukarno's wealth can actually be refuted with a simple argument: if he had gold, Sukarno shouldn't have been impoverished until his death. This means that the widely believed story of the treasure of Indonesia's first president is flawed.

Meanwhile, President Sukarno had an interesting financial journey during his tenure. Here are some facts regarding Sukarno's finances and tenure:

1. Indonesia's First President

Sukarno was Indonesia's first president, inaugurated on August 18, 1946, at the Cuo Sangi In Building, now known as the Pancasila Building.

He was elected by acclamation by the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (PPKI) because he was considered to possess the leadership qualities needed by the people during the struggle.

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2. President for Life

Four years before stepping down, Sukarno was declared President for Life through MPRS Decree No. III/MPRS of 1963.

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