Erick Thohir

Upon his return to Indonesia, together with his colleagues, he formed the Mahaka Group. In 2001, the Mahaka Group bought Republika, the biggest Islamic newspaper in Indonesia. Because of Thohir's background in communications, he was chosen to lead the paper. He received support from his father, as well as founder of Kompas Jakob Oetama and founder of Jawa Pos Dahlan Iskan to run this newspaper. The Mahaka Group spread its potential by investing in the outdoor advertising company Mahaka Advertising due to the growth of the economic and the city size in 2002.

After launching the television station Jak TV, Mahaka introduced the radio stations 98.7 Gen FM and 101 Jak FM, and participated in PT Radionet Cipta Karya (Prambors FM, Delta FM and FeMale Radio), as well as numerous advertising, ticketing, entertainment and digital companies.

Thohir is the founder of Darma Bakti Mahaka Foundation.

In 2011, together with Anindya Bakrie he co-owned the television networks tvOne, as well as the internet news site VIVA.co.id. In 2014, he was involved in a turnaround project and became the President Director of ANTV until 2019.

In 2018, incumbent president Joko Widodo picked Thohir as chief of his re-election campaign for the 2019 presidential election. In 2019, among 10 other individuals Thohir was appointed to the International Olympic Committee.

In February 2023, Thohir was elected as the new chair of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI).

In 2024, he continued his role as the Minister of State Owned Enterprises in the cabinet of President Prabowo Subianto. Following a cabinet reshuffle in 2025, he became Minister of Youth and Sports.

Thohir was born on 30 May 1970. His father, Mochamad "Teddy" Thohir, was a co-owner of the automotive group Astra International with William Soeryadjaya. His father comes from Gunung Sugih, Central Lampung, and his mother Edna comes from Majalengka, West Java, and is of mixed Chinese and Sundanese ancestry. He has a brother and a sister.

Thohir received his master's degree in 1993 from National University (California), United States.