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Matahari founder Hari Darmawan found dead in Ciliwung River
Hari Darmawan (tribunnews)Hari Darmawan, a businessman who founded Matahari, a popular retail chain in the 1990s, was found dead in the Ciliwung River, near his home in Puncak, Bogor
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Hari Darmawan (tribunnews)
Hari Darmawan, a businessman who founded Matahari, a popular retail chain in the 1990s, was found dead in the Ciliwung River, near his home in Puncak, Bogor.
The body of the 77-year-old was discovered on Saturday morning, a few hours after he was reported missing.
His personal assistants say they last saw him on Friday night when he asked for newspapers and a drink at his villa located near Taman Wisata Matahari amusement park, which he established and supervised until his death.
Hari was not seen later that night, prompting a search along the river in the morning. His body was discovered at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, about 100 meters from where he was suspected have slipped and fallen.
“We suspect that he fell and was taken by the stream,” said Bogor Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Andi Muhammad Dicky.
Hari’s family members declined an autopsy. A memorial service was held in Bogor before the body was later taken to Denpasar, Bali. His family said Hari would be cremated on Wednesday after a three-day memorial service.
Hari is survived by his wife Anna Janti and children Susiawati, Herman and Susan Darmawan.
Born on May 27, 1940 in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Hari was born into a family that ran an agriculture business. He witnessed his father go bankrupt and start all over again.
After graduating high school, he decided to try his luck in Jakarta.
He began his business venture by acquiring a small shop that sold imported clothes in Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta, from his father-in-law. The shop was later expanded after he acquired a rival shop in 1968 and introduced it as Matahari Department Store.
The store quickly turned into an iconic department store with branches in major cities and was widely popular in the 1990s. It was also during this era that the group, under PT Matahari Putra Prima, started its supermarket chain and listed on the stock exchange.
In 1996, Hari sold his majority stake in the company to the Lippo Group.
Hari started anew by establishing an amusement park, bakery and several other small ventures. Known for his down-to-earth character, he reportedly trained other people to become entrepreneurs.
The family’s spokesperson, Ilham Fadjriansyah, said the family believed his death was purely accidental.
“We don’t want an autopsy because we believe that this was an accident,” he said.
