Prabowo Introduces Tony Robbins at MBG Event; Who Is He?

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto invited his friend, Anthony Robbins, to join an event gathering 12,000 activists and partners of the free nutritious meal (MBG) program in Bogor, West Java. Addressing the audience, Prabowo warmly introduced the well-known American motivational speaker and entrepreneur, commonly known as Tony Robbins, to the large crowd.

According to Prabowo, Robbins was raised in an impoverished family but managed to completely turn his life around. "From a young age, he faced hardships because he came from a very poor family," the President said while introducing Robbins at the "Building Indonesia's Future Generations Through Nutrition" event on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, as broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat.

The Gerindra Party chair noted that he and Robbins share many common perspectives, particularly regarding the mission to eliminate hunger. "He is also among those who pioneered providing meals to hungry people around the world, not just in his own country," Prabowo stated.

Prabowo revealed that his meeting with Robbins came about because the motivator became intrigued upon learning about the MBG program. So, who exactly is Anthony Robbins?

Profile of Tony Robbins

Anthony Jay Robbins was born Anthony Mahavoric in California, United States, on February 29, 1960. Of Croatian descent, he is widely recognized as a life coach who frequently hosts seminars and authors self-development books.

Robbins penned his first book, Unlimited Power (1986), at the age of 26. His sophomore work, Awaken the Giant Within (1991), remains his most popular book, with estimated sales reaching up to four million copies. Some of Robbins' subsequent titles span from Money: Master the Game (2014) to Life Force (2026).

According to tonyrobbins.com, the 66-year-old grew up in a household that routinely struggled to put food on the table. His family was almost never able to afford a meal during Thanksgiving, an American national holiday celebrated with a massive family feast.

Robbins recounts that his family was only able to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner when he was 12, thanks to an anonymous philanthropist who provided them with food they otherwise could not buy. Since that pivotal day, his website notes, Robbins developed a deep concern for hunger issues in the United States and globally.

Robbins graduated from school and left his parents' home at the age of 17. He worked as a janitor before building his multi-million dollar career in motivation and business.

In 2014, Robbins collaborated with Feeding America to launch a free food initiative. Dubbed the "100 Million Meals Challenge," the program operated as a fundraising and donation campaign for free meals.

The campaign aimed to distribute 100 million meals to those in need within a single year. Robbins' official site claims they surpassed this target across 2016, 2017, and 2018 using accumulated donations, working closely with food banks and pantries scattered across various regions in the US.

In 2019, following the realization of the initial target, the joint campaign with Feeding America was rebranded as the "Billion Meals Challenge," shifting the goalposts to distribute one billion meals by 2025. This milestone was ultimately reached two years ahead of schedule.

Robbins subsequently launched a new campaign in 2023. Alongside the former Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, Governor David Beasley, Robbins unveiled the "100 Billion Meals Challenge."

This time around, the goal is to distribute 100 billion meals on a global scale. Representatives from this campaign regularly meet with world leaders to coordinate distribution logistics.

Robbins' career, however, has not been without its share of controversy, having been entangled in several legal disputes. One such instance occurred in 2000, when American author Wade Cook sued Robbins over alleged copyright infringement.

Furthermore, in 2019, BuzzFeed News published an investigative report alleging sexual harassment that dragged the motivator's name into the spotlight. As reported by Fox News, Robbins denied the allegations and sued BuzzFeed News for defamation.

Read: Prabowo Aide Rejects Claims of Political Plot to Oust Government

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