Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday conferred Indonesia’s highest civilian award, the Order of Distinguished Stars, on American billionaire and Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio at the State Palace in Jakarta.

The award ceremony followed a private meeting and luncheon between Prabowo and Dalio, during which they discussed global geopolitics and Indonesia’s policy agenda.

“After their discussions and lunch, the president expressed his appreciation to Ray Dalio by bestowing the Order of Distinguished Stars of the Republic of Indonesia,” Chief Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto told reporters.

Airlangga said Prabowo highlighted Indonesia’s recent initiatives, including anti-corruption efforts and land reclamation in the palm oil sector, which he claimed had saved nearly 4 million hectares from mismanagement. The president also touched on reforms in coal and rare earth mining.

Dalio, who has managed Bridgewater’s $89.6 billion in assets and advised governments worldwide, offered feedback on Prabowo’s policies, stressing the importance of communicating achievements and reforms transparently to the public.

Dalio was appointed to Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund Danantara’s advisory board in March, joining former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Columbia University economist Jeffrey Sachs, and equity manager F. Chapman Taylor.

The honor marks Prabowo’s second high-profile decoration of a US business leader this year. During his visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly last week, he awarded the same distinction to Bill Gates for his contributions to Indonesia in health, research, and humanitarian programs.

Past recipients of the Order of Distinguished Stars include Shoichiro Toyoda, the late honorary chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and Lippo Group founder Mochtar Riady.

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