You may have heard about Lolo Soetoro being the stepfather of the 44th President of the U.S., Barack Obama, but you barely know who he was or what he did for a living.
Though Lolo was not as famous as his step-son, he built a career of his own both in the private and government sectors and lived his life like any decent gentleman would. He served as a civilian member in the Indonesian Army and later worked in government relations for a major oil company, building a good fortune for as long as he lived.
He lived a modest life, but his influence on Obama and his success make him an attention-worthy figure, which is why we have provided details about his life and career in the post below.
Early Life
Lolo Soetoro’s full name was Lolo Soetoro Mangunharjo, and he was born in 1935 in Bandung, a part of the Dutch East Indies, which is now Indonesia. As the ninth child in his family, he grew up with his siblings under the care of his parents and lived a middle-class life. While nothing much is known about his mother, his father, Martodihardjo, was a government mining official in Yogyakarta and worked hard to support his family.
Lolo’s life turned upside down during the Indonesia-Dutch conflict as his father and elder brother lost their lives, and his home was burned down by the Dutch army. With nothing left to grieve, he, along with his mother and other siblings, settled in the countryside, where they restarted their lives from scratch.
Despite the hardship, Lolo was a dedicated student and attended various public schools in Yogyakarta before graduating with a degree in geography from Gadjah Mada University. He later moved to Honolulu, Hawaii and attended the University of Hawaii to pursue his master’s degree in geography, but before that, he had already served in the Indonesian Army for a short time.
Beginning Of Career
Lolo Soetoro was a highly educated man who worked as a geographer in both the government and private sector, and before starting his career, he even served his time in the Indonesian Army as it was expected of him.
There are no more details available about his career, but we do know that he left a lasting impression on his step-son, Barack Obama, who grew up to be the 44th President of the United States.
After Lolo’s death, Obama mentioned his name in his 1995 memoir, “Dreams from My Father.”
Relationship
Lolo Soetoro became Barack Obama’s stepfather after marrying Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, in 1965 and as per records, the two met at the University of Hawaii, where they studied in the same department.
They moved to Jakarta, Indonesia, after their marriage and raised Ann’s son, Barack, along with their daughter Maya Soetoro-Ng, who was born later.
Lolo Soetoro passed away on 2nd March 1987, in Jakarta, because of liver failure, cutting his life short.
Major Source of Income and Net Worth
According to records, Lolo Soetoro’s net worth was somewhere around USD 150,000 at the time of his death, but some sources claim his actual assets and earnings may be way more, except they were not recorded officially.
Most of Lolo’s income came from his work as a geographer and his role in the Indonesian Army at the beginning of his career. His position at Union Oil also added to his earnings.
