Why Be Smart When You Can Be Rich? The Genius of Failing Upwards in Indonesia

By Leigh McKiernon

StratEx - Indonesia Headhunter | C-Level Recruitment | ex Korn Ferry 

Once upon a time there existed a quaint little myth: Work hard, study well, and you shall succeed. It was a charming bedtime story, one that kept children diligently memorizing multiplication tables long past their bedtime. But in certain economies—where success is less about calculus and more about calling the right cousin—this idea is about as useful as a philosophy degree in a nepotism-fueled job market.

Enter Indonesia’s economic elite, visionaries in efficiency, who cracked the system ages ago. Why stress over math exams when a well-placed handshake and a dinner invitation can do the heavy lifting? Why break a sweat over PISA rankings when the real test is whether you can navigate family politics?

This would explain why Indonesia’s richest 20% perform worse in school than Vietnam’s poorest 20%. Because in Vietnam, education is the only ticket out of poverty. In Indonesia, wealth is a permanent VIP pass—the kind that doesn’t require knowing the quadratic formula.

So, while Vietnamese students burn the midnight oil mastering algebra, Indonesia’s elite have mastered something far more valuable: the art of never needing to try.

The 34-Point Education Gap: The Rich and Poor Struggling in Harmony

Some optimists look at Indonesia’s relatively small education gap (a mere 34 points between the richest and poorest students in math) and think, Wow! Look at the equality! The rich and the poor are almost performing at the same level!

No. No, they are not. That’s like saying a turtle and a snail are neck-and-neck in a race—not because the competition is fierce, but because neither of them is moving particularly fast.

In Malaysia, the education gap is a whopping 82 points. But let’s actually think about what that means. A big gap suggests that Malaysia’s rich students are, at the very least, making an effort (or being aggressively micromanaged by their tiger parents). Meanwhile, Indonesia’s rich students are coasting, and the poor were never even in the game. That 34-point gap isn’t proof of fairness—it’s proof of shared underachievement. It’s the perfect balance of universal mediocrity, where neither side is threatening to tip the scales too much.

And honestly? It’s kind of brilliant.

If everyone is equally bad at math, who’s going to calculate how much money just disappeared from the national budget? Who’s going to scrutinize that “infrastructure” project that somehow cost a billion dollars and resulted in a single pothole being filled? A population bad at math is a dream.

But don’t worry! Indonesia’s disadvantaged students are excelling… in creative thinking! About 16% of them have broken into the top quartile of creativity.

What does “creative thinking” mean in this context? It’s a polite way of saying:

• How do I make money without needing a formal education?
• How do I survive an economic system that does not care whether I succeed?
• Is there a way to get through life without ever solving for x?

Meanwhile, in Malaysia, only 9% of disadvantaged students reach the top quartile in math. Why? Because Malaysia’s elite actually study, making it harder for the lower-income students to break into the upper ranks. That’s what competition looks like, and it’s absolutely terrifying.

In contrast, Indonesia’s elite just wave from the finish line of life, wondering why everyone else is still running.

If Economic Success Isn’t Merit-Based, Why Bother With School?

Intelligence has never been a prerequisite for success in Indonesia. No one has ever walked into a boardroom and declared, "We need a new CEO! Quick, find me someone who aced differential equations!" That’s not how things work.

Instead, Indonesia runs on a much simpler and infinitely more efficient system:

1. If your father owns a company, congratulations! You’re now an executive. No business degree required. In fact, knowing too much might actually get in the way.
2. If your uncle is an official, you are now a “consultant” for a multimillion-dollar project. The best part? You don’t even need to know what the project is about. Bridges, airports, palm oil plantations—it’s all the same when you’re billing per hour.
3. If you actually worked hard in school and became a brilliant problem-solver? Great. But that’s not how hiring works.

Indonesia’s economic elite figured out a long time ago that intelligence is optional, but connections are mandatory. So why waste time memorizing the periodic table when the real game is about networking? That’s why the country’s most ambitious students skip the textbooks and focus on real-world skills, like:

• Attending the right weddings. (Business deals happen over buffet tables, not PowerPoint presentations.)
• Mastering vague corporate jargon. (“We’re leveraging synergies to optimize strategic growth.” What does it mean? No one knows. But say it with confidence, and you’ll get funding.)
• Perfecting the art of the knowing nod. (Why debate in meetings when you can just agree with the loudest person and keep your paycheck?)

Meanwhile, in Vietnam, education actually matters. Their poorest students work harder than Indonesia’s wealthiest students—because they have no choice. Their public education system is strong, their job market is brutally competitive, and there are no family-run monopolies to fall back on.

In Indonesia? No such worries. Rich kids can afford to treat school like a side hobby, because their future has already been prearranged. So why sweat through calculus when success was already printed on your birth certificate?

The Rich Get Richer, The Poor Stay Smart (But Stuck)

And so, we arrive at one of life’s greatest ironies: in Indonesia, the rich have no reason to be smart, while the poor have no choice but to be. It’s a beautifully tragic system, where privilege guarantees comfort, and intelligence guarantees nothing.

Let’s break it down:

• In Indonesia, wealth secures your future. No need to master calculus when your last name opens more doors than a PhD ever could.
• In Vietnam, competence secures your future. No family fortune? No problem. Just be better than everyone else at everything, and you might have a shot.
• In Malaysia, it's a mix of both. A country where education is technically merit-based, but also a minefield of affirmative action policies, economic advantages, and an obsession with prestige schools.

Now, does any of this actually matter?

Indonesian elites certainly don’t think so. Why waste years studying when a certain contract is just one phone call away? Why worry about skill development when a family business empire is waiting? The entire concept of “working hard for success” is so foreign to this group that if you explain it to them, they might genuinely assume you're describing a Netflix drama.

Meanwhile, in Vietnam, students are forced to play the game of survival. They don’t get safety nets, they don’t get second chances. Their success depends on actually being good at things—a terrifying concept for anyone accustomed to inheritance-based career planning.

But will Indonesia ever change? Maybe one day. Maybe one day, businesses will start hiring based on skill rather than last names. Maybe one day, being qualified will actually matter. Maybe.

But don’t hold your breath. As long as monopolies, crony capitalism, and vague-but-convenient regulations exist, the rich will stay rich, the poor will stay trapped, and education will remain an amusing side hobby for those who think it still matters.

Meritocracy Is Just a Fancy Word for ‘Poor People’s Fantasy’

Meritocracy—the idea that hard work, intelligence, and perseverance will determine your success, not who your father plays golf with. How touching. How wholesome.

Some hopeful souls may still believe in this fairytale. “But shouldn’t we create a system where talent is rewarded? Shouldn’t Indonesia embrace a true meritocracy?”

Here’s the cold, hard truth: meritocracy is only appealing to those without power. The wealthy? They don’t need it. Why in the world would Indonesia’s top 25%—who already own the businesses, the land, the political connections, and probably half the country’s infrastructure contracts—wake up one day and say, “You know what? Let’s level the playing field.”?

A true merit-based system would require:

• Hiring based on competence, not nepotism.
• Awarding contracts to the most qualified, not the most well-connected.
• Holding schools accountable for actual learning outcomes.

It doesn’t take an economist to see why none of this will ever happen voluntarily. A system built on privilege and connections does not willingly dismantle itself—not unless outside forces make it unavoidable. Until then, the status quo is comfortably self-reinforcing: the rich stay rich, the powerful stay powerful, and the only real effort required is showing up to the right social events.

Meanwhile, activists pushing for “education reform” might as well be screaming into the void. Because when the game is already rigged, the scoreboard is just for decoration.

Indonesia’s education system is, by all definitions, a masterpiece of efficiency—just not in the way many claim. Forget innovation, forget academic excellence; this system operates exactly as intended.

It has achieved a perfect balance where:

• The rich don’t need to be smart because their futures are pre-paid.
• The poor are smart, but it doesn’t matter because intelligence without opportunity is just a cruel joke.
• The economy keeps moving—not on productivity or innovation, but on vibes, handshakes, and well-placed surnames.

It’s a system that protects the privileged while giving just enough false hope to the rest to keep things stable. And stability, after all, is the true goal—because nothing threatens power quite like an educated population that starts asking uncomfortable questions.

So, the next time someone panics about Indonesia’s PISA rankings, don’t get stressed. Just smile. Smile, because you understand the real secret:

Success isn’t about how smart you are. It’s about how well you play the game.

And in Indonesia, the game is already rigged.

So really, why bother studying?

Source: here