Background and career
Raffi Farid Ahmad (born 17 February 1987) is an Indonesian actor, television presenter, singer, producer and entrepreneur. He began his entertainment career as a teenager and later became known for presenting television programmes including Dahsyat and Pesbukers. He has also released music and appeared in films and television dramas. In 2015, Ahmad and his wife, actress and entrepreneur Nagita Slavina, co-founded the media and entertainment company RANS Entertainment. On 22 October 2024, President Prabowo Subianto appointed him Special Envoy of the President of Indonesia for Development of Young Generation and Artists for the 2024–2029 period.
Ahmad was born on 17 February 1987 in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, to Munawar Ahmad and Amy Qanita. His father was of Pakistani descent, while his mother is Sundanese. Ahmad is the eldest of four children. His sisters, Syahnaz Sadiqah and Nisya Ahmad, also work in entertainment.
Ahmad began working in entertainment in 2001, initially appearing as a model and actor. His early acting credits included the soap opera Tunjuk Satu Bintang (2002) and the youth drama Senandung Masa Puber (2003–2004). He subsequently appeared in television films, soap operas and feature films, including Love is Cinta. In 2006, Ahmad joined the vocal group Bukan Bintang Biasa (BBB), a project formed by songwriter and singer Melly Goeslaw. The group also included Laudya Cynthia Bella, Chelsea Olivia, Dimas Beck and Ayushita. Its releases included "Let's Dance Together", "Bukan Bintang Biasa", "Jangan Bilang Tidak" and "Tergila-Gila". Ahmad appeared in the films Liar and Asoy Geboy in 2008. That year, he began presenting the music programme Dahsyat, alongside presenters including Luna Maya and Olga Syahputra. The programme became one of his best-known television credits. He continued working as a presenter and actor, appearing in programmes such as Rafi Wkwkwk and OMG, the soap opera Buku Harian Baim and the sitcom OKB. In 2009, Ahmad released the single "Johan (Jodoh di Tangan Tuhan)" with Laudya Cynthia Bella. In 2010, he recorded "50 Tahun Lagi" with singer Yuni Shara; the two later worked together on other projects, including the film Rumah Tanpa Jendela. Ahmad also directed the short film Barbie, starring Shara. The film was reported to have won the Best Movie award at the 2011 LA Lights Indie Movie competition. Ahmad continued to appear in film and television, including the 2011 horror-comedy film Pocong Kesetanan.
Ahmad continued to work in television and film during the 2010s. His film appearances included Olga & Billy Lost in Singapore (2014) and Rafathar (2017), while his presenting and variety-show credits included Pesbukers, Take Me Out Indonesia, I Can See Your Voice Indonesia, Kontes Dangdut Indonesia and Ini Talkshow. He also continued releasing music, including the album Kamulah Takdirku (2015). In 2015, Ahmad and Slavina founded RANS Entertainment. The company began as a digital media and content operation and expanded into entertainment production, events and other business activities. In 2021, Ahmad and businessman Rudy Salim acquired the football club Cilegon United FC, which was renamed RANS Cilegon FC and later became RANS Nusantara F.C.. Ahmad was also among the founders of RANS Basketball, now known as RANS Simba Bogor. RANS was also listed as a sponsor of the Moto2 team Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team in 2021; this was a sponsorship association rather than team ownership. On 22 October 2024, Ahmad was sworn in by President Prabowo Subianto as Special Envoy of the President of Indonesia for Development of Young Generation and Artists. His appointment was made under Presidential Decree No. 76/M of 2024 for the 2024–2029 period.
Ahmad married actress and entrepreneur Nagita Slavina on 17 October 2014. Their first son, Rafathar Malik Ahmad, was born on 15 August 2015, and their second son, Rayyanza Malik Ahmad, was born on 26 November 2021. In 2024, the couple took in a baby girl known publicly as Lily; they later said that they had adopted her.
On 27 January 2013, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) raided Ahmad's home in South Jakarta and detained him and other people as part of an investigation into suspected drug use. Authorities reported finding marijuana and a substance then identified in reports as methylone. BNN subsequently said that Ahmad had tested positive for methylone and announced that he would undergo medical rehabilitation.
