Tinker, AI, councillor… spy? Who is Benedict Ong?

Wednesday, 15 October 2025

Benedict Ong emerged out of nowhere to become Dunedin’s newest councillor, and then the texts, messages and phone calls started.

“Who is this guy?” said one text.

“For someone who has lived overseas his whole life, he has no digital footprint,” said another.

And then there was this outlandish message: “I think he is a Chinese spy.”

Was this a case of sour grapes, or something else? I decided to investigate.

Clearly, if Ong was a spy, he wasn’t a very subtle one.

I met him for the first time downstairs from my office, in the depths of a Dunedin winter.

He wasn’t drinking a Martini, but talking to the building owner about hiring a room, while I was playing table tennis, rather than a roulette wheel.

Ong, 42, introduced himself and told me he was running for council and the mayoralty and wanted to rent a room.

He needed it so he could speak to people who might nominate him. You need two people to nominate you for each role.

Interesting, I thought. He has no chance, I also thought.

I gave Ong my business card, shook hands with him, and I wished him luck.

He didn’t need it.

Over the weekend he was elected to the Dunedin City Council. Ong was the 11th of 14 councillors, in a large field of 54 candidates.

His ties to the city appeared vague and tenuous. His official bio said he was born in Dunedin, and he would include his baby picture in some of his Facebook posts.

Ong’s family moved to Australia when he was young, and that is where he was schooled.

He attended the University of New South Wales, with the graduate register confirming he has a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in finance in 2004.

His CV, or rather his bios posted on various forums, said he was based in Singapore and worked in the international banking industry.

But it was his amusing campaign style which got people talking, including delivering donated Otago Daily Times’ newspapers while skateboarding.

In addition to lengthy online posts, Ong opted to press the flesh and pound the pavement.

On Sunday, he posted on the local Dunedin News’ Facebook group that he was thankful for the support of voters, before promoting his “secret recipe“ for the city:

“This is a finger lickin’ good family bucket that I believe no-one on Council can refuse, there is something for all in our family.

“Thank you for your support. I am a Proud Dunedinite.”

After his win, those with a keen eye on council affairs called into question Ong’s credentials.

Questions included whether he was a New Zealand citizen (fact check: he produced his passport to an electoral officer); whether he had spent any time in the city, or even the country (fact check: you need to be a New Zealand citizen, you don’t even have to reside in the area you are running for); and his claims of work experience in the international banking sector (fact check: the various companies have been approached and Ong addresses this below).

On Tuesday, I headed to the civic centre to check Ong’s nomination forms. Three people provided the four nominations he needed - one person nominated him for both council and the mayoralty. Nothing wrong with that.

Two of them worked at an inner-city business where Ong had met them off the street. They told me they did not know him beforehand.

Again, completely within the rules.

On Wednesday he posted about his first meeting with the new council and new mayor, Sophie Barker, on local Facebook pages.

“I have truly enjoyed meeting with my new family on Council and to my brothers and sisters on Council, thank you for your warmest welcoming me in the family, as I had never met any of you prior to the candidate events and we had limited chance to speak then.”

Stuff contacted Ong on Wednesday afternoon and he said his secret to being elected was simple.

It was about meeting as many people as possible, whether that be in supermarkets, bars or other businesses.

“I have only had so many hours. Friends of mine will know there are days when I have only had my first meal into later in the evening.”

Ong recalled meeting a truck driver while shopping at Pak ‘n Save. When he found out Ong was standing for mayor and council, the truckie told him he was the first politician he had ever met.

Until his return to Dunedin, Ong had been a private figure for much of his life, partly due to his career, he said.

“Bankers are private individuals, bound by banking secrecy laws globally in terms of the business they do.”

While that business demanded discretion, running for council did not.

“I have had to adapt.”

Ong said he was aware of some of the rumours, including the Chinese spy rumour which he denied.

He had also heard that he was AI, which again, he quashed. Having met him in person, I can confirm that too.

Ong said he was proudly born in Dunedin, a city he had returned to over the years.

“I could choose to be in many places around the world.

“For me, it is very simple, I like it here.”

And if he wasn’t elected?

“That never occurred to me.”