Michael Bambang Hartono

Michael Bambang Hartono (2 October 1939 – 19 March 2026) was an Indonesian billionaire heir and businessman who co-owned the kretek manufacturer Djarum with his younger brother Robert Budi Hartono, and an international contract bridge player who won bronze for Indonesia at the 2018 Asian Games ^{1 2}.

Hartono was born on 2 October 1939 in Kudus, Central Java, to Oei Wie Gwan, who in April 1951 bought a small kretek factory called Djarum Gramophon and renamed it Djarum ^{1 2}. After high school in Kudus he studied economics and business at Diponegoro University from 1959, but returned to Kudus when the factory burned down in 1963 and his father died shortly afterwards, leaving him and Robert Budi to inherit the company ¹. He was married to Ikawati Budiarto and had four children ¹.

Under the two brothers Djarum made its first export in 1972, founded the Polytron electronics brand in 1975, and diversified into palm oil, papermaking and communication towers ¹. Through a consortium they took over 51.15 percent of Bank Central Asia in 2002 and controlled a majority of its shares by 2010; the group also holds the Grand Indonesia mall and the BCA Tower in Jakarta ¹. His philanthropy ran through the Djarum Foundation, in education, sports, environment and culture ². Two independent texts attest his faith for the man himself: the Indonesian article states that Bambang and his family adhere to the Catholic faith, and Veritas Indonesia's obituary calls him a Catholic who hardly flaunted his Catholic identity; his faith is recorded as Christian, documented ^{3 2}.

Hartono was introduced to bridge by his uncle during the Japanese occupation, became president of the South East Asia Bridge Federation, and received a World Bridge Federation award in 2017 for his support in making bridge an Asian Games category ¹. He won team bronze medals at the 2008 World Bridge Games in Beijing, the 2009 World Team Championships in São Paulo and the 2010 World Series Championships in Philadelphia, and at the 2018 Asian Games his team took bronze in the supermixed team event, making him the oldest Indonesian Asian Games medal winner ^{1 2}.

Hartono died in Singapore on 19 March 2026, at the age of 86, having suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a heart attack, and was buried on 25 March 2026 in the family cemetery in Rembang, Central Java ^{1 3}.

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