“The Djarum family expresses its deepest condolences over the passing of our leader, Mr. Michael Bambang Hartono, on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 1:15 p.m. Singapore time,” Budi Darmawan, senior manager for corporate communications at Djarum Group, told ANTARA on Thursday.
The company did not disclose details of Hartono’s funeral, saying the family had yet to finalize the arrangements, Darmawan added.
Hartono was born in Kudus, Central Java, on October 2, 1939, into a Chinese-Indonesian family. Together with his brother, Robert Budi Hartono, he led and owned the Djarum Group, which was founded and is headquartered in his hometown.
They inherited the business from their father, Oei Wie Gwan, who died in 1963. Under their leadership, Djarum Group, originally a clove cigarette producer, expanded into sectors including banking, food and beverage, and technology, becoming one of Indonesia’s largest conglomerates.
Beyond business, Hartono was also known as an accomplished contract bridge player. He represented Indonesia at the 2018 Asian Games, becoming the oldest athlete on the national team.
After winning a bronze medal in the contract bridge supermixed event at the 2018 Asian Games, he received a Rp150 million government reward, which he donated to the development of bridge in Indonesia.
In a 2018 interview with ANTARA, Hartono said playing bridge helped him “combat dementia” in old age, as the game required strategic thinking. He also practiced taijiquan, which he said helped him “maintain focus.”
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