Indonesia’s richest man,Michael Hartono, has died

The 85-year-old entrepreneur had transformed the Djarum cigarette factory he inherited from his father into an economic giant with operations in various sectors, including the country’s leading private bank. A Catholic, he was known for his extremely simple lifestyle. Through his foundation, he always showed great commitment to humanitarian causes.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Indonesian entrepreneur Michael Bambang Hartono, also known as Oei Hwie Siang, died today in Singapore at the age of 85.

Born in Kudus, in the province of Central Java, and a Catholic, Michael – who, together with his brother Robert Budi Hartono, headed a vast business empire – was recognised by Forbes magazine as Indonesia’s richest man, with a net worth of between 24.8 and 25.1 billion dollars, ranking 81st on the list of the world’s richest people.

His business ventures began with the Djarum clove cigarette factory, inherited from his father and based in Kudus. They subsequently expanded with the acquisition of Bank Central Asia (BCA), the largest and most important private bank in Indonesia, with branches throughout the country. Other sources of wealth include the electronics brand Polytron and the e-commerce platform Blibli.com.

Despite being a very wealthy man, Michael Bambang Hartono was known for his simple lifestyle. He was often seen eating at modest food stalls, dressed plainly, without any conspicuous security detail.

He was also a keen bridge player: he won numerous medals in international tournaments, including the 2010 World Series Championship in Philadelphia and the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, during which he represented the Indonesian team. On that occasion, he donated a prize of 1 billion Indonesian rupiah to support the country’s bridge clubs.

Although he did not openly flaunt his Catholic identity, his family has always shown great commitment to humanitarian causes. This is particularly evident in the Djarum Foundation, which actively supports the arts, formal and informal education, and various initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life in Indonesia across many sectors.