Michael Bambang Hartono Passes Away: The Legacy of the Djarum and BCA Conglomerate

Michael Bambang Hartono, owner of the leading cigarette company PT Djarum, passed away on Thursday (19/3/2026) at 13:15 in Singapore.

PT Djarum’s Corporate Communication Manager, Budi Darmawan, conveyed this sorrowful news.

“The extended family of PT Djarum expresses deep condolences over the passing of Mr Michael Bambang Hartono on Thursday, 19 March 2026, at 13:15 Singapore time,” he stated, as quoted from Kompas.com.

Here are the facts about Bambang Hartono.

His father was Oei Wie Gwan, an entrepreneur who purchased the Djarum Gramophon cigarette factory in 1951, which has since transformed into a multinational-scale company.

In 1959, Bambang Hartono was accepted to study at Diponegoro University in Semarang, in the Faculty of Economics.

However, when his father passed away in 1963, he had to return to Kudus.

Continuing the business was not easy, as the production facilities suffered a fire that disrupted cigarette sales operations.

He reorganised everything, including modernising production management to minimise workplace accidents.

In 1975, Djarum expanded its market and upgraded production facilities.

One of the diversification efforts was entering the electronics sector with the Polytron brand.