Como 1907 is officially one of the most remarkable stories in modern football. Just a few years ago, this historic Italian club was playing in Serie D — the fourth division — in front of barely 5,000 fans inside a crumbling stadium on the shores of Lake Como.
Today, it is a Serie A side, playing in the Champions League, managed by a Premier League legend, and owned by the richest family in Southeast Asia. The journey from near-oblivion to European football in under six years is almost impossible to believe — and it starts with a €800,000 bet made by two Indonesian billionaires in 2019.
Who Owns Como FC in 2026?
Como 1907 is owned by the Djarum Group — the flagship business empire of Indonesia’s wealthiest family, the Hartono family. The club was acquired on April 4, 2019 through SENT Entertainment, a London-based company controlled by the Hartono family, for just €800,000 — plus they immediately paid off the club’s existing debt of €150,000.
The club is officially registered under the Djarum Group ownership structure and is run day-to-day by Mirwan Suwarso, who serves as club President. Head coach Cesc Fàbregas — the former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder — manages the team on the pitch.
The Hartono Brothers: Indonesia’s Richest Family
The men behind Como’s meteoric rise are brothers Robert Budi Hartono (born 1941) and the late Michael Bambang Hartono (1939–2026). Together, they were Indonesia’s wealthiest individuals and one of the most powerful business dynasties in all of Asia.
Michael Bambang Hartono — one of Indonesia’s most influential businessmen with interests in banking and tobacco — passed away on March 19, 2026 at the age of 86 in Singapore. His death was confirmed by the corporate affairs director of GDP Venture, the venture capital arm of Djarum Group. With a combined net worth of $43.8 billion, the Hartono brothers were the wealthiest in Indonesia according to Forbes Asia’s list published in December 2025. Robert Budi Hartono, now aged 85, continues as the surviving controlling figure behind the family empire, including Como 1907.
Ownership and Key Stakeholders Table
| Owner / Party | Role | Stake | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Djarum Group (Hartono Family) | Ultimate Owner | 100% of Como 1907 | Indonesia’s wealthiest family; combined net worth $43.8 billion |
| Robert Budi Hartono | Surviving Co-Owner | Co-controlling shareholder | Born 1941; aged 85; net worth ~$25.3 billion; continues to lead family empire |
| Michael Bambang Hartono | Former Co-Owner (Deceased) | Co-controlling shareholder | Born 1939; died March 19, 2026 aged 86 in Singapore |
| SENT Entertainment | Acquisition Vehicle | London-based holding entity | Used to purchase Como 1907 on April 4, 2019 for €800,000 |
| Mirwan Suwarso | Club President | Management role | Oversees club’s day-to-day operations and strategy |
| Cesc Fàbregas | Head Coach | No ownership stake | Former Arsenal & Barcelona midfielder; manages Como 1907 since January 2024 |
| Bank Central Asia (BCA) | Primary Wealth Source | ~55% family stake | Indonesia’s most valuable private bank; market cap exceeding $60 billion |
| Djarum | Original Family Business | Fully private | Indonesia’s second-largest clove cigarette maker; founded by the brothers’ father |
The Djarum Group: The Empire Behind Como
The Hartono family’s wealth comes from two primary sources — both of which are extraordinary stories in their own right.
The original business is Djarum, one of Indonesia’s most iconic companies. Djarum is Indonesia’s second-largest manufacturer of kretek — clove cigarettes — a product deeply embedded in Indonesian culture. The Hartono brothers inherited the company from their father, Oei Wie Gwan, who purchased the Djarum Gramophon cigarette factory and later died in 1963 after a fire destroyed it. The brothers rebuilt it from ashes, and by 2012, Djarum’s cigarette brand had captured a 19% market share in Indonesia.
The second and more dominant source of wealth is Bank Central Asia (BCA) — Indonesia’s most valuable private bank. The Hartonos acquired a controlling stake in BCA in the aftermath of Indonesia’s devastating 1998 Asian financial crisis, when the bank was taken over by the government from the Salim Group. The family’s approximately 55% stake in BCA, which has a market capitalization exceeding $60 billion, represents one of the most successful crisis-era acquisitions in Asian business history.
Beyond Djarum and BCA, the family’s holdings also include Polytron (a major Indonesian electronics brand that launched electric car models in 2025), prime real estate in Jakarta, e-commerce giant Blibli, and now — Como 1907.
How Como Went From Serie D to the Champions League
The transformation of Como 1907 under Hartono family ownership is one of the most dramatic sporting turnarounds in recent memory.
When the family bought Como in 2019 for €800,000, the club was bankrupt, playing in Serie D, and operating out of a 12,000-seat stadium where only 5,000 fans were allowed in due to safety concerns. Commercial revenue was under €1 million per year. In 2020–21, Como were promoted to Serie B — the second division. In 2023–24, under former England international Dennis Wise as president and with smart recruitment, Como finished second in Serie B and earned promotion to Serie A for the first time in 21 years.
In January 2024, Cesc Fàbregas was appointed as head coach — a bold and widely praised decision that brought one of football’s great tactical minds to the Lake Como dugout. Fàbregas declined a move to AC Milan in the summer of 2025 to stay loyal to Como, a decision that said everything about the club’s direction. In the 2025–26 season, Como finished 4th in Serie A — their highest-ever finish in the modern era — qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the very first time.
The €35 Million Merchandise Story and the “Disney Model”
What makes Como’s ownership story different from most football clubs is not just the ambition on the pitch — it is the extraordinary commercial vision off it.
Como generated €35 million in annual merchandise sales alone in 2026 — a staggering number for a club that was making less than €1 million in total revenue just six years earlier. The club’s President Mirwan Suwarso has publicly compared Como’s commercial strategy to Disney, explaining that “the lake is like the theme park, that’s where you come in contact with our products and our brand.” The Lago lifestyle brand — selling the aesthetic of Lake Como as much as the football club itself — has attracted global attention and celebrity fans. The club is projected to generate approximately €75 million in annual revenue in the 2026–27 Champions League season.
How Rich Are Como’s Owners Compared to Other Serie A Clubs?
The Hartono family’s wealth puts Como in a genuinely extraordinary position in Italian football. The Hartono brothers, who run the club, are the richest owners in Serie A — and it is not even close. The combined Hartono family fortune of $43.8 billion dwarfs Roma owner Dan Friedkin at $11.4 billion, making Como by far the most financially powerful ownership group in Italy’s top flight.
For context — both AC Milan (owned by RedBird Capital) and Inter Milan (owned by Oaktree Capital) have ownership groups with significantly smaller financial firepower than the Hartono family behind Como. This is a genuinely historic situation: the richest owners in Serie A belong to a club that was playing fourth-division football just five years ago.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who owns Como Football Club in 2026?
Como 1907 is owned by the Djarum Group, the business empire of Indonesia’s Hartono family — the wealthiest family in Southeast Asia.
Q2. How much did the Hartono family pay for Como?
The Hartono family purchased Como 1907 through SENT Entertainment on April 4, 2019 for just €800,000, plus immediately clearing the club’s €150,000 debt.
Q3. Who is the richest owner in Serie A?
The Hartono family — owners of Como 1907 — are the richest owners in Serie A with a combined net worth of $43.8 billion, far ahead of Roma owner Dan Friedkin at $11.4 billion.
Q4. Did Michael Hartono die in 2026?
Yes. Michael Bambang Hartono — co-owner of the Djarum Group and Como 1907 — passed away on March 19, 2026 at age 86 in Singapore.
Q5. Who is Como’s head coach in 2026?
Cesc Fàbregas — former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder — has been Como’s head coach since January 2024, leading the club to 4th place in Serie A in 2025–26.
Q6. Has Como qualified for the Champions League?
Yes. Como 1907 qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history after finishing 4th in Serie A in the 2025–26 season.
Q7. What is the Djarum Group?
Djarum is Indonesia’s second-largest clove cigarette manufacturer. The Hartono family’s broader empire also includes a ~55% stake in Bank Central Asia (BCA), Indonesia’s most valuable private bank.
Q8. Where does Como play their home matches?
Como 1907 plays at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, a historic ground located on the picturesque shores of Lake Como in Lombardy, Italy.
Como 1907 is owned by the Djarum Group — the business empire of Indonesia’s richest family, the Hartonos. The brothers Robert Budi Hartono and the late Michael Bambang Hartono (who passed away on March 19, 2026 at age 86) purchased the club on April 4, 2019 through SENT Entertainment for just €800,000.
With a combined family net worth of $43.8 billion, they are the richest owners in all of Serie A — and they have turned a bankrupt Serie D club into a Champions League competitor in under six years.
Under President Mirwan Suwarso and head coach Cesc Fàbregas, Como 1907 is now one of the most exciting football stories in the world. The “Disney model” commercial strategy, €35 million in merchandise revenue, and a fourth-place Serie A finish in 2025–26 show this is just the beginning.