How Como 1907 Became the Richest Club in Italy: Inside the Hartono Brothers’ Billions 

If you ask the average football supporter who owns the richest club in Italy, you will hear familiar names: the Agnelli-Elkann automotive dynasty at Juventus, American private equity giant RedBird at AC Milan, or California asset manager Oaktree Capital at Inter.

Every single one of those answers is dead wrong.

The wealthiest club owner in Italian football does not reside in Turin, Milan, or Rome. They operate on the postcard-perfect shores of Lake Como, where water taxis glide past neoclassical villas and seaplanes touch down against the snow-capped Italian Alps. Welcome to Como 1907, a club whose ownership balance sheet holds an audited fortune of $48.5 billion.

As highlighted in our study of the top 10 richest football club owners in the world, Como 1907 represents one of the most fascinating ownership experiments in sports history. Here is the untold story of how two Indonesian brothers turned a bankrupt lower-tier Italian team into the economic envy of Serie A.

Who Are the Hartono Brothers? (The Djarum & Banking Empire)

To understand Como’s spending power, you have to look 11,000 kilometers east to Jakarta, Indonesia. Robert Budi Hartono (84) and Michael Bambang Hartono (85) are undisputed titans of Asian commerce.

According to verified billionaire indices, the brothers have ranked as the wealthiest people in Indonesia for over 15 consecutive years:

The foundation of the family fortune was Djarum, founded by their father Oei Wie Gwan in 1951, which grew into one of the world’s largest manufacturers of kretek (clove cigarettes). But their real financial masterstroke arrived following the 1997 Asian financial crisis, when the brothers acquired a controlling stake in Bank Central Asia (BCA). Today, BCA is Southeast Asia’s most valuable lender, generating billions in cash dividends every single year.

How Como’s Owners Compare to Italy’s Traditional Giants

To truly grasp the staggering wealth divide, compare the Hartono brothers’ personal capital against the ownership figures of Italy’s established football royalty:

Figure 1: Italian football ownership net worth hierarchy. The Hartono brothers ($48.5B) command more personal wealth than the owners of Roma, Fiorentina, Milan, and Juventus combined.

As documented in our comprehensive ranking of all 20 Serie A clubs by annual wage bill, Como’s wage structure remains calculated and disciplined, sitting at approximately €35.4 million gross. While clubs like Inter and Juventus carry massive debt burdens, Como operates with zero bank debt and 100% equity funding.

From Serie D Bankruptcy to the Big League: The €850,000 Acquisition

In 2016, Como was bankrupt, relegated to the amateur fourth tier (Serie D), and playing in a dilapidated stadium with crumbling concrete terraces. In April 2019, the Hartono brothers stepped in through their UK-based media vehicle SENT Entertainment, purchasing the club at auction for a modest €850,000.

Unlike other billionaire owners who arrived in European football with loud press conferences and immediate transfer splurges, the Hartonos executed a quiet, surgical turnaround:

1. The Smart Multi-Sport Structure: They appointed former Chelsea and England legend Dennis Wise as CEO to overhaul the sporting culture, stripping out regional bureaucracy.
2. The Star Shareholder Strategy: In 2022, they convinced World Cup winners Cesc Fàbregas and Thierry Henry to become minority shareholders. Fàbregas finished his playing career in Como before transitioning directly into head coach.
3. Organic Promotion: Rather than buying ready-made superstars, Como earned successive promotions from Serie D to Serie C, Serie B, and finally Serie A in May 2024—returning to Italy’s top flight for the first time in 21 years.
4. Viral Digital Expansion: As revealed in our audit of the most followed Serie A clubs on Instagram, Como achieved the fastest percentage audience growth of any club in Southern Europe, blending luxury lifestyle appeal with football passion.

The Transfer Masterclass: Nico Paz, Sergi Roberto & Smart Scouting

When Como secured Serie A promotion, pundits assumed they would follow the disastrous blueprint of QPR or Anzhi Makhachkala—signing overpaid veteran mercenaries on astronomical wages.

Instead, Como’s recruitment under Fàbregas was a masterclass in modern sporting strategy:

• Nico Paz (€6M from Real Madrid): In one of the transfer coups of the season, Como signed Real Madrid’s Argentine playmaker prodigy with a 50% sell-on and buy-back clause, making him the fulcrum of their midfield.
• Sergi Roberto & Alberto Moreno: Added European silverware pedigree on free transfers with sensible, performance-weighted wages.
• Gabriel Strefezza & Alieu Fadera: Dynamic wingers recruited from Serie A competitors to provide pace and domestic adaptability.

The Stadium Jewel: Rebuilding Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia

Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia possesses the most unique geographical setting in world football: one goalpost borders the waters of Lake Como, while the other looks into the historic walled city.

The Hartono family is currently driving a comprehensive €100+ million stadium redevelopment project designed by world-renowned architecture firms. The plan will modernize the venue into a 15,000-seat boutique lakeside arena featuring waterfront restaurants, luxury hospitality suites, and year-round cultural events—turning matchdays into Europe’s premier VIP sports destination.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)