Victor Rachmat Hartono: Consistent Philanthropy in Building the Nation's Children

As the successor of the Djarum family business, Victor Rachmat Hartono (53) seems to dismiss the "curse" of the third generation. He plays a significant role in the innovation and success that Djarum has achieved, as well as in the commitment to the development of the character of the Indonesian nation through the philanthropic programs of the Djarum Foundation.

Forbes released the ranking of the richest people in Indonesia in the Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires List in the fourth week of July 2025, placing the founding family of the Djarum Group, namely brothers, Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono, as the third and fourth richest people with wealth of 21.4 billion US dollars (Rp. 348.82 trillion) and 20.6 billion US dollars (Rp. 336.78 trillion) respectively.

Victor is the eldest son of Robert Budi Hartono and grandson of Oei Wie Gwan, the first generation founder of the Djarum Group. The Djarum family business was started by Oei Wie Gwan as founder, then continued by his two sons, Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono, in a brother-brother partnership, followed by his grandchildren in a cousin consortium.

Typically, family businesses tend to decline when managed by the third and fourth generations due to succession failures and overly complex structures. Victor, who serves as the Chief Operating Officer of PT Djarum and the President Director of the Djarum Foundation, aims not only to grow the family business but also to ensure that the subsequent regeneration process runs smoothly.

He leads the Djarum Foundation, which collaborates with various parties to develop a range of programs aimed at building Indonesian human resources with integrity, discipline, perseverance, high fighting spirit, and sustainability. His vision is simple: the Djarum Foundation aims to contribute to the development of superior Indonesian human resources, starting from the "hometown of Djarum," namely Kudus Regency, Central Java, where their business group is based.

From Kudus, the programs of the Djarum Foundation through Sports Charity, Education Charity, Cultural Charity, Environmental Charity, and Social Charity have expanded to touch surrounding areas, such as Jepara, Pati, and Rembang regencies. On a national scale, Victor has a significant focus on the development of the sports ecosystem, ranging from badminton, women's football, archery, athletics, to martial arts.

The Djarum Foundation, which has been a legal entity since 1986, continues to strengthen its philanthropic contributions to society in the fields of education, social issues, the environment, culture, and sports. Victor believes that money is a tool to achieve a better future. However, money cannot be taken to the grave, so it must be utilized for good purposes, one of which is to fund character development programs that also strengthen unity and bring pride to the Indonesian nation.

"We want to help make our environment and our country more comfortable. The future (of Indonesian human resources) brighter. Why? Because we live there," Victor said in a conversation with Kompas in Jakarta on Wednesday (July 23, 2025).

Since the 1960s, Djarum has been assisting dozens of vocational high schools in Kudus in developing a curriculum that is adaptive to the needs of the business and industrial sectors. This program continues to extend to early childhood, primary, and higher education.

The indicators of success that are sought include, among others, the results of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests in Kudus, which are able to match the scores of advanced countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Many graduates of vocational schools fostered by the Djarum Foundation in Kudus easily enter the job market due to their competence and high competitiveness, thanks to the adaptive curriculum and teaching methods.

We want to help our environment and our country to be better. The future of Indonesian human resources is brighter. Why? Because we live there.

The Djarum Foundation is consistently training athletes who can bring honor to Indonesia in various international competitions. Since 1992, 11 badminton athletes nurtured by PB Djarum have won Olympic medals for Indonesia. Some legendary athletes produced by PB Djarum include Liem Swie King, Alan Budikusuma, Tontowi Ahmad, Liliyana Natsir, Mohammad Ahsan, and Kevin Sanjaya.

After badminton, the Djarum Foundation has built the Super Soccer Arena (SSA), a FIFA-standard stadium in Kudus with a capacity of 1,100 spectators. This stadium is equipped with an athletic track and an archery field on an area of 3.5 hectares. The SSA also serves as a training center for girls' football in the 10-12 age group for the MilkLife Soccer Challenge, featuring talented footballers from various regions, as well as the venue for the MilkLife Archery Challenge Junior National Championship 2025, and for the development of local athletics.

"We want to help the Indonesian nation reach its greatest potential, even though we have not yet been able to touch everyone. What we have done is still quite far. We are not satisfied," said Victor.

The success of the badminton sport in winning medals at international championships, such as the Olympics, Thomas-Uber Cup, and All England, has also served as a unifying force for Indonesia. The victories of athletes on the international stage certainly unite the entire Indonesian nation in a proud hope. The current challenge, Victor continued, is the perseverance in discovering outstanding athletic talents from various regions, as the interest of the younger generation in badminton has declined with the increasing variety of sports options.

In the human resource development program of the Djarum Foundation, the achievements of the beneficiaries are merely a bonus. The primary objective is to build the character of Indonesia's young generation to be resilient, persistent, of integrity, and sustainable, so that they not only achieve success in sports but also thrive in real life, contributing positively to the nation and the state of Indonesia.

Having successfully developed superior human resources in the fields of sports and vocational education, the Djarum Foundation is now aligning its programs to realize the Golden Indonesia 2045 by helping to reduce stunting rates in Kudus. Victor believes that to prevent stunting, nutritional intervention programs must begin from the mother's womb until the first 1,000 days of a child's life. Through the Movement to Maintain the Golden Period (Gemas) initiative, the Djarum Foundation, together with stakeholders, consistently carries out various routine check-ups and mentoring for pregnant women and young mothers to ensure the growth and development of their fetuses and babies are always well maintained.

Strengthening human resources is also honed through cultural programs. Through the performing arts industry, artistic activities are managed to create a creative economic ecosystem that can sustain its cultural practitioners as well as their communities.

The performing arts are considered a complete package that provides space for various groups, ranging from musicians, dancers, designers, singers, to stage technicians. The Djarum Foundation is currently establishing the Indonesian Cultural House in Jakarta as a venue for the performing arts, complementing the Indonesian Kaya Gallery in Jakarta and the Indonesian Kaya Park in Semarang.

Environmental concern is demonstrated by the Djarum Foundation, among other initiatives, by replanting permitted locations to green the Kudus Regency and the northern coastal road (pantura) of Java. The childhood anxiety of Victor, accompanying his father on trips from Kudus to Semarang across the hot and arid pantura, motivated him to commit to planting and caring for trembesi trees along the edges of the northern coast of Java. Following the northern coastal road, the Djarum Foundation planted trembesi along the Trans-Java Toll Road and the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road.

If any country could become a world superpower, it would be Indonesia. Our potential is immense. If we were to become a superpower someday, we would want to be a complete superpower, even if the road ahead is bumpy.

The fertilization of trembesi trees in the northern coastal region utilizes compost made from organic waste processed by Djarum in Kudus Regency. Currently, Djarum has 3 waste processing machines out of the required 31 machines. In addition to the planting of trembesi, efforts for greening the northern coast are planned to continue with the planting of mangroves, which are considered more effective in absorbing carbon, preserving local fishery ecosystems, and preventing coastal erosion.

The consistency in building Indonesia from various sectors, as acknowledged by Victor, requires perseverance, patience, and strategy. He advocates that anyone wishing to engage in philanthropy or take the initiative to build Indonesia should remain prudent. If one feels overwhelmed by large programs and targets, it does not mean they should retreat or abandon their efforts. It is better for philanthropic programs to continue, albeit in installments according to one's capabilities.

"We are patient, focused, and strategic. We assess options and situations, measuring ourselves to do what makes the most sense with the capabilities we have. We are fortunate to have a team that is rational and highly empathetic," he stated.

Victor believes that the future of the world will be multipolar. Many countries will become centers of global power, alongside the United States. Indonesia has the potential to become one of the superpowers, although it is not yet as strong as the United States and China. Indonesia has the fourth largest population in the world, following China, India, and the United States, and its territory stretches from Sabang to Merauke, which is equivalent to the distance from London (England) to Istanbul (Turkey), is seen as a significant potential.

Human resources, Victor added, are key to facing a multipolar world. A good education needs to be supported by good physical and mental health through sports and environmental conservation awareness. He believes there is still much work to be done together, and the Djarum Foundation strives to play a role in strengthening the Indonesian people.

"If any country could become a world superpower, it should be Indonesia. Our potential is enormous. If we become a superpower someday, we want to be a complete superpower, even if the road is bumpy," Victor said.