The public prosecutor of Paola in the Southern Italian town of Calabria is investigating Ferrero and eight others for circumstances leading to four of the 70-year-old’s businesses going bankrupt.
Ferrero is also a film producer and was an actor in his younger days.
Ferrero completed a takeover of Sampdoria in the summer of 2014 but had recently declared his willingness to sell the club if he received the right offer.
"It was with great astonishment that we learned of the execution today of a pre-trial detention order against Massimo Ferrero," a statement from Sampdoria read.
"It was a request from the public prosecutor's office of Paola for bankruptcy related to events of many years ago. It is still unclear why the precautionary requirements were needed.
"In any case, it should be pointed out that these events are completely unrelated to the management and ownership of Sampdoria and Ferrero's activities relating to the world of cinema.
"However, Ferrero, precisely in order to better protect the interests of the other activities in which it operates, intends to formalise the immediate resignation from the corporate offices of which until now he has been the owner."
On the field, Sampdoria have not fared better this season as a 3-1 defeat to Lazio on Sunday left them 15th on the Serie A table, five points from the relegation places.
