High-tech, the engine of growth of the Israeli economy has created many millionaires, multi-millionaires and even billionaires. "Globes" has ranked Israel's 29 high-tech billionaires.
1. Teddy Sagi: 44 and worth NIS 17 billion, he has made his money from online gambling platform developer Playtech Cyprus Ltd. (LSE:PTEC) and other companies including credit card clearing company Safecharge and Market Tech, which owns London's popular Camden Market.
2. Gil Shwed: 48 and worth NIS 11.5 billion, he has made his money from IT security company Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP), which he founded and serves as CEO. He has a 17.7% stake in the company, which currently has a market cap of $13.6 billion.
3. Marius Nacht: 54 and worth NIS 8.8 billion. Founder and chairman of Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP) with a 12.3% stake.
4. Mori Arkin: 63 and worth NIS 7.7 billion. Founder of Agis Pharmaceuticals, which was sold to Perrigo Company (NYSE:PRGO; TASE:PRGO). He maintains a stake in Perrigo, profited from a major stake in Bezeq Israeli Telecommunication Co. Ltd. (TASE: BEZQ) and has a med-tech investment fund Accelmed.
5. Shaul Shani: 61 and worth NIS 7.6 billion. Founded the Brazilian communications giant GVT, which he sold for NIS 4.5 billion and then bought a controlling stake in ECI Telecom.
6. Morris Kahn: 86 and worth NIS 5.7 billion. Founded Israeli billing giant Amdocs Ltd. (NYSE: DOX), which currently has a market cap of $9.2 billion.
7. Shlomo Kramer: 49 and worth NIS 4.8 billion. Founder IT security companies including Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP), Imperva Inc. (NYSE: ) and Trusteer, the latter sold to IBM for $800 million.
8. Kobi and Yehudit Richter: 70 and 69 and worth NIS 4.2 billion. Founders and owners of stent manufacturer Medinol, which was eventually sold to Boston Scientific for $750 million.
9. Amnon Shashua: 56 and worth NIS 4 billion. Founder and chairman of collision avoidance sensor system developer Mobileye(NYSE: MBLY),, which currently has a market cap of $10.8 billion.
9. Ziv Aviram: 57 and worth NIS 4 billion. Founder and CEO of collision avoidance sensor system developer Mobileye(NYSE: MBLY),, which currently has a market cap of $10.8 billion.
11. Nir Kalkstein: 43 and worth NIS 3.3 billion. Founder of high-speed algorithm based trading firm Final. Still privately owned, Final has reportedly turned down a $4 billion acquisition offer.
12. Noam Stern Perry: 43 and worth NIS 3.3 billion. Kalkstein's partner in founding Final.
13. Arie Kalkstein: 70 and worth NIS 1.8 billion. Nir Kalkstein's father reportedly has a 10% stake in final.
13. Yariv Gilat: 40 and worth NIS 1.8 billion. Another shareholder in Final, he was formerly its CEO.
13. Benny Landa: 70 and worth NIS 1.8 billion. Sold his digital printing company Indigo to HP for $830 million in 2002 and is now a nanotechnology pioneer through Landa Digital Printing. He is an activist shareholder in Teva.
16. Zohar Zisapel: 67 and worth NIS 1.5 billion. Founded the Binat Group.
16. Yehuda Zisapel: 74 and worth NIS 1.5 billion. Founded the Binat Group.
16. Avigdor Willenz: 59 and worth NIS 1.5 billion. Made most of his money from chip developer Galileo, which was sold to Marvell in 2001 for $2.7 billion. Last year he sold Annapurna Labs to Amazon for $360 million.
16. Avi Shaked: 62 and worth NIS 1.5 billion. Founded online gambling company 888 Holding plc (LSE:888), which has a market cap of $1 billion.
16. Heirs of the late Aharon Shaked founder of online gambling company 888 Holding plc (LSE:888) - worth NIS 1.5 billion.
21. Moshe Yanai: 68 and worth NIS 1.3 billion. The data storage guru sold XIV to IBM for $300 million in 2008. He also sold Diligent to IBM and his latest baby Infinidat raised $150 million last year at a company value of $1.2 billion.
21. Alon Gonen: 40 and worth NIS 1.3 billion. Founded online securities trading company Plus500, which was nearly acquired by Teddy Sagi for $717 million and currently has a market cap of $1.1 billion.
23. Elan Jaglom: 74 and worth NIS 1.1 billion. Has a 5.8% stake in 3D printing company Stratasys Inc. (Nasdaq: SSYS). .
24. Reuven and Shai Agassi 73 and 48 and worth NIS 1 billion. Founded Top Tier which was sold to SAP in 2001 for $400 million.
24. Nir and Eli Barkat 56 and 53 and worth NIS 1 billion. Founded BRM Capital venture capital fund which invested in Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP). Nir became Jerusalem Mayor and Eli's wife Alona owns Israeli soccer champions Hapoel Beer Sheva.
24. Shai and Ron Ben Yitzhak 47 and 40 and worth NIS 1 billion. Founders of the 888 Holding plc (LSE:888) online gambling company.
24. Noam Lanir 49 and worth NIS 1 billion. Founded Internet gambling company Empire Online and Babylon.
24. Hirsch and Peretz families. Doron Peretz 47 and Eitan Peretz 45 worth NIS 1 billion. Founded dental implant company MIS, which was sold in June to Dentsply Sirona for $375 million.
24. Rami Tamir and Benny Schneider. 47 and 57 and worth NIS 1 billion. They've sold at least six startups over the past 20 years including most recently Ravello to Oracle for $500 million in February.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 29, 2016
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