Of the 1,426 billionaires around the globe, 165 of them are Jews, and their
joint wealth reaches the incredible amount of $812 billion, according to Forbes Israel
magazine’s 2013 world’s billionaires list.
Compared with last year, the
joint wealth of the 165 Jewish billionaires has grown substantially. According
to Forbes Israel, the growth was due mainly to a rise in shares. For example, Oracle
CEO Larry Ellison’s net worth grew $7 billion to $43b. New York Mayor Michael
Bloomberg’s net worth rose $5b., and the net worth of both Google founders Larry
Page and Sergey Brin rose $4.3b. to $23b. The net worth of Len Blavatnik, who
recently acquired Clal Industries, jumped $4.1b. to $16b.
According to
the Forbes Israel ranking, the richest Jew in the world is Ellison, whose net worth is
estimated at $45b., $7b. more than he was worth last year. As of February 2013,
Ellison’s Oracle shares were worth 20 percent more than last year. Ellison, the
third-richest man in the US, made a number of lucrative real-estate purchases
this past year. In June, he acquired ownership of 98% of the Hawaiian island of
Lanai from David Murdock.
This $500 million purchase of almost the entire
141-squaremile (365-square-kilometer) island includes two resorts.
And
recently a rumor has been making the rounds that Ellison, a long-time NBA fan,
is considering bidding for ownership of the Sacramento Kings to prevent them
from moving to Seattle.
Bloomberg ranks number two on the list. He net
worth is estimated at $27b. Bloomberg is $5b. richer than he was last year
thanks to Bloomberg LP, the financial data company he founded in 1982. Bloomberg
also owns more than 10 homes in Manhattan, Westchester County, Bermuda, Vail and
the Hamptons.
In third place is billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who has made
his money through casino ownership. Adelson, owner of the Israel Hayom
newspaper, has an estimated net worth of $26.5b., significantly more than last
year following the 20% rise in Las Vegas Sands Casino shares since last
summer.
Facebook cofounder Mark Zuckerberg’s worth has dwindled over the
past year due to Facebook’s unsuccessful stock issue on Wall Street. However,
Zuckerberg, who is ranked the 16th richest Jew in the world, is still worth
$13.3b. Surprisingly, he is not the youngest Jewish billionaire: Dustin
Moskovitz, Zuckerberg’s former roommate and Facebook cofounder, is eight days
younger. Moskovitz, a signee of Bill Gates’s and Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledge,
has an estimated wealth of $3.8b.
The richest Israeli in the world is
Idan Ofer, who places at No. 29 on the Forbes Israel list of the world’s richest Jews.
Ofer, who recently announced plans to leave Israel for London, has a net worth
of $6.5b.
Ofer is not the only Israeli who has gotten richer over the
past year. Shari Arison’s wealth grew $4.2b. this year, and the net worth of
Eyal Ofer, Idan’s brother, increased by $200m.
Translated by Hannah
Hochner.
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