Seventeen Israelis Make Forbes’ List of the World’s Billionaires

The second generation of the Ofer family are the richest Israelis on Forbes’ 2013 list of the world's billionaires. Together, the magazine said, Idan and Eyal Ofer are worth $12.5 billion.

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Fifteen other Israelis also made Forbes’ list of the world’s billionaires.

Idan Ofer, who heads the Israel Corporation, is ranked 182 overall on the magazine’s list of the world’s richest people, with assets totaling $6.5 billion. His brother Eyal Ofer, who controls the Ofer family’s real estate business and overseas operations, is in 198th place with assets of $6 billion.

Next in line is ISCAR founder Stef Wertheimer and his family, ranked 268 with assets of $4.4 billion. After him comes the first Israeli woman to make the list, Bank Hapoalim controlling shareholder Shari Arison, who placed 308 with assets of $4.2 billion. She shares that slot with film producer Arnon Milchan, whose wealth is also estimated at $4.2 billion.

Other Israelis on the list are diamond magnates Beny Steinmetz ($4.1 billion) and Dan Gertler ($2.2 billion); Delek group owner Yitzhak Tshuva ($2.2 billion); mining magnate Alexander Machkevich ($2.1 billion); Teddy Sagi, who is about to sell his online gambling company Playtech ($1.8 billion); Check Point co-founder Gil Shwed ($1.65 billion); diamond and real estate tycoon Lev Leviev ($1.5 billion); ECI Telecom owner Shaul Shani ($1.3 billion); Mori Arkin, whose money comes mainly from the sale of his family’s pharmaceutical firm, Agis ($1.05 billion); Zadik Bino, controlling shareholder of the First International Bank of Israel ($1.05 billion); Amdocs founder Morris Kahn ($1 billion); and Marius Nacht, another Check Point co-founder ($1 billion).

Overall, the world’s richest man this year is Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim Helu, with assets of about $73 billion. He is followed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates ($63 billion) and then Amancia Ortega, founder of the fashion chain Zara ($57 billion). Last year, the number-three slot was held by Warren Buffett, but Ortega passed him this year thanks to Zara’s record profits and soaring share price, which boosted his wealth by a hefty $19.5 billion compared to last year. Buffett was therefore bumped down to fourth place ($53.5 billion), followed by Larry Ellison, founder of the software giant Oracle, in fifth ($43 billion).