JERUSALEM (JTA) — Dr. Miriam Adelson, the wife of American casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, is Israel’s wealthiest person for 2019, according to a biannual list.
The Haaretz daily newspaper’s Israel’s rich list published Wednesday noted that Israel has 128 billionaires after having only eight in 2003.
Miriam Adelson, 73, is new to the list and jumped right to the top spot, “thanks to a recent transfer of assets from her husband,” according to Haaretz.
Adelson’s personal wealth is placed at $22 billion, most of it in shares in the Las Vegas Sands Corp. given to her last year by her husband, according to the report. Adelson also controls the free distribution newspaper Israel Hayom as its publisher.
Russian-born Roman Abramovich, 52, owner of the Chelsea FC soccer team, last year became the richest person ever to immigrate to Israel and claim citizenship. He comes in on the list at No. 2 with his total wealth valued at $13 billion.
Here is the rest of the top 10:
3. Eyal Ofer, son of the late billionaire Sammy Offer, at $10.7 billion, mostly in real estate holdings and shipping;
4. the Wertheimer family led by patriarch, Iscar founder Stef Wertheimer, $9.5 billion;
5. French-Israeli telecom magnate Patrick Drahi, who earlier this week purchased Sotheby’s auction house, $8.75 billion;
6. the Azrieli family, which invests in real estate and owns shopping malls, $5.54 billion;
7. businesswoman Shari Arison, who recently liquidated most of her holdings in Israel, $5.5 billion;
8. Gil Shwed, who co-founded Check Point Software Technologies, $4.7 billion;
9. Idan Ofer, $4.5 billion; and
10. the Tshuva family, whose wealth comes from natural gas, $4.15 billion.
Other notables:
17. Israeli-American media mogul Haim Saban of Power Rangers fame, $2.9 billion;
21. the Strauss family, owner of the third-largest food products manufacturer in Israel, $2.2 billion; and
30. Sylvan Adams, who brought the Italian bicycle race Giro d’Italia to the country last year, underwrote Madonna’s performance at the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv and is heir to a real estate empire started by his father, $1.7 billion.
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