Wealthier and greater in number than ever. The World’s Billionaires List—Forbes magazine’s annual ranking of the ultra-rich — is published today (Tuesday) worldwide, and once again, as in recent years, it caps another unprecedented year for the world’s wealthiest.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Despite the war and the surge in oil prices that rattled markets, the past year still ranks as one of the strongest ever recorded on global stock exchanges. Wall Street, along with leading exchanges in Europe, Asia, and especially here in Israel, continued to enjoy positive momentum, driven primarily by explosive demand in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, cloud infrastructure, and industrial automation. Startups and private companies, particularly those operating in AI – the focal point of a frenzied global arms race – shattered records and ballooned to valuations in the hundreds of billions. Tech giants, global conglomerates, and international mega-corporations also benefited from strong investor tailwinds that propelled corporate valuations to all-time highs.
In perfect correlation, the net worth of the world’s wealthiest soared alongside them. On paper, this massive wealth surge translated into tens of billions of additional dollars for many billionaires. In exceptional cases – such as that of the world’s richest man – we’re talking hundreds of billions.
Israeli billionaires, global business leaders and entrepreneurs, also enjoyed this global sentiment and received an additional boost thanks to the record performance of the local stock exchange over the past year. The Tel Aviv exchange benefited from strong investor sentiment and a surprising appetite for risk, most notably reflected in the swift and positive reaction of markets to the 12-day war with Iran.
Israel’s Billionaires List
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To this, one must add Israeli high-tech – the primary production line for new Israeli billionaires – which demonstrated impressive strength and resilience despite security and political challenges, continuing to attract mega-rounds with record levels of exits and fundraising, all within an environment of extreme uncertainty.
Israel’s Wealthiest in 2026
As every year, Forbes’ global billionaires list is compiled in partnership with Forbes Israel, which participates in the comprehensive research and valuation estimates for most Israelis on the list. This year, the exclusive list includes an unprecedented number of Israeli billionaires: 52 individuals holding Israeli citizenship – including a small number of Israeli billionaires with dual citizenship who maintain significant local business operations and assets in Israel.
Once again, this represents a new record for Israeli billionaires featured on the prestigious list of the world’s wealthiest, compared to 50 Israelis who made the list last year and 42 who appeared in 2024.
They’re worth more than ever. The aggregate net worth of Israelis on the list now totals approximately $308 billion. This represents a 24% increase from 2025 (when their combined worth stood at approximately $250 billion) and a 50% surge compared to the list published two years ago, in 2024 (approximately $206 billion).
At the top of Forbes’ 2026 global billionaires list, three individuals with Israeli citizenship rank among the world’s 100 wealthiest people.
Miriam Adelson still holds the title of “wealthiest Israeli in the world” and ranks 56th globally, with a fortune of $37.5 billion. Dr. Adelson has held this title since inheriting half the shares of Las Vegas Sands, the casino and hospitality empire founded by her late husband, Sheldon.
Dr. Adelson, widow of Sheldon Adelson, currently holds more than half of the shares in the gambling and hospitality empire Las Vegas Sands, an asset that comprises the lion’s share of the family fortune, estimated at approximately $37.5 billion (an increase of $5.4 billion from last year). She is also the principal controlling shareholder of the NBA team Dallas Mavericks, holding approximately 70% of the franchise after purchasing a 30% stake for $3.5 billion. Adelson is also the publisher of the daily newspapers ׳Israel Hayom׳ and ׳Makor Rishon׳. Additionally, the family investment group, headed by her son Matan Adelson, owns the Jerusalem basketball club Hapoel Jerusalem.
Idan Ofer, who only a year ago broke into the ranks of the world’s 100 wealthiest for the first time, is now ranked 61st globally with a total net worth of $34.6 billion – marking a stunning wealth accumulation of over $12 billion in the past year alone.
The lion’s share of the meteoric rise in Idan’s asset values in recent years is attributed to his holdings in Quantum Pacific Group—the private holding company under his control, which has become one of the dominant players in the global shipping industry in recent years. At the heart of the group’s operations is EPS (Eastern Pacific Shipping), the operational shipping arm based in Singapore, which operates a fleet of approximately 210 vessels and holds stakes in two additional shipping companies, XT Shipping and Ace Tankers—and is considered one of the largest private shipping companies in the world.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Quantum Pacific has expanded its activities to include strategic investments in public shipping companies and natural gas transport, including CoolCo and International Seaways, while leveraging the exceptional surge in the maritime transport sector in recent years, which contributed significantly to the jump in the company’s asset values and Ofer’s holdings.
Idan is also the controlling shareholder of the holding company Kenon Holdings and controls Israel Corporation, which in turn controls OPC Energy and ICL (formerly Israel Chemicals). Additionally, he is a partner in Formula 1, controls the Portuguese football club F.C. Famalicão, and until recently held approximately one-third of the shares in the Spanish elite club Atlético Madrid.
Last November, Apollo Fund purchased 55% of the club’s shares at a valuation of €2.5 billion—exactly nine years after his entry into the club as an investor. In November 2017, Ofer purchased 15% of the club’s shares and three months later exercised an option to acquire an additional 17%. According to reports, Ofer currently holds between 10% and 15% of the shares. In total, the Israeli tycoon invested €100 million for a 32% stake—which at the time reflected a total valuation of only approximately $300 million for the Spanish club, a tenth of its current value.
This year, Idan surpasses his brother, Eyal Ofer, who like him inherited their late father Sami Ofer’s shipping empire. While both brothers inherited substantial wealth following their father’s death in 2011, each, in his own domain, succeeded in multiplying that inheritance many times over.
The eldest Ofer brother, Eyal, built the shipping division of the family business alongside his father in the 1970s. He later succeeded in independently expanding his operations and transformed the group he heads – Ofer Global – into an international conglomerate currently active primarily in shipping, real estate, energy, and technology.
The Zodiac shipping group, which he heads and which is based in the UK, currently operates a fleet of approximately 190 vessels and is considered one of the largest maritime shipping companies in the world. He is also the controlling shareholder of Bank Mizrahi-Tefahot, where he holds a 21% stake, while simultaneously serving as a director of Royal Caribbean Cruises, the world’s second-largest cruise company, in which he holds approximately 5%.
Eyal Ofer ranks 62nd on the global billionaires list and holds total assets estimated at $33.6 billion – approximately $5.4 billion more than last year.
The complete list and full coverage are published in the March edition of Forbes Israel
