Following the minor storm that erupted on Monday over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to rearrange his portfolio which is in a blind trust—a request he eventually rescinded—Forbes Israel decided to dig into that portfolio, to find out how rich is Bibi.
The most up-to-date estimate is that the Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu’s combined worth is about 41 million shekels, or $10,197,725. This is roughly 3 million shekel more than last year, suggesting the PM’s blind trustee is on the conservative side – the portfolio is just keeping up with the local inflation.
Neither Bibi nor Sara come from money. Netanyahu accumulated most of his wealth over his short hiatus from politics, between 1999 and 2001.
According to Forbes Israel, during those years Bibi toured the world giving $60 thousand lectures, served as senior consultant to the hi tech company BATM, and pushed business ventures for Epsilor Electric-fuel (today known as Aerotech), orchestrating its merger with Wal-Mart.
Close to half of the Netanyahus wealth is invested in their penthouse in the affluent neighborhood of Rechavia in downtown Jerusalem, and a villa in Caesaria.
For comparison: according to Wealth Wire, President Obama’s assets range between $2.6 million and $9.9 million, while he holds a mortgage of $500,000 to $1 million on his Chicago home. On top of that net worth, the president receives his annual salary of $400,000.
It’s good to be the king…