Sammy Ofer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Shmuel Herskovich (1922-02-22)22 February 1922 |
| Died | 3 June 2011(2011-06-03) (aged 89) Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Spouse | Aviva Ofer |
| Children | Eyal Ofer,Idan Ofer |
| Relatives | Yuli Ofer (brother) |
Sammy Ofer (Hebrew:שמואל "סמי" עופר; bornShmuel Herskovich; 22 February 1922 – 3 June 2011)[2] was an Israeli shipping magnate and one of the richest men in the country.
Shmuel Herskovich was born in 1922 inGalați, Romania, to a Jewish family.[3] In 1924, his familyimmigrated to the thenBritish Mandate of Palestine. The family resided in the city ofHaifa. With the start of World War II, he enlisted in the BritishRoyal Navy.[3] During the1948 Arab-Israeli War, he served in theIsraeli Sea Corps.
After finishing his military service, he became a shipping agent with the Eastern Conglomerate, and by 1950 had bought his first ship. He expanded in the shipping business.[4]
Ofer's assets were partly in his exclusive ownership and partly owned together with his brother Yuli, consisting of one of the largest private shipping companies in the world, with a value of $3.6 billion in 2011.[5] This includes the companiesZIM,Royal Caribbean International,Israel Corporation,Israel Chemicals,Oil Refineries Ltd,Bank Mizrahi-Tfahot, and Tower Semiconductor.
The annualForbes magazine's list ofThe World's Billionaires estimated in 2011 his fortune, together with his brotherYuli's, to be $10.3 billion, ranked him in 2011 as the 79th in thewealthiest people in the world, and the wealthiest man in Israel.[6]
In March 2008, Ofer donated £20 million to London'sNational Maritime Museum (NMM) atGreenwich, as part of a £35 million programme of expansion.[7] Ofer donated £3.3 million to help complete the restoration of theCutty Sark by 2010.[8]
In 2013, a £1.5 million donation fromEyal Ofer enabled the NMM to buy two paintings byGeorge Stubbs from 1772. The paintingsdepict a kangarooand a dingo, and are the first depictions of Australian animals in Western art.[9]
In 2007, Ofer donated $25 million to theRambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, Israel, which included $17 million[10] for its 2000-bed Sammy Ofer Fortified Underground Emergency Hospital.[11]
On 10 November 2008 he was made an Honorary Knight Commander of theOrder of the British Empire (KBE) in recognition of his involvement with maritime heritage in the United Kingdom.[12]
He was married to Aviva Ofer. They had two sons:Idan Ofer andEyal Ofer. They mainly resided inMonte Carlo, Monaco.[citation needed]
On 3 June 2011, Ofer died in his house in Tel Aviv, Israel, at the age of 89.[13]
In 2013, Idan Ofer donated £25 million toLondon Business School in honor of his father, Sammy.[14] A new educational facility atMarylebone Town Hall was established as the Sammy Ofer Centre. The gift was the largest in the school's history.[14] There is also a well-known Israelisoccer stadium named after him that he also partially funded,Sammy Ofer Stadium in the cityHaifa, Israel.