Poju Zabludowicz
Poju Zabludowicz | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 6, 1953 Helsinki, Finland |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, art patron, philanthropist |
| Known for | Tamares Group, Zabludowicz Collection, BICOM founder |
Chaim "Poju" Zabludowicz (born 6 April 1953) is a billionaire entrepreneur, art patron, and philanthropist with Finnish, British, and Israeli ties.
Early life and education
Poju was born in Helsinki, Finland, as the son of Shlomo Zabludowicz, who expanded the family’s involvement in the arms industry through the Israeli defence contractor Soltam. He grew up in Tampere and completed his schooling at Svenska Samskolan i Tammerfors, a Swedish-language institution. He earned a degree in Economics and Political Science from Tel Aviv University.
Personal and family life
He is married to Anita Zabludowicz, originally from the UK, who was honoured with an OBE in 2015 for her contributions to the arts. The couple's main residence is located on The Bishops Avenue in Hampstead, London—often referred to as Billionaire's Row—and they also own properties in Caesarea, Tel Aviv, and on Sarvisalo island in Finland. Their London portfolio includes adjacent mansions purchased in 1989 and 1997, featuring a private art gallery. Among their possessions is a 120-foot yacht. In 2017, Poju acquired a property valued at ₪25 million in Tel Aviv’s Neve Tzedek district, recognized as one of Israel’s premier real estate transactions.
Zabludowicz has been featured on prominent rankings such as The Jewish Chronicle Top 100, placing 30th in 2008 and 75th in 2014. Forbes Israel listed him as the 13th wealthiest individual in Israel in 2015, with a net worth of ₪8.7 billion. He ranked 37th on The Estates Gazette Rich List, highlighting his substantial UK property holdings. By 2017, he and Anita were considered the ninth wealthiest couple in Britain. The Sunday Times Rich List 2021 estimated their combined fortune at £1.5 billion, positioning them at number 111.
Business career
Following his graduation, Zabludowicz began his career at BFG Bank AG based in Frankfurt.
In 1978, he joined Tamares—the family’s holding company—as a director and has been at its helm since 1990. Tamares focuses on investments across private enterprises, public companies, and real estate assets, including ownership of approximately 40% of central Las Vegas land. Currently, Tamares Group oversees a portfolio valued at $3 billion and encompassing around 2.3 million square feet of office space.
In 1993, he founded Ivory Gate, a London-centered property investment firm that utilizes offshore structures for acquiring commercial real estate within the UK.
He launched Auctor Capital Partners in 2006 and served as chairman of its advisory board; this firm specializes in corporate finance services for hedge funds. Between 2007 and 2014, he chaired Synova Capital, a private equity fund dedicated to supporting growth-stage UK businesses. Since 2011, he has led Tamares Telecom as chairman—a private operator managing an international fibre-optic network.
Zabludowicz held a directorship at Mustavaaran Kaivos, which controls mineral rights to a Finnish deposit rich in vanadium, iron, and titanium. From 2012 to 2017, he was a board member and part of the Human Capital Committee at Outotec, a company focused on metals and minerals technology. His board experience extends to Citigroup’s European Advisory Board, GEMS (private equity for Asia Pacific), and Stratos Ventures (venture capital concentrating on ICT).
He owns the Finnish ice hockey club Tappara.
In June 2016, ARTA—a New York-based startup specializing in fine art logistics—secured $1 million through institutional and strategic investors including Poju and Anita Zabludowicz.
Judaism and Zionist Advocacy
Poju Zabludowicz established and previously led the BICOM, which was founded in 2001 with the aim of influencing UK government policy in favor of Israel. Within a span of three years, he is reported to have donated more than £2 million to this organization. Additionally, he supports the United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA) and has participated on advisory committees for both the Community Security Trust (CST) and UJIA. He has also held a trustee position at the Jewish Leadership Council.
Political Activism
Zabludowicz has provided financial backing to David Cameron's campaign for party leadership as well as to the Conservative Party. Contributions from the Tamares Group include £15,000 during Cameron’s 2005 leadership contest, followed by £55,000 between 2006 and 2007, and £131,805 in 2010. In total, Zabludowicz’s donations to Conservative funds amount to around £380,000.
In the realm of European politics, he gave €8,000 to support Alexander Stubb's 2014 campaign for the European Parliament. As reported by The Jewish Chronicle, Zabludowicz hosted discreet discussions at his London residence in March 2011 between Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, underscoring his involvement in facilitating significant diplomatic meetings.
Philanthropy
The Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases at Sheba Medical Center was created through contributions from Poju and Anita Zabludowicz, aiming to integrate autoimmune disease research and treatment across various medical specialties. The Zabludowicz family further supports art exhibitions, fairs, and fundraising initiatives, including backing the proposed Guggenheim Helsinki Plan in 2014.
Poju Zabludowicz has donated between $100,000 and $250,000 to the Clinton Foundation and has served as a patron of the Finnish British Chamber of Commerce since 2011.
Art Collection
Beginning in the 1990s, the Zabludowicz family has built an extensive collection comprising approximately 5,000 works by around 500 artists. Their holdings are displayed across three venues, one of which is 176, a gallery housed in a former Methodist chapel located in Chalk Farm, London. Opened in 2007, this space exhibits pieces from their collection alongside newly commissioned works.
Among their collection is a controversial miniature sculpture depicting Jesus with an erection, which has attracted public debate due to its provocative subject matter.
Another exhibition site is situated at 1500 Broadway, Times Square, New York City, where rotating shows are available for public viewing during daytime hours.
On Sarvisalo island near Loviisa, Finland, the Zabludowicz Collection runs an international artist residency program designed to encourage creative production. In 2015, plans were announced to establish a comparable residency initiative in Las Vegas.
Rankings
Poju and Anita Zabludowicz have regularly been recognized in leading art world rankings:
- Appearing on ArtReview's Power 100 lists from 2006 through 2014, achieving position number 97 in 2014.
- Featured among ARTnews's Top 200 Collectors between 2005 and 2019 as some of the most active global art purchasers.
- Ranked third worldwide by Larry's List based on their internet presence, engagement with institutions, and visibility of their collection.
- Included in ArtLyst's Alt Power 100 from 2011 to 2019 for significant contributions to contemporary art.
- Listed in Artnet's The World's Top 100 Art Collectors (2015–2016) as well as their 100 Most Influential People in the Art World.
- Anita Zabludowicz was also recognized within Christie's Top 100 Art World Instagrams.
Anita Zabludowicz serves as Founder and Trustee of the Zabludowicz Collection (since its inception in 1994), has been a Council Member of Tate Modern International since 1999, holds a board position at Kiasma since 2009, is a Founding Patron of Camden Arts Centre, and acts as co-chairman of British Friends of the Art Museums of Israel (BFAMI).
Controversy
In November 2013, Zabludowicz provided testimony at the High Court as part of the divorce case involving Scot Young.
Beginning in 2014, the organization Boycott Divest Zabludowicz (BDZ) has called on artists and cultural institutions to avoid engagement with the Zabludowicz Collection. The group accuses Poju and Anita Zabludowicz of using their Foundation to "cleanse illicit funds." BDZ draws attention to Poju’s position as chairman of Bicom, a UK-based pro-Israel lobbying entity, and references his family’s past involvement in supplying arms to Israel, thereby associating the Foundation with ongoing conflicts impacting Palestinian communities.
In February 2017, Israeli law enforcement examined whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted gifts or benefits from Zabludowicz as part of a larger corruption investigation. The inquiry concluded without any charges or further proceedings against Zabludowicz.
During 2021, in response to Israel’s military actions at Al Aqsa Mosque and forced evictions in Sheikh Jarrah, BDZ intensified its campaign urging a boycott of the Zabludowicz Art Trust to show support for Palestine. While Anita and Poju Zabludowicz expressed sorrow over "the innocent lives lost on both sides," they did not respond directly to the allegations nor suggest any modifications in their approach.