Sammy Ofer
Sammy Ofer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Shmuel Herskovich Template:Birth date Galați, Romania |
| Died | June 3, 2011 (aged 89) Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Occupation(s) | Shipping entrepreneur, philanthropist |
| Years active | 1950–2011 |
| Known for | Leading Israeli shipping magnate, one of Israel’s wealthiest individuals |
Sammy Ofer (; originally named Shmuel Herskovich; 22 February 1922 – 3 June 2011) was a prominent Israeli shipping entrepreneur and ranked among the nation’s wealthiest figures.
Early life
Ofer was born in 1922 in Galați, Romania, into a Jewish household. His family relocated to the British Mandate of Palestine in 1924, establishing their home in Haifa. During World War II, he served with the British Royal Navy and subsequently joined the Israeli Sea Corps amid the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict.
Career
Following his military tenure, Ofer began his career in maritime shipping as an agent for the Eastern Conglomerate. By 1950, he had acquired his first vessel and progressively built one of the largest privately owned shipping fleets worldwide. In 2011, the combined value of his personal holdings and those shared with his brother Yuli was estimated at $3.6 billion. His business interests encompassed leading corporations such as ZIM, Royal Caribbean International, Israel Corporation, Israel Chemicals, Oil Refineries Ltd, Bank Mizrahi-Tfahot, and Tower Semiconductor.
According to a 2011 Forbes assessment, Sammy and Yuli Ofer's joint net worth reached $10.3 billion, positioning them as Israel’s richest individuals and placing Sammy at number 79 on the list of the world’s wealthiest.
Philanthropy
In March 2008, Ofer contributed £20 million toward the expansion of London's National Maritime Museum (NMM) in Greenwich, part of a larger £35 million development initiative. Additionally, by 2010 he had donated £3.3 million to support restoration efforts for the historic Cutty Sark.
A donation of £1.5 million from Eyal Ofer in 2013 enabled the NMM to acquire two paintings from 1772 by artist George Stubbs, featuring a kangaroo and a dingo—recognized as the earliest Western artistic depictions of Australian wildlife.
In 2007, Ofer gave $25 million to the Rambam Health Care Campus located in Haifa, Israel; $17 million of this was allocated for constructing the 2,000-bed Sammy Ofer Fortified Underground Emergency Hospital.
On 10 November 2008, he received the honorary title of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in recognition of his significant contributions to preserving maritime heritage within the United Kingdom.
Personal life
Ofer was married to Aviva Ofer and fathered two sons: Idan Ofer and Eyal Ofer. The family mainly lived in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Death
He passed away at age 89 on 3 June 2011 at his residence in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Legacy
In tribute to his father, Idan Ofer donated £25 million to London Business School in 2013, funding the creation of the Sammy Ofer Centre at Marylebone Town Hall. This donation represented the largest single gift ever received by the institution. Furthermore, the Sammy Ofer Stadium in Haifa—partially financed by him—bears his name in honor of his legacy.