Yitzchak Mirilashvili
Yitzchak Mirilashvili | |
|---|---|
| Born | Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Mirilashvili Template:Birth year and age Saint Petersburg, Russia |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist |
| Known for | Co-founder of VK (Vkontakte.ru) |
Yitzchak Mirilashvili (originally named Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Mirilashvili; ; born 1984) is an Israeli entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He is a co-founder of VK (Vkontakte.ru), the leading social networking platform in Russia. Residing in Israel, Mirilashvili oversees his diverse business interests alongside multiple philanthropic organizations. He holds a controlling stake in Israel's Channel 14 as well as The economy channel.
Early life
Mirilashvili was born in 1984 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He is the son of Michael Mirilashvili, a businessman and philanthropist with Georgian Jewish roots and connections to Russia, Georgia, and Israel. During his childhood, he moved to Israel where he completed his secondary education. He graduated with a degree in economics from Tufts University in 2006.
VK
In 2006, Mirilashvili co-established VK alongside Lev Leviev and Pavel Durov, assuming the roles of chairman and principal shareholder. VK expanded to become Russia’s foremost social network, boasting more than 500 million active users. The founders secured investment from Digital Sky Technologies, led by Yuri Milner. At the age of 29, in 2013, Mirilashvili divested his remaining shares in VK for a valuation exceeding $1 billion, positioning him among the wealthiest individuals in Israel.
Plarium
Mirilashvili owned a 35% share of Plarium, a mobile and online gaming company offering free-to-play titles since its inception in 2009. In 2017, Plarium was purchased by Aristocrat Leisure, an Australian publicly traded company, for roughly $500 million, marking a notable transaction within the gaming industry.
The Kuf Dalet Group
As sole shareholder and chairman of The Kuf Dalet Group, Mirilashvili directs this holding company that manages his investment portfolio from its base in Herzliya. The group primarily invests in real estate and infrastructure across the United States, Israel, Russia, and Europe.
Kuf Dalet holds controlling interest in Rothstein Real Estate Co., Ltd., an Israeli residential property developer publicly traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and included in the TA Real-Estate Index.
Within Israel, the group’s assets encompass commercial and retail properties located in Tel Aviv, Herzliya, and adjacent suburbs. In the U.S., their real estate portfolio focuses on regions such as New York City, the Midwest, and the Southeast.
In 2014, Kuf Dalet established Yesodot Private Equity to channel investments into energy storage solutions, development initiatives, and infrastructure projects both domestically and abroad. Notably, Yesodot acquired an 18% stake in the IPM Be'er Tuvia power plant project in Israel in 2018; this facility is designed to produce 451 MW of power and provide approximately 3.5% of the country’s electricity consumption. Prior to that, Yesodot invested in a solar panel enterprise owned by Shikun & Binui, a publicly listed Israeli conglomerate with a production capacity of 24 MW.
Furthermore, Mirilashvili maintains majority ownership of Israel’s Channel 14, a broadcast news outlet that transitioned from Jewish cultural programming to focus on a conservative political audience.
In 2019, TheMarker included Mirilashvili among its list of the top 100 most influential figures in Israeli business.
Philanthropic Activities
Yitzhak and his spouse Vika annually allocate millions through their foundation, supporting a wide range of educational and social welfare organizations both within Israel and internationally.
Contributions Connected to Yaffa and Aryeh Deri
Mirilashvili has provided financial support to groups overseen by Yaffa Deri, the spouse of Aryeh Deri. In 2017, amid an inquiry involving the Deri family, Mirilashvili and his father were among sixteen notable Israeli figures who were questioned. By the following year, authorities proposed legal action against Aryeh Deri; however, Mirilashvili was exonerated from any charges.
Support for Chabad and Ownership of Channel 14
Together with his father, Yitzhak Mirilashvili donates around NIS 150 million each year to organizations affiliated with Chabad Hasidism and religious Zionism. As an active member of Chabad, Yitzhak owns Channel 14, a television station that reflects his ideological perspective and has grown to be likened to the American Fox News channel.