Forbes magazine publishes, as it does every year, a ranking of the richest politicians in Israel, with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat at the top of the list, as it does every year, far above everyone else.
According to the economic magazine's list, Barkat's fortune is estimated at 450 million shekels. Barkat made his fortune from the BRM high-tech group, which he headed, and from which he earned hundreds of millions of shekels.
The Forbes website wrote that they decided to include Barkat on the list, even though he does not serve as a MK or minister, given the special status of Jerusalem, which holds a national place in the Israeli space.
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Forbes notes an interesting statistic, which emerges from the assessment of the fortune of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is in fourth place (42 million shekels): The Israeli Prime Minister is worth more than US President Barack Obama, whose fortune is estimated at between $5-7 million.
Here is the full list:
1. Mayor Nir Barkat – 450 million shekels
2. MK Erel Margalit from the Zionist Camp - 220 million shekels
3. Minister Silvan Shalom from the Likud – 150 million shekels
4. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – 42 million shekels
5. Minister Naftali Bennett, Chairman of the Jewish Home Party – 30 million shekels
6. Minister Avi Gabbay of All of Us - 25 million shekels
7. MK Yair Lapid, Chairman of Yesh Atid – 22 million shekels
8. Minister Haim Katz of the Likud - 20 million shekels
9. MK Yaakov Perry of Mish Atid - 18 million shekels
10. Minister Yoav Galant from Kulanu - 15 million shekels
11. Yitzhak Herzog, Tzipi Livni, Manuel Trachtenberg from the Zionist Camp - 10 million shekels
More politicians from Forbes: Deri - 4.7 million
Meretz Chairwoman MK Zehava Galon's net worth is 7.6 million shekels, thanks to a penthouse apartment in Petah Tikva (worth 4.5 million shekels) and a stock portfolio, a training fund, and executive insurance.
The fortune of former journalist MK Mickey Rosenthal from the Zionist Camp stands at 7 million shekels, which comes - according to estimates - from the apartment he owns in Givatayim and from savings from his work as a senior journalist.
MK Yoel Hasson from the Zionist Camp declared his assets at 5 million shekels, thanks to homes he owns in Tel Aviv and Rishon LeZion; in addition, he still owes 3 million shekels to cover mortgages and other loans.
Economy Minister Aryeh Deri has an apartment in the Har Nof neighborhood in Jerusalem worth 4.7 million shekels.
MK Sufa Landver of Yisrael Beiteinu has an estimated net worth of 4.5 million shekels, and she owns an apartment in the Marina in Ashdod.
MKs Meir Cohen of Mish Atid and Yossi Yona of the Zionist Camp also have net worths exceeding 4 million shekels. Yona, interestingly enough, also has a house in Boston worth about 1 million shekels.
In a similar position in the ranking, one can also find MKs Tali Pluskov of Kolanu, Rachel Azaria of Kolanu, Dov Hanin of the Joint List, and Eyal Ben Reuven of the Zionist Camp. Pluskov has two apartments in Arad, Azaria has two apartments in Jerusalem, Hanin has an apartment and a half in Tel Aviv and another apartment and a half in Arad, and Gen. (res.) Ben Reuven has a house in Givat Ada and is building another house in Yodfat.
MK Shelly Yachimovitz from the Zionist Camp declared a house in south Tel Aviv worth 2.5 million shekels and another half a million shekels in savings.
According to estimates, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan's fortune also ranges between 4 and 5 million shekels. Erdan sold a villa in Savyon for 7 million shekels and purchased a house in Ramat Aviv G for 3.5 million shekels.
He and his wife, a lawyer and real estate expert, apparently knew how to make the right decisions. With the loans and mortgage they took out, they sold a house at a profit, which they said they had difficulty making payments on, and purchased another house at a lower cost. How much is left in the account? Erdan also refused to submit an official declaration of assets.
