Benny Shabtai ( he , בני שבתאי) is an Israeli businessman. He was the president of
Raymond Weil USA which was the exclusive distributor of Raymond Weil watches in the United States until 2009 when he sold his company. In 2014, Shabtai and his family also sold their controlling share in
Viber
Viber, or Rakuten Viber, is a cross-platform voice over IP (VoIP) and instant messaging (IM) software application owned by Japanese multinational company Rakuten, provided as freeware for the Google Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS ...
, the Israeli instant-messaging, voice and video calling
app.
Early life
Benny Shabtai was born in
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the ...
and raised on a
kibbutz. He has two siblings. He served for three years in the
Israeli army, after which he worked as a bodyguard for the Israeli ambassador in Paris, France, where his father was stationed as an envoy. After two years in Paris, he traveled to South Africa, where he worked as a
croupier
A croupier or dealer is someone appointed at a gambling table to assist in the conduct of the game, especially in the distribution of bets and payouts. Croupiers are typically employed by casinos.
Origin of the word
Originally a "croupier" meant ...
at a casino in
Swaziland. He returned to Israel to rejoin the army, serving during the 1973
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by E ...
.
Business career
After completing his reserve duty, Shabtai relocated to the U.S. He began working at the now defunct Eastman Watch Company, an importer of inexpensive watches from
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
. At the industry's
International Watch and Jewellery Fair in
Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
,
Switzerland, he met Raymond Weil, the
eponym
An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Usage of the word
The term ''epon ...
ous head of the Swiss luxury watchmaker and she agreed to sell him four hundred Raymond Weil watches, which he then sold to two clients in the U.S.
As owner and president of Raymond Weil USA (established in 1977), Shabtai was the exclusive distributor in the U.S. until 2009 when he sold the company.
In February 2014, the $900 million sale of
Viber
Viber, or Rakuten Viber, is a cross-platform voice over IP (VoIP) and instant messaging (IM) software application owned by Japanese multinational company Rakuten, provided as freeware for the Google Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS ...
, an Israeli instant messaging, voice and video calling
app, to Japanese company
Rakuten earned the Shabtai family (Benny, his brother Gilad, and Gilad's son Ofer) some $500 million from their 55.2% stake.
Activism
Shabtai is a board member of
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) (in he, ארגון ידידי צה״ל בארה״ב) is an organization established in 1981 dedicated to the men and women serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), wounded veterans, and the familie ...
(FIDF), an American organization that supports Israeli soldiers. From 1996 to 2012, he chaired the FIDF National New York Gala Dinner at the
Waldorf Astoria New York
The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schult ...
, at which, in 2011, $23 million were raised., while $26 million were raised the following year.
Shabtai calls his involvement with FIDF in "educating" the American people on "the sacrifices of young Israeli soldiers and the dangers they experience" as his "greatest success," adding, "It's the best thing I've done in my life. The issue is very close to me."
In 2014, the
Shabtai Jewish Global Membership Society at
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
, established through Benny Shabtai's donation, purchased a
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...
mansion for $1.5 million, according to city records, as its new residence.
Personal life
Shabtai is divorced from Lori Weitz with whom they had three children. In 2015, Shabtai married Stacey Cooper.
[Benny Shabtai Ties the Knot in the Bahamas at Lavish 3-Day Wedding]
by Ariella Haviv, ''Jewish Voice'', New York, April 15, 2015
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shabtai, Benny
Living people
Israeli emigrants to the United States
Israeli businesspeople
Jewish American philanthropists
Israeli philanthropists
Israeli Jews
American investors
Israeli investors
Israeli expatriates in France
Year of birth missing (living people)
21st-century American Jews