Binyamin "Beny" Alagem ( he, בנימין אלג'ם; born 1953) is an

Israeli-American , native_name_lang = , image = , caption = , population = 110,000–150,000 , popplace = New York metropolitan area, Los Angeles metropolitan area, Miami metropolitan area, and other large metropolitan are ...

entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values th ...

, business executive, hotelier and philanthropist. He is the founder and former Chief Executive of

Packard Bell Packard Bell is a Dutch-registered computer manufacturing brand and subsidiary of Acer. Originally an American radio set manufacturer, Packard Bell Corporation, it was founded by Herbert A. Bell and Leon S. Packard in 1933. In 1986, Israeli in ...

Computers. He is the owner of the

Beverly Hilton Hotel The Beverly Hilton is a hotel located on an property at the intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards in Beverly Hills, California. The Beverly Hilton has hosted many awards shows, charity benefits, and entertainment and motion pic ...

and the

Waldorf Astoria 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 Schultz ...

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...

Early life

Beny Alagem was born in

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

.Roger Vincent
Checking in to grandeur: Designers show off plans for the Beverly Hills Waldorf Astoria, set to open in 2017
''The Los Angeles Times'', April 10, 2014
Owen Moritz, ''New York Daily News'', 28 February 2010. He was a tank driver.Christina Binkley
The 'Trophy' Hotel: Fabulous Fixer-Upper
''The Wall Street Journal'', February 18, 2004 Alagem studied at

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona, CPP, or Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo. See the '' name'' section of this article for more info ...

where he met fellow Israeli immigrants Jason Barzilay and Alex Sandel. In 1983, Alagem would partner up with Sandel and Barzilay to start Cal-Abco, a wholesaler of computer parts. In 1986, all three then invested into creating Packard Bell. As of 1995, Cal-Abco was still intact and was listed in the Packard Bell prospectus as a supplier of parts to Packard Bell with a shared credit line between the two companies.

Career

Alagem founded

, a

personal computer A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or tec ...

manufacturer, in 1986.Chief of Packard Bell NEC Steps Down
''The New York Times'', July 1, 1998 He served as its Chief Executive and President until 1998, when he resigned after he disagreed with

NEC is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. The company was known as the Nippon Electric Company, Limited, before rebranding in 1983 as NEC. It prov ...

and

Groupe Bull Bull SAS (also known as Groupe Bull, Bull Information Systems, or simply Bull) is a French computer company headquartered in Les Clayes-sous-Bois, in the western suburbs of Paris. The company has also been known at various times as Bull General El ...

, the two other main shareholders. In January 1999, he acquired the rights to the

AST Research AST Research, Inc., later doing business as AST Computer, was a personal computer manufacturer. It was founded in 1980 in Irvine, California by Albert Wong, Safi Qureshey, and Thomas Yuen, as an initialism of their first names. In the 1980s, AS ...

name from

Samsung The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...

. Alagem serves as the Chairman of the Alagem Capital Group, an asset management firm headquartered in

.Alexandria Abramian
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts Unveils Plans for Beverly Hills
''The Hollywood Reporter'', 4/14/2014Laura Coleman
Alagem, Hilton Start Building Beverly Hills Waldorf Astoria
''

The Beverly Hills Courier ''The Beverly Hills Courier'' is a free weekly tabloid-sized print newspaper of circulation in Beverly Hills and the surrounding communities, and a daily web newspaper. History The publication was founded by March Schwartz in 1965. His staff inc ...

''Bloomberg: Alagem Capital Group
/ref> In December 2003, Alagem purchased the

from entertainer

Merv Griffin Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 he hosted his own ta ...

for US$130 million through Oasis West Realty LLC, where he serves as Chief Executive Officer.Alexandria Abramian
Guggenheim Partners to Bankroll Beverly Hilton's Transformation (Exclusive)
''The Hollywood Reporter'', 10/18/2013 He proceeded to renovate it for an extra US$90 million. He is overseeing the development of the Beverly Hills Waldorf Astoria with

Guggenheim Partners Guggenheim Partners is a global investment and advisory financial services firm that engages in investment banking, asset management, capital markets services, and insurance services. Organization The firm is headquartered in New York City ...

, which is scheduled to be dedicated in 2017. Designed by the architectural firm

Gensler Gensler is a global design and architecture firm founded in San Francisco, California, in 1965. In 2021, Gensler generated $1.235 billion in revenue, the most of any architecture firm in the U.S. As of 2021, Gensler operated offices in 49 citi ...

, it is adjacent to the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills will be the first new luxury hotel for the brand on the West Coast.Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts Unveils Plans for Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
''waldorfastoria'', April 11, 2014

Philanthropy

Alagem was appointed an Honorary Ambassador of the City of

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 G ...

in 1995.Israeli American Council: Honorary Board of Directors
/ref> He serves as an honorary member of the Board of Directors of the

Israeli-American Council The Israeli-American Council (IAC; he, ארגון הקהילה הישראלית-אמריקאית) is an American nonprofit organization to represent and serve the approximately 125,000 Israeli-Americans. Its mission is to preserve and strengthe ...

(IAC). Indeed, he has been described by ''

The Jewish Daily Forward ''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, '' ...

'' as one of the "major donors" to the IAC. For example, he underwrote the entire cost of the Council Leadership Gala on March 11, 2012. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the American Friends of The Citizens' Empowerment Center in Israel, a non-profit organization headquartered in Beverly Hills which promotes peace in Israel through research and education. In 2004, Alagem held a fundraiser for the

March of the Living The March of the Living ( he, מצעד החיים, ) is an annual educational program which brings students from around the world to Poland, where they explore the remnants of the Holocaust. On Holocaust Memorial Day observed in the Jewish cale ...

, a non-profit organization which annual funds trips for 18,000 students to see the horror of the

Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...

, followed by trip to Israel on

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

.Kelly Hartog
Circuit: Governor of Hope
''

The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles ''The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles'', known simply as the ''Jewish Journal'', is an independent, nonprofit community weekly newspaper serving the Jewish community of greater Los Angeles, published by TRIBE Media Corp. ''The Journal'' wa ...

'', February 24, 2005 The event, which took place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and was attended by Governor

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

and Israeli ministers

Ehud Olmert Ehud Olmert (; he, אֶהוּד אוֹלְמֶרְט, ; born 30 September 1945) is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as the 12th Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009 and before that as a cabinet minister from 1988 to 1992 and ...

and

Avraham Hirschenson Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrews, Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the Covenant (biblical), special ...

, raised US$1 million. Alagem co-chaired a fundraiser for the

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 ...

at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on December 17, 2009.FIDF: Western Region Gala Raises $5.2 Million to Benefit Soldiers
/ref> It raised US$5.2 million for the

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...

. Alagem was the recipient of the Philanthropic Leadership Award from the Board of Governors of the

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over 2 ...

in 2016.

Personal life

Alagem has a wife, Adele.Juliet Chung, Sara Lin
Packard Bell Founder Agrees to Sell New York Condo
''The Wall Street Journal'', October 2, 2009 They reside in Bel Air, Los Angeles, California.Mark David
End of Week Pick Up Sticks: Brad Grey
''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', September 21, 2013

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alagem, Beny Living people 1953 births Israeli emigrants to the United States People from Bel Air, Los Angeles Israeli businesspeople American computer businesspeople American hoteliers Jewish American philanthropists Israeli Jews California State Polytechnic University, Pomona alumni 21st-century American Jews

Early life

Career

Philanthropy

Personal life

See also

References