# Sammy Ofer
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{{Short description|Israeli businessman (1922–2011)}}
{{for|the stadium|Sammy Ofer Stadium}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Sammy Ofer.JpEg
| image_size = 250px
| name = Sammy Ofer
| caption =
| native_name = סמי עופר
| birth_name = Shmuel Herskovich
| birth_date = {{birth date|1922|02|22|df=y}}
| birth_place = [Galați](/source/Gala%C8%9Bi), Romania[[http://economie.hotnews.ro/stiri-companii-8762781-magnatul-israelian-sammy-ofer-nascut-romania-decedat-varsta-89-ani.htm?cfnl= Magnatul israelian Sammy Ofer, nascut in Romania, a decedat la varsta de 89 de ani]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2011|06|03|1922|02|22|df=y}}
| death_place = Tel Aviv, Israel
| native_name_lang = he
| other_names =
| known_for =
| occupation =
| spouse = Aviva Ofer
| children = [Eyal Ofer](/source/Eyal_Ofer), [Idan Ofer](/source/Idan_Ofer)
| relatives = [Yuli Ofer](/source/Yuli_Ofer) (brother)
}}
'''Shmuel "Sammy" Ofer''' ({{langx|he|שמואל "סמי" עופר}}; born '''Shmuel Hershkovich'''; 22 February 1922 – 3 June 2011)[{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/world/middleeast/05ofer.html?ref=deathsobituaries|title=Sammy Ofer, Magnate and Israeli Power Broker, Dies at 89|author=Isabel Kershner|author-link=Isabel Kershner|date=4 June 2011|work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)}}] was an Israeli shipping magnate and one of the richest men in the country.
==Early life==
Shmuel Hershkovich was born in 1922 in [Galați](/source/Gala%C8%9Bi), Romania, to a Jewish family.[John Reed, [https://www.ft.com/content/36ce978e-a294-11e2-9b70-00144feabdc0 Idan Ofer: fleeing Israel's new populism], ''The Financial Times'', 12 April 2013] In 1924, his family [immigrated](/source/Aliyah) to the then [British Mandate of Palestine](/source/Mandatory_Palestine). The family resided in the port city of [Haifa](/source/Haifa). His father was a merchant who supplied ships, and after finishing elementary school Ofer worked in the family business. He also worked as a messenger boy for a shipping agency in the city and joined the [Haganah](/source/Haganah). During [World War II](/source/World_War_II), Ofer enlisted in the [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) and served on a minesweeper.[[https://jweekly.com/2011/06/10/controversial-israeli-billionaire-dies-at-89/ Controversial Israeli billionaire dies at 89]] During the [1948 Arab-Israeli War](/source/1948_Arab-Israeli_War), he served in the [Israeli Navy](/source/Israeli_Navy).
==Career==
After finishing his military service, he became a shipping agent with the Eastern Conglomerate, and by 1950 had bought his first ship. He expanded in the shipping business.[{{cite web|title=Memorial to Sammy Ofer|url=http://www.sammy-ofer.com|work=Memorial website}}]
Ofer's assets were partly in his exclusive ownership and partly owned together with his brother Yuli, consisting of one of the largest private shipping companies in the world, with a value of $3.6 billion in 2011.[{{cite news| url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/companies/article/sammy-ofer-q8xq6kspd6b |title=Sammy Ofer Israeli businessman and philanthropist who was seldom far from controversy|date=7 November 2011|work=The Times|access-date=11 November 2020}}] This includes the companies [ZIM](/source/Zim_Integrated_Shipping_Services), [Royal Caribbean International](/source/Royal_Caribbean_International), [Israel Corporation](/source/Israel_Corporation), [Israel Chemicals](/source/Israel_Chemicals), [Oil Refineries Ltd](/source/Oil_Refineries_Ltd), [Bank Mizrahi-Tfahot](/source/Bank_Mizrahi-Tfahot), and Tower Semiconductor.
The annual ''[Forbes](/source/Forbes)'' magazine's list of [The World's Billionaires](/source/Lists_of_billionaires) estimated in 2011 his fortune, together with his brother [Yuli](/source/Yuli_Ofer)'s, to be $10.3 billion, ranked him in 2011 as the 79th in the [wealthiest people in the world](/source/List_of_billionaires), and the wealthiest man in Israel.[{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/10/billionaires-2009-richest-people_Sammy-Ofer-family_QK08.html|title=The World's Billionaires:#132 Sammy Ofer & family|date=11 March 2000|work=[Forbes](/source/Forbes)}}]
==Philanthropy==
In March 2008, Ofer donated £20 million to London's [National Maritime Museum](/source/National_Maritime_Museum) (NMM) at [Greenwich](/source/Greenwich), as part of a £35 million programme of expansion.[{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7316212.stm |title=Tycoon's £20m donation to museum |date=27 March 2008|work=BBC News Online|accessdate=11 November 2020}}]
Ofer donated £3.3 million to help complete the restoration of the [Cutty Sark](/source/Cutty_Sark) by 2010.[{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/shipping-magnate-saves-the-cutty-sark-with-33m-gift-6886377.html|title=Shipping magnate saves the Cutty Sark with £3.3m gift |date=24 June 2008|work=Evening Standard|accessdate=11 November 2020}}]
In 2013, a £1.5 million donation from [Eyal Ofer](/source/Eyal_Ofer) enabled the NMM to buy two paintings by [George Stubbs](/source/George_Stubbs) from 1772. The paintings [depict a kangaroo](/source/The_Kongouro_from_New_Holland) [and a dingo](/source/Portrait_of_a_Large_Dog), and are the first depictions of Australian animals in Western art.[{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24826579|title=George Stubbs' kangaroo and dingo paintings to stay in UK|date=6 November 2013|work=BBC News Online|accessdate=6 November 2013}}]
In 2007, Ofer donated $25 million to the [Rambam Health Care Campus](/source/Rambam_Hospital) in Haifa, Israel, which included $17 million[[https://www.jpost.com/health-and-sci-tech/health/tats-and-tales 'Tats' and tales] [The Jerusalem Post](/source/The_Jerusalem_Post); Accessed 22 July 2024.] for its 2000-bed Sammy Ofer Fortified Underground Emergency Hospital.[[https://www.timesofisrael.com/amid-northern-jitters-haifas-fortified-underground-hospital-readies-for-war/ Amid northern jitters, Haifa's fortified underground hospital readies for war] [Times of Israel](/source/Times_of_Israel); Accessed 22 July 2024.]
On 10 November 2008 he was made an Honorary Knight Commander of the [Order of the British Empire](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) (KBE) in recognition of his involvement with maritime heritage in the United Kingdom.[[http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/what-we-do/honours/honorary-awards Honorary Awards] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105100136/http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/what-we-do/honours/honorary-awards |date=5 January 2009 }} Foreign and Commonwealth Office]
==Personal life==
He was married to Aviva Ofer. They had two sons: [Idan Ofer](/source/Idan_Ofer) and [Eyal Ofer](/source/Eyal_Ofer). They mainly resided in [Monte Carlo](/source/Monte_Carlo), Monaco.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}
==Death==
On 3 June 2011, Ofer died in his house in Tel Aviv, Israel, at the age of 89.[{{cite news|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/144728 |title= Businessman Sammy Ofer Dies at 89|author=Maayana Miskin |publisher=Arutz Sheva|date=3 June 2011|accessdate=3 June 2011}}]
==Legacy==
In 2013, Idan Ofer donated £25 million to [London Business School](/source/London_Business_School) in honor of his father, Sammy.[Della Bradshaw, Adam Palin, [https://www.ft.com/content/cdae22a6-21dc-11e3-9b55-00144feab7de Idan Ofer gives £25m to London Business School], ''The Financial Times'', 26 September 2013] A new educational facility at [Marylebone Town Hall](/source/Marylebone_Town_Hall) was established as the Sammy Ofer Centre. The gift was the largest in the school's history.