By GLOBESUpdated: SEPTEMBER 11, 2015 09:55Patrick Drahi, May 2015(photo credit: REUTERS)
Patrick Drahi is the wealthiest person in Israel with NIS 60 billion, according to a 2015 ranking of the wealthiest Israelis by Forbes Magazine. For the first time since the list was published, all of the top 100 on the list are billionaires in shekel terms. The aggregate wealth of the 100 richest Israelis totals NIS 500 billion.In 2001, when Forbes first published the list of the 100 wealthiest Israelis, NIS 250 million was enough for a place on the list. Last year's threshold for the Forbes list was NIS 850 million.Drahi also headed last year's list. His wealth surged by NIS 25 billion this year, following a 150% leap in the share price of Altice, the communications company he controls that is listed on the stock exchange in the Netherlands. In Israel, Drahi who also holds French citizenship, owns Hot. In second place is Eyal Ofer with NIS 34.3 billion, followed by the Wertheimer family with NIS 21.8 billion.Rounding out the list of the top 10 are Shari Arison with NIS 19.9 billion, Arnon Milchan - NIS 19.9 billion, Teddy Sagi - NIS 16.8 billion, Idan Ofer - NIS 14.7 billion, Yitzhak Tshuva - NIS 14.1 billion, Haim Saban - NIS 13.6 billion, and Eddie and Sol Zakay - NIS 12.8 billion.