Born Tel Aviv 1949, raised on a kibbutz, IDF veteran of the Six-Day and Yom Kippur Wars. Founded Raymond Weil USA in 1977 and ran it for 32 years. The Shabtai family held 55.2% of Viber and cleared ~$496M when Rakuten bought it in 2014. Now Miami Beach — Di Modolo, Botanika Life, FIDF board, Shabtai Society at Yale.
Born 1949, Tel Aviv. Raised on a kibbutz. IDF veteran of the Six-Day and Yom Kippur Wars. Founded Raymond Weil USA in 1977 and ran it for 32 years. The Shabtai family held 55.2% of Viber and cleared ~$496 million when Rakuten bought it in 2014. Now Miami Beach — Di Modolo, Botanika Life, defense-tech investments, and FIDF board leadership.
At a Glance
| Born | June 1949, Tel Aviv |
| Raised | Kibbutz (Israel) |
| IDF service | Three years active; recalled as reservist during the 1973 Yom Kippur War |
| Post-military | Security officer at the Israeli embassy in Paris; croupier in Swaziland |
| Raymond Weil USA | Founded 1977; exclusive US distributor; sold 2009 after 32 years |
| Di Modolo International | Founded 2000, New York — luxury jewelry brand |
| Viber | Shabtai family held 55.2%; sold to Rakuten Feb 2014 for ~$900M total; family cleared ~$496M |
| Botanika Life | Wellness brand co-founded by Shabtai |
| Residence | Miami Beach, Florida |
| Philanthropy | FIDF board of directors; instrumental in scaling FIDF galas |
| Spouse | Stacey Cooper (second marriage) |
Shabtai Before America: Kibbutz, IDF, Paris, Swaziland
Beny Shabtai was born in Tel Aviv in June 1949 and raised on a kibbutz. He served three years in the Israeli military. After discharge he worked as a security officer — effectively a bodyguard — at the Israeli embassy in Paris, where his father was stationed as an envoy. From Paris he traveled to southern Africa and worked as a croupier at a casino in Swaziland. When the Yom Kippur War broke out in October 1973, he returned to Israel to serve as a reservist. After completing his reserve duty, he left Israel for the United States.
Raymond Weil USA: 1977–2009
Shabtai founded Raymond Weil USA in 1977 after persuading the Swiss luxury watchmaker's founder, Raymond Weil, to sell him 400 watches — which he promptly sold to two clients in the US. As president and founder of the US subsidiary, Shabtai served as the exclusive distributor of Raymond Weil watches in the American market for 32 years. He is credited with developing the brand into a recognized name in the US luxury-watch segment through innovative marketing — including pioneering the pairing of luxury watch advertising with music and cultural events.
He sold the company in 2009. The Raymond Weil years established Shabtai's operating pattern: take a European luxury product, build the American distribution infrastructure, grow the brand through marketing, and exit.
The Viber Exit: $496 Million
The Shabtai family — Beny, his brother Gilad, and Gilad's son Ofer — held a 55.2% controlling stake in Viber, the Israeli-developed instant messaging, voice, and video calling application founded by Talmon Marco. The family's involvement began in 2011. Viber had never raised venture capital — only $30 million in shareholder capital.
In February 2014, Japanese e-commerce conglomerate Rakuten acquired Viber for approximately $900 million. The Shabtai family's 55.2% stake was worth approximately $496 million. Other shareholders included Raphael Rebhan (12.5% through US investment company IRS West) and founder Talmon Marco (11.4%). At the time of the sale, Viber had over 300 million users.
The Viber exit was the third major acquisition of an Israeli startup company in the preceding twelve months. For the Shabtai family, it was the largest single liquidity event — and it transformed Beny Shabtai from a luxury-goods entrepreneur into a technology investor with deep capital to deploy.
Di Modolo and Botanika Life
In 2000 — while still running Raymond Weil USA — Shabtai founded Di Modolo International, a New York-based luxury jewelry brand. The company remains part of his active portfolio. More recently, he co-founded Botanika Life, a wellness brand operating out of Miami.
Both ventures follow the same pattern as the Raymond Weil build: consumer luxury products, brand-forward marketing, direct control of the distribution chain.
Defense-Tech and Israeli Investments
The Shabtai family has made investments in Israeli defense technology and high-tech companies — a portfolio that predates the Viber exit and expanded substantially after it. Globes has reported that the family profited from positions in Israeli arms-industry and technology firms across multiple cycles. Shabtai has also invested in aviation through ePlane, an Israeli-founded aerospace marketplace.
FIDF and Philanthropy
Shabtai has served on the board of directors of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) for decades. He is credited with transforming FIDF's American gatherings from modest community events into large-scale fundraising galas — a structural contribution to the organization's US fundraising capacity. As he told eJewishPhilanthropy from his Miami Beach home: "America was extremely good to me."
He has also supported Jewish leadership-development initiatives, including the Shabtai Society — a program focused on cultivating the next generation of pro-Israel advocacy leaders.
Why Shabtai Matters
Three reasons. First — the Viber exit. The $496 million family return on a $30 million total capital base, from a company that never raised venture capital, is one of the highest multiple exits in Israeli tech history. Second — the luxury-to-tech arc. Shabtai built his first fortune in Swiss watches, his second in an Israeli messaging app, and now deploys capital into defense tech and wellness — a trajectory that spans three distinct eras of the Israeli-American business corridor. Third — the philanthropic infrastructure. His FIDF board work over decades helped build the American fundraising machinery that now generates hundreds of millions annually for Israeli soldiers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Beny Shabtai?
Israeli-American businessman and investor born in Tel Aviv in 1949. Founder of Raymond Weil USA (1977–2009), controlling shareholder in Viber (sold to Rakuten for ~$900M in 2014), and current CEO of Di Modolo International and Botanika Life. Based in Miami Beach.
How much did Shabtai make from Viber?
The Shabtai family — Beny, his brother Gilad, and nephew Ofer — held 55.2% of Viber and earned approximately $496 million from the February 2014 sale to Rakuten.
What is Raymond Weil USA?
The exclusive US distribution subsidiary of the Swiss luxury watchmaker, founded by Shabtai in 1977. He ran it for 32 years before selling in 2009.
What is Di Modolo?
A New York-based luxury jewelry brand founded by Shabtai in 2000.
What is Shabtai's connection to FIDF?
He has served on the board of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces for decades and is credited with transforming their American events into large-scale fundraising galas.
Where does Shabtai live?
Miami Beach, Florida.
What is Botanika Life?
A wellness brand co-founded by Shabtai, operating out of Miami.
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The Olam Editorial Team
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