Shaul Shani’s net worth over time
Only dates with a published estimate are shown. Nothing is filled in between. Tap or hover a bar to see the source.
See the numbers as a table
| Date | Estimate | Source |
| 2019 | $3.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 |
| 2020 | $3.8 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 |
| 2021 | $3.8 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 |
| 2022 | $4.1 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 |
| 2023 | $4 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 |
| 2024 | $4.3 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 |
| 2025 | $4.3 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 |
| 2026 | $5.2 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 |
| Oct 2026 | $5.2 billion | Forbes Real-Time Billionaires · Forbes real-time estimate |
Where the money comes from
These are the main sources of wealth named in the reporting we cite. No published source breaks the total into exact amounts, so we do not show percentages.
Shaul Shani’s fortune in real-life terms
Based on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimate above. Median full-time U.S. pay is $65,416 a year ($1,258 a week, BLS, Q2 2026), before taxes. Typical (median) U.S. family net worth is $216,100 (Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances).
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Shaul Shani has an estimated net worth of $5.2 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Shaul Shani profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $3.5 billion in 2019.
Shaul Shani is an Israeli technology investor and the owner of Swarth Group. He was born around 1955 and grew up in Kiryat Eliezer, a neighborhood of Haifa, where his father worked at the Port of Haifa. He now lives in Italy.
Shani is a serial founder. Starting in the 1980s he co-founded three tech companies, and he later built a telecom business in Brazil that delivered one of the biggest paydays in Israeli business history. Each of his early companies was built in Israel's growing technology sector and listed on American exchanges, giving him the capital and experience to make much larger bets abroad. His decision to build a telecom company in Brazil showed a willingness to invest far from home.
He is also active in philanthropy at home. In 2021 he became chairman of Rashi, one of Israel's largest charities.
How Shaul Shani made his money
Shani founded Oshap Technologies in 1982. It listed on the NASDAQ in 1985 and was sold to SunGard in 1999 for $210 million. He also co-founded Sapiens International and Tecnomatix, both NASDAQ listed; Tecnomatix was acquired for $228 million.
His biggest success came after he founded Global Village Telecom, a Brazilian telecom company, in 1999. In 2009 he sold it to Vivendi for $4.5 billion, and his take was $1.4 billion, according to Forbes. In 2007 Swarth Group and British fund manager Ashmore bought ECI Telecom and took it private, with Shani as chairman, and in 2014 he took full control. He agreed in 2019 to sell ECI to Ribbon Communications, and the deal closed in March 2020, leaving Swarth with about 23% of Ribbon. He has since grown his fortune through mezzanine lending and investments in emerging economies.
How Forbes has valued Shaul Shani
Forbes has shown a steady climb in Shani's fortune. He was valued at $3.5 billion in 2019 and $3.8 billion in 2020 and 2021. His figure rose to $4.1 billion in 2022 and was $4 billion in 2023.
It reached $4.3 billion in 2024 and 2025 and then $5.2 billion on the 2026 World's Billionaires List. As of October 20, 2026, the Forbes real-time billionaires tracker also showed $5.2 billion. That steady climb reflects a fortune spread across lending, telecom holdings and other investments rather than tied to one stock.
Career and money timeline
- 1982
Founded Oshap Technologies.
- 1999
Sold Oshap to SunGard and founded Global Village Telecom.
- 2009
Sold Global Village Telecom to Vivendi.
- 2014
Took full control of ECI Telecom.
- 2020
Sale of ECI to Ribbon Communications completed.
- 2021
Became chairman of the Rashi charity.
Shaul Shani net worth FAQ
What is Shaul Shani's net worth?
Shaul Shani's net worth is an estimated $5.2 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Shaul Shani profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.
How did Shaul Shani get so rich?
The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Telecom.
Is Shaul Shani a billionaire?
Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates Shaul Shani is worth $5.2 billion.
How has Shaul Shani's net worth changed?
The earliest published estimate we track is $3.5 billion (2019, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019). The latest is $5.2 billion (October 20, 2026).
What was Shaul Shani's biggest deal?
The 2009 sale of Brazil's Global Village Telecom to Vivendi for $4.5 billion, from which Forbes says he took $1.4 billion.
Sources
- Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Shaul Shani profile (October 20, 2026)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019, Shaul Shani profile (March 5, 2019)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020, Shaul Shani profile (April 7, 2020)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, Shaul Shani profile (April 6, 2021)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022, Shaul Shani profile (April 5, 2022)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, Shaul Shani profile (April 4, 2023)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Shaul Shani profile (April 2, 2024)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Shaul Shani profile (April 2025)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Shaul Shani profile (March 10, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Usual Weekly Earnings (Q2 2026) (July 2026)
- Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances (median family net worth, Table 4) (October 2026)
- Background facts: Wikipedia, Shaul Shani (accessed October 30, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.
Every number on this page is an estimate published by the source named next to it. We never fill in years with our own guesses. How we handle estimates.