Federmann is a former chairman and part owner of Elbit Systems, the publicly traded defense company. The Haifa, Israel-based group had revenue of $7.9 billion and an order backlog of $28.1 billion in 2025. He also co-owns Dan Hotels, the publicly traded operator of 16 hotels in Israel that began as a family-owned guesthouse.
The majority of Federmann's wealth comes from Elbit Systems, the Israeli defense company. Elbit had revenue of $7.9 billion and an order backlog of $28.1 billion in 2025, according to its website.
Federmann and three sons David, Gideon and Daniel collectively hold a 25.7% indirect economic interest in Elbit through holding company Federmann Enterprises, according to a March 2026 form 3 filing. The family received their interest in the company when it merged with El-Op, an optical systems company they controlled, in 2000.
Federmann's family founded Dan Hotels Corp and Federmann Enterprises owns a 71% stake in the company, according to the Tel Aviv stock exchange. Michael Federmann is credited with 62% of those shares, based on the stake in Federmann Enterprises he and his sons are credited with in Elbit's filings. Dan Hotels has 16 hotels in Israel, according to its website.
The value of his cash investments is based on an analysis of dividends, insider transactions, taxes, and market performance.
A spokesperson for Federmann declined to comment on the billionaire's wealth in March 2026.
Michael Federmann was born in Israel in 1943. In 1947 his father and uncle bought a guesthouse in Tel Aviv, and eventually they grew the hospitality business into the Dan Hotel chain.
He studied economics and political science at Hebrew University, where he was also awarded an MBA. He served in the Sayeret Matkal, an Israeli special forces group, as a member of future prime minister Ehud Barak's unit.
In 2000, he became chairman of Elbit Systems after his family's El-Op optics company merged with the arms manufacturer. Federmann became chairman of the company's board, a role he held until 2023.