One Winner, One Loser in Brothers’ Lottery Worth Billions
- Israel’s Ofer family drew from a hat to split father’s fortune
- Eyal’s net worth is up 34 percent; Idan’s has fallen by half
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When Israel’s richest man died in 2011, the task of splitting his vast fortune came down to a simple lottery with just two tickets -- both jackpots with billion-dollar payouts. After outside managers divvied up shipping magnate Sammy Ofer’s hundreds of tankers, container carriers, and other cargo vessels into two groups of equal value, sons Idan and Eyal each picked one out of a hat as their mother looked on.
"We literally reached in and grabbed an envelope," says the younger brother, Idan, 61. "And that’s it. It was peaceful, no drama."