Marius Nacht
- BSc in Physics and Mathematics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- MSc in Electrical Engineering and Communication Systems, Tel Aviv University
- Investor
- Entrepreneur
- Anat Agmon (divorced)
- Inbar Afek (divorced)
Marius Nacht (Hebrew: מריוס נכט; born 1962) is one of Israel's leading serial entrepreneurs, founders and investors. In 1993 Marius Nacht co-founded Check Point (NASDAQ 100 CHKP), along with Gil Shwed & Shlomo Kramer. Check Point is currently a Nasdaq 100 company with a market cap of about $18 billion. Nacht served in various managerial roles including R&D, Product, Sales, Marketing, and Support. In 2020, he stepped down as Chairman of Check Point, to focus on healthtech initiatives and other ventures he has founded and funded.
Marius Nacht is Co-Founder & Anchor Investor of aMoon Funds, a growing healthtech platform managing over $1.1B, investing in Growth & Early-Stage companies that are accelerating cure through the convergence of healthcare and technology. Although seldom interviewed in the media, on several occasions Nacht has publicly shared his vision for Israel to become a global hub for technologies that will impact and save millions of lives across the world.
Nacht is a serial entrepreneur and investor in tens of companies, in the fields of life-sciences, healthcare, software, AI, mobility, cybersecurity, environmental, energy, and semiconductors.
History
Marius Nacht was born in post-war Communist Romania to Holocaust survivor parents. When he was three years old, his family escaped the regime of Ceausescu, and immigrated to the city of Ashkelon in Israel.[1]
Nacht is a graduate of Talpiot’s 1980 cohort, the IDF’s most elite R&D program. Every year, Talpiot recruits several dozen talented students who undergo a rigorous three-year academic and military training program, including research, development and ethics. Talpiot graduates commit an additional six years, to serving in a variety of roles at the forefront of technology for the IDF & Ministry of Defense.
Nacht earned a BSc (cum laude) in Physics and Mathematics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1983, and an MSc in Electrical Engineering and Communication Systems from Tel Aviv University in 1987.
In 2016, Nacht founded aMoon, a life science investment company, and that year, sold $800 USD million worth of Check Point stock. In 2017, he sold more than $540 USD million of additional Check Point stock, reducing his stake in the company to 3.9%.[2]
In 2018, he invested in the Swiss digital banking platform Numbrs, which focuses on data-driven asset management,[3] and in 2019, he submitted a request to the Bank of Israel to establish a digital bank in Israel, led by Nacht alongside Ezra Uzi Yemin, CEO of Delek US Holdings Inc.[4]
The project, which aimed to revolutionize the Israeli banking system through technological innovation, received approval from the Bank of Israel in September 2019. Nacht's vision for the digital bank was to introduce advanced financial technologies that would enhance consumer banking experiences and increase competition within the sector.[5]
However, in May 2020, less than eight months after the bank's approval, Nacht decided to exit the venture. He sold his stake to his partner, Amnon Shashua, the founder and CEO of Mobileye, to refocus his efforts on healthcare and biomedicine, areas in which he had increasingly become involved.[5]
In 2021, The Marker listed his net worth at US$3.5 billion.[6]
Personal life
Nacht has been married twice; his first marriage was to Anat Agmon, with whom he has four children. Agmon is the founder of the Diada network. Nacht later married lawyer Inbar Afek, founder of MEI Law, and they resided in Tel Aviv.[1] This marriage also ended in a divorce. In 2024, he was engaged to Shani Pridan, who is the former wife of Aviv Gefen.[7]
Social activism and philanthropy
Nacht Philanthropic Ventures is the family’s philanthropic platform. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation launched several projects focusing on food security and cultural initiatives, such as the "Tzav HaSha'a" music project, which produced contemporary covers of classic Israeli songs.[1][8] Following the fall of the Afghan government to the Taliban in August 2021, Nacht Philanthropic Ventures played a role in funding the transportation, accommodation, food, and security for 278 at-risk human rights workers, activists, and other at-risk individuals.[9]
After the 2021 Mount Meron disaster, Nacht and his wife announced a donation of 18,000 NIS to each of the families of the victims. In addition to his philanthropic efforts, Nacht co-founded the "Oru" movement in response to social protests in the early 2010s, advocating for civic engagement and social solidarity. This movement later merged with the "Anu" organization, which focuses on strengthening Israeli democracy.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d "מריוס נכט: העולה מרומניה שהקים את צ'ק פוינט" [Marius Nacht: the immigrant from Romania who founded Check Point]. ICE. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ Reich, Dror (8 February 2018). "Founder Offloaded $540 Million Worth of Check Point Stock in 2017". Calcalist Tech. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ Solomon, Shoshanna (1 May 2018). "Check Point co-founder Nacht invests in Swiss fintech firm Numbrs". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ Solomon, Shoshanna (22 January 2019). "Billionaire Nacht submits plan to set up digital bank in Israel". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ a b Stein, Ron (7 May 2020). "Marius Nacht quits digital bank". Globes. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ Cohen, Itamar (1 June 2021). "Marius Nacht". TheMarker's 500 Richest Israelis. TheMarker. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ Markovitz, Lilach (8 May 2024). "שני פרידן התארסה למריוס נכט" [Shani Pridan was engaged to Marius Nacht]. Mako (in Hebrew). Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ Davis, Barry (3 August 2020). "Nacht Foundation to fund 80 artists to recreate Israeli musical classics". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ "Haunted By Holocaust, Israeli Group Helps Afghans Fleeing Taliban". NDTV.com. Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 2022-05-05.