Shmuel Harlap
Shmuel Harlap | |
|---|---|
| שמואל חרל"פ | |
| Born | 1945 (age 80–81) |
| Education | Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1971), Harvard University (1975) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Chairman of the car importing company Colmobil Group |
Shmuel Harlap (Hebrew: שמואל חרל"פ; born 1945) is an Israeli businessman, the chairman of the Colmobil Group (קבוצת כלמוביל), and an investor in startup companies. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Harvard University.
Early life and education
Harlap was born in 1945 and raised in Rehovot and Haifa.[1] In the early 1960s, his father Amichai obtained a license to import Mercedes-Benz cars and started the car importer Colmobil.[1][2] Harlap did his military service in the Golani Brigade[1] and served in the Six Day War.[2]
Career
After completing a doctorate in philosophy at Harvard University, specializing in Platonic philosophy, he served as a lecturer in political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.[1]
In 1982, he was appointed chairman of Colmobil. The company began importing the Japanese car brand Mitsubishi in 1988 and Hyundai vehicles in 1994. Colmobil eventually secured about 20% of the Israeli car market.[1]
This success contributed to Harlap’s substantial personal wealth; in TheMarker magazine’s 2016 ranking of Israel’s richest people, he was placed 21st, with an estimated fortune of approximately US$1.5 billion.[3] Harlap invests in startup companies;[2] in 2017, his wealth doubled after Intel purchased Mobileye, for which he owned around 7% of the shares.[1][2]
Publications
Harlap published an op-ed on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Haaretz in 2017.[4]
In 2018, Harlap joined other Israeli businessmen in condemning the Israeli government's plan to deport 40,000 African asylum-seekers.[5][6]
Following the attacks of October 7, 2023, the Harlap family donated 120 Mitsubishi Space Star cars to the kibbutzim Nir Oz, Nahal Oz, Be'eri, and Kfar Aza.[7]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Meet the Israeli Who Added $1 Billion to His Bank Account Overnight". Haaretz. 2017-03-27.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b c d "Shmuel Harlap". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ עמית, חגי. "מה חושב המיליארדר שהכפיל את שווייו בעסקת מובילאיי על שי אגסי והמכונית החשמלית". TheMarker Online (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 2022-05-26. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
- ^ Harlap, Shmuel (2017-07-24). "Opinion | Between Appetite and Starvation: The Search for a Jewish and Palestinian Compromise". Haaretz.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Israeli CEOs, tech entrepreneurs speak out against African deportations". The Jerusalem Post. 2018-02-02. ISSN 0792-822X. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ Stoler, Omri Milman and Tofi (2019-08-20). "Morris Kahn, Yossi Vardi, Urge Netanyahu to Halt Deportation of Israel-Born Children of Migrant Workers". CTECH - www.calcalistech.com. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ גדליהו, דובי בן (2023-10-26). "שמואל חרל"פ, יו"ר כלמוביל, תורם 120 מכוניות חדשות לקיבוצי העוטף". Globes. Retrieved 2025-03-09.