Moshe Hogeg

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Moshe Hogeg
משה חוגג
Born (1981-05-15) May 15, 1981 (age 40)
Beersheba, Southern District, Israel
NationalityIsraeli

Moshe Hogeg (Hebrew: משה חוגג; born May 15, 1981) is an Israeli businessman.

Early life[]

Hogeg was born in Beersheba on May 15, 1981, in the Southern District of Israel, and grew up in the nearby local council of Meitar.[1][2] He identifies as an Arab Jew, his father was born in Tunisia and his mother in Morocco.[3]

Business ventures[]

In 2010, Hogeg founded Mobli, which reportedly attracted numerous celebrity investors including Carlos Slim, Serena Williams, and Leonardo di Caprio.[4] One investor was Kazahk businessman Kenges Rakishev; the two later founded a venture capital firm that became known as Singulariteam, which was one of the most active firms in Israel for a time.[4]

Hogeg became active in cryptocurrency, donating $1.9 million to Tel Aviv University for blockchain research and founding the Alignment Blockchain Hub. In 2017 and 2018, he led three initial coin offerings (ICOs) for his companies Sirin Labs, Stx Technologies Limited, and Leadcoin, raising over $250 million combined.[4] In June 2018, Hogeg purchased an acre of land in Kfar Shmaryahu, a suburb of Tel Aviv, for 70 million shekels (US$19.3 million).[5] Hogeg paid 15 percent of the purchase price in Bitcoin, believed to be the first real estate transaction in Israel conducted with the cryptocurrency.[5]

Throughout his business career, Hogeg has faced lawsuits over his ventures from investors and former employees, including former members of Singulariteam.[6] Most were settled out of court with plaintiffs signing nondisclosure agreements.[6] Hogeg was arrested in November 2021 over alleged cryptocurrency-related fraud and released on $22 million bail.[7]

Beitar Jerusalem FC[]

Hogeg was relatively unknown in Israeli football before he acquired Beitar.[8]

On July 15, 2021, Hogeg announced the cancellation of a planned match between Beitar and FC Barcelona, after Barcelona refused to hold the event in the disputed city of Jerusalem.[9] Hogeg said that he was "a proud Jew and Israeli" and could not "betray Jerusalem".[9]

References[]

  1. ^ Amit, Hagai (March 11, 2016). "An Israeli Startup Guru Who Doesn't Waste Time on Modesty". Haaretz. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  2. ^ Ron, Liat (October 14, 2014). "פורטפוליו משה חוגג". Globes (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on June 5, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  3. ^ Halbfinger, David M.; Rasgon, Adam (December 7, 2020). "Israeli Soccer Team, Infamous for Anti-Arab Fans, Has New Co-Owner: a Sheikh". The New York Times. Jerusalem. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Spiro, Amy (2021-11-21). "Alleged crypto scams, sex offenses, unpaid bills: The claims against Moshe Hogeg". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  5. ^ a b Darel, Yael (June 20, 2018). "Tech Entrepreneur Makes Israel's First Real Estate Purchase With Bitcoin". Haaretz. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Weinglass, Simona (2021-05-31). "3 of Israel's most-hyped initial coin offerings were scams, ex-employees allege". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  7. ^ Magid, Jacob (2021-12-14). "Hogeg freed to house arrest on $22 million bail in probe of sex crimes, crypto fraud". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  8. ^ Capstick, Alex (December 20, 2019). "Beitar Jerusalem: How do you change 'the most racist' club in Israel?". BBC Sport. Jerusalem. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Dispute Over Jerusalem Scuttles Israeli Club's Soccer Match With Barcelona". Haaretz. July 15, 2021. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
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