Israeli Investor Rebuilds Portfolio to Hundreds of Thousands After Losing Savings at 18
Ofek Geva, a 23-year-old economics and real estate appraisal student from Ashkelon, manages a private investment portfolio worth hundreds of thousands of shekels despite losing all his savings at age 18. Geva, who also works in his family’s bakery business, initially saved 70,000 shekels from age 14 to 18 but lost it all trading short-term stocks like AMC during the 2020 meme stock craze. He describes this loss as a painful but crucial lesson that taught him the importance of caution and long-term investing.
After serving three years in the military, Geva returned to the market in early 2023 with a disciplined approach, investing monthly with a clear risk management plan. His portfolio is currently composed of 30% in the S&P 500 index and 70% in stocks from sectors such as semiconductors, defense, banking, energy, and infrastructure. He emphasizes a long-term investment horizon but occasionally makes short-term trades based on deep knowledge of specific stocks.
Geva stays informed by reading Globes, the Wall Street Journal, and using TradingView, while also following top CEOs on Twitter for real-time market insights. He cites a recent example where he anticipated a cocoa price surge due to climate issues in Africa, allowing his family bakery to stock up on chocolate and save costs amid rising prices.
He prefers investing in stocks over indices, favors investment houses over banks for lower fees, and avoids biotech stocks due to their high risk. Geva is currently focused on integrating artificial intelligence tools into his investment analysis. Over the past three years, his portfolio has yielded approximately 64% total return, averaging 20% annually, effectively recovering his earlier losses.
His top investment recommendations include the semiconductor sector, which he sees as a global economic growth driver, and Ray Dalio’s All-Weather Portfolio strategy for risk diversification. Geva’s story highlights the value of learning from early mistakes and maintaining vigilance in the dynamic stock market.