Ross Kestin's Aliya Capital Achieves Billions in Returns

Ross Kestin, owner of the Israeli soccer club Maccabi Netanya, has seen his investment firm, Aliya Capital, achieve significant success. According to Brazilian media reports, Aliya Capital recently launched a new investment fund focused on leveraging exclusive access to companies founded or led by alumni of the 'PayPal Mafia,' a group of successful entrepreneurs who previously worked at PayPal, including figures like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Reid Hoffman.

Even before its public listing, Aliya Capital invested $240 million in Elon Musk's SpaceX. Following SpaceX's record-breaking IPO, this investment's value has surged to approximately $4.4 billion, representing an enormous profit of around 1,800%. The fund is currently raising between $250 million and $400 million, primarily from wealthy families, with 75% of the capital earmarked for investments in companies linked to PayPal alumni.

Beyond SpaceX, Aliya Capital has invested in other leading technology and artificial intelligence firms such as OpenAI (developer of ChatGPT), Anduril, Figure AI, and Lightmatter. The current fund is designated for investments over one year, with plans for another fund in 2027. Aliya Capital's overall goal is to manage $15 billion in assets within five years.

Kestin and Aliya Capital acquired Maccabi Netanya in the summer of 2025 from Eyal Segal. This marks Kestin's second season as the club's owner, and there is hope that the success of his investment firm could lead to greater investments in the soccer club.