Recanati Family Negotiates New Investors for Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Club Ownership

The ownership structure of Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club is poised for another change shortly after the Federman family exited. The Recanati family, which recently exercised its right to purchase the Federmans' 29 percent stake, is now negotiating with several businessmen about selling part of their shares. Among the key potential investors is Jason Levien, an American sports executive and investor known for his leadership roles with D.C. United in MLS and the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA. Another prospective partner is Mark Lasry, a Jewish-American hedge fund manager and co-founder of Avenue Capital Group, who previously owned the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and sold his stake in 2023 after the team won the 2021 NBA championship.

The Wilf brothers, Jewish-American billionaires who own the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, were initially approached and engaged in talks but are no longer involved. The original plan involved an immediate injection of approximately $30 million into the club, but after the Recanati family acquired the Federman shares, that deal was shelved. Following the transaction, the Recanati family holds 58 percent of the club, with Richard Deitsch owning 17.5 percent, Shimon Mizrahi 14.5 percent, and Ben Ashkenazi 10 percent.

Club insiders believe this is not the final ownership arrangement, as the Recanati family likely will not bear the financial burden alone, given the significant annual funding required. The acquisition of the Federman shares is seen as the first step in a broader strategy to bring in new investors chosen by the Recanatis to help finance operations and increase the budget, differing from the previous Federman-Stilman deal.