Racnati Family Buys Federman Stake in Maccabi Tel Aviv for $50 Million

The Racnati family announced on Tuesday that they have purchased the Federman family's stake in Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club for $50 million. This acquisition ends the Federman family's involvement, who held half of Fedenco company shares, representing 14.5% ownership in the club, equal to Eric Stillman, founder and CEO of Rapid. Following the deal, the Racnati family will hold 58% ownership, Richard Deitsch 17.5%, Shimon Mizrahi 14.5%, and Ben Ashkenazi 10%. The Racnati family may bring in new investors to replace the Federmans, with Jewish-American Jason Levine a potential candidate to acquire 25% of the Racnati shares.

The Federman family's connection to Maccabi Tel Aviv dates back long before their official ownership. David Federman, son of early club basketball player Yitzhak Federman, transformed his company Elite into the club's main sponsor until 2008. In the early 2000s, David was a key partner in transitioning the club to private ownership, becoming one of the three main figures alongside Shimon Mizrahi and Udi Racnati during the club's golden era domestically and in Europe. The Federmans held 29% of Maccabi shares over the years. David served on the board and as vice chairman, while his son Danny gradually took on operational roles, joining the board and becoming co-CEO in 2011. David Federman passed away in February 2026, but the family remained influential until this recent sale.

Udi Racnati, alongside David Federman and Shimon Mizrahi, was a pillar of Maccabi Tel Aviv's ownership and management since the start of private ownership. The trio led the club through periods of significant success locally and in Europe. The Racnati family was seen as one of the three main power centers, though Udi tended to keep a lower profile. A key milestone was in 2009 when, after Raanan Katz's retirement, the Racnati family's stake increased from about 17% to 40%, making them co-controlling owners with the Federmans. In 2011, the next generation entered more formally when Udi's son, Shay Racnati, was appointed vice chairman as part of a youth movement, becoming a prominent decision-maker for the family within the club.