Maccabi Tel Aviv Owners Sell Half Their Shares to American Sports Executive Jason Levine

Maccabi Tel Aviv is undergoing another ownership change as the Recanati family, which holds 58 percent of the club, announced it will sell half of its shares. The deal, expected to close imminently, involves American-Jewish businessman Jason Levine, former CEO of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies, becoming a new owner. Other shareholders have 30 days to exercise their right of first refusal to buy the 29 percent stake themselves; if they decline, Levine will officially join the ownership group.

Jason Levine, 52, is a seasoned sports executive and investor specializing in basketball and soccer teams. He began as a player agent before moving into senior management roles in American sports. In 2008, he left his agency to become assistant general manager and deputy CEO of the NBA's Sacramento Kings, where he notably drafted Israeli player Omri Casspi in 2009. Levine later served as CEO of the Memphis Grizzlies but was abruptly dismissed in 2014 following a conflict with owner Robert Pera.

Since 2012, Levine has been co-chairman and CEO of D.C. United in Major League Soccer, leading an investor group that acquired controlling interest. He also chairs the Australian basketball team Brisbane Bullets and, with partner Steve Kaplan, acquired British football club Swansea City in 2016, where they appointed Bob Bradley as coach amid fan tensions. Levine sold his stake in Swansea in 2024.

The shares being sold were originally held by the Federman family through Fedenco Sport and transferred to the Recanati family after they exercised their right of first refusal, bringing fintech founder Eric Stillman on board as a new owner. Other major shareholders in Maccabi Tel Aviv include Shimon Mizrahi (14.5 percent), Richard Deitsch (17.5 percent), and Ben Ashkenazi (10 percent).