Neil Kadisha | $1B+
Get in touch with Neil Kadisha | Neil Kadisha, cofounder of Omninet and a pioneering telecommunications entrepreneur, played a central role in building the early global internet backbone during the 1990s. Through Omninet, he helped deploy one of the world’s first international fiber-optic networks, enabling high-capacity data transmission across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East at a critical moment in internet expansion. After exiting the business, Kadisha shifted his focus to philanthropy and impact investing, supporting initiatives in health, education, conflict resolution, and peace-building through the Kadisha Family Foundation. His career bridges foundational internet infrastructure and long-term global social impact.
Neil Kadisha (born 1955) is an Iranian-American billionaire businessman, investor, and philanthropist, best known as the co-managing partner of Omninet Capital, a Beverly Hills-based firm specializing in real estate and venture capital investments.[1][2]
Born to a Jewish family in Tehran, Iran, Kadisha earned a degree from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom before moving to Los Angeles following the Iranian Revolution in 1979.[1] His early career in telecommunications culminated in the 1988 acquisition of his company by Qualcomm Inc., in which he retains a significant stake that forms a cornerstone of his wealth.[1]
As of 2024, Kadisha's net worth is estimated at $3.6 billion, derived primarily from telecommunications investments, real estate holdings, and Omninet Capital's management of over $1 billion in assets, including high-profile deals such as a 15-year, $167 million lease with Los Angeles County for an office building in Long Beach.[1] He resides in Beverly Hills with his wife, Dora, and is actively involved in philanthropy through support of Jewish organizations, including prior board roles with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Phoenix House, and the Jewish Federation of North America.[1]
Early life and education
Family background and early years
Neil Kadisha was born in 1955 in Tehran, Iran, to a Persian-Jewish family.[3][4]
In the late 1970s, amid the turmoil of the Iranian Revolution and the rise of the Islamic Republic, Kadisha immigrated to the West, eventually settling in the United States as part of the wave of Persian-Jewish exodus seeking safety and opportunity.[3][4] He later married Dora Nazarian, connecting him to the prominent Nazarian family.[3]
Academic pursuits
Following his family's departure from Iran amid the political upheavals of the late 1970s, Neil Kadisha pursued higher education abroad in England.[1]
Kadisha earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management and Economics from the University of Manchester.[5][1]
His studies at Manchester occurred in the post-immigration period after leaving Tehran.
Business career
Aerospace and manufacturing ventures
In the late 1970s, Neil Kadisha acquired a major share in Stadco, a high-precision aerospace tooling and aircraft component manufacturer founded in 1941, and assumed the role of president and chief executive officer.[6][7] Under his leadership, Stadco specialized in large-scale, precision-machined parts for major clients including Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, such as engine covers for the Boeing 777 and components for U.S. nuclear missiles and the space shuttle program.[6]
In 1981, Kadisha co-founded GNC Industries Inc., which fully acquired Stadco using capital from Nazarian family members, solidifying his control over the company as founder and CEO.[6][8] GNC Industries operated Stadco as its primary entity, focusing on advanced metal machining for aerospace applications, including custom tools for composite parts like helicopter wings and precision rings for satellite launchers requiring "dentist's level" accuracy.[6]
Kadisha expanded into broader manufacturing in 1996 when Stadco acquired HPM Corporation, based in Mount Gilead, Ohio—a 120-year-old producer of injection molding presses, extrusion systems, and die-casting machines—with annual sales around $100 million at the time.[6][8] The acquisition leveraged Stadco's aerospace expertise to enhance HPM's operations, including a $20 million investment to improve efficiency, reduce lead times from 20-22 weeks to 3-8 weeks for large machines, and introduce innovations like cell manufacturing and advanced screw designs.[6][9]
In late 1996—formalized in 1997—HPM, under Stadco's ownership, acquired Hemscheidt Maschinentechnik Schwerin GmbH & Co., a German manufacturer of large-tonnage injection presses specializing in retractable tie-bar technology for automotive and appliance sectors.[6] This move integrated Hemscheidt's extrusion capabilities and European presence, creating a combined workforce of 900 and positioning the group to triple overall sales to $300 million through aftermarket parts sales and global expansion.[6][9]
Kadisha's strategic oversight drove operational growth across these entities, applying aerospace precision techniques to plastics machinery for cost reductions and faster delivery, while establishing new divisions like HPM Capital Group for financing and a western U.S. sales office to broaden market reach.[6][9] These expansions narrowed the technology gap between aerospace and traditional manufacturing, emphasizing innovation over sheer volume, with Stadco's Los Angeles facility machining components for HPM and Hemscheidt to support integrated production.[6]
Telecommunications innovations
In 1984, Neil Kadisha co-founded Omninet Corp., a pioneering satellite communications company, alongside family members including Izak Parviz Nazarian and Younes Nazarian, with a primary focus on developing advanced mobile data systems for remote applications.[10][11] As CEO of Omninet Corp., Kadisha oversaw the company's strategic direction and led the initiative to create OmniTRACS, the world's first commercial two-way mobile digital satellite communications system designed specifically for the trucking industry. This system enabled real-time data transmission, including position tracking and messaging, between trucks and dispatch centers using geostationary satellites, addressing critical connectivity gaps in rural and remote areas where traditional cellular networks were unavailable.[10][12]
To accelerate development, Omninet partnered with the newly formed Qualcomm in 1988, merging operations and securing $3.5 million in funding to commercialize OmniTRACS.[13] Kadisha played a key role in this collaboration, leveraging his leadership to integrate Omninet's vision with Qualcomm's engineering expertise, resulting in the system's rapid deployment. By late 1988, Omninet had already secured contracts with 30 major trucking firms to equip over 35,000 vehicles, marking a significant early adoption that demonstrated the technology's viability for fleet management.[14] Kadisha subsequently joined Qualcomm's board of directors in 1988, serving for 14 years until his resignation in 2002 to focus on other ventures, during which he contributed to the company's growth in wireless technologies.[15]
The introduction of OmniTRACS through this partnership revolutionized the mobile communications landscape, particularly in logistics, by establishing satellite-based data services as a reliable alternative to ground-based systems and paving the way for modern telematics. Over time, the system grew into one of the largest mobile satellite networks globally, serving thousands of fleets across North America, Asia, and Europe, and influencing subsequent advancements in GPS-enabled tracking and IoT applications for transportation. Kadisha's involvement underscored Omninet's foundational role in bridging satellite technology with practical industry needs, contributing to Qualcomm's emergence as a wireless industry leader.[15][12]
Investment and real estate developments
Kadisha co-founded Omninet Capital, LLC, a diversified investment firm based in Beverly Hills, California, where he serves as co-managing partner responsible for real estate, venture capital, and private equity investments.[16] The firm manages more than $1 billion in capital, focusing on middle-market opportunities across various sectors.[16]
Over the past two decades, Omninet Capital has spearheaded numerous real estate developments in key markets including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, and Las Vegas, emphasizing commercial, multifamily, and luxury properties. A prominent example is the completion of Sky Las Vegas, a $325 million, 45-story luxury high-rise condominium on the Las Vegas Strip, which Kadisha helped finance as a majority shareholder.[17] In Phoenix, the firm is advancing a 283-unit multifamily apartment project, seeking extensions to commence construction amid market conditions.[18] Recent Los Angeles-area activities include securing a 15-year, $167 million lease from Los Angeles County for a 207,000-square-foot office building in Long Beach, as well as a $20 million investment to redevelop a former Holiday Inn in Baltimore into mixed-use space.[1][4]
Beyond real estate, Omninet Capital's portfolio extends to venture capital in emerging technologies, including biotech, proptech, and telecommunications-related ventures, building on Kadisha's prior experience in wireless communications.[19] In the 2020s, Kadisha made high-profile personal real estate acquisitions, such as a $25 million Beverly Hills estate purchased from the family of philanthropist Norton Simon.[20]
In 1999, Kadisha was sued by Dafna Uzyel, alleging he breached his fiduciary duties as trustee of trusts established by her late husband Rafael Uzyel, by misappropriating approximately $6.2 million between 1988 and 1996 for personal uses and investments, including a stake in Qualcomm and real estate ventures. In 2006, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled against Kadisha, awarding Uzyel and her children about $102 million in damages, interest, and punitive damages, and restricting sales of certain assets. Kadisha appealed, but in 2010, the California Court of Appeal upheld most of the judgment, reducing it slightly to approximately $94 million.[21][22]
Entertainment and other activities
In 2008, Neil Kadisha served as an executive producer for the romantic comedy film The Accidental Husband, directed by Griffin Dunne and starring Uma Thurman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Colin Firth, Isabella Rossellini, and Sam Shepard.[23] The film had its UK release on February 29, 2008.[24]
Beyond film production, Kadisha has engaged in civic activities through political donations to both Democratic and Republican recipients. For instance, in 2000, he contributed $15,000 to DNC Services Corp.[25] Other notable donations include $2,400 to Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman in 2010 and $500 to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2016, reflecting bipartisan support.[25]
Philanthropy and community involvement
Nonprofit board roles
Neil Kadisha has served on the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, contributing to its governance in supporting Jewish community initiatives.[17] He served as a board member of the Jewish Federations of North America until at least 2024, where he participated in strategic oversight for broader philanthropic efforts in Jewish causes.[26]
Kadisha has held a board position with the Young Presidents' Organization, Los Angeles Chapter, aiding in leadership development and networking among executives for nonprofit and business advancement.[1] He also served on the board of Phoenix House, focusing on governance for programs in youth development and addiction recovery services.[17][26]
Additionally, Kadisha served as a board member of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee until at least 2019, providing advisory input on international humanitarian aid and community support programs.[26][27] Through these roles, he has been involved in nonprofits addressing community building, youth development, and related welfare areas.[17]
Charitable initiatives and founding efforts
Neil Kadisha co-founded the Citizens' Empowerment Center in Israel (CECI) in 2002 alongside business partner Izak Parviz Nazarian, establishing it as a nonprofit dedicated to identifying systemic inefficiencies in Israel's government and civil service while proposing actionable reforms to enhance public administration and citizen engagement.[28] The organization's mission focuses on empowering citizens through transparency and accountability, including tools like the Citizen Empowerment Index, which evaluates and compares government ministries' performance in service delivery across sectors such as health, education, and economic development.[29][30] Kadisha maintained involvement with CECI as of 2011, and the center continues to operate actively with research initiatives addressing contemporary issues like climate change, gender equality, and post-conflict recovery.[28][30]
In addition to CECI, Kadisha has directed personal philanthropy toward Jewish causes, particularly supporting programs for vulnerable populations. He and his wife, Dora Kadisha, have made donations to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), which provides essential home health care and social services to elderly Jews worldwide, including Holocaust survivors in need.[27] Their contributions appear in JDC annual reports from 2018 to 2020, underscoring sustained support for initiatives that deliver millions of hours of care annually to aging Jewish communities.[27][31]
Kadisha's giving also extends to youth development through donations to Yemin Orde Youth Village, an Israeli institution that rehabilitates at-risk youth from diverse backgrounds, helping them integrate into society via educational and vocational programs.[32] These efforts align with broader Nazarian family philanthropy, which emphasizes strengthening Jewish communities and Israel's infrastructure without overlapping into family biographical details.[29] Donations to JDC as of 2020 have supported expanded services amid global challenges, though specific metrics on Kadisha's individual impact remain tied to organizational reports rather than isolated benchmarks.[31]
Personal life and legal matters
Family and residences
Neil Kadisha married Dora Nazarian, daughter of the late Iranian-American businessman Izak Parviz Nazarian (d. 2017), sometime after 1979.[20][33] The couple has three children, including their daughter Leora Kadisha Neman, who is married to Sweetgreen CEO Jonathan Neman. Dora Kadisha has been active in philanthropy, supporting causes aligned with the family's Jewish heritage.[29]
Through his marriage, Kadisha became connected to the prominent Nazarian family, with Izak Parviz Nazarian as his father-in-law and Younes Nazarian—Izak's brother and a notable investor—as his uncle-in-law. These in-law relations provided significant business influences, including capital investments that supported Kadisha's early ventures in manufacturing and real estate.[33] The family has collaborated on shared business initiatives, such as through Omninet Capital, where Kadisha serves as co-managing partner alongside Nazarian relatives, though operational roles remain distinct.[20]
Kadisha's primary residences are centered in Beverly Hills, California, reflecting his status among Los Angeles' wealthiest individuals. In 2020, he purchased a 2.4-acre estate bordering the Los Angeles Country Club for $25 million, previously owned by the family of philanthropist Norton Simon. He also maintains other properties in the Beverly Hills Flats and Brentwood areas, including a mansion once valued at $20 million in the gated Beverly Park community, which was transferred to Dora Kadisha. Additionally, Kadisha has ties to Las Vegas through real estate developments, such as his involvement in the Sky Las Vegas luxury condominium project on the Strip.[17]
Major lawsuit
In the late 1980s, Neil Kadisha served as trustee for two trusts established for the benefit of Dafna Uzyel, a widowed family friend, and her two young children following the 1986 death of her husband, Rafael Uzyel.[17] Uzyel, then 28 and inexperienced in financial matters, appointed Kadisha—a friend of her late husband—to manage the trusts, which held assets including approximately $2 million from a Swiss bank account, a Beverly Hills home, and an apartment in Israel.[17] The trusts were created through an agreement facilitated by Kadisha's attorney to resolve a dispute over the Swiss funds with Rafael's sister.[17]
Uzyel filed suit against Kadisha in 1999 after he denied her request for $250,000 from her trust to cover home repairs, prompting an investigation that revealed extensive misuse of trust assets.[17] From 1988 to 1996, Kadisha allegedly withdrew $6.2 million from the trusts through unsecured, undocumented "loans" for personal purposes, including replenishing his credit line at Union Bank, purchasing real estate, and acquiring Qualcomm stock.[17] Specific transactions included a $300,000 loan to Qualcomm in 1988, which Kadisha converted to stock after securing a board seat through a merger with his company, Omninet Corp.; he later sold shares in 1992 for $805,000 and used portions for additional disguised personal loans totaling $1.4 million and $1.2 million.[17] Kadisha also invested nearly all trust funds in high-risk Qualcomm stock, violating diversification duties, and engaged in self-dealing by funding real estate ventures in which he held interests.[17]
In a 2006 bench trial before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Henry W. Shatford, Kadisha defended his actions by asserting the withdrawals were legitimate loans requested by Uzyel, fully repaid with interest, and that under his management, the trusts grew from under $6 million to over $27 million—a 22% average annual return over 12 years.[17] He argued this growth secured the family's financial future and denied any improper motive.[17] However, Shatford ruled that Kadisha had breached his fiduciary duties through bad-faith self-dealing and embezzlement, describing him as a "common thief" who treated the trusts as a "veritable piggy bank" and attempted to cover his tracks with fraudulent accounting and backdated documents.[17] The judge awarded Uzyel and her children $100 million in compensatory and punitive damages, with over half attributed to lost profits from the premature 1992 Qualcomm stock sale amid the company's subsequent surge.[17]
Kadisha appealed the verdict, challenging the damages as excessive and the characterization of his conduct as criminal in a civil proceeding.[17] In 2010, the California Court of Appeal, Second District, affirmed the trial court's findings of breach, upheld approximately $94 million in damages (including $5 million punitive) and attorney fees, and added approximately $20 million in prejudgment interest, resulting in a final judgment of about $114 million as of 2010.[22][34] The appellate court emphasized Kadisha's knowing violations of loyalty and prudence duties, rejecting arguments that prudent alternatives justified his personal motives. No further appeals or settlements are documented in public records.
Recognition and legacy
Awards and honors
Neil Kadisha has been recognized for his business success through inclusion in prominent wealth rankings. In 2024, he was ranked #25 on the Los Angeles Business Journal's list of Wealthiest Angelenos, with an estimated net worth of $3.6 billion derived from telecommunications, investments, and real estate.[1]
Earlier recognitions include his placement at #374 on the Forbes 400 list in 2001, highlighting his substantial fortune built in the telecommunications sector through early investments in Qualcomm.[2]
Influence in business and philanthropy
Neil Kadisha's influence in business spans transformative contributions to the aerospace, telecommunications, and real estate sectors, where his ventures have driven innovation and economic growth. In aerospace, Kadisha acquired a major share in Stadco (founded 1941), establishing it as a key player in high-precision tooling and aircraft components manufacturing, which bolstered supply chains for major industry players before its sale in 2011.[28] In telecommunications, his early involvement with Qualcomm, including serving on its board following the 1988 acquisition of Omninet Corp., contributed to innovations such as OmniTRACS—a pioneering two-way satellite communications system for trucking logistics—that revolutionized fleet management and supply chain efficiency, generating billions in value for the company and sector.[17] Through Omninet Capital, co-managed since 2004, Kadisha has shaped real estate by overseeing investments exceeding $1 billion, including a 2023 $167 million, 15-year lease for a 207,000-square-foot office in Long Beach and a $20 million redevelopment of a Baltimore hotel site in 2024, emphasizing opportunistic acquisitions in commercial and multifamily properties.[1]
Kadisha's recent venture capital activities via Omninet Capital extend his influence into emerging fields, with a portfolio focused on health care, wellness, and telecom startups. Notable 2020s-era investments include stakes in RadLogics, an AI-driven radiology platform enhancing medical imaging diagnostics, and Beyond Verbal, which applies voice analytics to personal health monitoring—demonstrating a strategic pivot toward health tech innovation.[35] His estimated net worth of $3.6 billion as of 2024 underscores the scale of these endeavors, positioning him among Los Angeles' wealthiest individuals and amplifying his capacity for sector-wide impact.[1]
In philanthropy, Kadisha has directed substantial resources toward Jewish and youth empowerment causes in the U.S. and Israel, fostering community resilience and education. Through family initiatives like the Citizens' Empowerment Center in Israel (established 2003), he has supported programs promoting governmental transparency, citizen engagement, and systemic reforms to benefit disadvantaged populations, including youth initiatives that build leadership skills and civic awareness.[29] The Kadisha family has aided Israeli charities, including support for terror victims and refugee efforts, reflecting a commitment to empowerment programs that enhance opportunities for young people in both nations.[36] Kadisha's evolving political contributions, primarily to Democratic causes through the early 2010s, have indirectly supported policies aligned with these philanthropic priorities, though activity has tapered in recent years.[25]
Looking forward, Kadisha's investments signal potential leadership in sustainable real estate and tech-driven philanthropy, as Omninet's focus on wellness startups and adaptive urban developments aligns with trends in health equity and environmentally conscious infrastructure, though specific initiatives remain emerging.[4]
Disclaimer: This profile is based on publicly available information. No endorsement or affiliation is implied.
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