Benny Shabtai
Israeli-American businessman, former Raymond Weil USA founder, and Viber co-owner who toured Israeli military bases with Epstein and organized Tel Aviv meetings on his behalf.
According to DOJ-released documents indexed by Epstein Exposed, Benny Shabtai appears in 512 case documents, and 7 email records in the Epstein files.
Benny Shabtai is an Israeli-American businessman born in Tel Aviv in 1949 and based in Miami Beach. He founded Raymond Weil USA, the American distributor for the Swiss luxury watch brand, which he ran from 1977 to 2009. His family held a controlling 55.2% stake in Viber, the messaging app sold to Rakuten in 2014 for approximately $496 million. Shabtai is listed in Epstein's black book and appears in 21 EFTA documents. In April 2008, Page Six reported that Epstein and Shabtai toured Israeli military bases together during Passover, with Shabtai described as "Friends of Israel chairman."
Internal scheduling records show "Jeffrey is to meet up with Benny Shabtai at 10pm" and "Evening with Steve Sinofsky & Benny Shabtai." An email states that "Benny Shabtai wants to organize people to meet with you from Tel Aviv," indicating he served as a connector between Epstein and Israeli business and political circles. He co-occurs in documents with Jeffrey Epstein (7 docs), Lesley Groff (6 docs), Leon Black (5 docs), Michael Wolff (4 docs), and Mortimer Zuckerman (3 docs). Records also reference Shabtai visiting Epstein's island: "Do y'all have any info re Benny Shabtai coming to the island?"
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Benny Shabtai appears in records associated with Jeffrey Epstein, including flight logs, contact lists, or legal documents. Appearance in these records does not imply any wrongdoing or criminal conduct. Many individuals had legitimate professional or social interactions.
This dossier was generated by AI (Claude) from court filings, government releases, and other documentary sources in our database. It may contain errors or misattributions. Always verify claims against the linked source documents.
Background
Benny Shabtai is an Israeli-American businessman. He founded Raymond Weil USA (1977-2009) and held a controlling stake in Viber, sold for ~$496M in 2014.
Epstein Connection
Shabtai is in the black book. He toured Israeli military bases with Epstein in April 2008. He organized Tel Aviv meetings for Epstein and visited his island. He co-occurs with Leon Black, Michael Wolff, and Mort Zuckerman in the documentary record.
Key Allegations(3)
Shabtai toured Israeli military bases with Epstein during Passover 2008.
documentedShabtai organized meetings between Epstein and Tel Aviv contacts.
documentedScheduling records reference Shabtai visiting Epstein's island.
documentedLegal Status
Shabtai has not been charged with any Epstein-related crime. He has separately been accused of sexual harassment.
Key Relationships(2)
Black book; military base tour; island visits; organized Tel Aviv meetings.
Co-occurs with Leon Black in 5 documents.
Timeline(1 events)
Epstein and Shabtai toured Israeli military bases during Passover (Page Six).
At a Glance
Click values for sourcesActivity Timeline
External Cross-Check
Search ICIJ Offshore Leaks, OFAC Sanctions, SEC EDGAR, and Federal Courts
Document Mentions
Email Mentions (7)
Re: Great seeing you
Let me know when you are coming back to Palm Beach so I can take you for golf at Trump. Also coordinate with Andy re: his trip here from California.
Re: Great seeing you
Let me know when you are coming back to Palm Beach so I can take you for golf at Trump. Also coordinate with Andy re: his trip here from California.
Re: Great seeing you
Let me know when you are coming back to Palm Beach so I can take you for golf at Trump. Also coordinate with Andy re: his trip here from California. J
Re: Great seeing you
Let me know when you are coming back to Palm Beach so I can take you for golf at Trump. Also coordinate with Andy re: his trip here from California. J
Re: Great seeing you
Let me know when you are coming back to Palm Beach so I can take you for golf at Trump. Also coordinate with Andy re: his trip here from California.
Re: Great seeing you
Let me know when you are coming back to Palm Beach so I can take you for golf at Trump. Also coordinate with Andy re: his trip here from California.
Re: Great seeing you
Let me know when you are coming back to Palm Beach so I can take you for golf at Trump. Also coordinate with Andy re: his trip here from California.
About Benny Shabtai
Who is Benny Shabtai?
Benny Shabtai is an Israeli-American businessman born in Tel Aviv in 1949 and based in Miami Beach. He founded Raymond Weil USA, the American distributor for the Swiss luxury watch brand, which he ran from 1977 to 2009. His family held a controlling 55.2% stake in Viber, the messaging app sold to Rakuten in 2014 for approximately $496 million. Shabtai is listed in Epstein's black book and appears in 21 EFTA documents. In April 2008, Page Six reported that Epstein and Shabtai toured Israeli military bases together during Passover, with Shabtai described as "Friends of Israel chairman." Internal scheduling records show "Jeffrey is to meet up with Benny Shabtai at 10pm" and "Evening with Steve Sinofsky & Benny Shabtai." An email states that "Benny Shabtai wants to organize people to meet with you from Tel Aviv," indicating he served as a connector between Epstein and Israeli business and political circles. He co-occurs in documents with Jeffrey Epstein (7 docs), Lesley Groff (6 docs), Leon Black (5 docs), Michael Wolff (4 docs), and Mortimer Zuckerman (3 docs). Records also reference Shabtai visiting Epstein's island: "Do y'all have any info re Benny Shabtai coming to the island?"
What is Benny Shabtai's connection to Jeffrey Epstein?
Benny Shabtai appears in 512 case documents, 0 flight logs, and 7 emails from the Epstein investigation files.
Is Benny Shabtai in the Epstein files?
Yes. Benny Shabtai is referenced in 512 documents from the Epstein case files, including court filings, FBI reports, and DOJ releases.
Was Benny Shabtai in Epstein's black book?
Yes, Benny Shabtai appears in Jeffrey Epstein's personal address book (the "black book") with 0 phone numbers listed.
This dossier on Benny Shabtai was compiled from court records, flight logs, and public documents. 100% free, ad-free, and independent.