Nir Barkat (born October 19, 1959, in Jerusalem, Israel) is an Israeli businessman and politician, born to Zalman Barkat, a physics professor at the Hebrew University, and a mother who was a folk dancing instructor; his grandparents immigrated from Poland and Russia. He served in the Israeli Defense Forces' Paratroopers Brigade (1977-1983), reaching the rank of major and being wounded in Lebanon. Barkat earned a BA in computer science from the Hebrew University before beginning his career in the high-tech industry, co-founding BRM in 1988, a software company specializing in early antivirus solutions that evolved into a leading investment fund and incubated cybersecurity giant Check Point, where he served as first chairman. He later co-founded the Israel Venture Network (IVN) for social investing and participated in Israel's 'Dragons' Den' TV show. Known as the wealthiest Israeli politician with an estimated net worth of $122 million in 2013, he famously takes a symbolic one-shekel annual salary for public service. Barkat entered politics in 2003 by founding the 'Jerusalem Will Succeed' party and serving as opposition leader on the city council. He was elected Mayor of Jerusalem in 2008, holding the position until 2018, where he focused on urban development, economic growth, tourism, and positioning the city as a global tech hub, while controversially promoting Jewish settlement expansion in East Jerusalem, earning him a reputation as a prominent pro-settlement advocate. He joined the Likud party in 2015 and became a member of the Knesset. In 2022, he was appointed Minister of Economy and Industry (also referred to as Minister of Economy) in the Israeli cabinet, where he continues to influence policy on economic and industrial matters, emphasizing strengthening Israel's economy and supporting settlement policies in alignment with Likud's ideological stance. He has been recognized as the 43rd most influential Jewish person in 2013 and is seen as a potential future prime ministerial candidate. His tenure has been marked by significant controversy: named in the Pandora Papers for offshore holdings; facing a criminal complaint filed by Al-Haq in Switzerland for alleged war crimes related to settlement activities; launching a major libel lawsuit against Channel 12 and pledging $636,000 of personal funds to sue the broadcaster; drawing criticism for encouraging Israelis to carry guns; facing scrutiny over a 2025 incident where a neighbor was arrested and strip-searched after a protest outside his home; and taking hardline stances, such as calling for removing Qatar from mediation efforts and criticizing the military as too lenient in Gaza. He remains a polarizing figure.