Yaacov (also spelled Yaakov) Nimrodi was born on 1 June 1926 in Jerusalem as one of ten children in an immigrant family originally from Baghdad. He grew up in poverty, working as a gardener and warehouseman, and was recruited into Israeli intelligence at age 16 by childhood friend Yitzhak Navon (later President of Israel). Nimrodi served as an IDF intelligence officer and became Israel's first military attaché to Iran under the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He was part of the Israeli 'troika' (with David Kimche and Al Schwimmer) that managed the first three Iran arms transfers in 1985 and played a pivotal role in the Iran-Contra affair by introducing Iranian arms dealer Manucher Ghorbanifar as an intermediary, though he later claimed resentment over being sidelined mid-operation by Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres. Transitioning to business, Nimrodi built a financial empire spanning media, real estate, and tourism. In 1992, he acquired the Israeli newspaper Maariv and served as its chairman; he was the father of businessman Ofer Nimrodi. Nimrodi remained a prominent figure in Israeli business circles until his death on 21 August 2023 at age 97.