The 50 Wealthiest Angelenos: 30. Neil Kadisha

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THE MONEY: Bulk of wealth tied up in millions of shares of San Diego telecom giant Qualcomm Inc., where he was an early board member. Shares appreciated more than 20 percent in the last year, adding nearly $200 million to his net worth. Sold about 2 million shares in the past year, putting most of proceeds into venture capital and real estate fund Omninet Capital, one of two investment companies he runs. Representatives say Omninet’s portfolio and Kadisha’s own investments performed well last year.

BUZZ: Keeps low profile, yet only member of super-wealthy Nazarian clan with enough known assets to make list. Persian-Jewish family came to United States after Iranian revolution. Kadisha, born in Tehran and educated in Manchester, England, married into family. Wife, Dora, daughter of patriarch Izak Parviz Nazarian and brother of investor Benjamin Nazarian, both partners with Kadisha in Omninet. Family sold satellite technology company Omninet Corp. to Qualcomm in 1988; Kadisha joined San Diego company’s board. Has been private equity and venture capital investor since leaving Qualcomm in 2002. Omninet Capital manages $1 billion in assets, all of which comes from Kadisha and other members of Nazarian family. Firm did dozen deals last year, investing in commercial real estate and small tech companies; one in firm that partners with lottery systems to let players buy lotto tickets via phones. Another portfolio company a family affair: daughter Leora Kadisha’s fashioncentric news site StyledOn. She told Business Journal last year she initially wanted to fund site herself, but college professor told her, “Don’t be stupid.”

*recalculated

NET WORTH:

$1.66 billion s25%

LAST YEAR: $1.33 billion*

AGE: 59

RESIDENCE: Beverly Hills

SOURCE OF WEALTH: Telecommunications,

investments

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