Four Wiz founders on track to receive McDonald's franchise in Israel

The four founders of cybersecurity company Wiz — Assaf Rappaport, Yinon Costica, Ami Luttwak and Roi Reznik — are in advanced talks to obtain the franchise to operate the McDonald's chain in Israel. According to sources close to the matter, the talks are in the final stretch and the sides are nearing a signature. The deal has not yet been completed.

The four founders of cybersecurity company Wiz — Assaf Rappaport, Yinon Costica, Ami Luttwak and Roi Reznik — are in advanced talks to obtain the franchise to operate the McDonald's chain in Israel. According to a Calcalist report, the talks between global McDonald's and the group led by Rappaport and his partners are in the final stretch, and the sides are nearing a deal. Several groups competed for the franchise, but the Wiz founders' group is now the leading candidate. In the past, Rappaport's representatives denied the possibility that he would enter the McDonald's business, but progress has been made recently. The deal has not yet been completed. The move is expected to bring the four founders, who sold Wiz to Google for $32 billion in the largest exit in Israeli high-tech history, into one of the largest fast-food businesses in Israel. Each of the founders received a sum estimated at about $3 billion before tax following the deal. Global McDonald's bought the Israeli activity in 2024 from Omri Padan, who held the franchise for more than three decades. The purchase took place against the backdrop of the boycott imposed on the chain in various countries around the world following the war in Gaza and the benefits the Israeli franchisee gave to IDF soldiers. For Rappaport and his partners, this is an expansion of their investment activity outside the high-tech world. Last September, Calcalist reported that McDonald's was among the bodies that offered the Wiz founders investment opportunities. After the exit, the four founded a joint investment company managed by Yotav Costica, Yinon Costica's brother. Alongside their investments in technology companies, Rappaport and Costica also led the acquisition of control of Channel 13, through the Merite fund, and committed to inject $120 million into the channel within three years. In addition, the fund bought 60% of the Digital Israel Bidur group for NIS 48 million. If the current deal is completed, the Wiz founders' business activity will also expand into the restaurant sector, through one of the world's best-known food brands.