Israeli billionaire in psychiatric hospital

January 14, 2010 - 10:52 AM by

Sometimes you look at other peoples’ lives and you think that they must have no problems – like Guma Aguiar, the billionaire Brazilian-American businessman and philanthropist who in the past couple years has moved to Israel.

Aguiar has made his mark on the country by generously supporting a number of causes including Nefesh B’Nefesh and the March of the Living. And last year, the 32-year-old wunderkind took control of the most popular soccer team in the country by investing $4 million in the nearly bankrupt Betar Jerusalem.

He’s handsome, has a beautiful family, and is seemingly well regarded in all spheres of Israeli society. Which makes what happened this week all the more strange.

Aguiar was admitted to the Abarbanel Psychiatric Hospital near Tel Avivfollowing a court order overnight Wednesday after exhibiting some extremely bizzare public behavior.

Israel Radio reported that, among other things, Aguiar arrived for the last 20 minutes of Saturday’s soccer match at Teddy Stadium between Betar and Bnei Sakhnin, saying his late arrival was due to him having visited the captured IDF soldier Gilad Schalit.

In an interview published in local Jerusalem newspaper Kol Ha’ir, Aguiar claimed that he entered Gaza and freed Shalit.

“He is at one of my properties. I wanted to prove that I could enter Gaza and come out alive and that Shalit could come out alive as well,” Aguiar said.

He also said that he spoke with Shalit. “He said that he wants me to tell his family how much he loves them and Israel, and that he hopes this ends soon.”

In a statement to the media, Aguiar’s family said that he would be at the hospital for two weeks, and that he had been subject to ‘emotional terrorism’ recently. The statement referred to an incident with police in the US in October 2009, in which Aguiar claims that police had assaulted him after stopping him in his car and finding marijuana. He hired famed attorney Alan Dershowitz to defend him in the case.

Here’s hoping that Guma returns from his treatment with sound mind and that he continues generously contributing to the building of Israeli society and institutions.

Tags: , , , • Category: A New Reality, Business, General, health 

Comments

3 Comments on Israeli billionaire in psychiatric hospital

  1. David-Joe on Fri, Jan 15th 2010 2:35 AM

    2. Oh for gods sake!

    Tell him to stop being a pathetic little naff and learn something extremely useful and very British – pulling himself together. It works!

  2. Joel Katz on Fri, Jan 15th 2010 2:10 PM

    3. Here’s a video of Guma Aguiar describing his entry into Gaza: http://ow.ly/WJPJ

  3. miriam sofer on Fri, Jan 15th 2010 11:53 PM

    4. sometimes olim get so carried away with their love of israel they getJerusalem psychosis.

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