Biography
Who is Bar Refaeli?
Early life and background
Bar Refaeli was born and raised in Hod HaSharon, Israel, growing up in a secular Jewish family. Her parents are Rafi Refaeli and Zipi Refaeli. Her mother worked as a model during the 1970s under her maiden name Tzipora Levine. Her father formerly owned horse stables. She grew up alongside her brothers On Refaeli and Dor Refaeli, as well as an older half-brother named Neil Ben Porat from her mother's previous marriage. Her grandparents were Jewish immigrants who survived the Holocaust, coming from Italy, Lithuania, and Poland.
Her first name means wild in Hebrew, while her surname derives from the biblical angel Raphael and means my God heals. She started modeling at a very young age, appearing in commercials when she was only eight months old. Orthodonture at age twelve paused her modeling work until she returned at age fifteen, subsequently winning Model of the Year at an Israeli fashion awards ceremony in the year 2000.
Career highlights and modeling
Bar Refaeli achieved major international recognition by becoming the second Israeli model to appear in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, making her debut in 2007. She later secured the cover position for the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Maxim magazine placed her at the top of its Hot 100 list in 2012. Throughout her career, she has appeared in advertising campaigns for prominent brands such as Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Victoria s Secret, Gap, and Arrow. She also modeled for Garnier International and appeared in commercial spots for Samsung and Subaru.
Beyond print modeling, she built a substantial television career. She has hosted The X Factor Israel since 2013 and co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv. Her acting work includes starring in the American Israeli psychological thriller film Session in 2011 and the French Israeli crime film Kidon in 2013. She additionally served as a guest judge on Germany s Next Topmodel and launched her own casting show titled Million Dollar Shootingstar on German television.
Business ventures and investments
Bar Refaeli expanded her professional portfolio into entrepreneurship and business investments. She holds an ownership stake in several Israeli fashion companies, including a prominent role with the designer glasses manufacturer Carolina Lemke. In 2011, she partnered with Dudi Balsar to launch an e-commerce platform named Under.me focused on selling designer underwear, where she manages business development alongside her investment.
She has backed multiple technology and retail startups. Her iPad application startup Mika Look secured significant funding in its initial financing round. Also, she invested in MyCheck, a smartphone payment processing company that successfully completed multiple financing rounds. Her business activities also include selling a stake to the Israeli fashion brand Castro.
Personal life and height
Bar Refaeli stands at a height of 174 centimeters. Her personal life has frequently attracted media attention, including her past relationship with actor Leonardo DiCaprio. She later married Adi Ezra. Her family ties and business developments continue to remain central to her public profile in Israel and internationally.
Birthday and age
Bar Refaeli was born on June 4, 1985, which makes Bar 41 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Bar shares the date with 64 other famous people.
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