Wiz uses $32B acquisition spotlight to call for hostage return: "Only one deal is actually important"
The Israeli cybersecurity firm marks its record-breaking acquisition with a message that goes beyond business.
In the wake of their company’s record-breaking $32 billion acquisition by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, the founders of Israeli cybersecurity firm Wiz have made a powerful public statement. A massive digital billboard on the side of Tel Aviv’s Ayalon Highway, funded by Wiz, flashes an urgent message: “Only one deal is actually important,” in Hebrew, alternating with the English plea, “Bring them home now!”
The billboard, towering over one of Israel’s busiest roadways, comes at a moment of national crisis, as the country continues to grapple with the fate of the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza. The decision to use their company’s platform for this cause underscores the Wiz founders’ deep ties to Israel and their willingness to wield their newfound influence for a national appeal.
The message appears just days after Alphabet finalized its agreement to acquire Wiz for $32 billion, marking one of the largest cybersecurity acquisitions in history. The four Israeli founders—CEO Assaf Rappaport, CTO Ami Luttwak, VP of Product Yinon Costica, and VP of R&D Roy Reznik—are set to each receive a windfall of around $3.2 billion from the sale. But in this defining moment of their careers, they chose not to highlight their business success, but rather to amplify a humanitarian call.
The Wiz founders haven’t shied away from political involvement in the past. In February 2023, the company announced that it was transferring its business accounts out of Israel due to the judicial reforms planned by the Israeli government. Wiz stated that it would keep only the funds necessary to cover salaries, rent, and other expenses in local accounts. Wiz co-founders, including CEO Assaf Rappaport and VP of Product Yinon Costica, were among the leaders of the high-tech sector’s protests against the judicial overhaul pushed by the Netanyahu government.
