Controlling shareholder in two of Israel's biggest real estate companies, Jerusalem Economic Corporation and Industrial Buildings. An accountant by training, 54-year-old Fishman numbers among his public holdings:
- 26% in the Jerusalem Economic Corporation, which operates in the real estate sector and holds 51% of Industrial Buildings;
- 83% in Darban Investments, which holds the Grynberg Super-shuk chain-store and real estate properties;
- 36% in Alliance;
- 84% in Offis Textile;
- 34% in Mario Laznik.
Fishman's public holdings are valued at an estimated $220 million.
Outstanding among his private holdings are:
- 50% in Tnuport Citrus - citrus marketing;
- 26% in Globescom - the "Globes" financial newspaper;
- 33% in Gvanim;
- 23% in Golden Lines;
- 100% in Onil - real estate;
- The Hypertoy (toys), Handyman (do-it-yourself), Mega-Sport, A.D. Design (furniture) chain-stores and also two bakeries - Margalit and Eilat.
In 1983, Fishman lost almost all his property, when the mutual fund owned by him and Yossi Riger collapsed along with the crash of the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange, leaving them with hundreds of millions of shekels worth of debts. Riger and Fishman transferred shares to creditors, and realised personal assets in order to meet their commitments. Fishman, at the time, was indicted on not less than 363 counts, from all which he was ultimately acquitted after ten gruelling years.
Fishman immigrated to Israel from Russia at age 5. Until the age of 23, he lived on Moshav Beniya near Gedera. He then went to study accountancy, working as bookkeeper for the moshavim movement. Even when he opened his own accountancy firm, he stayed on as economic adviser to the movement.
Fishman has three children.