Why did Google drop $32 billion on Wiz? Meet Wiz Founder Assaf Rappaport!

If you’ve been anywhere near the tech, cybersecurity, or cloud computing world recently, you’ve probably heard the buzz about Google’s jaw-dropping acquisition of Israeli cloud security startup Wiz. At a staggering $32 billion valuation, this is now the largest exit in the history of Israeli hi-tech, Google itself, and—get this—the entire cybersecurity industry.

Just to put this in perspective: the previous record for a cybersecurity acquisition was Intel’s $7.8 billion buyout of McAfee back in 2010. Google just quadrupled that.

Why did Google drop $32 billion on Wiz?

The answer is pretty straightforward, but also layered. According to reports flying around Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv, Google has its sights set on building something big: a unified cybersecurity powerhouse tentatively dubbed “Google Security.” Right now, Google’s cybersecurity efforts are scattered across several divisions—Mandiant (cyber-intelligence), Project Zero (vulnerability research), Google Cloud’s security services, and a few smaller teams.

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By acquiring Wiz, Google is setting the stage to pull all of these into a single, formidable operation, similar to what Microsoft did years ago. In fact, Microsoft’s cybersecurity division, which rakes in tens of billions annually, was built through a series of smart acquisitions. And fun fact: one of those acquisitions was Israeli startup Adallom, co-founded by none other than Assaf Rappaport, who is now the CEO of Wiz. Full circle, right?

So why specifically Wiz?

Because Wiz fits Google like a glove.

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Wiz’s claim to fame is its ability to secure cloud computing systems without actually needing to install anything on the servers it protects. This is a game-changer. Companies using Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or even Google Cloud can get a 360-degree view of their cloud environments, spotting risks like misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and identity/authentication weaknesses—all without disrupting their operations.

But here’s the kicker: Wiz’s platform works seamlessly across all major cloud providers. This makes it not just another security tool, but a critical linchpin for multi-cloud environments, which are becoming the new norm in enterprise IT.

Microsoft’s earlier acquisition of Adallom gave them a similar solution, but insiders say Wiz is like Adallom on steroids. It’s faster, smarter, and better suited for the sprawling complexity of today’s cloud ecosystems. That’s precisely why Google is betting big on Wiz—not just to secure its own cloud infrastructure but to aggressively compete with Microsoft’s cybersecurity empire.

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Cloud + AI = Why this matters even more

There’s another layer to this story, and it’s spelled A-I. With the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence (think ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and a flood of AI startups), cloud infrastructure demand has skyrocketed. Training large language models, deploying chatbots, and running AI-powered services all rely heavily on cloud platforms.

And let’s face it, sensitive data is now flying around cloud servers at an unprecedented scale. Securing this data isn’t optional; it’s mission-critical. Google knows this. By absorbing Wiz into its ecosystem, Google is positioning itself to be the security provider for the AI-driven future. AI and cloud are now inseparable, and Google wants to lock down both.

Who Is Assaf Rappaport?

Let’s talk about the guy at the center of all this: Assaf Rappaport, 41 years old as of 2025, and a bonafide cybersecurity rockstar. After co-founding Adallom and selling it to Microsoft for around $300 million, Rappaport went on to lead Microsoft’s Cloud Security Group. Then in 2020, he co-founded Wiz—and the rest, as they say, is history.

With this deal, Rappaport’s net worth has skyrocketed, estimated at over $1.8 billion now. But beyond the dollars, he’s also poised to become one of the key figures shaping Google’s security strategy for years to come. Google plans to keep Wiz’s headquarters in Israel and retain much of its 1,800-person team, signaling just how serious they are about maintaining Wiz’s DNA inside Google.

What’s next for Google Security?

Google isn’t just buying a product; they’re acquiring an entire company, complete with cutting-edge technology and battle-tested talent. Over the past few years, Wiz has bolstered its platform through strategic acquisitions of other Israeli startups, adding new layers of threat detection, automation, and preemptive security capabilities.

Combine that with Mandiant’s intelligence muscle, VirusTotal’s malware expertise, and Project Zero’s elite vulnerability research, and you’ve got the ingredients for what might become the world’s most advanced cybersecurity division.