Antonis Lyberis, a self-made publisher of the post-dictatorship era, has passed away. He managed to build an entire publishing empire from a small office in Victoria Square, an empire which ultimately collapsed during the economic crisis.
Lyberis began his journey in publishing from a room in his childhood home with a starting capital of just 20,000 drachmas, driven by his passion for the sea and sports.
In 1988, at the age of 34, with the help of Pavlos Emmanuel, a Harley Davidson representative, he published "Status," the first monthly men's lifestyle magazine. In 1990, he entered the television listings market with "7 Meres TV," which became a leader in its category.
In collaboration with ANT1 television, he launched the "Bingo" game, offering prizes to readers. In 1992, he launched "EGO," a weekly women's lifestyle magazine. In 1998, in partnership with other major publishers in Greece, he co-founded the press distribution company ARGOS S.A., in which he held a 10.05% stake.
In 2009, following expansion into Romania, the Lyberis group extended its reach to Bulgaria with Glamour magazine. However, just three years later, in 2012, the Lyberis group closed down, dividing its magazines between Alpha editions and Attikes Ekdoseis (Attica Publications). Liberis Publications, once a powerhouse in the publishing world with numerous glossy magazines and thousands of eye-catching covers, ceased to exist.
He was married to Elena Makri-Lyberi. They had three children together: Filippa, Alexandros, and Aristotelis. Antonis Lyberis also had a daughter, Ioli, from a previous relationship.