Commonly known as Ari or Aristo Onassis, he was a Greek shipping magnate who built the world’s largest privately owned shipping fleet and became one of the richest and most famous men of the 20th century.
Onassis grew up in Smyrna, a city later destroyed in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922. His father, a tobacco merchant, hoped Onassis would follow in his footsteps, but Aristotle did poorly in school.
After the Turkish invasion of his hometown in 1921, Onassis left for Buenos Aires, Argentina, to seek a new life.
In 1923, he took a job as a telephone engineer. Despite being poor, Onassis was resourceful and cleverly eavesdropped on business calls. Using this insider knowledge, he began setting up his deals. This demonstrated his early sharp business acumen. His big break came in the mid-1920s when he overheard a conversation about a new "talkie" movie where the lead character smoked a cigarette. Onassis seized the opportunity to create his cigarette brand aimed at women. With his marketing brilliance, he persuaded famous opera singer Claudia Muzio to publicly smoke his brand, which catapulted his tobacco business and made him a millionaire by age 25.
Realizing that shipping magnates made more money than cigarette manufacturers, Onassis transitioned to the shipping industry. At the height of the Great Depression, when many were getting out of the shipping business, Onassis bought six ships for a fraction of their normal cost. His fleet grew rapidly during and after World War II, and by registering his fleet under Panama's flag, Onassis reduced his tax burden and overhead costs. He also struck a deal with the U.S. government to ship military supplies, which led to him acquiring surplus ships at favourable prices.
It was said that Onassis never lost a ship during the war, though speculation about his connections to both sides of the conflict, allowing him to avoid risks, remains unproven. His ingenuity in making deals and minimizing costs allowed him to build one of the world's largest privately owned shipping fleets.
Onassis’s personal life was as high-profile as his business dealings. In 1946, he married Athina Livanos, the daughter of Greece’s richest shipping magnate, Stavros Livanos. They had two children, Alexander and Christina. However, their marriage was marred by infidelity on both sides. Onassis’s most famous affair was with the legendary opera singer Maria Callas. In the 1950s, Onassis and Callas’s relationship became a public sensation. Their affair led to Onassis divorcing Livanos in 1960.
In 1968, Onassis married Jacqueline Kennedy, the widow of American President John F. Kennedy. Their marriage, on Onassis’s private island, was one of the most publicized unions of the 20th century. Jackie O, as she became known, found solace in Onassis after her husband's assassination, and their marriage solidified Onassis’s place in global history.
Beyond shipping, Onassis expanded his business empire into various industries, including aviation, oil, and tourism. He also became an influential figure in Monaco, competing with Prince Rainier III for economic control of the small principality by owning the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM), which operated casinos and hotels. In the 1960s, Onassis sought to establish a major investment project with the Greek military junta and sold his interest in Olympic Airways, which he founded in 1957.
His business dealings were not confined to
In 1973, Onassis was devastated by the tragic death of his son, Alexander, who died in a plane crash at the age of 24. This loss profoundly affected him, and just two years later, Onassis passed away from respiratory failure at the age of 69.
Onassis's life continues to be remembered for his immense wealth and the personal tragedies that marked his family. His daughter, Christina Onassis, inherited his fortune and attempted to carry on his legacy. However, her own life was also marred by misfortune, and she died at a young age, in 1988, after struggling with depression and financial troubles.
The Onassis Foundation, established in 1975, remains a key part of his legacy, supporting initiatives in education, medicine, and culture.
Numerous books, films, and documentaries have examined Onassis's life. His relationships with Maria Callas
In his own words: “To be successful, keep looking tanned, live in an elegant building (even if you’re in the cellar), be seen in smart restaurants (even if you nurse one drink), and if you borrow, borrow big.”
Aristotle Onassis's life was marked by extraordinary achievements and personal turmoil. His legacy continues to inspire and intrigue, solidifying his place as one of the 20th century’s most fascinating and complex figures.
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