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Stavros Niarchos

Male 1909 - 1996  (86 years)    Has more than 100 ancestors and 13 descendants in this family tree.

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  • Name Stavros Niarchos 
    Birth 3 Jul 1909  Athína, Elláda Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Prominent People Elláda Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Death 16 Apr 1996  Zürich, Confoederatio Helvetica Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I372578  Geneagraphie
    Last Modified 8 Nov 2012 

    Father Spyros Niarchos,   b. 1858   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Mother Eugenia Coumandaros   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Family ID F152557  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Helen Sporides 
    Marriage 1930 
    Divorce 1931 
    Family ID F363255  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 7 Nov 2012 

    Family 2 Melpomene Capparis 
    Marriage 1939 
    Divorce 1947 
    Family ID F363257  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 7 Nov 2012 

    Family 3 Eugenia Livanos,   b. 1927   d. 04 May 1970 (Age 43 years) 
    Marriage 1947 
    Divorce 1965 
    Children 
     1. Living
     2. Living
    +3. Living
    +4. Living
     5. Constantine Niarchos,   b. 1962   d. Jun 1999 (Age 37 years)
    Family ID F147908  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 7 Nov 2012 

    Family 4 Pamela Beryl Digby,   b. 20 Mar 1920, Farnborough Park Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 5 Feb 1997, Paris, Île-de-France, France Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 76 years) 
    Marriage Type: Affair 
    Family ID F147608  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 7 Nov 2012 

    Family 5 Charlotte Ford 
    Marriage 1965 
    Divorce 1967 
    Children 
     1. Living
    Family ID F147909  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 7 Nov 2012 

    Family 6 Eugenia Livanos,   b. 1927   d. 04 May 1970 (Age 43 years) 
    Marriage 1967 
    Family ID F152548  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 7 Nov 2012 

    Family 7 Athina Stavrou Livanos,   b. 1926   d. 10 Oct 1973 (Age 47 years) 
    Marriage 1971 
    Family ID F147620  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 7 Nov 2012 

    Family 8 Living 
    Family ID F363261  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 7 Nov 2012 

    Family 9 Living 
    Family ID F363262  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 7 Nov 2012 

    Family 10 Living 
    Family ID F363285  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 8 Nov 2012 

  • Event Map Click to hide
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 3 Jul 1909 - Athína, Elláda Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsProminent People - bussiness, rich - - Elláda Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 16 Apr 1996 - Zürich, Confoederatio Helvetica Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Photos Photos (Log in)Photos (Log in)

  • Notes 
    • Greek shipping magnate
      He studied in the city's best private school before starting university. Once he had received his doctorate in law, he worked for his uncle who was a shipowner.
      At the age of 25, Stavros Niarchos became independent and frequented the prestigious royal yacht club. He was a naval officer in the Second World War, during which time part of the trade fleet he had built with his uncle was destroyed. Nearly 2 million dollars in insurance money helped him to buy another fleet.
      In 1952, the same year as his rival Aristotle Onassis, Stavros Niarchos built the first supertankers capable of transporting enormous quantities of oil and fuel. In 1956, the Suez Canal Crisis considerably increased the demand for the type of large tonnage ships that Niarchos owned. Business flourished and he became a billionaire, just like his rival, Aristotle Onassis.
      The shipowners' rivalry continued into their private lives. After his divorce from Henry Ford's daughter, Stavros Niarchos married Georges Livanos' sister, Eugenia. When she passed away, he married her sister Tina Onassis, who was also Aristotle's ex wife. At the head of a 4 billion dollar fortune, the rich shipowner prided himself on having married five times in the course of his life.
      After the oil crisis of 1973, Stavros Niarchos sold off some of his companies and launched into finances and the diamond trade. In the eighties, he came more and more often to Geneva, from where he managed his business around the globe. The Golden Greek, as his fellow countrymen liked to call him, retired in the nineties to his main residence in Saint-Moritz, in the Graubunden, where he devoted a lot of time to his favorite sport, skiing. The rich Greek shipowner passed away in 1996, in Zurich. He is buried in the family tomb in Lausanne.

      Stavros Spyros Niarchos understood

      the
      meaning of thinking and acting globally long before the term globalization became so prominently used in public policy and economics. His business operations began in Greece, the country of his birth and heritage, yet his successes were notable worldwide. He was considered to be one of the most successful businessmen of the twentieth century.

      Although known predominantly for his shipping business, Niarchos's diversified financial activities were at the core of global industry from the time he formed the Niarchos Group in 1939 until his death in April 1996. His legacy continues into the twenty-first century with the establishment, upon his death, of the Stavros S. Niarchos Foundation. Committed to working in Greece and internationally, the Foundation derives its mission from Niarchos's keen instincts and interests in providing access to opportunity in the fields of education, social welfare, health, and arts and culture.

      Stavros Spyros Niarchos was born July 3, 1909 in Athens. His parents, Spyros Niarchos and Eugenia Coumandaros, both came from small villages near Sparta in southern Greece. He studied law at the University of Athens and began working in 1929 in his family's grain business. The business quickly provided him with management opportunities. Recognizing the substantial transportation expense in importing wheat from Argentina and the former Soviet Union, Niarchos convinced his family that it could save money by owning the ships that provided the transportation. The first six freighters were bought during the Great Depression.

      While Niarchos served in the Greek Navy during World War II, the Allied Forces leased his first vessel. Niarchos participated in the Allied operations in Normandy and was awarded the Order of the Phoenix, the Royal Order of King George I, and the Royal House Order of SS George and Constantine, among other distinguished service medals. The ship leased to the Allies was destroyed and Niarchos used the resulting insurance funds as capital to expand his fleet after the War. Most notably, he bought oil tankers. Thus began the emergence of Stavros Niarchos as a significant participant in the world of international commerce.

      In 1956, less than twenty years after creating his own firm, Niarchos agreed to build and operate the Hellenic Shipyards, the first such private investment in Greece. Known as the Skaramanga Yard, it employed over 6,000 skilled workers and rapidly became the largest Mediterranean shipyard for repairs and new construction. In 1985 the shipyard was placed under state control, but Niarchos's early and considerable commitment to Greece still stands as an effective demonstration of the power of private investment for the country's economic well-being.

      Niarchos's business philosophy in shipping was to buy and build big; his supertankers set world records for size and carrying capacity. For many years he owned the largest private fleet in the world. At its peak, his shipping company operated more than 80 tankers.

      Beyond the shipping business, Niarchos saw opportunities in many venues. His accomplishments ranged from competitive sailing to championship horse racing. He earned recognition as an important investor in and collector of fine art. He worked tirelessly and demanded much from those who worked for him. As the master of his own success, he understood well the potential of every individual.
      He believed strongly in his family and despite travels and residences throughout the world, he never lost his commitment to Greece and his belief in Hellenism.

      Stavros Niarchos recognized the importance of having a global strategy early in his career. His vision enhanced his exceptional business and investment successes and contributed to the quality of his many exceptional collections. The family members and business associates charged with executing his philanthropic goals use the lessons and capital from his achievements to direct the Foundation's activities in Greece and throughout the world. By designating a significant part of his estate to establish the Stavros S. Niarchos Foundation, Niarchos created an enduring commitment to enriching the lives of others around the world.
    • Die K?nige von St. Moritz



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