Onassis

Onassis is a surname most commonly associated with Aristotle Onassis (1906–1975), a Greek shipping magnate who built one of the world’s largest privately owned merchant fleets and became one of the era’s wealthiest individuals. Born Aristoteles Socrates Onassis in Smyrna (present-day Izmir, Turkey), he left home after the Greco-Turkish War and established himself in the shipping business, later expanding into international trade, aviation investments, and finance. By the mid-20th century his fleet ranked among the largest in the world, and his wealth financed broader commercial and cultural ventures.

In addition to his shipping enterprise, Onassis pursued opportunities in other sectors and became known for strategic acquisitions and high-profile investments. His business activities contributed to his status as a leading figure in postwar Greek economic life and to the broader mythology of global capitalism during the era.

Onassis’ personal life drew substantial public attention. He first married Athina Livanos in 1946, with whom he had two children, Alexander and Christina. The marriage ended in divorce in 1960. In 1968 he married Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, the widow of U.S. president John F. Kennedy, and the couple remained together until his death in 1975.

Christina Onassis inherited a substantial portion of his estate and became a prominent heiress and patron of the arts. After Christina’s death, ownership passed to her daughter, Athina Onassis, who remains a public figure in cultural and philanthropic activities. The Onassis name continues primarily through the Onassis Foundation, which supports education, culture, and public health initiatives in Greece and internationally.