Stavros Niarchos

<!-- Deleted image removed: -->Stavros Spyros Niarchos (Greek: Σταύρος Σπύρος Νιάρχος; 3 July 1909 &ndash; 16 April 1996) was a Greek shipping tycoon, sometimes known as "The Golden Greek." In 1952, Stavros Niarchos built the first supertankers capable of transporting large quantities of oil, and subsequently earned millions of dollars as global demand for his ships increased.

Early life

He was born in Athens, son of Spyros Niarchos and his wife, Eugenia Coumandaros. His parents were naturalized Americans and had owned a department store in Buffalo, New York before returning to Greece, three months prior to his birth. He studied law at the University of Athens, after which he went to work in the Coumandaros family's grain business.

Shipping successes

He was a naval officer in World War II, during which time part of the trade fleet he had built with his uncle was destroyed. He used about two million dollars in insurance money to build a new fleet, he is the owner of the yacht Atlantis ii and the island Spetsopoula.

Stavros Niarchos founded Niarchos Ltd., an international shipping company that at one time operated more than 80 tankers worldwide. In 1952, he built the first supertankers capable of transporting large quantities of......
Read More