Business

Evangelos Marinakis: Shipping Industry Magnate, Politician and Philanthropist

Claire JamesJanuary 23, 202234 Comments01.1k

Born on the 30^th July 1967 in Piraeus, the Greek port city he retains close ties to today, Evangelos Marinakis is an internationally esteemed businessman and investor with a net worth estimated at somewhere in the region of $650 million. Mr Marinakis is the son of Pontus-born Irini Marinaki, a descendent of the prominent Ypsilantis family, and Miltiadis Marinakis, shipowner and Member of Greek Parliament.

Evangelos Marinakis is an alumni of the American International University in London where he gained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, studying International Business Administration and International Relations respectively. After graduating, Mr Marinakis followed his father into shipping, later entering politics too.

Evangelos Marinakis is the founder of the Capital Maritime & Trading Corp, an organisation he continues to preside over as Chairman today. The Marinakis family controls a fleet of over 70 vessels, including container ships and tankers, as owners of the Capital Maritime Group.

Mr Marinakis is a board member of several companies, including:

Alter Ego Media SA (Owner)
One Channel (Owner)
Capital Product Partners LP (Major Shareholder)
Abisso Holdings Limited (Owner)

Evangelos Marinakis is a longtime supporter of Olympiacos F.C., the football team of his hometown. In 2010, he acquired a majority share in the club. In his tenure as Club President, Evangelos Marinakis shepherded the team to victory in seven consecutive championships.

In 2017, Evangelos Marinakis bought the English football club Nottingham Forest. With the approval of the English Football League he spearheaded ambitious plans to restore the club to its former glory, including redevelopment of the club’s grounds, culminating in the creation of the East Midlands’ largest stadium – a venue boasting world-class facilities.

Having established himself as one of the most prominent figures in the global shipping industry, Evangelos Marinakis ventured into the world of politics, joining forces with Olympiacos F.C. Vice-President and Piraeus Mayor Yannis Moralis to co-found the independent Piraeus Winner alliance.

He became an elected member of the Piraeus City Council in May 2014. In this role, he donated personal funds to finance a variety of projects in the city – including construction of children’s playgrounds, parks, city squares and sports facilities – while providing funding the council lacked due to the economic crisis in the country.

Throughout his extensive career, Mr Marinakis has created positive social change using his position as a business leader and public figure. During the Greek financial crisis he pledged more than €168,000 on behalf of Olympiacos F.C. to Greece Debt Free, a charity website created to eliminate the national debt.

In 2013, Mr Marinakis established a partnership between Olympiacos F.C. and UNICEF to help immunise children in the developing world. Mr Marinakis also stewarded efforts by the Capital Maritime & Trading Company to improve sustainability, lessening the environmental impact of the global shipping industry.

Evangelos Marinakis has been honoured with several prestigious awards over the years. In 2017, he received Lloyd’s List’s ‘Greek Shipping Personality of the Year’ award at a special awards ceremony in Athens. He has also featured in the ‘Power 100 List of Top Shipowners and Operators’ by Tradewinds.