Greek billionaire Onassis biography. Aristotle Onassis

Aristotle Onassis. Greek tycoon. Multimillionaire. Strong and persistent. Reveler. Ambitious. Ari Greek.

Onassis's lucky star

He was born in 1906 in Smyrna to Socrates and Penelope, with possible dates of January 15 and 20. His father was a successful tobacco merchant who later advanced to become chairman of the city chamber.

In 1922, Smyrna was captured by the Turks, and the Onassis family lost everything. However, thanks to his entrepreneurial genius, Onassis manages to create an empire and become a man who was “loved to the point of hatred.” His name becomes synonymous with legend and success not only among businessmen, but also for every person of his time.

He managed to escape with his family to Greece, and then go for a better life in Buenos Aires with 100 dollars in his pocket.

Initially, he shared one room with his cousin and had to take turns sleeping in order to be able to sleep in the same bed. At the telephone company where Onassis initially got a job, he practices foreign languages ​​and learns the secrets of business development.

Later, following family tradition, Onassis began selling tobacco, and then launched the sale of pink-tipped cigarettes for ladies. At the same time, he understands that he needs to have connections in the transport market and buys two decommissioned ships.

Sea romantic

In 1938, his first ship, which had great potential and the highest technical characteristics of that time, left the Swedish shipyard "Ariston". He soon builds two more ships, believing that a larger tanker is more economical.

The Second World War left bad memories in his memory, however, it was only a pause in business.

Tina Livanu - right

Wedding of Aristotle Onassis and Tina Livanu

In 1946, he married the daughter of shipowner Stavros Livanos, Athena-Tina Livanos, and they had two children - Christina and Alexandros.

Alexandros, Tina Livanou, Kritstina and Aristotle Onassis

In 1956, he bought Olympic Airlines, which in a short time became one of the top five airlines in the world.

Skorpios on the map of life

In 1963, Onassis bought a barren island off Lefkada and moved Greece to the center of his world. Many celebrities have visited the legendary yacht Christina, including Winston Churchill and Greta Garbo.

Maria Kalas and Ari Onassis

Having his wife nearby did not prevent the businessman from having an affair with opera diva Maria Callas. However, the divorce from Tina still took place after about 10 years of marriage with Onassis, and became the starting point for other major bets. Including women.

Onassis and Jacqueline Kennedy

Wedding of Onassis and Jacqueline on Scorpio Island

In 1968, he marries Jacqueline Bouvier, the widow of US President John Kennady, and comes to the attention of the FBI. The folder on him in this service totaled more than 4,000 pages.

Photographers have become a daily occurrence in the life of this couple. Paparazzi Dimitris Liberopoulos photographed the widow of the assassinated US president without expensive clothes, naked, and showed it to the whole world. Onassis, instead of getting angry, proudly exclaimed: “Jackie, you are a doll!”

Alexandros Onassis

The fateful day for the Greek tycoon came on January 23, 1973. His son dies in a plane crash while at the controls of the plane. From the first moment my father thought it was a criminal act and assassins, but all studies showed that the plane lost control for technical reasons.

Aristotle Onassis lost interest in business, women and life. He spent his last days in an American hospital in Paris. He died on March 15, 1975, before his 70th birthday.

Onassis's name after death

The Greek tycoon left behind a huge fortune, which his heirs misused.

Christina Onassis

Daughter Christina died of a drug overdose, the wife with several hundred million dollars said goodbye forever to the legendary island and the grave of her husband.

The grown-up granddaughter, who inherited the main wealth, sold her grandfather’s island to a Russian businessman and more than once said that she did not need the money and would give it to charity.

Nevertheless, Onassis's name reappears in the media from time to time. So, in the spring information appeared that

Christie's auction house has put up for sale a pair of diamond and ruby ​​earrings and a ring that Onassis gave to Jackie as a wedding gift in 1968.

This Van Cleef & Arpel set was estimated to cost between $250,000 and $350,000.

In the fall, we learned about the wedding of Ekaterina Rybolovleva, the daughter of a Russian tycoon, which she celebrated on Skorpios (the island now belongs to her). Catherine became the only person who took the fate of the former owner of the island to heart. She created his museum there and held her own wedding in the spirit of “Aristotle and Jackie,” marrying her groom in the Onassis’s personal church. Even the number of guests corresponded to the number of those invited to the wedding of Aristotle and Jackie. Catherine was not at all embarrassed that this marriage could hardly be called happy, and if it didn’t happen tragic death son Alexander, the Greek tycoon would probably say goodbye to Jackie, who did not live up to his hopes.

Aristotle Onassis, a Greek by birth, a citizen of Argentina, who owned real estate in many countries of the world, owned the largest private fleet, was one of the most significant and successful businessmen of the twentieth century.

Aristotle Onassis, or Ari, as his friends would later call him, was born in January 1906 in the Turkish city of Smyrna in the family of a successful tobacco merchant. But he created his own business and capital himself, without receiving a penny from his father, in Argentina, far from his homeland, where he arrived as an eighteen-year-old youth. He began an independent life away from his large family, helping the Greek who sheltered him peddle fruit and sharing a room with a man who liked to spit around his bed at night.

Not much time will pass and the lucky Ari will turn into one of the richest and most influential people in the world. His business partners will be the largest businessmen, aristocrats, giant corporations and states. He will own the best superyacht in the world, Christina, made to his special order in Germany, and entire islands, beautifully equipped for his personal use.

Onassis will host the elite of the 20th century. Its guests will include Hollywood superstars and the most famous politicians, Prince Rainier, a representative of the Grimaldi dynasty that has long ruled Monaco, and King Farouk. The living legend, the great political figure Winston Churchill, will be a regular guest on his yacht, and the fate of US President John Kennedy will be closely intertwined with his fate. His women will be the most outstanding opera singer of the twentieth century, Maria Callas and Princess Lee Radziwill, Marilyn Monroe and Greta Garbo, the wife of the President of Argentina, the richest and most influential woman in Latin America, Eva Peron, and Jacqueline Kennedy, the widow of US President John F. Kennedy, will become his wife.

What was the path of this extraordinary person, a recognized business genius, to the heights of success? What are the management technologies that brought him to the heights of wealth and real power? Has great success brought great human happiness? Aristotle Onassis left behind many questions, riddles and secrets. But we will be interested mainly in one of Onassis’s main mysteries - his exceptional efficiency in business. What was its basis? What made him successful? We are interested, first of all, in management technologies that were used, and perhaps discovered for the first time, by one of the largest businessmen of the 20th century.

Aristotle Onassis was not “created” by any one management technology. There were many management principles, methods, and techniques he used that led to success. Many of them were, indeed, discovered by him for the first time. They are of particular interest to us. After all, the decisions Onassis made often turned out to be unexpected, unique, and the only correct ones in the current extraordinary management situation. Often the management decisions made by Onassis could be put on a par with the scientist’s discoveries, which opened a new, as yet unexplored page in science. Onassis's science was the ability to make money and increase his own fortune. Another of Onassis’s sciences was the ability to penetrate and become one of his own in layers of society previously inaccessible to him, to find himself on an equal footing with those who belonged to social circles that seemed inaccessible to him just yesterday.

Let us also try to penetrate his workshop of management practice, of which Aristotle Onassis, of course, was a brilliant representative.

Always at the beginning of any business there is an idea with the help of which this business can be realized. Even, according to the Bible, first the idea that became the goal of action, and then its implementation: “And God said: Let there be light. And there was light.”

The first management principle that Onassis adhered to was, first of all, to find an idea that can lead to success, to achieving the goal set by the manager. Aristotle Onassis was always distinguished by his ability to find an idea that could lead to the resolution of the most difficult management situation, to achieve the implementation of the most seemingly inaccessible goal. The ability to find an idea leading to success in difficult management situations is one of the main criteria characterizing the level of managerial thought of a manager. The index of Onassis's managerial thought can, with good reason, be considered high.

To rise to the heights of business and influence to which Onassis managed to rise, who had neither a penny to his name, nor his own corner, nor the necessary connections, it was necessary to go a long way. He had to overcome more than one step along the upward ladder of social status that exists in any country, under any social system and structure, under any traditions and at all times. And we had to start from the very bottom step.

Having started his career as a seller of greens and fruits in Buenos Aires, and then got a job as a fitter at the British Telephone Company, Ari is looking for ways to do something that would be more consistent with his ambitious plans and overflowing energy, courage, and assertiveness. His unshakable belief in his own strength pushes him to a continuous search. As they say, no water flows under a lying stone. And Ari, despite his youth, or perhaps because of it, is constantly thinking about how to climb at least to the next rung of the social ladder.

He appeals to the company management with a request to transfer him to the night shift so that he can spend the daytime on additional earnings. During the day, he peddled men's ties, drove a wheelbarrow full of sand, at the bottom of which was a trinket, and invited children to try to find it for a few coins. He raises his earnings to $25 a week, which was very good at the time. This opens up new opportunities for him. But this is not enough for the ambitious and purposeful Ari.

Young Aristotle Onassis understands that even if he increases his earnings, he will not be able to realize himself in life the way he wanted. Before him is the example of his father, who independently made his way into the people and became quite successful businessman. But, unfortunately, the relationship between them after the marriage of their father to their stepmother, which followed the sudden death of Ari’s mother, was difficult. Ari strives to achieve the same, and maybe more.

But in order to open his own business, he needs start-up capital. How to put it together? His father is engaged in the tobacco business in his homeland. Why not offer oriental tobacco to the tobacconists of Buenos Aires. After all, the tobacco of his homeland is not at all worse than the Cuban or Brazilian imported into Argentina. He asks his father to send him several samples of the best tobacco growing in the Peloponnese. Largely thanks to the remarkable energy and perseverance shown by Ari, he manages to achieve the sale of the first batch of Peloponnesian tobacco. At the same time, he negotiates with his father the commission he deservedly earned - five percent of the cost of the lot sold. This is how he earns his first $500. Ari's business idea turns out to be fruitful. The first order was followed by others, the commissions from which added up to the start-up capital of the aspiring businessman.

As a world-famous multimillionaire would later say, “the hardest thing to do is make the first five thousand dollars.”

Aristotle Onassis was always distinguished by the ability to set a goal for himself that far exceeded the capabilities available to him at the time of setting it, so to speak, the ability to set a goal “for growth,” a goal that at first glance might seem difficult to achieve and, practically, unrealistic. But perhaps the most important thing was that this goal was ultimately achieved.

Thus, his calculation, which underlay the setting of a seemingly achievable goal, turned out to be accurate, verified and led to success, although it contained a significant element of risk, non-standardism and often an unexpected find, which for some reason had never occurred to anyone else before him . This is a very important management principle, since only by setting goals that are sometimes on the verge of the possible, can significant progress be achieved in business, as, indeed, in any other type of human activity. Only by using this principle of goal setting can we ensure stable growth dynamics, reaching new horizons, and expanding business boundaries.

Ari did not spend the money he earned from selling tobacco. They were piling up in his bank account. He lived by working nights for the telephone company. The new day job was much more lucrative, so he quits his old day job and begins to “work” for a more prestigious position in society. So he becomes a member of the Veslo yacht club for successful representatives of the middle class and spends a lot of time there, as a rule, in the company of frequently changing girls. He enjoys enviable success with women, which is largely due to his frank sexuality, which is the subject of his pride and is often used to achieve not only purely romantic goals. Having amassed quite a significant sum through mediation in the sale of tobacco, young Onassis realizes that the springboard has already matured for the next step upward. Engaged only in mediation, albeit for own father, big money you won't make money.

Onassis was so designed that, having achieved one difficult goal he had set for himself, he set a new goal, which turned out to be an order of magnitude more difficult than the one he had just achieved. But this opened up fundamentally new opportunities and prospects for him. After the start-up capital has been accumulated, he sets himself a new, much more complex and, at first glance, difficult goal - to create his own cigarette production.

Yes, young Onassis managed to make some money. But there was no experience of running an independent business, nor an experienced person who could help with advice. Do not forget that the aspiring businessman was only 19 years old at that moment.

But what is risky and fraught with danger for an ordinary person, for Ari, who is naturally gifted with an inquisitive mind, a commercial spirit, the ability to correctly assess the current situation and is prone to risk, is a new, unbearable burden for some, he can handle. It opens the way to commercial success. Here we see once again how it is born in his brain new idea, which becomes a new goal, a new very difficult task that he has to solve. Yes, this is a risk and a significant one. However, the calculation turns out to be correct.

After just a year of working for the telephone company, he decides to quit. When asked why he does this, does he feel bad here, Ari replies: “... in general, I liked working here, but now I have an idea!”

On the rather shabby little shop that Ari rents in one of the alleys of Buenos Aires, a significant inscription appears: “Aristotle Onassis – importer of oriental tobacco.” The starting capital was $25,000 saved by Ari and $25,000 borrowed. Purchased at minimum price necessary equipment, Greek emigrants are hired. The production of the first two types of cigarettes, intended for respectable buyers, begins. It takes into account the weaknesses of young, emancipated customers who like a subtle scent, pink or gold tips, and crispy cellophane packaging.

Factors contributing to its success include: good quality cigarettes produced by his company, as well as the low cost of production, because he continues to lead a Spartan lifestyle, keeping his personal expenses to a minimum.

However, Ari does not shun prohibited techniques competition. His people sometimes manage to inject a special chemical solution into a pack of cigarettes produced by a competitor with a syringe, after which they acquire a disgusting taste. Naturally, the demand for cigarettes from such a competitor falls along with its reputation. Sometimes Ari's men manage to unnoticedly pour sea water over the bags of tobacco supplied by Ari, for which insurance payments are due to the owner who suffered the damage. Because of this, one of his people ends up in prison in Genoa. Ari organizes the release of a batch of his cigarettes under the then most popular brand in Argentina, “Bis,” and successfully sells them.

Thus, we see that Onassis passionately dreams of success and is ready to do anything to achieve his goal. Organizational talent, assertiveness, and the desire to achieve a goal at any cost lead the young businessman to success, and his tobacco business grows stronger.

However, the ability to correctly set a goal and achieve success in achieving it are two different, although interrelated, tasks. And perseverance, perseverance, and readiness for everything are still not enough for serious success in business. It is necessary to master the basic management technologies, which should ensure the achievement of the set goals.

Not the least role in the successful activity of a businessman, like any manager, is played by the skillful use of the principle feedback. In other words, the ability to draw the right conclusions from one’s own successes and failures, adjusting one’s actions depending on the progress of the implementation of the decisions made. It is necessary to be able to correctly and timely respond to a changed decision-making situation, to a changed balance of forces.

Effective feedback in the implementation of management decisions has always been the strength of Aristotle Onassis, more than once helping him out of very difficult situations in which his business or himself found themselves, helping to achieve success, which, at times, seemed simply unrealistic. This brilliant mastery of the feedback principle was one of the integral components of the management technologies of the brilliant businessman that Onassis was considered by his contemporaries.

And we should also note that he has such an important quality of an effective manager as the ability to use newly opening opportunities, which is a natural consequence of effective mastery of the feedback principle. One of the founders of modern management, Peter Drucker, also speaks about the importance of this principle, who believes that for a businessman, as for any manager, what is important is not so much profit, which is certainly also necessary, but rather new opportunities that open up when previously set goals are achieved.

And in order to guess that newly opening opportunities really lead to success, Onassis has a truly brilliant instinct.

As Onassis's business gains strength, his capital grows, and, therefore, his financial capabilities grow, opening the way to new bold plans associated with significant risk, and seemingly unrealistic at first. Onassis's new plans turn out to be closely connected with the sea, maritime trade and the ships with the help of which maritime trade is carried out.

Onassis's first idea in this direction was the idea, dating back to the early 30s, to raise a sunken old sea boat with a displacement of 7,000 tons and set it sailing again. His relatives and friends do not advise him to make this rather risky investment of his then not so significant funds. But Ari lights up with a new idea, sets himself a new tempting, but again so difficult to achieve, goal. So he becomes the owner of his first sea vessel, naturally, incurring all the necessary costs.

However, those who warned about the significant risk of the investments he made are, unfortunately, right. The ship, which he named “Maria Protopapas,” sank during the first cyclone.

The loss did not bother the persistent and purposeful businessman. He learned the necessary lessons from his first failed attempt. After some time, he returns to his once-set goal of becoming a ship owner. This is facilitated by his thriving tobacco business and the fact that he manages to significantly increase his status in his new homeland. His next attempt is already successful. Having saved up a significant sum of 600 thousand dollars at that time, he went to London, where he managed to buy six Canadian bulk carriers. Considering the difficult economic situation in the world, he manages to buy them for only 20 thousand dollars, although their original cost was 2 million!

The first Canadian bulk carriers purchased by Onassis in London laid the foundation for the largest private fleet of the 20th century, used to transport petroleum products around the world.

However, it was not enough to become a ship owner. It is necessary to organize sea transportation, starting with the receipt of orders. This is a very difficult task for a beginner. However, Onassis successfully solves it, quickly realizing how profitable the military business is. Since he is not constrained by principles in achieving his goals, he shows “omnivorousness”, contracting to transport the troops of the Italian fascists to Abyssinia. For a rapidly growing rich businessman, money has no smell.

Speaking from a business point of view, the decision made by Onassis to purchase transport ships completely justifies itself, allowing him to rise to a significantly higher level, both in business and in social status. It should not be forgotten that the successful businessman was not yet thirty years old at this time.

As we have already said, success in business had a positive impact on Ari’s social status. He becomes a full citizen of Argentina and receives a brand new passport. He will remain a citizen of Argentina until the end of his days. He checks into a hotel on the best street in the city and starts wearing nice suits.

When the threat of a 1000% increase in taxes on products exported from Greece becomes real, and Ari exports tobacco for the cigarettes he produces, he goes to Greece, gets an appointment with the Prime Minister and seeks to reverse the decision of the Greek government, which is fraught with such unpleasant consequences.

In addition to such a successful solution to the tax problem, Ari simultaneously solves another very important problem for him. The father recognizes the priority of his successful son and Ari becomes the new head of the Onassis family clan. On the one hand, these are additional honorary duties, and, on the other hand, additional opportunity use his relatives, on whom he can completely rely in his own business, entrusting them with the most responsible positions.

Along with other successfully used management technologies, Onassis owns another very important management discovery. When starting any business, even a fairly stereotypical and standard one, he brings into it, even if insignificant, something of his own that distinguishes him from the bulk of his competitors. Naturally, for the better.

But, of course, he receives the main dividends by using fundamentally new, revolutionary ideas, being able to accurately discern trends in business development in a particular area of ​​activity that are still invisible to anyone else.

Onassis's actions always have a specific goal. And if the revolutionary ideas he implements, as a rule, bring a significant competitive advantage, allowing him to receive significant financial gains and rewards for the ability and courage to be the first, then original ideas that do not have significant revolutionary potential are used, at a minimum, for PR purposes.

As we said above, the ability to find new brilliant ideas in the most difficult decision-making situations was one of Aristotle Onassis’s greatest strengths as a manager. Naturally, the ideas that arose in the brain of the great businessman differed in their scale and significance, which was determined mainly by the difference in the situations in which they were intended for implementation.

Aristotle Onassis, despite his youth, is increasingly becoming one of the world's leading shipowners. According to the traditions that existed at that time, this business was established and therefore quite conservative. Shipowners were quite satisfied with not very new small and medium-tonnage ships, which provided, albeit low, but stable profits. Transporting oil for them was a business that they did not aspire to. The situation was aggravated by sharp fluctuations in prices for fuel transportation.

Ari, on the other hand, was a businessman of a different type, who analyzed everything and looked for the path leading to success in everything. Risk and danger did not bother him. He is looking for his own fundamentally new path of development maritime transport, taking into account the development trends of global maritime transport, which it understands much better than its competitors.

Having carefully analyzed the situation in the shipping business, and being the first among shipowners to realize the inevitable growth in oil transportation, Onassis makes an important strategic decision about the use of large-capacity vessels for them. The idea of ​​​​creating a tanker fleet is born in his brain and then brought to life!

This fundamentally new idea is far ahead of its time. However, she turns out to be correct. Onassis creates his own shipbuilding company in Sweden, A.S. Onassis, Gothenburg Ltd. and orders her to build the Ariston tanker with a displacement of 15,000 tons.

At first, this order causes confusion and is met with hostility. After all, the most popular ships for maritime transport at that time had a displacement of 9,000 tons; ships with a displacement of 12,000 were considered giants. In order to break the resistance of non-believers, Onassis is seeking to conclude a contract for the transportation of oil for Ariston for a year in advance. At the same time, the terms of the contract for the construction of a gigantic ship, according to the ideas of that time, were extremely beneficial for him. Only 25% of the cost of work is paid to them during construction. The remaining amount must be paid over 10 years at 4.5% per annum.

And this time Aristotle Onassis is right! A bold decision, based on a correct forecast of trends in the development of global transportation, makes him a leader in this business that brings him a large income. It was this and the series of decisions that followed, working towards the implementation of a brilliant business idea, that would ultimately make Aristotle Onassis the owner of the largest tanker fleet in the world, the operation of which will bring him colossal profits in the future. Thus, this brilliant management idea of ​​Aristotle Onassis fully justified itself and ensured his victory in the fierce competition in the shipping market. Subsequently, the Ariston, launched, covered all the costs incurred during its construction within the first year of operation.

It was then that the business contact between Aristotle Onassis and the largest oil industrialist of the 20th century, Paul Getty, would begin.

The construction of the Ariston was followed by the construction of two more tankers of the same displacement, which marked the beginning of the creation of a tanker fleet. However, another, albeit smaller, idea was used by Ari in the construction of new giant ships. He did not skimp on creating exceptionally comfortable working conditions for the tanker crew. This initially caused surprise and bewilderment among other shipowners. But then their pilgrimage to the newly built ships began.

Shipowners, sensing that Ari was right, began ordering similar amenities from his company for their ships.

Aristotle Onassis effectively used various management technologies in his activities. But we should especially note his ability to effectively use all types of management resources, including non-traditional ones, in accordance with his own goals. Everything became a management resource. And his position in society, and friendship with the greats of this world, and women, and the marriages he entered into. Speaking about the great art of management that Aristotle Onassis possessed, we have the right to throw a bridge to the past, namely to the beginning of the 19th century. Then we will be able to see the connection between the management resources that were used by the great businessman of the 20th century Onassis, the great diplomat and politician of the first half of the 19th century, Prince Talleyrand-Périgord. In any case, both of them knew how to effectively use money, political connections, and women to achieve their goals.

Before moving on to the analysis of Onassis's use of non-traditional management resources, we will discuss the features of his use of such a basic type of management resource as information.

Ari always had a special relationship with her. As we know, information can have different nature and used differently. It’s so arranged that often an accomplished fact is one thing, an eyewitness’s idea of ​​it is somewhat different, and the presentation of a fact by an eyewitness is something else. Especially when you consider that the one who presents the fact may be interested in its slightly different, and sometimes significantly different, interpretation. And here we have to talk about the manipulation of information, and sometimes even about targeted disinformation.

Speaking about Aristotle Onassis, we must note, first of all, his ability to literally absorb new information. After all, his constant path to the top, the constant transition to new, more complex and inaccessible goals led to the need to solve problems that were very different from each other, not only in complexity, but also in the specific subject area. And this meant the need to obtain fundamentally new information and analyze completely different patterns. Information and actions that led to success in solving previous problems could turn out to be unsuccessful and not lead to success in newly emerging situations that required management decisions.

Those who observed him under different conditions, especially when entering new area activities, they noted that Ari absorbs new information literally like a sponge. And one more very important quality Onassis. He knows how, like no one else, to listen to his interlocutor, who is interesting to him. This could be Winston Churchill, or just a man who knows something that Ari doesn’t know yet and that he needs to know.

Subsequently, the information received becomes the subject of analysis, and fundamentally new information, previously unknown to him important fact, a fundamentally new pattern becomes the environment that feeds and gives rise to the brilliant ideas of Aristotle Onassis.

But he is no less successful at hiding information that he does not want to make public. And this is reflected even in his conduct of business. Many of the companies that he owns are not registered in his name, but in the names of dummies or close relatives or friends. This makes sense, especially if business is not always conducted according to generally accepted rules. After all, the name of Onassis, the world's largest shipowner, is not at all in the famous Lloyd's register, in which all shipowners in the world are registered, even those who own only one or two ships. And this, despite the fact that Onassis actually owned 85 companies, each of which had from one to twelve ships.

This strategy of diversification and anonymity pays off. Thus, when one of his tankers exploded in a Venezuelan port, resulting in numerous casualties, the name of the true owner of the vessel was not even mentioned. Moreover, the injured tanker owner received good insurance compensation.

When he realizes that doing business is much more profitable under the flag of a country where taxation is minimal, be it Panama or Liberia, his ships ply the sea under the flags of these countries.

Disinformation in competitive warfare is by no means a forbidden technique for Ari. If it is necessary to provide a competitor with information that does not entirely correspond to reality, and sometimes even contradicts it, this does not stop Ari. Moreover, sophisticated means are being sought to ensure that disinformation is perceived as credible.

For Onassis, who early appreciated its importance and relevance, information was not only a subject for analysis and making his own decisions, but also a subject for purchase and sale, an important management resource used to achieve a variety of goals. During the war, Onassis did not hesitate to supply valuable information to Nazi Germany. Hitler’s chief financier Schacht recalls: “At that time we maintained close relations with Mr. Onassis. Through intermediaries, we chartered ships from him and received some information.” Perhaps this is why, during the difficult and bloody war, Onassis did not lose a single ship or a single sailor. Although, say, Greek shipowners out of 450 ships that participated in the war lost 360, and, in general, in his opinion, no more than 10% of Greek ocean-going ships survived the war. However, Onassis provides no less significant services to the United States of America and its allies. Indeed, money has no meaning for him. Especially if it's a lot of money.

After the end of World War II, Onassis's position as one of the largest, and perhaps even the largest, shipowner in the world became even stronger. While others suffered significant losses during the war, many of their ships were sunk or nationalized, Ari “came out unscathed.” It continues to increase the strength of its tanker fleet. The Suez crisis, which broke out as a result of the Arab-Israeli war of 1957, brought super-profits to Onassis. The Suez Canal turned out to be closed to shipping and, as a result, transportation prices soared from $4 per ton of transported cargo to $60, that is, 15 times! The months that followed, during which the Suez Canal was closed to shipping, became truly golden for Aristotle Onassis, turning him into one of the richest people in the world. The competitors left far behind shook their heads: “Lucky bastard!” To which a satisfied Ari replied: “...justice still triumphs. There is, there is God in this world!”

Onassis continues to invest money in the construction of new supertankers. So, a supertanker with a displacement of 250 thousand tons is launched! Competitors are perplexed, because such a supertanker will not be able to pass through the Suez Canal.

Having chosen such a strategy for the development of his tanker fleet, Aristotle Onassis was right this time too. Apparently, when making such a large-scale and important decision for him, Onassis was guided not only and not so much by the “intuition” of an entrepreneur, but by information coming from good and, even better, paid friends. He is the first to obtain information about upcoming events and, like no one else, use them effectively. The Middle East conflict is again putting the Suez Canal out of commission and causing a new boom in demand for the tanker fleet. For the tanker king, this is a new golden shower, for which he is even better prepared. And Ari learned not to miss his long time ago.

But Aristotle Onassis would not be himself if he limited himself only to what he has and those management technologies that brought him such fabulous profits. What was achieved yesterday becomes a passed stage. He is characterized by an insatiable thirst for activity and action, a desire that has become a vital necessity to get involved in a fight and win, even while receiving quite significant blows from competitors and all those who get in his way.

Achieving clearly non-standard, and sometimes grandiose goals associated with significant risk, requires the use of fundamentally new management technologies and fundamentally new and non-traditional management resources. As we have already said, Onassis also includes women among such strategic resources used to achieve his goals. Of course, he was not the first in this. It is not for nothing that we remembered his great predecessor Talleyrand.

Yes, according to Onassis, women are indeed very important resource, contributing to the achievement of strategic goals. Especially when you have to climb the social ladder from its lowest rung to transcendental heights. The only and, unfortunately, very important “but” that exists in this case is the need to step over one’s own feelings, having fallen much further down the ladder of one’s own worldview.

The eternal problem is when a person has to “sell his soul to the devil” in order to achieve his goals. Onassis was not the first who, having reached turning points in his life, was faced with the need to solve it. But everyone solves it in their own way. There was such a milestone in Onassis’s life.

As we have already said, Ari was very sexy and knew how to use this quality of his. Friends were surprised at his insatiability, giving him the palm in relationships with women, clearly losing to him in this unspoken competition for success in life. Anyone who managed to attract his attention and interest could become his girlfriend.

So, in the 40s, together with his friend Kosta Gratsos, they were engaged in “research” of Hollywood, or rather its fair half. Costa Gratsos later recalls: “There were stars, half-stars and already established stars without end and edge. There was someone to choose from, and we chose as much as we could.” Ari himself, recalling his Hollywood adventures, said that they lacked romance. Hollywood adventures were by no means the last in his multifaceted and rather long life.

But perhaps the most important and turning point in his relationships with women was his first affair, which lasted several years, with Ingese Dediken, whose father was one of the largest Norwegian shipowners. Although he had already died by the time their relationship began, Ingese’s connections with the country’s leading shipowners certainly remained. And at that moment they were of considerable interest to Ari.

Dediken, who was a little older than him, could not be called inexperienced, because she already had two failed marriages behind her. They were very different: the squat, dark-haired Ari, who could not boast of a noble origin, and the tall, slender, blonde Ingese, who traced her origins to the Scottish ducal house of Clerks. Dediken was literally stunned by Ari's activity. Recalling her first impressions, she wrote: “Never before have I experienced such piercingly wild sensual bliss...”. Ari, in Dediken's opinion, was not an outstanding sex athlete, she knew better ones, but only he knew how to awaken extraordinary sensuality in her.

At the beginning of their relationship, the question of marriage was quite serious. But at first, this was hampered, on the one hand, by Ingese’s noble origins, and, on the other hand, by Ari’s simply pathological, from her point of view, jealousy. Subsequently, when Ingese herself tried to formalize the relationship with Ari, interest on his part was already lost. Several years of stunning business success changed Ari's attitude towards women. By that time, he already saw in them, first of all, a strategically important resource for achieving the goals that he set for himself. And, as we know, his goals were always significant, on the verge of the possible, and their implementation captured him entirely.

Dediken was the only woman for whom he felt a violent feeling of jealousy. This means that she aroused in him a strong feeling of love, which he could not preserve. Their relationship, which lasted several years, is gradually fading away. Subject to passions, Ari one day beats Ingese. Then this is repeated repeatedly. After one particularly brutal beating, she has to have stitches on her face. And at the same time, he continues to be jealous of his beloved. The relationship becomes increasingly painful for both of them.

When women leave us,

Nervously fiddling with handkerchiefs,

Weighing thoughtful words,

Confused, angry and not loving,

We don’t remember the past for them,

We forgive them in advance

And their silence is cautious,

And the pain that touches the heart.

And then on an uncrumpled sheet,

Without forgetting until the morning,

Just think how much was given,

It's time to become smarter.

So hard, so empty in my heart,

Swallow cigarette strength

And everything closes in more mercilessly,

Like pain, a piercing dawn.

But you will cut yourself off with severity,

Angrily, strongly, like a man,

You will pull rudely and with anger

Trampled shoes

And so you walk into the silence of the street

Slightly pale, cheerful, angry

Under the sky that is frowning today,

To the mischievous laughter of the wind.

Ari is not so jealous of any of the women in his life, although even his official wives are not faithful to him. Which, however, is fair. After all, Ari was not loyal to any of them.

On his way to the heights of success, Ari does not notice the loss of one very important peak of his own - the peak of simple human happiness. And this loss will last a lifetime. After all, Ari dies, practically a lonely person, before his 70th birthday. Yes, after this loss of something important for him and something that didn’t happen, women become only a strategic resource and source of pleasure for Ari. As they say, his soul already belongs to the devil.

On his constant path up the ladder of social significance, influence and wealth, Aristotle Onassis begins to increasingly enter the circle of the world's largest shipowners, in which the Greeks have a special place. Business competition between them gets along well with friendly relations outside of business. The largest among them, Stavros Livanos, stands out for its significance and influence, which was already “worth” hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars during the Second World War. He has two daughters growing up, the youngest of whom, Tina, attracts the attention of the still unmarried Ari. To become related to a person like Stavros Livanos was not only prestigious, but it opened up new serious opportunities and meant serious advancement up the social ladder. In addition, the forty-year-old businessman begins to dream of an heir to his increasingly large-scale business.

Ari begins to pay attention to the youngest of Stavros Livanos' daughters, Tina, who he likes. At the beginning of 1946, and the affair with Dediken gradually faded and lasted until Onassis’s wedding, he writes a letter to Stavros and asks for his hand in marriage. youngest daughter. At first he refuses Ari, because according to the canons of the Greek family, the eldest daughter should marry first. In addition, Tina also attracts the attention of another major Greek shipowner, owned by new generation businessmen, Stavros Niarchos, Ari's constant competitor and rival, who throughout his life follows him in business and social position literally on his heels, remaining forever second.

However, after some time, Livanos still agrees to the marriage of his youngest daughter. Onassis's first marriage did not so much increase his millions, because Livanos drew up a carefully thought-out marriage contract, but was a significant step up in his social position. The Livanos family belonged to the highest circle of Greek society, his name carried weight even in the Lloyd's maritime register. The name of his father-in-law made Onassis significantly more commercially respectable. And the Livanos millions did not turn out to be superfluous in Ari’s business.

The first days were happy for the young couple. As Tina later wrote, this time was “...grandiose. He loved it all and so did I. Ari was a wonderful man back then.” But soon family idyll ends. Ari's sexual activity remains unchanged. His love affairs continue. Around this period, his short affair with the wife of the President of Argentina, Eva Peron, occurred.

Subsequently, Tina's life takes a tragic turn. After fourteen years life together spouses are increasingly moving away from each other. Only, perhaps, Alexander and Christina, son and daughter, justify this marriage. This will be followed by Tina's short marriage to the English aristocrat Marquis de Blandford, heir to the Duke of Marlborough. In 1972, Stavros Niarchos became her husband, at whose hand she died in 1974, just like her elder sister Eugenia, who married Niarchos shortly after Tina’s first marriage and died in 1970.

Gradually, Onassis's marriage to Tina is coming apart at the seams. And both sides are to blame for this. Each of the spouses has been living their own lives for a long time, but Ari, of course, started first. One day, when during another party on his superyacht “Christina” Tina literally hangs herself on the neck of one of the men present, Ari leaves the yacht with one of his employees and tells him for a long time about her family troubles and men’s problems. It becomes clear to Tom that Ari has long been indifferent to the fate of his marriage, to such an extent that he allows Tina to go on a cruise with a man whom he considers her lover. As we can see, there is no question of jealousy on Ari’s part. This means there was no talk of true love.

During this period of his life, his attention is drawn to bright personality, superstar, according to contemporaries, the most outstanding opera singer of the twentieth century, Maria Callas, also of Greek origin. Many things bring them together. After all, she, just like him, started from scratch and, just like him, reached the heights of fame, world fame, and position in the highest circles of society. When she had to make her way and make herself, she does not hesitate to use driving force career - bed. Subsequently, her name is associated with such great contemporaries as Leonard Bernstein, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Luchino Visconti, Franco Zeffirelli. She is at the pinnacle of success, she is recognized as the greatest singer of the century, her name is on the lips of many, the leading magazines of the world print her photographs on the front pages, her whims and whims, in which she has no rivals, are discussed by high society.

Maria Callas is married to wealthy Italian industrialist Meneghini. However, after meeting with Onassis, she announces to her husband, who is 28 years older than her: “It’s all over between us. I love Ari! The offended halves of Ari and Maria simultaneously begin two divorce proceedings. The connection between Onassis and Callas becomes the loudest social scandal of the season. Meneghini, who was intensively communicating with the press at this time, declared: “Onassis wants to marry Maria, but only in order to gild his gloomy tankers with the name of the great singer!” There is certainly some truth in his words. With just one amendment. Onassis did not need a marriage with Maria and, despite the passionate desire of Maria Callas to become his legal wife, the wedding between them never took place, although their friendship continued after Onassis’s second marriage to Jacqueline Kennedy.

The romance between the wife of US President John Kennedy and the most influential businessman of the twentieth century begins in 1963 during the lifetime of her husband. The initial contact between them is helped by sister Jacqueline Lee, who became Princess Radziwill, herself by that time Ari’s mistress. The offended Meneghini, who continued to be the husband of Maria Callas, noticed that Onassis had left his Maria for Lee Radziwill. But this was not entirely true. The businessman's object of interest was the president's wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, who was visiting his yacht in the summer of 1963. Jealous Lee informs the president that Jacqueline, unlike Lee, is literally inundated with Onassis gifts, and one of the president’s team notices that Greek stars shone in the eyes of Jackie, as Jacqueline was called.

The death of John Kennedy has a heavy impact on Jacqueline. She carefully preserves the memory of her deceased husband and does everything to perpetuate it. For Americans, she becomes a living legend, symbolizing the highest moral qualities. Her connections with the Kennedy clan also remain, in particular, her friendship with Robert Kennedy, who is also not without reason and hope for the success of the applicant for the presidency of the United States. But the mutual attraction of these two iconic figures of their time - Jacqueline and Onassis - remains.

Despite the objections of the Kennedy clan and the bewilderment of all of America, Jacqueline Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis united their destinies in 1968. In addition to mutual attraction, Jacqueline is impressed by the tankers, planes, and money placed at her disposal. She strives for financial independence and security, which marriage with an influential businessman can give her.

This marriage allows Onassis to once again confidently declare his non-accidental membership in the world elite. The reflection of many stars of the first magnitude, with which Aristotle has very close relations, turns him into a star of the world elite. And the fact that he manages to become one of the richest people in the world, the owner of the world's largest private fleet and much more only strengthens the attraction of his personality, emphasizing his importance not only as the world's largest businessman, but also as one of the most prominent figures of the twentieth century . This marriage allows Onassis to solve some of the practical problems facing him. So, let’s say, a collaboration with the American aluminum giant Alcoe, which was previously unattainable for him, is immediately realized after his wedding with Jacqueline.

Of course, the marriage of Onassis and Jacqueline Kennedy cannot be considered happy, or even simply successful. Each of them got what they wanted and continued to live their own lives. When Onassis died in 1975, only his daughter Christina was at his deathbed. By this time, the son dies in a plane crash, and Jacqueline, the day before his death, flies to one of her many acquaintances. Although Jacqueline was 23 years younger than Onassis, she did not outlive him by much and died of cancer in 1994. Her last years were brightened by the love and understanding that her closeness with the famous diamond dealer Maurice Tempelsman brought her. Finally, instead of the eternal pursuit of fame, money, position in society, she finds something that makes a woman and a man happy.

Thus, we see that Onassis skillfully uses unconventional management resources not so much to directly increase his capital, he is already one of the richest people in the world, but to increase his own social status, influence, fame, what today is commonly called image .

Many political and public figures of our time, in order to maintain their image or increase their popularity among voters, resort to the services of political strategists to organize what is today called PR. Onassis also resorts to their services. When he simultaneously has to fight legal cases regarding his activities in the United States, defend ships seized during the conflict with the Peruvian government, and conduct difficult negotiations on oil transportation contracts with Saudi Arabia, not very flattering publications begin to appear in the press, presenting him as not adhering to any principles of a financial pirate that tramples the rights of both individuals and entire states.

To stem the wave of unwanted publications, Onassis invites 35-year-old PR specialist Neilson, who manages to organize a series of publications presenting Onassis in a favorable light. Among his brilliant discoveries is the idea to invite representatives of the press to Onassis’s superyacht, who are convinced that no orgies are being held there, but, on the contrary, you can have a very pleasant time, and its owner brings tangible benefits to society through his activities.

Onassis' face as a businessman has been saved in the eyes of the public. Neilson, who managed to effectively defend the honor of his employer, becomes his adviser and public relations consultant, representing his interests even in the business world.

But the main problems associated with constant growth his social status, he decides himself, finding and implementing brilliant PR ideas. Isn’t a brilliant and superbly implemented PR idea, in addition to what was discussed above, his friendship with the living legend of the 20th century, Winston Churchill, who lasted for 7 years until his death, who spends a lot of time with obvious pleasure on the yacht “Christina”? There everything is put at his service and his every wish is fulfilled. Ari literally basks in the glory of the great politician, accompanying him and becoming a full participant in meetings and receptions organized in honor of Winston Churchill.

In any foreign port, the yacht with Winston Churchill on board was greeted by royalty, heads of government and their ministers, governors and ambassadors.

During only one of the receptions, in addition to Winston Churchill, there were former British Prime Minister Anthony Eden, future US President John Kennedy, and leading representatives of Wall Street on board the Christina.

When, at the invitation of the Churchill couple, Ari, as Churchill calls him, and his wife Tina arrive at Chartwell, the lord's famous castle in Kent, the crowd greets them with shouts in which Churchill's name is interspersed with Onassis's.

Naturally, such extensive connections with the greats of this world are not cheap, they require an investment of your own time, energy and significant financial resources, which today we would call investments in human relations.

Aristotle Onassis throughout his long and active life in business and social activities maintains a love for non-standard, precisely calculated ideas and their implementation. It is they, first of all, in combination with powerful financial and other management resources that ensure its effectiveness in business. For the rest of his life, he retains a love for calculated risks, the desire to play a big game and achieve winnings. You could even say that Ari has a penchant for big, risky games, not only in business, but also in the literal sense of the word.

After the end of World War II, the Principality of Monaco, a dwarf state in the center of Europe, could not get back on its feet. Organized back in the 11th century, the “Sea Bathing Society” established a gambling house, which became a world-famous casino, around which the entire city of Monte Carlo grew up. The Company also owned five hotels, bowling alleys, golf courses, and sports clubs. Two world wars sharply reduced the flow of visitors and tourists. The founders of the “Sea Bathing Society” are seriously concerned about its future fate.

Monaco's gambling business, on the verge of bankruptcy, attracts the attention of Aristotle Onassis, who is rapidly increasing his power. Having made the necessary calculations, he decides to take the gambling business under his wing, which, as his instinct as a successful businessman tells him, can soon bring significant profits. Thus, Onassis decides to go beyond the shipping business that has already become familiar to him.

Playing an increasingly significant role in the business world, Onassis does not have much difficulty in arranging a meeting with Prince Rainier, the ruler of the Principality of Monaco, who belongs to the rather ancient Grimaldi dynasty ruling there. At the meeting, he shows the calculations made to the prince, promising to return Monaco to its former splendor. The businessman's offer seems quite tempting to Prince Rainier and he supports his plans.

Onassis begins to negotiate with the founders of the Sea Bathing Society. Indeed, among other things, he decides to transfer his headquarters to a principality that is favorably disposed towards him, since, in addition, taxes in this dwarf state turn out to be very lenient

The delighted founders offer Onassis to purchase a large block of shares. He agrees, but at the same time instructs his representatives on the stock exchange to buy shares of the company through nominees. By the time the deal is concluded, he has 52% of the shares in his hands. Thus, Onassis becomes, in essence, the owner of this dwarf state, having laid out a relatively small amount of only 1 million US dollars.

This time too, the instinct does not deceive the great businessman. Thanks to his ability to benefit from everything, adhering to the principle “ maximum effect at minimum costs”, Monaco’s gambling business begins to flourish and bring significant dividends to Onassis, Prince Rainier, and the population of Monaco.

He helps Prince Rainier improve his own shaky financial situation by arranging his marriage to wealthy American film star Grace Kelly. But, as often happens, good deeds are not always followed by gratitude. Having risen to his feet thanks to the support of Onassis, Prince Rainier gradually begins to feel irritated at the significant, and in fact leading, role that he began to play in Monaco. This ultimately leads to the fact that Prince Rainier enters into an agreement with quite influential forces and Onassis is forced to concede profitable business, selling their shares at a price at least three times their cost. But this will happen only back in 1967, when the capital invested by Onassis will pay for itself many times over, and its owner will have new gigantic prospects for business development, incl. and gambling.

From the point of view of a successful businessman, the gambling business is, of course, another successful investment of capital that pays for itself many times over and provides large profits, perhaps not even always advertised in full. In addition, there is what we call business diversification. When conducting business involving risk, investing capital in various areas of activity is not only justified, but also vital, since fortune is changeable, which leads to alternating downturns and upswings.

The ancient Greek poet Archilochus described the constant change of fortune very precisely: “know what rhythm governs the affairs of people.” And if one type of business is not experiencing better times, then the other is experiencing a rise. After all, they always strive to invest capital in a project that brings reliable income. Therefore, fortunately, the streak of failure in a well-run business is, as a rule, shorter than the streak of success. And failure in one area of ​​activity can be more than compensated for by success in another. Therefore, diversification in business is the key to reliable business management.

However, for Onassis, diversification is also a style and a way of life in business, which makes it complete and rich. After all, a calculated risk followed by a win is exactly what brings the greatest success in business, due to which it is possible to get ahead of a competitor.

And now we enter the realm of assumptions and logical guesses. As you know, the gambling business often turns out to be associated with crime, and if it is large-scale, with the mafia. Therefore, one cannot be completely sure that this area of ​​Onassis’s activity was free from interaction with the mafia. Moreover, in his previous cases he did not always limit himself to strict adherence to the letter of the law. Especially in the part that related to taxation or, sometimes very intense competition. Unfortunately, we cannot say that ethics and law-abiding were the most strengths Ari.

Apparently, this is what gave rise to rumors that later spread about the multimillionaire’s involvement in the activities of the mafia. Moreover, he is credited with leading the mafia. According to this version, the most notorious murder of the century - the assassination of US President John Kennedy and the subsequent skillful concealment of traces of this murder - was his work. Today, the previously secret “Jemstone File”, containing over 1000 pages, has become widely public, which, as G.V. writes. Khlebnikov not only exposes his key role in mafia structures, smuggling of alcohol and drugs, but also in world politics. The authorship of this document is attributed to the American Bruce Roberts, who participated in the project to create artificial rubies for laser weapons, thanks to personal contacts who gained access to this top-secret information. Anyone can find this document today on the Internet.

Indeed, even in Argentina, having received the status of Greek consul, Onassis interacts with shadow business, trading tobacco and conducting profitable transactions with financial assets on the black market. And in the future, sometimes, he conducts business “on the verge of a foul.” The scale of its activities and the exceptional influence it exerts on various spheres of business life in the world, including political, may well provide food for this kind of rumors, often indirectly confirmed by facts. However, was this really so? Perhaps the future will provide an answer to this question, since none of the official commissions that investigated the assassination of the American president, to this day, and almost forty years have passed, have yet been able to answer it.

We set ourselves the task of analyzing the activities of this undoubtedly outstanding businessman of the twentieth century, of which he was a representative. Unfortunately, the 20th century, from the point of view of ethics, law-abidingness, and humanity, did not always provide us with models worthy of imitation. It is enough to recall two world wars, not counting the Cold War, which, in addition to the obvious non-compliance with universal human values ​​and interests, brought to humanity millions of lost lives, crippled destinies, and gave rise to generations of people who later began to be called lost.

Onassis lived, acted and achieved outstanding success according to the laws of his, sometimes cruel, time.

However, let us return to the analysis of the managerial activities of Aristotle Onassis. The ability to take risks, but to take risks in such a way that it is followed by a win, is one of the main professional skills of an effective manager. Where there is no risk, as a rule, there is no serious gain, just as there is no significant advancement in business. Ari, who had never sat down at a gambling table himself, was nevertheless a successful gambler in business and in life, making very large bets.

However, what made Onassis was not so much the ability to take risks, but the ability to effectively implement what we today call strategic management of his vast and multifaceted business empire.

For the largest tanker fleet owner special meaning has timely provision of its fleet with orders that would not only justify the costs of its acquisition, but also bring tangible profits. The main cargo for tanker transportation is, of course, oil. Therefore, the conclusion of contracts for its transportation is of paramount importance for Onassis. And he manages to solve this problem, not least thanks to the exclusive rights he received to transport oil produced in Saudi Arabia, which is increasingly entering the international market.

Onassis creates a new company, “Saudi Arabian Maritime Tanker Company,” specifically for the transportation of Saudi oil, which is preparing to carry out large-scale transportation.

However, here the interests of Onassis come into conflict with the interests of the world's largest oil producers and, above all, with the all-powerful ARAMCO, whose owners are also members of the International Oil Cartel, which controlled oil refining and marketing. After all, ARAMCO, which also has its own tanker fleet, not only controls and carries out oil transportation, but also controls oil production on the Arabian Peninsula. The shares of this company belong to such whales of the business world as Standard Oil, Standard Oil of California, TEXACO, and Mobile Oil.

Of course, combat with such giants is dangerous and fraught with the most unexpected dangers. Anyone inferior to them in power faces destruction in the business world.

However, Onassis decides to enter into this battle, which later became known as the “battle of giants.” This decision is undoubtedly of a strategic nature, because its consequences, both in case of failure and in case of success, can be irreversible.

Retaliatory steps from the mighty ARAMCO were not long in coming. A boycott is declared against Onassis's tanker fleet. All of his numerous companies are losing contracts. After all, the production, refining, marketing, and transportation of oil are in the hands of the owners of ARAMCO, and the vital interests of the United States are behind them!

Onassis's response was to “admit” his guilt to the oil giants and compensate for the losses they suffered, which were considerable. But the oil giants, in turn, cannot help but recognize Ari’s growing influence. He was forgiven, and mutually beneficial cooperation continued. The status quo has been restored.

However, Onassis does not reconcile himself with his defeat, even if it did not entail tangible losses. And when the relationship between ARAMCO and Saudi Arabia soon begins to be considered in the courts in Zurich, after careful consultation with lawyers, he takes the plunge with a new brilliant idea. He informs ARAMCO representatives that its boycott is a violation of antitrust laws, and the company could face triple damages, which Onassis estimates at over $500 million. The possible loss of two billion dollars is a serious argument even for ARAMCO. Complete mutual understanding and friendly relations are achieved between ARAMCO and Onassis, to the deep surprise of the rest of the world.

We can rightfully say that Onassis is winning this “battle of giants.” The problem of orders for its tanker fleet has been resolved.

Yes, Onassis adopted a strategy of investing in the development of the tanker fleet and gradually increasing its overall capacity. However, the emerging problem of realizing the demand for a large-capacity tanker fleet and supplying it with orders for oil transportation is met with resistance from the powerful ARAMCO company. The obstacle that arises is overcome with the help of specially taken measures and a favorable combination of circumstances. The tanker fleet is provided with the necessary orders. It is possible to ensure its effective functioning and prospects for further development. This is a fairly typical situation for what we call strategic management today. We see that Onassis is fluent in his technologies. After all, the main thing in strategic management is strategic success, the achievement of planned strategic goals.

Of course, the management of Onassis's gigantic business empire in the initial period of its existence was based on the analytical abilities of Ari himself, his excellent memory, and ability to conduct business. However, soon the scale of his growing business and the ability to manage it, limited by real standards of control, made direct personal management, if not all, but only the most important of the affairs and problems that needed to be solved, difficult and clearly insufficient.

Therefore, Onassis brings his business management system in line with modern management technologies. Market conditions are monitored, forecasts are developed, and analytical reports and reports. At the same time, his managers learn to express the most important information concisely, taking into account the limited time of their boss, fitting it on one page of printed text. Complex management situations are simulated, and various scenarios are played out when preparing a decision. alternative options and the most preferable one, leading to the goal with the least cost, is selected. Experts are used skillfully.

But the most effective management technology remains Onassis’s unsurpassed art of finding solutions leading to success in seemingly hopeless situations.

Gradually, significant managerial potential accumulates in the hands of Aristotle Onassis. His business extends to many areas of activity, covering, in addition to the tanker fleet, shipyards, diamond mines, oil production, and many other areas of activity.

In terms of wealth, Onassis surpasses Rockefeller, and in terms of influence he is one of the most influential people in the world.

So the Greek government of Karamanlis transfers to him the ownership and management of the leading Greek airlines. The head of the Greek government, Papandreou, who tried to deprive Onassis's companies of tax benefits, loses his post. The regime of the “black colonels” opens up a wide field of investment activity for him. He is building oil refineries, a large aluminum plant, a power plant, chemical enterprises, hotels, campsites, and sports facilities. He enters into a lucrative agreement with the South African government for oil exploration in Namibia. Carries out large oil transportation under agreements with the Israeli government. He also successfully cooperates with major American corporations such as the aluminum giant Alcoa and Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, with leading Wall Street companies, not to mention the oil shipping business.

Onassis formulated his credo as follows: “As a Greek, I belong to the West. As a ship owner - to capitalism. My favorite country is the one that provides me with maximum tax immunity and imposes the least financial restrictions.”

But we are interested in Aristotle Onassis, first of all, as one of the most significant managers of the twentieth century in business, who enriched management practice with fundamentally new and effective management technologies. The management system of his gigantic business empire turned out to be extremely effective.

Perhaps the management style of Aristotle Onassis was not always ideal from the standpoint of business ethics. But those who are looking for ways to improve the management of their own or those entrusted to them to manage a business should certainly be familiar with the methods effective management business. which led him to the heights of managerial success.

Aristotle Socrates Onassis (Aristotelis Socrates Onassis; Greek: Αριστοτέλης Ωνάσης). Born on January 15 (according to other sources, 20) January 1906 - died March 15, 1975. Greek shipowner, billionaire.

Born in Smyrna (now Izmir, Türkiye). Since 1932, he began to engage in the shipbuilding business and in the 1950s he began to be the first to build supertankers. A shipping magnate and international businessman who has built a fleet of supertankers and cargo ships larger than the navies of many countries.

Although the Onassis family was a fairly wealthy family of tobacco dealers, it lost almost its entire fortune in 1922 when Smyrna (modern-day Izmir), then a Greek city, was taken by the Turks. Having fled from Smyrna to Greece, the family sent Onassis to South America in search of a better life.

In Buenos Aires, Onassis became a night port dispatcher and, with the help of family friends, started a business importing tobacco during the day. He increased the use of imported oriental tobacco in Argentina from 10 to 35% and after two years earned $100,000 from a 5% commission on the tobacco trade.

The Greek government noticed Onassis and invited him to negotiate a trade agreement with Argentina in 1928 and then made him consul general. His business activities expanded to include the production of cigarettes and other consumer goods. At the age of 25, Onassis made his first million dollars.

In 1932, Onassis bought his first six cargo ships from a Canadian firm for $120,000. He used two of these ships until larger capacity ships became available and then purchased others. Onassis built his first tanker in 1938 and acquired two even larger ones by the start of World War II. His empire grew and his fleet expanded throughout the 1940s and 1950s.

In the mid-50s, he bought 17 new tankers in one year. In 1953, he also paid $1 million for a controlling interest in the Societe des Bains de Mer, which owned the Monte Carlo casino, theaters, hotels and other real estate.

From 1957 to 1974 he was the owner and manager of Olympic Airways, the Greek national airline concessioned to him by the Greek government.

Aristotle Onassis family:

His first wife in 1946 was Athina Livanos, daughter of shipping magnate Stavros Livanos; this marriage ended in divorce in 1960.

For a long time, Onassis was close to the opera diva Maria Callas.

In 1968 he married the widow of US President J. Kennedy, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy.

Onassis's only son Alexander died in a plane crash on January 21, 1973 at the age of 25.

His luxury yacht, Christina O, named after his daughter, heir to 2/3 of his estate, was called by some a “floating palace” and served for several years as his permanent residence.

Christina herself was married four times (including a marriage with Sergei Kauzov, a citizen of the USSR and an employee of Sovfracht. The marriage was concluded in the summer of 1978 in Moscow and lasted 16 months). Died on November 19, 1988 in Buenos Aires at the age of 37 under unclear circumstances.

After Christina's death, the Onassis empire passed to her daughter Athena Roussel (born in the last, fourth marriage of Christina Onassis, concluded in 1983 with the Frenchman Thierry Roussel). According to the European Myasthenya gravis Association, Aristotle Onassis is one of the most famous people in the world who suffered from myasthenia gravis.

This fact is very, very important for huge amount patients with this disease all over the world. Since this demonstrates the ability of a person, even with such a serious neurological disease, to lead an active lifestyle, engage in effective entrepreneurial activity, have a rich personal life.

According to Onassis's will, he left 55% of the inheritance to his daughter Christina Onassis, and transferred 45% to the establishment of the Alexander Onassis Foundation.

There are people who cannot be treated unambiguously. They excite minds and cause envy. Their life is filled with contradictions and exciting events. Perhaps there was no such interesting, enterprising and talented person in history who would have had the same colossal influence in economic circles as Aristotle Onassis . The billionaire achieved stunning success with his piercing mind, refined taste and extraordinary intuition.

As a child, Aristotle Onassis, born in the winter of 1906, had a rather attractive prospect. Like Father Socrates, the boy was named with a loud, memorable name. His father was a tobacco dealer in the Greek city of Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey) and expected his eldest son to graduate from Oxford University and take his place in the family business. But plans changed dramatically with the advent of the First World War. By 1922, Smyrna was occupied by the Turks and practically exterminated - in six days the city was turned into ruins. Father Onassis supporting Greek army money, arrested. The growing Aristotle took full responsibility for the family left without a breadwinner. Having understood the power of money as a boy, thanks to bribery he was able to get to his father’s destroyed office, where $5,000 was kept in a steel box. Having distributed it wisely - $3,000 for the release of his father, $2,000 - for a bribe to the American vice-consul in Smyrna so that he helped transport the Onassis to Greece - he found protection for his family. But arriving home did not bring the long-awaited relief, as Greece was experiencing significant economic difficulties.

Possessing a sharp mind and analytical thinking, Aristotle saw no further prospects and decided to go abroad. In August 1923, Onassis took a cargo ship to South America, heading to the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires with a clear plan.

BE THE BEST AT ANY COST

Upon arrival in Argentina, young Onassis took on any job, while simultaneously studying Italian and spanish languages. A year later, with knowledge of five languages, he got a job at a subsidiary of a huge American trust, which controlled the South American telephone network. Sticking to his plan, Aristotle spent the first money he earned on decent clothes. The image of a prosperous and promising man created by the young man gave him the opportunity to get into an elite yacht club, where he could move in high circles, which simplified the search for useful connections. Living on his last pennies, Aristotle begins to intensively promote tobacco products, the trade of which his father resumed in Greece. The Greek product, unknown on the Argentine market, was introduced to members of the yacht club, many of whom were major importers. Thanks to this, just two years later, in 1927, Onassis filled a third of the tobacco market with products Greek origin, earning about $100,000 from it.

Later, the tobacco magnate launched the production of a brand of cigars already well-known in Argentina, but the true owners of the factory, naturally, sue for such liberties. It is not surprising that in the future, Onassis’s methods of doing business and eliminating competitors provoked opponents to file lawsuit after lawsuit. For example, once, in order to receive an insurance payment, an entire batch of tobacco was doused with sea water to deteriorate the quality of the product. In addition, a strong-smelling substance was injected into each pack of products from other manufacturers, which made the tobacco unsuitable for smoking. Soon, Onassis's products become almost the only well-known brand, bringing more and more income to its owner. But such success was not enough for the young and ambitious businessman. He couldn't just be a good entrepreneur, he had to be the best.

BUSINESSMAN WITHOUT BORDERS

Love and proximity to the sea contributed to Onassis in his further development. Having taken a risk when buying a sunken rusty tanker, after it was repaired and resold, he won $50,000 on the deal. Realizing the correctness of his chosen direction, he decided to become a ship owner. The businessman did not forget about the tobacco business, it’s just that his ships were now taking wheat, wool, and raw leather from America to Europe, bringing their considerable share to the owner’s capital. Consequently, 25-year-old Aristotle Onassis became the youngest millionaire, having reached this peak on his own. Thus, thanks to persistence in solving problems with duties on goods in Greece, after meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, a long-term trade agreement between Greece and Argentina was signed. And subsequently, the Greek government also appointed him consul general. In 1931, taking advantage of the global crisis, he bought Canadian ships at a low price - out of despair, the owners of the merchant fleet sold six ships for $120,000, despite the fact that they cost $100,000 each . This was the beginning of a whole commercial fleet of the empire of Aristotle Socrates Onassis. Later, Onassis found work for only two of them, who began sailing under the flags of Panama and Liberia.

This allowed us to reduce taxes and save on employee salaries. The maintenance of these two tankers cost half as much as one ship of other countries.

Later, the brilliant businessman was one of the first to understand all the advantages and prospects of using oil, even though at that time it was inferior in volume to coal production. Despite this, Onassis ordered a tanker with a 15,000-ton displacement from Sweden, which he named Ariston. Following it, two more tankers were built - Aristophanes and Buenos Aires.

Thanks to Panama's "most favored nation" flag, it transported oil much cheaper than its competitors. During World War II, most of Onassis's cargo ships made huge money. What is suspicious is that they did not succumb to torpedoes and bombing by enemy forces. Of the 450 ships sunk, 360 belonged to the Greek fleet, of which only one was Onassis - and he was paid insurance for it. Such coincidences attracted the attention of the FBI; whose representatives, however, did not find the slightest evidence of his guilt. Whether this person had demonic luck or just very good connections will remain a mystery.

At the end of the war, Aristotle Onassis had $30 million in his accounts. With such capital, he entered the clan of future billionaires by marrying the daughter of the owner of the world’s largest fleet, Tina Livanos. Many tankers purchased at a sale in the American fleet were registered in his wife’s name. The legality of many transactions was questionable, and they were concluded solely through bribes. Despite the fact that many did not like Onassis’s behavior in business, their nagging did not have any impact on the balance of power. The money that the millionaire spared no expense in bribing did its job.

In one year during the 1950s, Onassis purchased seventeen new tankers. In 1953, he acquired a controlling stake in the Societe des Bains de Mer company for $1 million. This company owned casinos, hotels, theaters and other real estate in Monte Carlo. In 1957-1974, Onassis was the manager and owner of Olympic Airways, the national Greek airline, transferred to him by decree of the Greek government.

Thus, through endless speculation and business manipulation, the entrepreneur became a famous shipping magnate, king of the oil fleet and international businessman

BILLIONAIRE'S WOMEN

Aristotle Onassis loved a beautiful, luxurious life, of which women were an integral part. He chose the most desirable and enviable ladies. Onassis had a reputation as a love rake who never missed an opportunity to hit on the next beauty, acting on the principle he knew: you have to pay for everything, and the best acquaintances are people with advantageous economic and political positions. Even before his marriage in 1934, Onassis bewitched the daughter of a Norwegian shipping magnate, Ingeborg Dedichen, not so much with his money as with his tenacity and passion. Thanks to this, the world of international shipping companies was open to him, even despite the breakdown of their relationship.

Having settled down, at the age of 45, Aristotle fell in love with the enviable 16-year-old beauty Tina Livanos. Despite the huge age difference and the resistance of the bride's father, this marriage was initially a happy union and gave the couple two children - a son, Alexander, and a daughter, Christina. Onassis's yacht was named in honor of his daughter, which was considered his residence and which was visited by such famous and influential people, like Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Elizabeth Taylor, Winston Churchill and John Kennedy and his wife.

Over time, Aristotle began to have fun again and at the Venetian ball he did not take his eyes off the opera singer Maria Callas. At the next meeting, already on the yacht "Christina", despite their spouses, they succumbed to passion. Onassis, like Tina, gave her a diamond bracelet with the engraving “I love you”, only changing the capital letter T to M. Naturally, the millionaire’s wife filed for divorce after such a daring and open betrayal.

In 1968, after a long courtship, John Kennedy's widow Jacqueline agreed to marry a rich man, whose marriage entailed only losses. Callas lost her voice, Jacqueline herself lost her friends, who condemned her, an intelligent and noble woman, due to her “full wallet.”

Five years later, Onassis's only son crashed on a plane, his first wife Tina committed suicide, and after that Aristotle was diagnosed with an incurable diagnosis - myasthenia gravis.

Onassis died in 1975, leaving 55% of his acquired property to his daughter. But at the age of 37, the heiress also died, and all the property was transferred to the billionaire’s minor granddaughter Athena Roussel. The remaining 45% of the bequeathed property went to the formation of a cultural and educational foundation named after his son Alexander Onassis. This foundation still operates and promotes Greek culture. In addition, thanks to Aristotle, Athens acquired the Onassis Medical Center for Cardiac Surgery, which helped many people recover. So, having lived a fairly rich and fruitful life, Aristotle Onassis left behind millions that never brought happiness to his family.

Onassis Aristotle

(b. 1906 - d. 1975)

Greek shipowner, billionaire.

His financial success was as significant as his success with women.

The name of one of the richest people in the world, Aristotle Onassis, was covered in legends during his lifetime. They arose thanks to the extraordinary fate of the Greek billionaire, and his extraordinary character, and, of course, his countless love affairs, which all of Europe and America knew about. Onassis strove to be the first in everything - in business, love, advertising his own life - and he almost always succeeded.

The famous tycoon, an international businessman who built a huge fleet of supertankers and cargo ships, was born in 1906. He came from a wealthy family of tobacco dealers who did business in the then Greek city of Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey). In 1922, Smyrna was captured by the Turks, and the Onassis family was forced to flee, losing almost all their accumulated wealth. In search of a means of a comfortable existence, young Aristotle

Onassis went to South America, where he very soon discovered extraordinary commercial abilities. It was said that when the ship arrived in Buenos Aires, his wallet contained no more than a hundred dollars. For about a year, the future billionaire did odd jobs in the port, until he finally got a job as an electrician in the Argentine branch of the American telephone company ITT.

Onassis's first successful deal was the import of Greek tobacco into the Argentine market. After some time, Aristotle began repairing a half-sunken old tanker he had purchased. Thus began his career as a shipowner, his “star journey” to the top of world business. By the mid-70s. the Greek's fortune exceeded $1.5 billion. Onassis then owned a powerful merchant fleet, including 50 large-capacity ships, including 15 tankers, as well as capital investments amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars in companies in the USA and Western Europe.

What helped Onassis to fly so high? Among the features of his character were amazing energy, perseverance and amazing performance. He was also distinguished by enviable health. In his younger years, Onassis slept no more than 3–4 hours, devoting the rest of his time to work. Aristotle was also helped by his penchant for various adventures, risk, and unscrupulousness in his means.

Onassis's energy amazed his contemporaries. He managed to conclude contracts, monitor the passage of ships, maintain complex accounting, take part in numerous negotiations and at the same time find time for love and pleasure. Moreover, the successful businessman with surprising ease won the hearts of women - from simple fisherwomen to A-list stars, fascinated by the magnetism of his personality. At the same time, Ari’s credo, as his friends called him, was simple to the point of cynicism: “In bed, I don’t want stupid conversations. No questions like: “Did you have as good a time as I did?” He was always guided by the principle: only what “benefits me” matters. And one remark is appropriate here. Despite many love affairs, Onassis had serious relationships only with women of high society, since, in addition to sensual pleasures, he also sought to have practical benefits.

An example of this is his short-term romance in Buenos Aires with the 35-year-old prima of the Italian opera Claudia Muzillo. Having become Claudia's lover, the young and enterprising Onassis persuaded her to appear in public smoking a cigarette of his production. And since in the 20s. XX century Since it was considered the height of indecency for a woman to smoke in society, it was impossible to think of a better advertisement to increase the demand for tobacco products. Moreover, it’s free!

An affair with the daughter of the owner of a flotilla of whaling ships, a young Norwegian, Ingeborg Dediehen, also turned out to be very opportune for Onassis. He met her on board a transatlantic liner in 1934. True, Miss Dediechen herself, who had lost her father, did not have a crown to her name at that time, but among Scandinavian shipbuilders the Ingeborg family had great weight. And it was not difficult for the clever Onassis, who at that time owned several ships and was developing a program for building his own tanker fleet, to make important contacts through her in the shipyards of Scandinavia.

This whirlwind romance lasted quite a long time, almost twelve years, but never led to marriage. Inga admired Onassis as a lover, was crazy about his skin, passionate kisses, but at the same time she also knew wild southern jealousy. She later said that he was even jealous of her own shadow. Moreover, scenes of jealousy were often accompanied by beatings. When Onassis raised his hand to Inga for the first time, she did not attach any serious importance to it and even admired his professional blows, which did not leave the slightest trace on his body. But the beatings began to be repeated more and more often, both with and without reason. At the same time, Onassis admitted to his mistress that violence gave him sexual pleasure. He proudly said that the Greeks had it in their blood, and even quoted a cynical proverb: “He who hits well loves well.”

Onassis never decided to marry Ingeborg: the difference in the characters of the lovers was too great. And the frantic passion, reinforced by beatings, eventually began to bore Ingeborg. Besides, who marries mistresses?

After breaking up with Ingeborg Dediechen, Onassis did not remain alone for long, and even seriously thought about getting married. His chosen one was Athena (everyone called her Tina) Livanos, the daughter of the largest Greek shipowner Stavros Livanos. Onassis met her in 1943 in New York at one of the social events and soon proposed to her. True, at that time Tina was only 14 years old, and Onassis had to wait almost three years for his bride to grow up. But still he waited! During this time, by the way, the future father-in-law and future son-in-law scrupulously studied each other's account books.

Aristotle Onassis and Athena Livanos got married in December 1946. One of the wedding gifts to the bride from the groom was a luxurious bracelet with diamonds - with the monogram “TL.L.U”. (Tina. I love you). It should be noted here that Tina was the first of three magnificent women to whom Onassis gave such bracelets. Subsequently, Maria Callas and Jacqueline Kennedy received them in turn. The text on the monogram remained the same, only the names changed.

For 46-year-old Onassis, this marriage was a very profitable deal. He got a lovely girl as his wife, intelligent, well-educated, from a noble Greek family. In addition, Tina was a wealthy heiress, since her father’s fortune amounted to almost $1 billion. As a wedding gift, Livanos gave his future son-in-law a deed of gift for two ships, the value of which exceeded a million dollars. True, when it came to paperwork, it turned out that the father-in-law, to put it mildly, had cheated, and instead of two ships, Onassis got only one.

As for the money Tina received as a dowry, it was invested in the Tina Realty Corporation, specially created by Livanos for this purpose. Of the millions that Livanos refused to his beloved daughter, the young couple received $446 thousand to rent an apartment in New York. The rest of the money of the Tina Realty Corporation was reliably protected by various clauses of the contract from possible attacks by Onassis.

So, family life started quite well. Young Tina, in love with her experienced husband, admired his charm, passion, and inexhaustible ardor for love. A year and a half after the wedding, the Onassis couple had a son, Alexander, and in 1950, a daughter, Christina.

Business was also going very well, and Aristotle was already able to acquire things that even very rich people could not afford. Perhaps the most significant of these expensive acquisitions was a yacht named after his beloved daughter “Christina”. Since 1954, this famous yacht has practically become a real home for Onassis and his family.

Onassis did not spare money for the arrangement and finishing of the “floating palace” the height of a five-story building and 100 meters long. The luxurious salon was decorated with original paintings by El Greco and priceless mosaic paintings of ancient Greek subjects. The smoking room had a fireplace decorated with lapis lazuli, and the bathrooms were decorated with marble. The taps of the ship's water supply system were made of gold, the handrails in the bar were made of ivory, and the parquet flooring was made of precious wood. There was even a landing pad on board for a small plane that could take off directly from the yacht. About 40 people served the numerous guests. Of course, the yacht also had a swimming pool, which could easily be converted into a dance floor.

Celebrities from all over the world constantly visited Christina. At one time, members of royal families, Hollywood “stars” (such as Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly), and leading European politicians vacationed here. Onassis was especially proud of the visit of 80-year-old Winston Churchill, who had already retired by that time. In fact, the famous guests, like the yacht itself, supported Onassis's image as a successful millionaire.

Onassis also indulged in lovemaking on the yacht. This self-confident, charming, energetic Greek practically never received any refusals. Only once did Aristotle admit defeat: despite all his efforts, Greta Garbo remained adamant and did not succumb to his charms.

Onassis's marriage to Tina lasted more than ten years. Until something happened that probably should have been expected from Onassis with his irrepressible energy, passions and ambitions. The name of the woman who captivated him for a long time is Maria Callas, a world famous opera singer. Onassis became seriously interested in her in the summer of 1959 in Venice, where he went with his wife to the annual ball given by Countess Costelbarco. And although everyone's attention was focused on Tina, dressed in a luxurious dress decorated with a garland of diamonds, rubies and emeralds, Onassis did not take his eyes off Maria all evening. Before that, he had met her only once, also in Venice and also at a social event.

He later said that these meetings were historical, “after all, we were the most famous Greeks in the world.”

Admiring Maria, Onassis did not fail to invite the singer and her husband Giovanni Batista Meneghini to “Christina.” Maria initially refused, but it was difficult to resist Onassis’s insistence. In the end, she agreed.

At the very beginning of this significant journey, Onassis and Maria were seized by a real love fever, and they were not prevented by the presence on board the yacht of either Tina or Giovanni, who was literally shocked and very offended. After all, for the sake of Maria Callas, he, a wealthy industrialist from Verona, left his family and business, was a devoted husband for ten years and devoted himself entirely to the career of his young wife. Despite the almost 30-year age difference, everyone considered their marriage successful. And suddenly, on Onassis’s yacht, Maria changed so much! She danced all night long with Aristotle, and later retired with him in his cabin. Of course it was a scandal! And Maria’s husband insisted that they leave the yacht at the nearest port, board a plane and return to Milan.

This cruise was fatal for family life Callas. She fell in love with Onassis so selflessly that for his sake she decided to leave her husband and neglect secular conventions. In one of the interviews, she announced a break with her husband, and in November 1959 an official divorce followed.

Outraged, Tina also filed for divorce. True, by this time the spouses’ relationship had already gone wrong, as evidenced by constant scandals, from which children suffered greatly. Tina had long felt defenseless and weak in front of her husband’s strong, assertive, selfish personality. Onassis's connection with Maria seemed to sum it up not very well happy marriage. The divorce proceedings of the famous couple were lengthy and scandalous and ended in November 1960. Aristotle left his wife part of his multimillion-dollar fortune, and a year and a half later she married an English lord.

From the outside it might seem that Onassis's ambition was now satisfied: he had a famous woman, a voice and amazing beauty which the whole world admired. But something was wrong in this love union, although Mary passionately loved Aristotle. At his request, she could sing for his guests almost all night and at the same time refuse a lucrative contract and performance if Arnie did not want it! She often had to spend long days alone, waiting for her lover, who was always busy with deals. She moved to Paris to “intercept” Onassis during his constant voyages between London and Monte Carlo, where the offices of the billionaire’s empire were located. And she even terminated her pregnancy at a late stage (at seven months!) only because Onassis demanded it. For the sake of love, she sacrificed everything, including her singing career. “I don’t want to sing anymore,” she admitted in one of her interviews. - I want to live. Live like any woman."

Callas dreamed of marriage with Onassis and once even publicly announced that it would take place. However, the very next day Onassis called this statement “just a fantasy.” He loved Maria in his own way, she became the second woman to whom he gave the famous diamond bracelet, changing the first letter T to M, but he did not even think about marrying her. In addition, a woman appeared in his life who was more suitable for the role of Mrs. Onassis. It was the legendary Jacqueline Kennedy, widow of the 35th President of the United States. Onassis later called it “his highest achievement.”

Onassis met Jacqueline back when John Kennedy was a senator. The couple visited the Christina while Winston Churchill was visiting there. While the politicians had lengthy conversations, Onassis showed his charming guest the yacht.

The second time Jacqueline vacationed on the famous yacht was in August 1963. At that time, she lost her third, recently born child, and the Greek tycoon invited her to unwind a little and get rid of depression. John Kennedy was by no means delighted with this cruise, and therefore set a condition: Jacqueline would be accompanied by her sister Lee and the Under Secretary of State for Commerce with her wife.

Onassis did everything possible to make Jacqueline feel comfortable. At her service were two hairdressers, a masseuse, an orchestra played for her, and cooks prepared delicious dishes. The First Lady of America was relaxing, literally basking in luxury. But everything was ruined by the publication on the pages of American newspapers of photographs of Jacqueline walking through the streets of Izmir or relaxing in a bikini with Onassis. They produced the effect of an exploding bomb. The decency of the First Lady's behavior was called into question!

An enraged Kennedy demanded that Jacqueline return home immediately. She refused, but still agreed to accompany him on a campaign trip to Texas, which was to take place in a month. On this fateful trip, 34-year-old Jeanklin became a widow: President Kennedy was shot right in the center of Texas in front of a crowd of thousands. Onassis immediately flew to the funeral. He met Jacqueline again a year after these tragic events, now in his home on Foch Avenue in Paris. He tried so hard to keep this meeting a secret that he even sent away the servants and served at dinner himself. Then Aristotle visited her more and more often in New York, sometimes they dined together in restaurants. And gradually Jackie began to feel safe with this man who had enormous vital energy. She liked that Onassis was very attentive to her and unusually generous. With him, she could talk openly about her failed family life, the death of her child, and the horror she experienced during her husband's murder. In May 1968, she was ready to accept Onassis’s offer to marry him, but asked for a delay until the presidential elections, which her brother was supposed to win dead husband Robert Kennedy. She loved Robert very much and took an active part in his election campaign.

June 5, 1968 happened another tragedy, which struck the Kennedy clan. Robert was fatally shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Jacqueline was horrified. “I hate this damn America, killing its best people. Someday this country will kill me and my children!” - she told her secretary.

And Onassis, having learned about this misfortune, could not hide his joy: “Finally she is free from these Kennedys!” - he exclaimed.

In the end, Onassis achieved what he wanted. On October 20, 1968, his marriage to Jacqueline Kennedy took place on the island of Skorpios in the Aegean Sea. By that time the groom was already 62 years old.

The entire Western press savored this wedding for a whole month. All details were also reported about the “air bridge” through which mountains of tulips were delivered from Holland to Skorpios; and about the armada of ships, day and night unloading food and boxes of drinks in the port of Skorpios; and about a flotilla of motor boats with reporters who tried in vain to break through the blockade ring formed by the patrol ships of Onassis himself and the ships of the Greek navy. A certain brave journalist was not ignored either, who managed to deceive the vigilance of the helicopter pilots covering the island from the air and parachuted down. The cut of the groom's tailcoat, the jewels on the bride's wedding dress, the diamond bracelet with the monogram "J.I.L.Y"; guests who were honored to attend the “wedding of the century”; and even the massacre of journalists at the Athens airport, where police obedient to Onassis broke the cameras of hundreds of reporters who rushed to cover the arrival of the bride from New York - all this was presented as a world sensation.

The “young”, despite the fact that the bride was a Catholic, got married according to Orthodox rite. There were few guests - the closest relatives and business partners, about 30 people in total. And of course, no press!

Members of the Kennedy family ignored this wedding. Rose Kennedy, the mother of the assassinated president, found the strength to congratulate her now former daughter-in-law over the phone and wish her happiness, but when she hung up the phone, she began to cry. Ethel, the widow of Robert Kennedy, with whom Jacqueline was very friendly, sent a congratulatory telegram, but, like the rest of the family, did not come to the wedding.

America perceived Jacqueline Kennedy's marriage as a national tragedy. For all their democracy, the Americans were never able to accept such a blatant misalliance. The newspapers wrote: “A magnificent masterpiece fell from its pedestal, and it turned out that it was made of flesh and blood. Jacqueline is no longer a mystical symbol of the tragedy of the nation, she is just a woman.”

And yet, why did Onassis need the brilliant Jacqueline? Why did he leave Maria Callas and turn his children against him, since Christina and Alexander did not want to see another woman besides their mother next to their father?

The press stated directly: out of vanity, a wealthy Greek who owned a tanker fleet comparable to that of a major maritime power and half of the gambling business in Monte Carlo bought himself the most famous woman in the world. Indeed, marrying Jacqueline Kennedy was just a profitable deal: Onassis provided his wife with financial independence and security for her and her children, while she introduced her husband to the transcendental high society of America, which was so necessary for his business. Their marriage contract, which contained 170 clauses, complied with the best merchant canons. It was more like a regular charter agreement, under which the vessel is provided for use at rates that fluctuate depending on the season. Here are just a few examples. Immediately after the wedding, Jacqueline received 3 million dollars and one million was put in the name of her children. If Onassis leaves her, she will receive 10 million dollars for each year they lived together; if Onassis turns out to be abandoned (but only after five years of family life), then monetary compensation to her will be 18.75 million dollars. In the event of her husband's death, she was to receive $200,000 annually...

Journalists voluptuously described the countless expenses of the new Mrs. Onassis, which stunned ordinary people and increased newspaper circulation. Jacqueline buys containers of shoes and underwear, purchases clothing collections of the best couturiers for fabulous money, sable fur coats worth 60,000 thousand dollars each, unique jewelry made by jewelers in a single copy, yachts... Jacqueline drives Rolls-Royces, flies on private jets , has bodyguards, she has at her disposal luxurious villas in Paris, Morocco, Italy - with well-trained staff and silent secretaries who keep any secret...

But finding pleasure in crazy spending, Jacqueline did not feel happy in the presence of Onassis; rather, she was a stranger to him. Her husband’s behavior and habits irritated and even depressed her; they seemed a mockery of her refined taste, restrained demeanor, and inscrutability that hid her vulnerability. Onassis was, as they say, “simple to the point,” he loved noisy fun, broad gestures, was impulsive, and did not hide his emotions. She and Jacqueline were so different that they preferred to spend time apart. She is in Paris and New York, he is in Greece. Or vice versa.

Later newspapers asked: “Was Fortune jealous of Aristotle’s last trophy and decided to take revenge on his favorite? Or did Jacqueline Kennedy bring misfortune with her? Be that as it may, starting in 1969, the luck that had accompanied Onassis for so long in business and in love suddenly turned away from him. His financial empire began to collapse. He was forced to abandon the operation of a third of his fleet and the construction of new supertankers that had already been ordered. In addition, his other brainchild, Olympic Airways, was under threat of bankruptcy.

Some ominous fate began to haunt his family and relatives. In January 1973, his son Alexander died in a plane crash (he himself was sitting at the helm), who adored the sky as much as his father did the sea. In one night after the news of his son's death, Onassis turned into an old man. That same fateful year of 1973, Tina, his first wife, passed away, believed to be due to a drug overdose. Daughter Christina, who hated Jacqueline, finally quarreled with her, ran away from home and married an elderly womanizer.

And Jacqueline, as it turned out, was not the ideal that Onassis was looking for. If at the beginning of the marriage he did not see anything reprehensible in his wife’s enormous spending, admired her irresistible beauty, femininity and charm and said complacently: “She suffered a lot, let her now buy what she wants,” then over time the enthusiasm subsided. As the bills grew, Onassis became less and less generous: “What is she doing with all these rags? - now he asked. "I've never seen her in anything other than jeans." Onassis was not very pleased with the photographs of his wife in tabloid magazines: once the paparazzi even captured Mrs. Kennedy - Onassis in the nude.

But Jacqueline dealt him the strongest blow when, in February 1970, American newspapers published her intimate letter to her previous lover Rodzwill Gilpatrick, written during her honeymoon with Onassis. “...I remember everything,” she wrote, “what we talked about, dear Ros. I think that you also understand what place you occupied, occupy and will occupy in my life. Loving you Jackie." Onassis was furious: “God, what a laughingstock I’ve made of myself!”

Disappointed with his wife, Onassis even hired a lawyer to begin divorce proceedings. But the tragic death of Alexander pushed everything else into the background. Onassis is tired of fighting. From a cheerful and energetic businessman and ardent lover, he turned into a decrepit old man who was overcome by all sorts of ailments. Broken by illness and grief, Aristotle Onassis died on March 15, 1975 in an American hospital in Paris, nine months short of his 70th birthday.

This is how the man whose life and deeds were compared by journalists with the deeds of a real monarch ended his earthly days. True, Onassis himself said that in the world in which he was born and raised, there is something more important and significant than a scepter, a crown or the presidential chair. And he cited his favorite commandment, which he followed all his life: “The only thing that is taken into account today is money. Those who possess them are the true kings of our days."

Aristotle Onassis divided his millions between his 24-year-old daughter Christina and a fund established in memory of his son who died in a plane crash. Jacqueline was not even mentioned in the will. After eighteen months of persistent negotiations with Christina Onassis, she received only $26 million, while agreeing to completely sever ties with the Onassis family.

Immediately after the death of her second husband, Jacqueline, whom Christina called “the black widow who brings misfortune,” made an official statement: “Aristotle Onassis saved me at a time when my life was plunged into darkness. He meant a lot to me. We shared wonderful moments together that I will never forget and for which I am forever grateful.”

Still remaining in the public eye, Jacqueline fiercely defended her private life from the intrusive press, in which the famous jeweler and owner of South African diamond mines, Maurice Tempelsman, appeared. The ex-wife outlived Onassis by twenty years and died in the early spring of 1994 from cancer of the lymph glands, having managed to become a grandmother twice. But in the memory of Americans this amazing woman remained not as Mrs. Onassis, but as Jacqueline Kennedy.

And Christina Onassis, who changed several husbands and led a rather chaotic lifestyle, died in November 1988. The body of the daughter of a Greek tycoon was found by police in the house of her school friend. Doctors declared death from a heart attack, but Christina’s acquaintances and friends believe that she took too much of a drug.

As for Maria Callas, the shock of the break with Onassis was so strong for her that she lost her magnificent voice. What could be worse for such a great singer like her?! Maria spoke bitterly about the relationship between Aristotle and Jacqueline: “He collects famous women. He pursued me because I was famous. Now he has found an object more suitable to his vanity - the widow of the US President! And I lost everything, like Medea, the heroine of my most beloved opera, by believing in his Love!” Although after Onassis’s marriage they continued to meet, she never forgave his betrayal. The tabloid press even reported that Maria allegedly cursed her lover for betrayal and for the death of their unborn child.

Maria Callas died at the end of 1977 at the age of 53. She ended her earthly days living in a luxurious Parisian apartment in complete solitude, brightened up only by two poodles. And since Callas did not leave a will, the $12 million the singer earned, ironically, but in strict accordance with the law, went to the people she loved least - her mother and husband.

The last of the Onassis family, Christina's daughter Athena Roussel, inherited her grandfather's huge empire at the age of three and went down in history as the youngest billionaire. She lives in France in the family of her father and guardian, businessman Terry Roussel.

Today, Athena is the most enviable match for high-society bride hunters. The most respectable grooms in the world have long not paid attention to fashion models, mannequins and other beauties, thinking only that on January 30, 2003, Athena turned 18 years old, and she became the mistress of a billion-dollar fortune.

Athena herself once admitted that if she ever got her grandfather’s billions, she would immediately donate them to charitable purposes, and leave mere change for herself - twenty million, so as not to depend on anyone, and go somewhere to rural wilderness to breed horses.

You can believe this if you want. True, on one condition - unless young Athena inherited the indomitable energy of her mother and grandfather.

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