Aristotle Onasiss

The billionaire Greek playboy who seduced Jackie Kennedy. At 16 years old, his father’s wealth-empire was destroyed and his family barely survived a village massacre. But he turned $60 and a job as a phone operator into $2.3 BILLION. This is the story of Aristotle Onassis:

Aristotle Onassis grew up the son of a wealthy shipping entrepreneur – Socrates Onassis. But in August 1922, the Turkish army attacked and destroyed Greek cities and villages. Aristotle and the Onassis family were stripped of their wealth.

Aristotle’s father was imprisoned and his business was transferred to Turkish ownership. The once wealthy family now fled from Smyrna to Greece as refugees. But in 1923, Aristotle left on his own to make a new start in Buenos Aires. He was 17 with just $60 in his pocket.

He arrived in Buenos Aires and found a job as a telephone operator. Aside from income, Aristotle used the job to learn about business by eavesdropping on calls. But in the 1920s, he overheard a business call that would change his life forever.

The phone conversation revealed a business plan: Two men planned to film a main character smoking on screen – one of the first ever cigarette ads of the 1920s. And it gave Aristotle an idea for his own cigarette brand.

Aristotle’s cigarette brand would target the female market. He chose famous opera singer Claudia Muzio as the face of his brand. To get her to smoke his cigarettes, he showed up outside her dressing room with a bouquet of flowers.

Aristotle seduced Claudia Muzio and her alliance made his brand take off. By 25, he was a millionaire. But he saw an even greater revenue potential.

At the height of the Great Depression, everyone was getting out of the shipping business. But Aristotle Onassis bought 2 ships. World War II had just begun, so he registered his fleet of cargo ships to Panama. With that, he gained tax-free status and began building his empire.

Aristotle went on to build one of the world’s largest privately-owned fleets. But he ran into a problem. An oil deal with Saudi Arabia went bad and he lost MILLIONS.

Onassis couldn’t make his loan payments – he even considered selling his fleet of tankers. But in 1957, demand for ocean tankers skyrocketed during the Suez Canal Crisis. Aristotle could set ANY price he wanted. And he made more money than he ever had in his life.

In 1957 alone, Aristotle Onassis made $70 million (about $740 million today.) And that same year: Onassis founded Olympic Airlines, which became a major airline in Greece. He was 1 of ONLY 2 men in the world to own a private airline.

With his status and power, Aristotle also dated many famous women. After having two children with his wife Athina Livanos and an affair with Opera Singer Maria Callas… In the late 60s, he met Jacqueline Kennedy.

They met just months before President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. And in 1968, Onassis married Jacqueline Kennedy on his private island. The two were on cloud nine – but the American public was outraged.

Aristotle was at the top of the world – he had power, wealth and romance… But in 1973, he faced a tragic loss. His son Alexander, died in a plane crash. He was deeply distraught.

Just 2 years later at age 69, Aristotle Onassis died in 1975 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. At the time of his death, Onassis had a net worth of $500 million – approximately $2.3 BILLION today.

Some say that the death of his son drove Onassis to an early grave. And while reading about his story, I found this powerful quote from him: “The more you own, the more you know you don’t own.”

And while Aristotle Onassis’s wealth allowed him access to material things most people could only dream of owning… His story is a powerful reminder that even with all the money, power, and privilege in life, there are some things you can never own. Like life, and death.