Evangelos Marinakis is the only son of Miltiadis Marinakis, a Cretan politician and shipowner, and Irini Marinaki, who is descended from the prestigious Ypsilantis family. Born in the Greek port city of Piraeus in 1967, Evangelos Marinakis is an alumnus of the American University in London, having graduated with a bachelor’s degree in international business administration and a master’s degree in international relations.
After graduating, Evangelos Marinakis embarked on his career in the global maritime industry working for the leading UK firms Elders Chartering Limited and Harley Mullion as a trainee chartering broker. Mr Marinakis went on to found his own company, the Capital Maritime & Trading Corp, which he has taken from strength to strength.
Evangelos Marinakis is also the chairman and founder of Capital Product Partners LP, an American Stock Exchange-listed company that merged with Diamond S. Shipping Inc in 2019 – culminating in the creation of a one of the world’s largest tanker companies in a deal worth a reported $1.65 billion. As the CEO of Crude Carriers Corp, Evangelos Marinakis also leads a New York Stock Exchange-listed company.
The Marinakis family has retained control of the Capital Maritime Group, managing a global organisation with a fleet of over 70 vessels including tankers, container ships and dry bulk carriers. In addition to his role as the Capital Maritime & Trading Corp’s chairman, Evangelos Marinakis also sits on the board of various market-leading organisations. He also owns One Channel, Alter Ego Media SA and Abisso Holdings Limited, as well as remaining a major shareholder in Capital Product Partners LP.
A long-time supporter of Olympiacos FC, the team of his home city of Piraeus, Evangelos Marinakis purchased a controlling share in the football club in 2010. In addition to serving as Olympiacos FC’s president, Evangelos Marinakis has also served as president of the Greek Superleague and VP of the Hellenic Football Federation. In 2017, Mr Marinakis acquired Nottingham Forest Football Club in the UK, securing the approval of the English Football League for his ambitious plans to redevelop the team’s historic grounds and restore the club to its former glory.
Following in the footsteps of his father, Miltiadis Marinakis, who served as a member of the Greek Parliament, Evangelos Marinakis became involved in politics and was elected as a member of the Piraeus City Council in May 2014. Recognising the vast potential of his home city as a thriving tourist hotspot, Mr Marinakis was also mindful of the challenges hindering it from achieving its full potential and the stumbling blocks faced by local people. Driven by his passion for improving residents’ quality of life, Evangelos Marinakis spearheaded numerous initiatives designed to improve the city. Mr Marinakis used his own personal wealth to finance the creation of sports facilities, parks, squares and children’s playgrounds across the city, plugging gaps left in local funding since the Greek economic crisis.
Evangelos Marinakis has played a leading role in community and infrastructure initiatives across Piraeus, including interventions on building facades and tree-planting schemes. Such programmes have changed the physiognomy of the city, directly contributing to creation of new jobs and businesses locally. Mindful of the city’s deep-seated naval traditions, Mr Marinakis has spearheaded cultural initiatives, as well as overseeing the creation of summer camps, sports camps, carnival parks, and excursions and events for the elderly.
Throughout the course of an extraordinarily successful career in the global maritime industry, Evangelos Marinakis has been the proud recipient of numerous coveted awards and accolades. In 2016, he was presented with Lloyd’s List’s ‘Greek Shipping Personality of the Year’ award at a special ceremony in Athens that recognised his ‘dynamic deal-making’, as well as his extensive philanthropic endeavours and his considerable contributions to the sports and media sectors.
