John Latsis
| Yiannis Latsis | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 14, 1910 Katakolo, Greece |
| Died | April 17, 2003 (aged 92) Athens, Greece |
| Nationality | Greek |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Owner of Latsis Group |
| Net worth | US$16.4 billion (2003) |
| Spouse(s) | Erietta Tsoukala |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Spiro Latsis Aphrodite Efthimiou |
Yiannis Latsis (Greek: Γιάννης Λάτσης, born Ioannis Latsis, Ιωάννης Λάτσης; September 14, 1910 – April 17, 2003), also John Spyridon Latsis, was a Greek shipping multi-billionaire tycoon notable for his great wealth, influential friends, and charitable activities.
The year of his death (2003), Forbes magazine ranked Yiannis Latsis 17th on its list of the world's richest people, with a fortune estimated at $16.4 billion.
Latsis was born in Katakolo — a fishing village in the Elis — (although his origins are in Epirus), the seventh of 21 children, the son of Spiro Latsis and Aphrodite Efthimiou. He was educated at the Pyrgos School of Commerce and the School for Merchant Navy Captains.
He started as a deckhand, eventually working his way up to ship's captain in the merchant marine. He bought his first cargo vessel in 1938 and by the 1960s, owned a fleet of ships. In the late 1960s, he diversified his business to include oil — establishing Petrola — and construction, building (among other things) oil refineries in Greece and Saudi Arabia, before gradually expanding into banking and financial services. His European Financial Group owns banks in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Monaco, the Channel Islands and Greece.
In 1990, he hosted the G7 Economic Conference at Bridgewater House, Westminster, London. He was a close friend of Charles, Prince of Wales, twice loaning him the use of his yacht Alexandros, firstly in 1991 for a second honeymoon with the Princess of Wales, and secondly in 2002 for a cruise with Camilla Parker-Bowles. Others to whom he lent the ship included former President George H. W. Bush, Colin Powell, and Marlon Brando. He also maintained close ties with the Saudi royal family.
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