William Tavoulareas

William Peter Tavoulareas (November 9, 1919 – January 13, 1996) was the former president and chief executive of the Mobil Corporation and best known for his libel lawsuit against The Washington Post for their investigative journalism in the 1980s.

Tavoulareas was born in Greece and moved to the United States, to Queens, New York, at age 15. He graduated from St. John's University.

In 1982 Tavoulareas was unsuccessful in bringing $2 million libel suit against the Washington Post for saying he used his corporate position to "set up his son" in a shipping business. The initial jury's award was put aside by the judge hearing the case because he said Tavoulareas had not proven "actual malice". The Court of Appeals confirmed the ruling, finding the story substantially true and holding that "the record abounds with uncontradicted evidence of nepotism in favor of Peter [Tavoulareas' son]".

He succeeded Rawleigh Warner, Jr. at Mobil.

He was also on the Boards of Aramco, Bankers Trust, Philip Morris, St. John's University, Georgetown University, Athens College, St. Francis Hospital, a Governor of New York Hospital, and served on the Boards of numerous charities both nationally and internationally. He was a Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

He died at age 75 in Boca Raton, Florida.

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