An international shipping industry pioneer, EvangelosMarinakis was born in 1967 in the Greek port city of Piraeus. He is the son of successful Cretan shipowner Miltiadis Marinakis, the ‘Vanimar’ founder who built his own shipping fleet. Miltiadis Marinakis provided financial support to Olympiacos Football Club, as well as being an elected member of the Greek Parliament. He married Irini Karakatsani, who is descended from the prominent Ypsilantis family. Evangelos Marinakis is the couple’s only son.
Studying at the American International University in London, Evangelos Marinakis graduated with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in international business administration and international Relations respectively. After completing his studies Evangelos Marinakis entered the global shipping industry, following in the footsteps of his father.
Evangelos Marinakis was employed by the British firms Elders Chartering and Harley Mullion, working as a trainee chartering broker. True to his maritime pedigree, he soon broke out on his own, founding the Capital Maritime Trading Corp. Mr. Marinakis is also the founder of Capital Product Partners LP, a company listed on the American Stock Exchange that he presided over as chairman. Additionally, Evangelos Marinakis was CEO of Crude Carriers Corp, a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
In the first quarter of 2019, Capital Product Partners LP made public its plans to merge with Diamond S Shipping Inc., culminating in the formation of one of the largest listed tanker companies globally in a deal worth a reported $1.65 billion.
The Capital Maritime Group remains in the control of the Marinakis family. Today, the company manages a mixed fleet of over 70 vessels, including container ships, tankers and dry bulk carriers.
In addition to his career in international shipping, Evangelos Marinakis also has interests in a variety of other industries, including sports and media. He is the owner of One Channel and Alter Ego Media SA. Mr. Marinakis also owns two football clubs: Olympiacos FC, team of his home city, Piraeus, and Nottingham Forest in the UK.
Over the years, EvangelosMarinakis has been presented with numerous prestigious awards in recognition of his significant contribution to the global shipping industry. In 2010 and 2014, he was named ‘Newsmaker of the Year’ at the Lloyds List Greek Shipping Awards. In 2016, his considerable contribution to global shipping was recognized with the ‘Xenakoudis Excellence in Shipping Award’ by International Registries Inc./The Marshall Islands Registry. In 2017, he was honored with a ‘Personality of the Year’ award at the Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards.
In 2014, 2015, and 2018, Mr. Marinakis’s company, the Capital Maritime Trading Corp, received the Port of Long Beach in Southern California’s Green Environmental Achievement Award.
Mr. Marinakis bought Olympiacos Football Club, the team of his home city, Piraeus, in 2010. He continues to serve as the team’s president to this day, having previous been appointed vice-president of the Hellenic Football Federation, as well as serving as Greek Super league president.
In May 2014, Evangelos Marinakis became an elected first member of Piraeus city council. A committed philanthropist, he has donated his own funds to finance construction of parks and squares, children’s playgrounds and sports facilities in the wake of the Greek economic crisis, which left the city lacking vital funding.
Evangelos Marinakis has a well-established history of charitable giving, both personally and on behalf of his companies. In 2014, he donated €500,000 to fund rebuilding of schools in Cephalonia following devastating earthquakes. In the wake of the Greek economic crisis, Mr. Marinakis gifted €168,590 to Greece Debt Free on behalf of Olympiacos FC, providing the charity website with vital funding to further its aim of eliminating Greece’s debt. In 2013, he brokered a partnership between Olympiacos FC and UNICEF, financing a pediatric immunization programmed in the developing world.
