Evangelos Marinakis: An Internationally Recognised Businessman

As chairman of Capital Maritime & Trading Corporation, Evangelos Marinakis is a prominent figure in the global shipping industry. He is also an elected member of Piraeus city council and the owner of both Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest footballs clubs.

Born in July 1967, Evangelos Marinakis completed his education in his home city of Piraeus, Greece, before attending university in England. Here, he earned a BA in international business administration followed by an MA in international relations.

Mr Marinakis worked as a commercial manager for Capital Ship Management Corporation from 1992 to 2005. During this time, he oversaw the success and growth of many businesses that today form part of Capital Maritime & Trading Corporation.

Evangelos Marinakis launched Capital Maritime & Trading Corporation in 2005. Over the years, the organisation has risen to prominence, today managing a fleet of container ships, dry bulk carriers and oil tankers.

From 2007 to 2014, Evangelos Marinakis was Capital Product Partners LP’s chairman of the board. In 2010, he founded the Crude Carriers Corporation, presiding over the company until its merger with Capital Product Partners LP in 2011.

Evangelos Marinakis is a long-time supporter of Olympiacos Football Club, the team of his home city, Piraeus. In 2010, he was fortunate enough to acquire a majority share in the club. Throughout his seven-year tenure as president of Olympiacos Football Club, Evangelos Marinakis has led the team to seven consecutive championship wins.

In 2014, Mr Marinakis became a member of Piraeus city council following a successful campaign by the independent Piraeus Winner alliance, a party he had cofounded with Yannis Moralis. The party focused on improving the standard of living for Piraeus residents by upgrading infrastructure, as well as transforming the port city into a thriving tourist destination.

Evangelos Marinakis purchased a controlling stake in Nottingham Forest Football Club in 2017, subsequently securing the English Football League’s approval for his plans to restore the team to its former glory. Mr Marinakis’s ambitious plans included an exciting redevelopment of Nottingham Forest’s historic grounds, paving the way for construction of the East Midlands’ largest stadium, a facility with world-class facilities.

Throughout his extraordinarily successful career in the global maritime industry, Evangelos Marinakis has consistently leveraged his position to drive positive social and environmental impacts. As Greece grappled with a severe economic crisis, Evangelos Marinakis pledged  €168,590 to ‘Greece Debt Free’ on behalf of Olympiacos Football Club, providing vital funding for the charity website, which was created with the mission of eliminating Greece’s national debt. In 2012, Evangelos Marinakis brokered a deal between Olympiacos and UNICEF, with the football club financing a child immunisation scheme across the developing world.

Evangelos Marinakis has also used his personal wealth to improve living standards in his home city of Piraeus, personally financing schemes designed to create new businesses and jobs and improve quality of life by providing parks, playgrounds and green spaces. In addition, the Capital Maritime & Trading Corporation has also been recognised with several environmental awards for the company’s efforts to improve the environmental impact and sustainability of the global shipping industry. These accolades include a GREEN4SEA Excellence Award in 2015 and the Port of Long Beach’s Green Environmental Achievement Award in 2018.

Evangelos Marinakis is the son of Irini Marinaki, nee Karakatsani, and the Cretan shipowner and politician Miltiadis Marinakis. A descendant of the prestigious Ypsilantis family, he followed his father into the maritime trade, with Miltiadis Marinakis having founded the Vanimar shipping company and amassed an extensive fleet throughout the course of a distinguished career.

Today, Evangelos Marinakis has a net worth of circa $650 million and is an internationally recognised businessman and investor,. He is married to Athanasia Marinaki and the couple have four children.