Aristotle Onassis
A refugee at 16 from the burning of Smyrna; landed in Buenos Aires with about $60.
Aristotle Onassis was born in 1906 in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire (now İzmir, Turkey). Aristotle Onassis's background is described as Greek, from Anatolia; refugee, then Argentine emigrant. Growing up, the family was affluent — a prosperous tobacco-merchant family ruined in the 1922 destruction of Smyrna; relatives died, his father was imprisoned, and the family fled to Greece. A refugee at 16 from the burning of Smyrna; landed in Buenos Aires with about $60.
- Born
- 1906 · Smyrna, Ottoman Empire (now İzmir, Turkey)
- Roots
- Greek, from Anatolia; refugee, then Argentine emigrant
- Family
- Affluent
- A prosperous tobacco-merchant family ruined in the 1922 destruction of Smyrna; relatives died, his father was imprisoned, and the family fled to Greece.
- Education
- Cut short by the catastrophe; self-taught in business
- Started with
- ~$60
- Roughly what he had, by most accounts, landing in Buenos Aires at 17; he worked nights as a telephone operator.
- Affiliations & societies
- None documented.
- Information only — claims like these are often unverifiable and may be wrong.
The pathway
- 1922 · age 16Smyrna burns
The family fortune is destroyed; they escape to Greece as refugees.
- 1923 · age 17Buenos Aires~$60
Night shifts at the telephone exchange; days spent building a tobacco-import business.
- 1929 · age 23First million
Importing Greek tobacco; consular work smooths the trade.
- 1932 · age 26Ships for scrap prices$120K
Buys six Canadian freighters in the Depression at a fraction of cost.
- 1948 · age 42Supertankers
Postwar oil transport makes him among the world's richest shipowners.
- 1957 · age 51Olympic Airways
Takes over Greece's national carrier.
- 1968 · age 62Marries Jacqueline Kennedy
The wedding on Skorpios makes him a global household name.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Aristotle Onassis from?
Aristotle Onassis was born in 1906 in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire (now İzmir, Turkey). Their background is described as Greek, from Anatolia; refugee, then Argentine emigrant.
When was Aristotle Onassis born?
Aristotle Onassis was born in 1906, in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire (now İzmir, Turkey).
What is Aristotle Onassis's background or ethnicity?
Aristotle Onassis's roots are described as Greek, from Anatolia; refugee, then Argentine emigrant. These are broad categories drawn from public sources, not statements about how the person identifies.
Where did Aristotle Onassis go to school?
Aristotle Onassis's education: Cut short by the catastrophe; self-taught in business.
What was Aristotle Onassis's family background growing up?
At birth the family was affluent. A prosperous tobacco-merchant family ruined in the 1922 destruction of Smyrna; relatives died, his father was imprisoned, and the family fled to Greece.
How did Aristotle Onassis get started?
Aristotle Onassis started with ~$60. Roughly what he had, by most accounts, landing in Buenos Aires at 17; he worked nights as a telephone operator.
Sources
Compiled from these references and contemporaneous press reporting. Figures are approximate; verify before relying on them.