Evangelos Marinakis Bio

Evangelos Marinakis is a politician, philanthropist and leading figure in the global shipping industry. He also owns both Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos FC.

Born in Piraeus, Greece, in 1967, Mr Marinakis is the son of Miltiadis Marinakis, a former member of the Greek Parliament and founder of the ‘Vanimar’ shipping company. Evangelos Marinakis’s mother, Irini Marinaki, is descended from the prestigious Ypsilantis family. Miltiadis Marinakis was also a financial supporter of Olympiacos F.C., the team of Evangelos Marinakis’s home city.

Evangelos Marinakis was raised in Piraeus, where he completed his secondary education before going on to attend university in the UK. Here, he earned a bachelor’s degree in international business administration as well as a master’s degree in international relations.

Upon graduating, Evangelos Marinakis commenced his career as a trainee chartering broker employed by the British companies Harley Mullion and Elders Chartering Limited, forging a successful path in this capacity.

However, true to the family pedigree, Evangelos Marinakis eventually broke out on his own, launching the Capital Maritime Trading Corp, as well as founding Capital Product Partners LP. Until its merger in 2011, Mr Marinakis also served as CEO of the New York Stock Exchange-listed company Crude Carriers Corp. Capital Product Partners merged with Diamond S Shipping Inc in 2019, with the $1.65 billion deal making history by culminating in the creation of one of the world’s largest shipping companies.

In addition to leading Capital Maritime Trading Corp, Evangelos Marinakis also serves on the board of numerous organisations operating in a range of different industries. He remains a major shareholder in Capital Product Partners LP. Mr Marinakis is also the owner of One Channel, Alter Ego Media SA and Abisso Holdings Limited.

Having built his own global maritime company from the ground up after acquiring a fleet of seven bulk carriers from his father, Evangelos Marinakis has established himself as one of the most prominent people in global shipping today, having taken the Capital Maritime Group from strength to strength.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Miltiadis Marinakis, Evangelos Marinakis ventured into politics, co-founding the ‘Piraeus Winner’ alliance with  Yannis Moralis, Piraeus mayor and Olympiacos vice president. The Piraeus Winner alliance led a successful election campaign in May 2014, leading to Evangelos Marinakis’s appointment as a member of Piraeus City Council. In this role, Mr Marinakis has worked tirelessly to improve living standards for local people and upgrade infrastructure. He has also spearheaded ambitious plans to establish Piraeus as a thriving tourist destination, in the process creating jobs and businesses and helping the city to achieve its full potential.

Evangelos Marinakis has used his own personal funds to plug gaps left in Piraeus City Council’s funding since the Greek financial crisis, financing the construction of parks, squares, children’s playgrounds and sports facilities across the city. In addition, Mr Marinakis has overseen a variety of infrastructure and community initiatives across Piraeus, including interventions on the facades of buildings and tree planting schemes, leading initiatives that have directly contributed to the creation of new jobs and businesses.

Evangelos Marinakis was fortunate enough to acquire a majority shareholding in Olympiacos F.C. in 2010, having supported the club for many years. In his seven years as club president, Mr Marinakis led the team to an astounding seven championship victories.

Evangelos Marinakis purchased Nottingham Forest Football Club in 2017, securing the English Football League’s approval for his ambitious plans to restore the club to its former glory. These plans centred around an extensive redevelopment of the team’s home grounds, paving the way for the creation of the largest stadium in the region, a venue featuring world-class facilities.