Adorable Story #83: Athina Livanos Onassis

A life of wealth, love and tragedy

1958: Athina Livanos Onassis (Tina Onassis), the first wife of Greek shipowner Aristotle Onassis relaxing by the swimming pool aboard their yacht, the 'Christina' in Monte Carlo — Photo © by Slim Aarons / Getty Images

Athina “Tina” Livanos Onassis, born into the illustrious Livanos shipping dynasty, led a life marked by luxury, notable marriages, and personal tragedies. Educated in England and New York, she grew up in a world of privilege and influence. Her marriages to Aristotle Onassis first and John Spencer-Churchill and Stavros Niarchos later connected her to powerful figures but also brought great challenges to her life.

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Table of Contents: Early years and Livanos Family Background / WWII / Meeting Ari / Maria / Eugenia / Alexander / Later Years

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Early years and Livanos Family Background

Athina Mary Livanos was born into immense wealth on March 19th, 1929, in Kensington, London.

The Livanos family held a significant place in the global shipping industry. Her father, Stavros Livanos, was a leading figure in the shipping industry, and her mother, Arietta Zafrikakis, was also from a prominent Greek family.

The Livanos family was central to the elite circles of their time, with their connections and influence extending across Europe and beyond. This legacy of power and prestige shaped Athina’s upbringing and positioned her prominently in high society.

Growing up, Athina enjoyed a privileged upbringing, dividing her time between luxurious homes in London, Greece, and the French Riviera.

Her education was equally prestigious. Athina attended elite schools in England, where she received a comprehensive education and became fluent in several languages, including Greek, English, and French.

Tina’s parents were Greek but after the birth of the children — Eugenia, Tina and George — they decided to move the whole family to London.

WWII

In 1941 the Livanos family realized London was too dangerous and decided to move to New York, where Stavros opened an office at the Plaza Hotel so that life and business could resume as before.

Already as a teenager, Tina was noticed for her breathtaking beauty and natural elegance.

Meeting Ari

On April 17th, 1943, she was in her father’s office in New York when she met Aristotle Onassis for the first time: Aristotle was not yet the powerful tycoon he would become within a few years but an ambitious and determined officer of the Greek navy (as mentioned in the Adorable Story #60, during the great depression of the 30s, Aristotle had managed to buy merchant ships at very low prices, finding himself with a significant fleet during the World War, which he sold to the Allies at very high prices).

In 1943, Tina barely noticed him as he was almost 25 years older than her (she was just over 13 at the time).

Two years later Aristotle ran again into her while she was sunbathing in Oyster Bay, New York, and immediately decided to ask her father Stavros to marry her.