Aristotle Onassis

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Lore & Background

Alexander Socrates Onassis was born on April 30, 1948, at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. He was the elder child of Aristotle Onassis and his first wife, Athina Livanos. Alexander had no formal schooling but was provided with a personal tutor. He failed his exams at a Paris lycée at age 16 and began working for his father at his Monaco headquarters in 1965, earning a salary of $12,000. A fellow employee said he seemed in no 'great hurry to prove himself an Onassis.' Alexander described himself as never having spent a day not 'intimidated by the old man's wealth.' In the mid-1960s, he began a relationship with French model Odile Rodin, the widow of Porfirio Rubirosa, and they lived together in Monaco. In October 1968, Aristotle Onassis married Jacqueline Kennedy, which greatly upset Alexander and his sister Christina. Alexander said: 'My father loved the names and Jackie loved the money.' Despite never liking their stepmother, Alexander was friendly with her children, Caroline and John, and would occasionally let his stepbrother ride at the controls of his plane. Alexander was credited with persuading his father to stop publicly accusing business rival Stavros Niarchos of involvement in the death of Niarchos's former wife, Alexander's aunt Eugenia Livano-Niarchos. Niarchos later married Alexander's mother. Alexander had a secret relationship with Fiona von Thyssen (née Campbell Walter), a British fashion model some 16 years his senior and former wife of Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza. He had first met her when he was 12. At a dinner party, after a fellow dancer suggested she was only with Alexander because of his father's wealth, she punched him in the face. Alexander wanted a committed relationship from their first meeting, which she initially resisted. His mother constantly sought to sabotage the relationship, and his father bought him a $2 million villa outside Athens, which Thyssen felt was an attempt to mold her into an 'Alexander object.' Thyssen only accepted gifts paid from money Alexander had earned from working. Alexander took his first flying lesson in 1967 and had accrued 1,500 flying hours by the time of his death. Possessing a professional pilot's license, he was appointed President of Olympic Aviation in 1971. His poor eyesight meant he could not hold an air transport certificate but could possess a commercial pilot certificate. He died on January 23, 1973, at age 24 from injuries sustained the previous day when his Piaggio P.136L-2 amphibious airplane crashed at Hellinikon International Airport. He was instructing a potential new pilot, Donald McCusker, at the time, accompanied by his regular pilot Donald McGregor. A few seconds after takeoff, the plane's right wing dropped and it crashed after a flight lasting no more than 15 seconds. Reports concluded the crash resulted from the reversing of aileron connecting cables during installation of a new control column. McGregor disputed this, believing wake turbulence from an Air France Boeing 727 caused the crash. Less than a month later, manslaughter proceedings were initiated against McCusker. In December 1974, Aristotle Onassis offered a $1,000,000 reward for proof of 'deliberate action.' All charges were later dropped, and McCusker was awarded $800,000 in 1978 by Olympic Airways. Alexander's death had a profound effect on his father, who never fully recovered and died two years later in March 1975.

Reader's Guide

Alexander Onassis's significance lies in his role as the heir to the Onassis shipping empire and his brief leadership of Olympic Aviation. His death at 24 from a plane crash marked a turning point for his father, who sought to sell Olympic Airways afterward and never recovered from the loss. The crash investigation highlighted the dangers of improper maintenance, with the Greek Air Force and an independent investigator concluding that reversed aileron cables caused the crash. Aristotle Onassis's refusal to accept this explanation, offering a $1 million reward for proof of sabotage, underscored the family's suspicion of conspiracy involving the CIA and Greek junta leader Georgios Papadopoulos. Alexander's legacy includes the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation, established by his father's will, which received 45% of Aristotle's fortune and funds Greek culture promotion, international prizes, and scholarships.

Did You Know?

• Alexander Onassis was named after his father's uncle, who was hanged by a Turkish military tribunal during the burning of Smyrna in September 1922.
• He earned a salary of $12,000 working for his father despite his father's great wealth.
• Alexander had a secret relationship with Fiona von Thyssen, a British fashion model 16 years his senior, whom he first met when he was 12.
• His plane crash lasted no more than 15 seconds after takeoff from runway 33 at Hellinikon International Airport.
• Aristotle Onassis offered a $1,000,000 reward for proof that his son's death was due to 'deliberate action' rather than negligence.