Marios Iliopoulos (Greek businessman)
{{short description|Greek businessman}}
{{Infobox person
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| name = Marios Iliopoulos
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|09|18|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Psychiko, Greece
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| occupation = Shipowner
Businessman
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| boards = Co-founder & owner of Seajets
Owner of AEK Athens F.C.
Minority shareholder of Juventus 3.5%{{Cite web|url=https://www.aek365.org/a-1015333/metoxo-sth-gioubentou-o-mario-hliopoulo.htm#google_vignette|title=Marios Iliopoulos Juventus|website=www.aek356.gr}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.sport24.gr/football/aek-o-marios-iliopoylos-apektise-metoches-tis-gioyventoys.10393861.amp.html|title=Marios Iliopoulos buys shares in Juventus|website=www.sport24.gr}}
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| children = Despoina Iliopoulou{{Cite web|url=https://www.mononews.gr/business/mig-i-ikogenia-tou-mariou-iliopoulou-tis-sea-jets-defteros-megaliteros-metochos-meta-tin-pireos|title= Despoina Iliopoulou|website=www.mononews.gr}}
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Marios Iliopoulos (Greek: Μάριος Ηλιόπουλος) is a Greek shipowner and businessman. He is the co-founder and owner of Greek ferry company Seajets,{{Cite web|url=https://ferryshippingnews.com/interview-with-marios-iliopoulos-seajets-almost-no-high-speed-crafts-this-summer/|title=Interview with Marios Iliopoulos (SeaJets)|website=Ferry Shipping News}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.mononews.gr/business/shipping/marios-iliopoulos-o-ralistas-pou-diatheti-pontopora-plia-krouazieroplia-ke-tin-sea-jets-tora-analamvani-ke-tin-aek|title=Marios Iliopoulos leading Greek shipowner in coastal shipping|website=www.mononews.gr|date=10 June 2024 }} owner of Greek football team AEK Athens F.C.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tradewindsnews.com/cruise-and-ferry/marios-iliopoulos-buys-aek-athens-football-club-from-dimitris-melissanidis/2-1-1658368|title=Marios Iliopoulos buys AEK Athens football club from Dimitris Melissanidis|first=Harry|last=Papachristou (h_papachristou)|date=June 10, 2024|website=TradeWinds | Latest shipping and maritime news}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.sport24.gr/football/aek-episima-neos-megalometochos-tis-pae-o-marios-iliopoylos-ayto-einai-to-pososto-ton-metochon-toy.10336647.html|title=Επίσημα νέος μεγαλομέτοχος της ΠΑΕ ΑΕΚ ο Μάριος Ηλιόπουλος - Αυτό είναι το ποσοστό των μετοχών του|website=www.sport24.gr}} and a minority shareholder in Italian football club Juventus.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sport-fm.gr/article/amp/aek-metoxes-tis-gioubedous-eksasfalise-o-marios-iliopoulos-amp/5010682|title=Iliopoulos buys shares in Juventus|website=www.sport-fm.gr}}
Early life
Marios Iliopoulos was born on 18 September 1966, son of Panagiotis and Despoina. He was one of three boys in the family, his two brothers were Yiannis (who passed away in 2017) and Antonis.{{cite web |title=Marios Iliopoulos early life |url=https://www.sport24.gr/football/marios-iliopoylos-aytos-einai-o-neos-idioktitis-tis-aek.10330494.html|website=sport24 |access-date=10 June 2024}}
Iliopoulos grew up in Psychiko a suburb of Athens, and attended Athens College.{{cite web |title=Marios Iliopoulos education |url=https://www.sport24.gr/football/marios-iliopoylos-aytos-einai-o-neos-idioktitis-tis-aek.10330494.html|website=sport24 |access-date=10 June 2024}} His father Panagiotis had been involved in gold trading, where he emerged as one of the leaders in his field.{{cite web |title=Panagiotis Iliopoulos |url=https://www.sport24.gr/football/marios-iliopoylos-aytos-einai-o-neos-idioktitis-tis-aek.10330494.html|website=sport24 |access-date=10 June 2024}} From 1988 he was involved in passenger shipping and in 1989, together with his son, Mario, co-founded Seajets.{{cite web |title=Seajets |url=https://www.sport24.gr/football/marios-iliopoylos-aytos-einai-o-neos-idioktitis-tis-aek.10330494.html|website=sport24 |access-date=10 June 2024}}
Business career
=Seajets=
In 1989 Marios Iliopoulos alongside his father Panagiotis co-founded Greek ferry company Seajets. Seajets is now one of Greece's leading high speed ferry companies.
As of 2024, his company Seajets fleet consists 30 highspeed ferries, 6 conventional ferries and 4 cruise ships.{{cite web |title=Seajets fleet|url=https://www.seajets.com/learn-about-seajets/fleet|website=Seajets}}
=AEK Athens F.C.=
On 10 June 2024, Iliopoulos bought Greek football team AEK Athens F.C.. The fee of the take over is estimated to be in the range of €90 million.{{cite web |title=Iliopoulos AEK|url=https://neoskosmos.com/en/2024/06/11/sport/football/aek-owners-sells-club-to-shipping-magnate-marios-iliopoulos/|website=NEOS KOSMOS|date=11 June 2024 }}
Iliopoulos is the majority shareholder with a 85,03% stake of the club.{{cite web |title=Iliopoulos buy AEK|url=https://www.tradewindsnews.com/cruise-and-ferry/marios-iliopoulos-buys-aek-athens-football-club-from-dimitris-melissanidis/2-1-1658368|website=TradeWinds|date=10 June 2024 }} At the press conference Iliopoulos stated, “I will give my soul, my mind… my whole being to conquer titles”.{{cite web |title=Iliopoulos interview|url=https://neoskosmos.com/en/2024/06/11/sport/football/aek-owners-sells-club-to-shipping-magnate-marios-iliopoulos/|website=NEOS KOSMOS|date=11 June 2024 }}
Since Iliopoulos took over the club, Iliopoulos has brought marquee players to the club such as Anthony Martial, Erik Lamela and Roberto Pereyra, breaking club record contract fees.
=Juventus=
On October 12th 2024, Iliopoulos became a minority shareholder in Italian football club Juventus owning a 3.5% stake of the club. Iliopoulos reportedly paid around €32-€34 million to acquire his shares.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mononews.gr/business/giati-o-marios-iliopoulos-agorase-to-35-ton-metochon-tis-giouventous?amp=1|title=Iliopoulos becomes shareholder in Juventus|website=www.mononews.gr}}
Insurance fraud
{{Main|Brillante Virtuoso}}
On 6 July 2011, the tanker ship Brillante Virtuoso was damaged beyond repair in what the High Court of London ruled was insurance fraud orchestrated and instigated by Marios Iliopoulos, disguised as a pirate attack.
{{cite web | url=https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Comm/2019/2599.html | title=Suez Fortune Investments Ltd & Anor v Talbot Underwriting Ltd & Ors (BRILLANTE VIRTUOSO) [2019] EWHC 2599 (Comm) }} An investigator into the matter, David Mockett, was killed by a car bomb in what has been described as a targeted assassination after he had made clear that he disagreed with Iliopoulos' insurance claim.{{Cite news |title=The Hijacking of a $100 Million Supertanker |first1=Kit |last1=Chellel |first2=Matthew |last2=Campbell |date=2017-07-27 |agency=Bloomberg News |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2017-hijacking-of-brillante-virtuoso/ |access-date=2017-07-29 |url-access=limited |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415012129/https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2017-hijacking-of-brillante-virtuoso/ |archive-date=2022-04-15 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |title=Briton killed for standing up to pirate fraud gang |first=Holly |last=Watt |date=28 June 2012 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |issn=0307-1235 |oclc=49632006 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9363580/Briton-killed-for-standing-up-to-pirate-fraud-gang.html |access-date=31 May 2014 |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629003030/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9363580/Briton-killed-for-standing-up-to-pirate-fraud-gang.html |archive-date=2012-06-29 |url-status=live}}
It was also found that another tanker owned by Iliopoulos, Elli, was similarly written off after a fire two years prior with the same salvage companies and chief engineer in charge of that recovery operation as were in charge of the Brillant Virtuoso.{{Cite news |title=The Hijacking of a $100 Million Supertanker |first1=Kit |last1=Chellel |first2=Matthew |last2=Campbell |date=2017-07-27 |agency=Bloomberg News |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2017-hijacking-of-brillante-virtuoso/ |access-date=2017-07-29 |url-access=limited |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415012129/https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2017-hijacking-of-brillante-virtuoso/ |archive-date=2022-04-15 |url-status=live}}