Ioannis latsios biography of williams

Yiannis Latsis (Greek: Γιάννης Λάτσης; September 14, 1910, Katakolo – April 17, 2003, Athens), also John Spyridon Latsis, was a Greek shipping tycoon notable for his great wealth, influential friends, and charitable activities.

Biography

Latsis was born in Katakolo — a fishing village in the Elis — (although his origins are in Epirus), the seventh of 21 children, the son of Spiro Latsis and Aphrodite Efthimiou.[1] He was educated at the Pyrgos School of Commerce and the School for Merchant Navy Captains.[2]

He started as a deckhand, eventually working his way up to ship's captain in the merchant marine.[2] He bought his first cargo vessel in 1938 and by the 1960s, owned a fleet of ships.[3] In the late 1960s, he diversified his business to include oil — establishing Petrola — and construction, building (among other things) oil refineries in Greece and Saudi Arabia,[1][3] before gradually expanding into banking and financial services.[3] His European Financial Group owns ban