From legends such as Aristotle Onassis to Stavros Niarchos, Greece has a history of its wealth being tied up in the shipping industry. Historically, these magnates were all men, and the industry itself is something of a boys club. But the gender balance in the industry is shifting, and Maria Angelicoussis, 40, is now the richest Greek shipowner.
The 40-year-old Angelicoussis inherited Angelicoussis Shipping Group, which has been in her family for three generations, from her father, John after his passing in 2021. She is now worth more than $5 billion after taking over her father’s company.
According to Bloomberg, a surge in freight rates from pandemic-related factors caused ship valuations to rise dramatically over the last two years. This boosted Angelicoussis’s net worth to around $5.3 billion. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, she’s now the second-wealthiest person in Greece.
Angelicoussis is now also one of the world’s youngest billionaires.