This book provides a comprehensive look at the life of Aristotle Onassis, a Greek shipping magnate known for his ambitious and often ruthless business practices. It covers his rise from a refugee to a wealthy tycoon, his high-profile relationships with women such as Maria Callas and Jackie Kennedy, and his feuds with other powerful figures like Stavros Niarchos and Grace Kelly. The biography also delves into Onassis's questionable business ethics, including a whaling operation scandal and conflicts with the US government. The book is described as a fast-moving and entertaining read, though some reviewers noted it lacked in-depth details about certain aspects of Onassis's life and business dealings[1][3][4].
What I learned from reading Onassis: An Extravagant Life by Frank Brady.
----
Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work. Get access to Founders Notes here.
----
He became one of the richest men in U.S. history ever to be arrested.
The epic life of Aristotle Onassis is as mysterious as a tale from ancient Greek mythology and is a study of paradoxes, altogether gripping because of their seeming inconsistencies.
Onassis had long since begun to formulate a personal business philosophy. The key to success was boldness, boldness, and more boldness.
He was constantly visiting and inspecting ships, talking to ship owners and other importers and quietly absorbing everything, making a very conscious attempt to learn as much as he could before going into ship-owning seriously.
He was quite observant about what, to others, were trifles but, to him, were important details. He often quoted Napoleon: “The pursuit of detail is the religion of success.”
Onassis was a man of the pier, but with the cocksureness of a king.
She simply never knew anyone quite as free or exotic as Aristotle Onassis, a paradoxical blend of raconteur and ruffian.
Onassis was a born orator. He could keep a dinner party of some of the world's most sophisticated conversationalists spellbound.
Onassis spent almost all of his time working. He would pore over shipping journals from Antwerp, Vancouver, Hamburg, and New York, looking for intelligence, trends, and opportunities. He would scan, study and memorize tonnage, prices, insurance rates and schedules of the world's great and small steamship companies and then attempt to outbid his competitors. He read the maritime sections of at least six foreign language daily newspapers each day.
And I, of course, will do exactly as I please.
----
Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work. Get access to Founders Notes here.
----
“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth
Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast
Founders 