In the gripping biography "Onassis: An Extravagant Life" by Frank Brady, Aristotle Onassis emerges as a figure of profound paradoxes. From witnessing the harrowing burning of Smyrna and surviving as a penniless refugee, Onassis ascends to become one of the world's richest and most influential men. His life, marked by both ruthlessness in business and charisma in personal dealings, is a study in contrasts. He was a man who could tenderly engage with a child yet bully loved ones, spend lavishly to impress yet skimp on tipping, and dine with royalty while preferring the company of actors and gamblers. Despite his wealth and power, Onassis sought what he couldn't buy—tranquility and the mercy of the gods. His life, interwoven with relationships like his friendship with Winston Churchill and marriage to Jacqueline Kennedy, was ultimately overshadowed by personal tragedy, including the death of his son Alexander, which led to his own decline and demise at age 68.
"The city of Samyrna was in flames. The Holocaust, one of the biggest in the world's history, was larger than the great fire of London in 1666 or the blaze that wrecked San Francisco in 1906."
This quote sets the historical context of the catastrophic event Aristotle Onassis experienced, emphasizing its magnitude by comparing it to other significant fires in history.
"Aristotle was actually raised by his grandmother, a not so unusual occurrence where a Greek grandparent lives in the same house as her grandchildren."
This quote explains Aristotle's upbringing and the cultural norm of Greek grandparents living with and sometimes raising their grandchildren.
"The Turks put up concentration camps on the outskirts of the city."
This quote highlights the dire situation in Smyrna during the war, including the establishment of concentration camps by the Turks.
"Aristotle escaped when the guard was paying attention to something else."
This quote showcases Aristotle's quick thinking and ability to seize opportunities, which ultimately led to his escape from a dangerous situation.
"Aristotle did not quite know what to do with his life."
This quote reflects the uncertainty and challenges Aristotle faced after the catastrophic events in Smyrna and his determination to start anew in a foreign land.
"Onassis gave the ship's purser $5 to allow him to sleep on deck in a storage bin."
This quote exemplifies Onassis's resourcefulness and adaptability, traits that would serve him well in his subsequent career and life.
"By working overtime and by spending very little money he managed to accumulate a savings of close to $1,000."
This quote highlights the immigrant's work ethic and financial prudence which allowed him to save a substantial amount of money.
"Whenever he saw the possibility that for advancement to another level in the company that could earn him more money he applied for it."
This quote underscores the immigrant's ambition and proactive approach to career advancement.
"Eventually, he chose the one cigarette manufacturer that he believed might give him a chance, although the buyer had already refused to see him."
This quote illustrates Onassis's strategic shift to focus on a single potential client, which eventually leads to a successful sale.
"The result was a sale. $10,000 worth of Turkish leaf was purchased."
This quote demonstrates the successful outcome of Onassis's persistence and targeted approach, resulting in a large sale.
"His efforts in cigarette manufacturing, although they had expanded greatly from the beginning, were no longer profitable."
This quote explains Onassis's decision to shift focus away from cigarette manufacturing due to increased competition and diminishing profits.
"He was interested in getting into shipping, not just as an importer or one who merely uses ships, as he had been doing, but by owning the ships and enjoying the highly profitable cargo rates."
This quote captures Onassis's strategic thinking as he aims to move up the value chain by owning ships rather than just using them for his import business.
"Soon a reciprocal advantageous trade agreement between Argentina and Greece was reached."
This quote highlights Onassis's success in negotiating trade agreements that benefited both Argentina and Greece, leading to his appointment as consul general.
"The most important positive factor was that he thoroughly learned the machinations of the shipping industry, as the post of the consul proved to be a business listening post of incalculable value."
This quote emphasizes the strategic advantage Onassis gained from his diplomatic role, which provided him with in-depth knowledge of the shipping industry.
"He was constantly visiting and inspecting ships, talking to shipowners and other importers, and quietly absorbing everything." "He's like one of these psychopathic guys, like a Bill Gates, where they'll work for days at a time and then just crash."
These quotes highlight Onassis's dedication to immersing himself in the shipping industry and his intense work habits that are characteristic of some of the most successful entrepreneurs.
"The Canadian National Steamship Company had a small fleet of freighters that were docked in Montreal for two years, which they were putting up for sale." "Onassis made an offer of $20,000 per ship, which was... The ships were worth a lot more."
These quotes indicate how Onassis capitalized on the economic downturn to acquire ships at a low cost, demonstrating his strategic thinking and bold approach to business.
"Onassa spent almost all of his time working, he would pour over shipping journals from Antwerp, Vancouver, Hamburg, and New York, looking for intelligence, trends and opportunities." "Onassis felt no pangs of conscience in sailing his ships under flag of convenience."
The first quote emphasizes Onassis's dedication to mastering the details of his industry, while the second quote reveals his pragmatic and sometimes ethically questionable business methods.
"The key to success, he said, was boldness. Boldness and more boldness." "I'm only doing things for my benefit... he believed in Aristotle Onassus. That's basically it."
The quotes reflect Onassis's personal philosophy that prioritized bold action and self-interest, which was a driving force behind his business decisions and personal life.
"He was a sorcerer." "Onassis has some of that. If you don't answer his letters or his calls, he's showing up in person."
These quotes illustrate Onassis's determined and charismatic personality, which enabled him to influence people and achieve his goals.
"Boldness, boldness, and more boldness." "Onassa's order for such a gigantic tanker was placed because he believed in the future of the oil business."
These quotes demonstrate Onassis's foresight and willingness to make significant investments based on his predictions about the future of the energy industry.
"The pursuit of detail is the religion of success." "He would then circle the ship again and again, climb aboard it, spend hours making mental notes of what he liked and disliked about the construction."
The quote from Napoleon, which Onassis often cited, encapsulates his belief that attention to detail was crucial for achieving success, and the second quote shows how he applied this belief in practice.
"Even though his fleet had been markedly depleted... he made what was once described as an ocean of money from the war." "Despite the fact that he was realizing handsome profits from tobacco in 1942, Onassa suddenly moved his entire operation to New York, closing down his tobacco operation and concentrating all of his efforts on increasing his shipping interests."
These quotes indicate how Onassis was able to pivot his business focus to take advantage of wartime conditions, leading to substantial financial gain and setting the stage for future growth in the shipping industry.
"At that time, Livinos was so wealthy that he could have easily acquired all of Onassis' holdings for cash without markedly tampering with his own assets."
This quote highlights Livinos' immense wealth and his potential financial power over Onassis, indicating the scale of his shipping empire and his financial capabilities.
"He liked Onassis, except for one strong reservation."
Livinos' reservation about Onassis likely pertains to their differing attitudes towards publicity, with Livinos preferring to keep a low profile, unlike Onassis.
"He's going to die 68 years old. He figures this out when he's about 38. So he's got three decades of building, in some cases, anytime there's kind of disruption in shipping channels throughout the world and oil production throughout the world."
This quote outlines the timeline of Onassis' business career, emphasizing his long-term commitment to expanding his shipping empire and capitalizing on global disruptions.
"He's going to wind up paying fines and not spending time in jail."
Despite his legal troubles, Onassis managed to avoid jail time, likely due to his wealth and access to legal resources.
"Being on the sea, in control of wherever he wanted to go, his privacy intact, it enabled him to be the captain of his own directives and to feel totally independent."
This quote encapsulates Onassis' desire for autonomy and how the Christina yacht symbolized his personal freedom and control over his environment.
"I met a man yesterday called Onassis. He is a man of mark."
Churchill's diary entry about Onassis indicates a positive impression and recognition of Onassis' significance, despite their different statures.
"Jackie is a little bird that needs its freedom as well as its security. And she gets them both from me."
This quote by Onassis reflects his view on his marriage to Kennedy, emphasizing independence and a transactional nature of their relationship.
"He was a man so gentle that he could happily play with the child for hours while corporate executives cried for his attention. And yet he usually bullied and sometimes physically assaulted the people he loved."
This quote captures the duality of Onassis' personality, showing his capacity for both tenderness and aggression.
"He continually followed one tenet of his own religion at all costs to fulfill his own well-being, and yet he only truly wanted what he could not purchase, the mercy of the gods."
The final reflection on Onassis' life suggests that despite his relentless pursuit of self-interest, he yearned for something beyond material wealth, indicating a deeper existential longing.