Evangelos Marinakis

Evangelos Marinakis was born on July 30, 1967, in Piraeus, Greece. He is a shipping magnate, businessman, and sports investor. Marinakis founded Capital Maritime & Trading Corp, which operates a fleet of tankers and dry bulk carriers in international shipping routes. Capital Maritime is one of the largest privately held shipping companies in Greece and a significant player in the global maritime industry.

Beyond shipping, Marinakis owns Alter Ego Media, one of Greece's largest media groups, which operates television channels, radio stations, and digital media properties. He has also invested in real estate and other business ventures in Greece and internationally. Marinakis served as a member of the Piraeus City Council and has been involved in various philanthropic initiatives, including offering free private healthcare to victims of the 2025 Cambridgeshire train stabbing incident. In December 2025, the Hellenic Olympic Committee announced that Marinakis would serve as a torchbearer for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Evangelos Marinakis acquired his 80% stake in Nottingham Forest in May 2017, purchasing the club from the Al-Hasawi family. At the time of the acquisition, Forest was competing in the English Championship (second tier) and had been outside the top flight since their relegation from the Premier League in 1999.

Under Marinakis's ownership, Forest initially struggled to find consistency, cycling through several managers in the early years. The turning point came with the appointment of Steve Cooper as manager in September 2021. Cooper led Forest on a remarkable run that culminated in promotion to the Premier League via the Championship play-off final in May 2022, ending a 23-year absence from the top flight. Forest defeated Huddersfield Town 1-0 at Wembley Stadium to secure their return.

Since returning to the Premier League, Forest has invested significantly in player recruitment, spending over 150 million GBP on transfers in their first season back. The club has established itself as a competitive Premier League side, finishing 17th in 2022-23 (surviving relegation), 17th again in 2023-24, and improving significantly in the 2024-25 season under manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who replaced Cooper in December 2023.

In 2024, Olympiacos FC, also owned by Marinakis, became the first Greek club to win a European trophy by winning the UEFA Europa Conference League final. This achievement demonstrated Marinakis's commitment to success across his football portfolio.

Evangelos Marinakis has implemented sustainability and ethical practices focused on maritime environmental compliance, sports investment ethics, and responsible media ownership across his diverse business empire. The shipping industry operates under strict environmental regulations, and Marinakis maintains compliance programs across Capital Maritime & Trading Corp's global operations.

Environmental sustainability initiatives include adherence to international maritime environmental regulations, investment in cleaner shipping technologies, and compliance with emissions reduction targets. The shipping industry faces increasing pressure to decarbonize and reduce environmental impact, and Marinakis works to align his fleet with evolving environmental standards.

Sports investment ethics include responsible football club ownership, player welfare programs, and community engagement initiatives. Marinakis has hosted conferences addressing racism and gender inequality in football, demonstrating commitment to social responsibility in sports ownership.

Media ownership ethics involve maintaining journalistic integrity and editorial independence across his media holdings, including Alter Ego Media's newspaper and television operations. Marinakis operates under regulatory frameworks while ensuring responsible media practices and content standards.

Evangelos Marinakis has received recognition for his business achievements in shipping, sports management, and media ownership, as well as academic and philanthropic honors.

• Maritime Industry Leadership: Recognition as one of Greece's most successful shipping entrepreneurs and global shipping industry leader
• Sports Management Excellence: Awards for successful football club management and European competition victories
• Media Industry Achievement: Recognition for successful media acquisitions and newspaper management
• Academic Honors: Honorary doctorate from Massachusetts Maritime Academy (2024) for contributions to maritime education
• Philanthropy Recognition: Awards for charitable contributions and community engagement initiatives
• Business Success: Recognition as one of Greece's wealthiest entrepreneurs with diverse business portfolio

Evangelos Marinakis operates in highly regulated industries and faces scrutiny regarding multi-club ownership, shipping industry practices, and media influence. The company maintains comprehensive compliance programs to address regulatory requirements and ethical concerns.

Multi-club ownership scrutiny includes regulatory attention from UEFA regarding potential conflicts of interest between his owned clubs in European competitions. Marinakis operates under UEFA regulations while maintaining compliance with rules related to multi-club ownership and sporting integrity.

Shipping industry oversight includes compliance with international maritime regulations, environmental standards, and sanctions compliance programs. The shipping industry faces increasing scrutiny regarding environmental impact and sanctions adherence, particularly in relation to global trade and geopolitical tensions.

Media ownership concerns include regulatory scrutiny regarding television licensing processes and media concentration. Marinakis faced challenges with Greek television license revocation and operates under regulatory frameworks ensuring media diversity and competition compliance.