Alexander Onassis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexander Onassis
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| Born | April 30, 1948 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | January 23, 1973 (aged 24) Athens, Kingdom of Greece
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| Cause of death | Injuries sustained in a plane crash |
| Resting place | Skorpios, Ionian Islands, Greece |
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Alexander Socrates Onassis (Greek: Αλέξανδρος Σωκράτης Ωνάσης; April 30, 1948 – January 23, 1973) was a Greek-American businessman. He was the son of the famous Greek shipping owner, Aristotle Onassis. Alexander was also the brother of Christina Onassis.
He was born in New York City. Alexander worked for his father's businesses in Monaco. He later became the head of Olympic Aviation, a Greek airline owned by his father. Sadly, Alexander died at age 24 from injuries in a plane crash. A special foundation, the Alexander S. Onassis Foundation, was created to honor his memory.
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Early Life of Alexander Onassis
Alexander Socrates Onassis was born in New York City. His father was Aristotle Onassis, a very wealthy Greek shipping owner. His mother was Athina Livanos. Alexander was named after his father's uncle. His sister, Christina Onassis, was born in 1950.
Alexander did not go to a regular school. Instead, he had a personal tutor. From a young age, he had his own apartment. At 16, he started working for his father in Monaco. He earned a salary, even though his father was very rich. Alexander once said he felt "intimidated by the old man's wealth."
Family Relationships
In 1968, Alexander's father, Aristotle Onassis, married Jacqueline Kennedy. She was the widow of John F. Kennedy, a former President of the United States. Alexander and his sister Christina were not happy about this marriage. They had hoped their parents might get back together.
Alexander once said about the marriage: "My father loved the names and Jackie loved the money." Even though they didn't like their stepmother, Alexander and Christina were friendly with her children, Caroline and John. Alexander even let his stepbrother ride in his plane sometimes.
Alexander also helped his father. He encouraged his father to stop arguing publicly with his business rival, Stavros Niarchos. Niarchos was also Alexander's uncle by marriage.
Alexander's Flying Career
Alexander started learning to fly in 1967. By the time he died, he had flown 1,500 hours. He earned a professional pilot's license. In 1971, he became the President of Olympic Aviation. This was a regional airline that belonged to his father's company, Olympic Airways.
Alexander's eyesight was not perfect. This meant he could not get the highest pilot certificate. But he could still fly light planes and air taxis. He often flew for emergency medical needs.
Tragic Death
On January 23, 1973, Alexander died at 24 years old. He had been hurt the day before in a plane crash. His personal plane, a Piaggio P.136L-2, crashed at Hellinikon International Airport in Athens. Alexander was a passenger in the plane. He was teaching a new pilot, Donald McCusker, at the time. Alexander's regular pilot, Donald McGregor, was also on board.
Alexander was buried on his father's private island, Skorpios. This island is in the Ionian Islands of Greece.
Investigations into the crash were done by the Greek Air Force. An independent expert also looked into it. They believed the crash happened because the plane's control cables were put in backward. However, Donald McGregor thought the crash was caused by air currents from another plane.
Alexander's death deeply affected his father. Aristotle Onassis never fully recovered from losing his son. He tried to sell Olympic Airways after Alexander's death. Aristotle Onassis died two years later, in March 1975. He was buried next to Alexander on Skorpios.
Alexander S. Onassis Foundation
After Aristotle Onassis died, his will created a charity. This foundation was named the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation. It was set up to honor his son.
The foundation received 45% of Aristotle's wealth. The rest went to Alexander's sister, Christina. The foundation has two main parts. One part manages businesses, like shipping. The other part is for public good. This public benefit part uses money from the business side. It helps promote Greek culture around the world. It also gives out special prizes and scholarships to Greek university students.
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Alexander Onassis
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