Dimitris Melissanidis — BrandWiki

Dimitris Melissanidis

Overview

Dimitris Melissanidis

office1	32nd president of AEK Athens
term start1	17 June 1992
term end1	30 June 1993
predecessor1	Kostas Generakis
successor1	Giannis Karras
office2	34th president of AEK Athens
term start2	1 July 1994
term end2	30 June 1995
predecessor2	Giannis Karras
successor2	Giannis Karras
birth date	March 8, 1951‡R1R‡
birth place	Nikaia, Greece
occupation	Businessman Shipping & oil tycoon
known for	Former owner of AEK Athens F.C.‡R2R‡ Founder & owner of Aegean Oil‡R3R‡ Founder & owner of Aegean Shipping Enterprises‡R4R‡ Founder & owner of H.E.C.‡R5R‡ Owner of Naftemporiki‡R6R‡
spouse	Tzeni Melissanidis
children	Giorgos Melissanidis‡R7R‡

Dimitris Melissanidis (born 8 March 1951) is a Greek business shipping and oil tycoon, and one of the country's leading businessmen.[8] Melissanidis is in the top ten rich list of Greek entrepreneurs ranking in 6th place.[9] He is most known for his time as owner of Greek football team AEK Athens F.C. and owner of Greek oil company Aegean Oil.

He is the founder and former owner of Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. which is the second strongest and largest independent fuel supplier in the world.[10]

Melissanidis was ranked 98th in 2015 and 97th in 2014 in the world in the Lloyd's List Top 100 Most Influential People in the Shipping Industry[11] for his international shipping contribution.[12]

Controversy

In 1996, Melissanidis and his business partner, Ioannis Karras, were sentenced to a prison sentence[55] for oil smuggling, however the charges were dropped and he was found not guilty of oil smuggling.[56]

During the time of negotiations with OPAP, Kostas Louropoulos, OPAP's chief executive, felt put under pressure by Melissanidis in a series of telephone calls. "He insulted me, as on many previous occasions. . . You dare to sign [the Intralot and lottery contracts] and I will take your head off", Louropoulos quoted Melissanidis as telling him on May 20, 2013”, according to the Financial Times.[57] Also, immediately after the signing of the OPAP deal, the Greek privatization agency chairman, Stelios Stavridis, was dismissed by Greek Finance Minister, Yannis Stournaras, “for ethical reasons”, when news reports emerged that he travelled on Dimitris Melissanidis’ private jet.[58]

Furthermore, in a highly publicized incident, discussed in the Greek Parliament, calling from an ‘Aegean Oil’ listed telephone number, Melissanidis personally bullied with death threats to Lefteris Charalambopoulos,[59] the Greek reporter (who also related with Evangelos Marinakis [60] rival businessman with Melissanidis) who published the government report in the left-wing ‘Unfollow’ magazine.[61][62] The caller self-identified as Dimitris Melissanidis threatened the reporters life repeatedly. Part of what was said by the man self-identified as Dimitris Melissanidis, which was taken down by the reporter, follows: “I could have you killed without having warned you. But I am a man and I’m gonna have you blown up in your sleep. I’ll have you killed, you, your wife, your children, everything you’ve got”.

Furthermore, after Melissanidis assumed OPAP's management, AEK Athens F.C. received a €2.1 million sponsorship deal. Protesting about “unfair competition” due to Melissanidis’ management of both AEK and OPAP, some Greek football teams pulled out of their OPAP sponsorship contracts. Olympiacos pulled out of their €1.9 million sponsorship deal with OPAP.[63]

In 2014, he was found guilty of oil smuggling, with his partner Ioannis Karras, for the period 1993–1995. The punishment was redeemable for €20 a day.[14]