Love triangles involving famous people always arouse genuine interest. And if the main characters are the recently widowed first lady of America, an odious Greek billionaire and a temperamental opera diva, then with a high probability this “intricacy” will be remembered for many years to come. the site tells the tragic story of the relationship between Jacqueline Kennedy, Aristotle Onassis and Maria Callas.

Greek Maria Callas, before meeting the Greek businessman Aristotle Onassis, was already a famous and beloved opera singer and star of La Scala. She toured all over the world and was already considered one of the greatest opera divas of the twentieth century. Callas didn't just sing - she turned every performance into a show. Thanks to her innate artistry, she managed to attract one of the richest people on the planet. “If Madame Callas had chosen politics instead of opera, she would definitely have become the most powerful woman in the world,” Onassis told a friend after attending her performance for the first time. The billionaire shipowner believed that as soon as he beckoned Maria with his finger, she would immediately come running. However, she had been married for several years to Italian industrialist Giovanni Battista Meneghini, who was also her manager and producer.

Aristotle, by the way, was also married, but this did not stop him at all. His wife Tina gave birth to his son Alexander and daughter Christina, but the oligarch became bored with family life, and he was looking for something new - a woman who would bring glamor, fire, passion into his life. Callas was perfect for this role.

Before each concert, Onassis sent huge bouquets of roses to her dressing room, signing himself “another Greek.”

In the end, in 1957, at one of the parties, they met in person. 51-year-old Aristotle, fascinated by 34-year-old Maria, invited her and her husband on a cruise on his yacht Christina. The singer refused for a long time, because, according to her, she had absolutely no time for entertainment. Callas understood the dangers that a vacation with Onassis would pose for her marriage (which had long been a mere formality), so she did not accept the billionaire’s invitation for a long time. He waited patiently, realizing that one day the ice would melt. Aristotle regularly sent the singer expensive gifts and organized parties for her, to which the right people obediently came, but “hard to reach” even for Mary. From time to time, in a completely unobtrusive manner, the gallant boyfriend reminded that the invitation to relax on his yacht was still valid... One day, Callas and Meneghini agreed, not knowing that this would be their last trip together.

Behind him alone

From the very first days of the cruise, Mary and Aristotle openly enjoyed each other's company. Giovanni lay in the cabin almost all the time because he suffered from seasickness, and Tina, seeing her flirting husband, began to suspect something was wrong. She has long been accustomed to Onassis’s endless infidelities, but girls for a week, a day or an hour are one thing, and another is a serious hobby that risks breaking up a marriage. Tina's instincts did not deceive her. Callas and Onassis constantly joked, exchanged glances and repeatedly retired below deck... Thus began one of the loudest, but at the same time tragic novels of the 20th century. Maria threw herself into the pool headlong. “The woman who did not know half measures,” as her relatives called her, immediately told her husband that everything was over between them, because only with Aristotle could she be happy - especially since he was going to divorce.

Callas began a new life, and it was as if wings had grown behind her back. However, Onassis, like a true insidious tempter, realizing that the victim had been caught, began to disappear for weeks. Every time a grief-stricken Maria thought it was all over, he showed up again. It turned out that the businessman doubted whether he should leave his family. The headlines of all the world's media were full of the names of the opera diva and billionaire, and Aristotle enjoyed it, because this is exactly what he lacked in his former boring life with Tina. By the way, she soon filed for divorce herself because of his “cruelty.”

For the first time in her life, Callas fell in love.

She completely surrendered to her feeling, dissolved in it. Onassis captured her heart.

Maria decided to temporarily interrupt her career. Wherever Aristotle went, wherever he went, she followed him everywhere, and he flew to her at the first opportunity (she lived in Paris, he lived on his own Greek island of Skorpios). Divorce and a series of scandals associated with difficult relationships caused extreme stress, due to which the singer lost her voice. In 1959, there was a turning point in her brilliant career, which suddenly ceased to be so. In subsequent years, the relationship between the two temperamental people continued to be difficult. Quarrels in this union were commonplace - most often the reason for sorting things out was Onassis's reluctance to officially marry.

Interests on the side

Aristotle could not resist the need to have affairs with new women - although he was in a relationship. This happened with Tina, and the same happened with Maria. Even while experiencing a brilliant romance with the singer, the entrepreneur did not deny himself the pleasure of having an affair with Lee Radziwill, the younger sister of Jackie Kennedy. She was a socialite and enjoyed increased interest among men. Of course, Onassis could not pass by. He was impressed by the fact that she was closely acquainted with US President John Kennedy. The fact is that the billionaire could not establish a partnership with American representatives of the shipping business. He decided to kill two birds with one stone: to enjoy the beauty Li, and at the same time try to settle his affairs with the help of the head of state.

In 1963, Jackie and John Kennedy's newborn son Patrick died. Aristotle suggested that Lee invite his sister to his yacht so that she could rest and recover from the experience. At the same time, he would have the opportunity to start talking to her about his own business. He did not invite Maria, but she knew very well how her amore spent her leisure time. Jacqueline accepted the invitation and, judging by the paparazzi photographs, had a good time in the company of her sister and her boyfriend. True, the fact that Aristotle dated two women at once did not prevent her from accepting attentions from the loving tycoon. Callas, meanwhile, was so worried about her Onassis’s affair with Lee that rumors about his affair with the First Lady of the United States became a real relief for her. She decided that there were no feelings involved - only business. And even the fact that Jackie and Aristotle were seen together at dinner several times did not bother Maria. In the end, the shipowner told Callas: “I love you, but I need Jackie.” According to a close friend of the opera singer, at some point the fact that Jacqueline could influence her husband regarding Aristotle’s company outweighed her feelings for Maria. They were still together, although their romance was overshadowed by scandals every now and then.

Love or profit?

A few months after the meeting between the entrepreneur and the first lady of the United States, John Kennedy was assassinated. After his death, Jacqueline experienced depression. She was burdened by the image of the holy martyr that the Americans awarded her. She was a living legend, people adored her, but she didn’t need all this. She was afraid of one thing - new attacks on her family.

Onassis was right there. He constantly visited the widow and was ready to solve any of her problems, including money. She was glad for his support and sympathy, and she was not embarrassed by the fact that the influential admirer was still in a relationship with Callas. The most interesting thing is that the businessman himself did not want to let the singer go! In 1966, she had an abortion so late that doctors were able to determine the sex of the child - it was a boy.

Callas always wanted children, but Onassis said that if she left this child, he would immediately end their relationship.

If only she knew then that in fact Aristotle was in full swing preparing for his wedding with Jackie...

Onassis was called a “thief in law.” He made his first million at the age of twenty-five, he had all the necessary people “in his pocket,” and US anti-mafia structures could not convict the entrepreneur of illegal activities. With his money he could buy anything except the love of Americans. He sincerely hoped that “saint” Jacqueline would help him with this too.

The only person opposed to this marriage was Robert (Bobby) Kennedy. The Kennedy brothers hated Onassis. A special mutual hostility connected Aristotle with Bobby, who, according to the businessman, constantly put a spoke in his wheels. He truly was a fierce champion of justice, and when he became Prosecutor General, he declared war on the mafia. There were also rumors that married Bobby had an affair with the widow of his murdered brother... So Robert had plenty of reasons to hate Aristotle. When he was shot in 1968, people began to say that it was with Onassis’s money that the attempt was made (there is no reliable evidence for this theory). Jackie didn't believe it. She begged Aristotle to take her away from “this terrible country full of murders.” The former first lady feared for the lives of her children.

From love to hate

Onassis proposed to Kennedy. He wanted to protect her and her children, Caroline and John, by providing them with housing on his island - along with full provision of the highest standard. She couldn't help but agree. Jackie got security and he got the most famous woman in the world. The wedding took place in November 1968. Maria Callas was sitting in her Paris apartment at that time. She learned that her beloved had married someone else on the radio.

From the very beginning, the marriage was a disaster. The scales fell from the billionaire's eyes. He saw that in fact his dearest wife was a cold and calculating woman. Almost immediately after the wedding, he began to return Maria. At first she was adamant, but after the entrepreneur threatened her to commit suicide if she did not relent, she changed her mind. Aristotle went to Paris every week, and meanwhile Jackie spent his money. Designer outfits, jewelry, furs, rare paintings - in the first year of their marriage, Jackie O, as the Americans now called her, lost about twenty million dollars. From such extravagance, even one of the richest people on the planet clutched his heart.

His only consolation was Callas, who was always waiting for him in her Parisian apartment.

He complained to her that Jackie treated him like a bag of money, and she was of no use: the ex-first lady could not influence President Nixon regarding the promotion of his shipping business.

Soon Onassis realized that this marriage was the main mistake of his entire life. She turned her own children away from him, who hated Jackie. And she herself stopped obeying him, beginning to behave not with the expected gratitude, but with defiance. She had nothing to lose. She was still protected by her image as a sufferer, although many Americans fell out of love with her as soon as she married the thief in law. And if Aristotle could calmly call Mary “waxwing” in public, then with Jacqueline he did not allow himself to do this - he did not dare. Meanwhile, Mrs. Kennedy Onassis returned to America.

She, of course, knew that Aristotle was spending time with Mary. When the paparazzi photographed her husband in a restaurant in the company of Callas, Kennedy Onassis immediately flew to Paris and had dinner with her husband in the same establishment, which did not go unnoticed by either the journalists or poor Maria. When the singer found out about this, she attempted suicide.

Broken heart

In 1973, Aristotle's son Alexander died in a plane crash, and the billionaire almost lost his mind from grief. His health deteriorated greatly (at that time he was sixty-seven years old), life lost its meaning, and his strength began to leave him. The billionaire fell ill with myasthenia gravis (an autoimmune neuromuscular disease). Having learned about the unfavorable prognosis of doctors, Onassis hired a private detective who would follow Jackie in the States and be able to convict her of treason - it would be easier to get a divorce without leaving her a dime. However, he was unable to find out anything. Despite this, the entrepreneur, who was no longer leaving the Paris hospital, secretly ordered his lawyers to begin preparing divorce papers.

At first, Jacqueline stayed with him for a long time and forbade the nurses to let him into the Callas hospital. When the businessman’s condition seemed to have stabilized, she went to the United States. After this, Maria was able to enter the hospital through the service entrance and was next to her loved one when he fell into a coma.

On March 15, 1975, Aristotle Onassis died. According to the will, most of his property went to his daughter Christina, and the rest to the foundation of his late son. Maria did not get anything, however, like Jacqueline. The latter was categorically not happy with this. To avoid litigation, Christina agreed to pay her stepmother twenty-six million dollars on the condition that she cut off all contact with their family.

Callas did not come to the funeral of her beloved, a little later telling reporters: “And what do you think it would look like - two wives next to each other?” The billionaire’s permanent driver told the media that Mary was Aristotle’s only true love: “She was his real wife, although they were never married.” The opera diva mourned him for two years: she stopped appearing in public and communicating with journalists.

In 1977, at the age of fifty-four, Maria Callas died of a heart attack. As many later said - from a broken heart. All she dreamed of until her last days was to return again to those happy times when together with Onassis she sailed on his yacht “Christina”. Initially, Maria was buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris, but later her ashes were scattered in Greece over the Aegean Sea.

One of the richest people on earth, Greek multimillionaire Aristotle Onassis was born on January 15, 1906. He grew up independent, self-confident and courageous, and from an early age, Ari, as his loved ones called him, developed a great interest in people of the opposite sex.

So, when he was barely thirteen years old, he first experienced female caresses. His teacher, who became his first lover and was remembered by Onassis for the rest of his life, volunteered to teach the boy the wisdom of love. However, his greatest love was yet to come.

In the meantime, Aristotle was obsessed with a single idea - to achieve success in business and make a huge fortune. After coming of age, in search of a better life, he emigrated to Argentina and got a job as a telephone technician, but in his free time he was engaged in business. Thanks to numerous transactions, by the age of thirty-two, Onassis already had several hundred thousand dollars. He made a fortune trading oil, but did not want to stop there.

Along with the money, he also had rich mistresses. Aristotle loved them, gave all of himself, but in return demanded absolute fidelity. Nevertheless, Onassis chose ardent and passionate women as his girlfriends, who were unlikely to be satisfied with one lover. Sooner or later they cheated on him, and the hot-tempered Greek often beat them in indignation. “Whoever hits well loves well,” the temperamental Aristotle justified his behavior.

This fate did not spare his first wife, a young Greek woman from a noble family, Tina Livanos. “He is a real savage who has acquired the proper appearance,” the girl recalled about her husband. Nevertheless, Tina, madly in love with the passionate Onassis, forgave him everything. She gave birth to her husband two children - a son, Alexander, and a daughter, Christina.

Meanwhile, Onassis, having enjoyed the charm of his young wife, was in a hurry to find new mistresses. Often they were women from rich and influential circles, whose acquaintance with the prudent Aristotle brought not only pleasure, but also benefit. He was able to truly fall in love only in 1959 with the charming opera singer Maria Callas (1923–1977).

They first met two years earlier, at a magnificent Viennese ball, but did not attach much importance to the acquaintance - either they did not have time to see each other, or the meeting was too superficial. One way or another, neither Mary nor Aristotle remembered each other anymore.

Callas (real name Cecilia Sophia Anna Maria Kalogeropoulos) was happily married. Her husband, the wealthy Italian industrialist Giovanni Battisto Meneghini, fell in love with the singer at first sight and, despite the discontent of relatives who openly disliked his daughter-in-law, married her. At the same time, he exclaimed in his hearts to his relatives: “Take my factories! Without Maria I don’t need all this!”

The groom was almost 30 years older than the girl. He was caring, patient and madly in love with his young wife. It didn’t even bother him that Callas at that time weighed more than a hundred kilograms and her figure was simply ugly. They got married a year after they met, on April 21, 1949, and were happy with their marriage for many years. Until the fateful meeting between his wife and the Greek tycoon took place on board the luxury yacht Christina, the property of Aristotle Onassis. That day turned fate around and destroyed Mary.

The couple were invited to the yacht after another Callas concert, which was attended by the Greek tycoon himself. The billionaire, amazed by the splendor of the singer, was delighted with her and decided to win the heart of the black-haired beauty at all costs. Then Maria already weighed 55 kilograms, during ten years of marriage she was transformed beyond recognition and was really pretty. What was especially attractive about her face were her deep, expressive eyes.

Aristotle made an equally strong impression on Callas. “When I met Aristo, who was so full of life,” the opera singer recalled, “I became a different woman.” He was rich, omnipotent and generous, besides, he knew a lot about women and knew how to charm anyone.

A few months after their meeting, Onassis organized a reception in honor of Maria in one of the expensive London hotels, the floor of which was strewn with bright scarlet roses. However, the main events took place on the beautiful yacht “Christina”, sailing in the Mediterranean Sea and striking with its splendor and luxury.

Battisto Menegini cursed himself for a long time for accepting the invitation of the treacherous Greek and going on a cruise. There, forgetting about decency, the owner of the yacht did not take his enthusiastic eyes off the Italian’s wife and, delighted with Maria’s charm, did not leave her one step.

In the evenings, Onassis invited Callas to dance, and they twirled to the sounds of enchanting music until midnight. When everyone went to their cabins, Maria and Aristotle suddenly disappeared and did not appear in their bedrooms until the morning, hiding in the back rooms, which were prepared by a calculating seducer especially for such cases.

Confused Menegini could not find a place for himself. Much later, he recalled that he felt like an absolute fool and still hoped that his wife’s fleeting hobby would end as soon as the yacht touched the shore.

A few days later, "Christina" stopped off the coast of Greece. The Greek patriarch entered the ship to bless his famous fellow countrymen. That day, in front of everyone, Onassis and Callas knelt before him, kissing the hands of the clergyman. This whole scene resembled a wedding ceremony, and the confused Battisto and Tina lowered their eyes in shame.

When the journey finally ended, Maria’s husband still hoped to establish relations with her, but she resolutely announced that she was leaving him and going to Aristotle. Callas packed her things and headed to Paris to be near her lover. The offended Tina, not wanting to listen to her husband’s excuses, filed for divorce. Onassis became free.

From that day on, the lovers could live together. However, life together did not go well. Aristotle every day turned into an impatient, rude and irritable roommate. He insulted Maria, often humiliated her in front of her friends, quarreled with her and often beat her. The more Callas endured, the more often the hot-tempered Greek allowed himself inappropriate antics.

And the opera diva, having completely devoted her life to her lover, practically did not give concerts, and only once, when she performed in 1961 at La Scala, her voice suddenly disappeared. After such a terrible failure for the famous singer, who had been applauded by thousands of enthusiastic spectators for many years, Maria Callas withdrew into herself. Instead of words of support from her beloved, she heard: “You are an empty place.”

Sometimes the relationship between Onassis and Callas became warmer. He again admired the talents and beauty of his mistress, but she still dreamed that the day would come when she would become the wife of her “beloved Aristo.” Maria hoped that the marriage with her ex-husband, sanctified by the Catholic Church, would finally be dissolved and she could become Onassis’s legal wife.

In 1964, a couple in love spent the summer on the island of Scorpio, which the all-powerful tycoon promised to give to his beloved as soon as they got married. And two years later, Mary informed Aristotle that she was expecting a child. Contrary to her expectations, he took the unexpected news very violently. Onassis screamed, got angry and finally categorically forbade Callas to give birth. She, afraid of losing Aristotle, did not dare to resist his will, which she later greatly regretted.

In October 1968, Greek billionaire Aristotle Onassis got married. However, his wife was not Maria Callas, but the widow of the shot President of the United States, Jacqueline Kennedy. A few years before the wedding, he invited her to spend a few weeks on his yacht so that she could recover from a terrible tragedy and the loss of her husband. Jackie quickly recovered from her grief, becoming the mistress of a wealthy Greek tycoon, but nothing was known about their relationship for a long time.

I didn’t know about Onassis’s betrayal and Maria Callas. She learned about her lover’s betrayal from newspapers, which reported that he had married the widow of the American president. The marriage took place on the island of Scorpio, the same one that Aristotle once promised to give to Mary.

The news shocked the singer so much that she seriously thought about suicide. “First I lost weight, then I lost my voice, and now I lost Onassis,” she bitterly admitted in an interview. However, having gathered her last strength, Callas decided to start a new life. However, she did not have to stay without her lover for very long.

A few weeks later, disappointed in his rash act, Onassis flew to Paris and begged his former mistress to forgive him. He even assured her that the marriage to Mrs. Kennedy was just a profitable deal and that he supposedly had no physical intimacy with her. Maria did not believe it, although she forgave her unfaithful lover. He again spent all his time with her, appeared in society and did not want to hide the fact that he maintained the warmest relationship with the beautiful Greek woman.

The marriage of an aging billionaire actually turned out to be extremely unprofitable for him, and the energetic and insatiable Jacqueline was a real burden. She flew from Europe to America several times a month, spent huge sums on entertainment, trips to expensive stores, where she bought furs, jewelry and luxurious dresses.

It is noteworthy that the purchased outfits remained hanging in the closet, and brave Jackie appeared in public either in tight jeans, or in a short skirt, or in a too open, transparent blouse. She allowed herself to forget about her elderly husband for several months.

All this, as well as the fact that Onassis had to spend huge sums on his unloved wife, did not suit the rich Greek. He was seriously thinking about divorce and, perhaps, would have carried out his idea if one day his beloved son Alexander had not died in a plane crash. From that day on, everything ceased to exist for Aristotle and lost its former meaning. Now he was just living out his life, and found rare joy in communicating with his beloved Maria. She was the only one who could understand him and forgive him for everything.

When Onassis unexpectedly fell ill, doctors recommended that he be admitted to a hospital, where the famous billionaire underwent stomach surgery. Jacqueline flew from America only once and, making sure that her husband’s condition did not cause any particular concern, she again went to New York. On March 15, 1975, she was informed that her husband had died. They said that in his last minutes he remembered only Mary.

Her heart stopped in 1977. Whether she died of her own death or was killed is still not completely known. What remained strange about her death was the fact that, having earned a huge fortune, she did not leave a will. When the famous Greek woman was escorted on her last journey, the funeral procession was decorated with the most unusual flowers. This desire was expressed before his own death by the one whom the great opera singer Maria Callas loved until the end of her days, despite the pain, insults and so easily destroyed life caused to her.

Onassis Aristotle

(b. 1906 - d. 1975)

Greek shipowner, billionaire.

His financial success was as significant as his success with women.

The name of one of the richest people in the world, Aristotle Onassis, was covered in legends during his lifetime. They arose thanks to the extraordinary fate of the Greek billionaire, and his extraordinary character, and, of course, his countless love affairs, which all of Europe and America knew about. Onassis strove to be the first in everything - in business, love, advertising his own life - and he almost always succeeded.

The famous tycoon, an international businessman who built a huge fleet of supertankers and cargo ships, was born in 1906. He came from a wealthy family of tobacco dealers who did business in the then Greek city of Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey). In 1922, Smyrna was captured by the Turks, and the Onassis family was forced to flee, losing almost all their accumulated wealth. In search of a means of a comfortable existence, young Aristotle

Onassis went to South America, where he very soon discovered extraordinary commercial abilities. It was said that when the ship arrived in Buenos Aires, his wallet contained no more than a hundred dollars. For about a year, the future billionaire did odd jobs in the port, until he finally got a job as an electrician in the Argentine branch of the American telephone company ITT.

Onassis's first successful deal was the import of Greek tobacco into the Argentine market. After some time, Aristotle began repairing a half-sunken old tanker he had purchased. Thus began his career as a shipowner, his “star journey” to the top of world business. By the mid-70s. the Greek's fortune exceeded $1.5 billion. Onassis then owned a powerful merchant fleet, including 50 large-capacity ships, including 15 tankers, as well as capital investments amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars in companies in the USA and Western Europe.

What helped Onassis to fly so high? Among the features of his character were amazing energy, perseverance and amazing performance. He was also distinguished by enviable health. In his younger years, Onassis slept no more than 3–4 hours, devoting the rest of his time to work. Aristotle was also helped by his penchant for various adventures, risk, and unscrupulousness in his means.

Onassis's energy amazed his contemporaries. He managed to conclude contracts, monitor the passage of ships, maintain complex accounting, take part in numerous negotiations and at the same time find time for love and pleasure. Moreover, the successful businessman with surprising ease won the hearts of women - from simple fisherwomen to A-list stars, fascinated by the magnetism of his personality. At the same time, Ari’s credo, as his friends called him, was simple to the point of cynicism: “In bed, I don’t want stupid conversations. No questions like: “Did you have as good a time as I did?” He was always guided by the principle: only what “benefits me” matters. And one remark is appropriate here. Despite many love affairs, Onassis had serious relationships only with women of high society, since, in addition to sensual pleasures, he also sought to have practical benefits.

An example of this is his short-term romance in Buenos Aires with the 35-year-old prima of the Italian opera Claudia Muzillo. Having become Claudia's lover, the young and enterprising Onassis persuaded her to appear in public smoking a cigarette of his production. And since in the 20s. XX century Since it was considered the height of indecency for a woman to smoke in society, it was impossible to think of a better advertisement to increase the demand for tobacco products. Moreover, it’s free!

An affair with the daughter of the owner of a flotilla of whaling ships, a young Norwegian, Ingeborg Dediechen, also turned out to be very opportune for Onassis. He met her on board a transatlantic liner in 1934. True, Miss Dediechen herself, who had lost her father, did not have a crown to her name at that time, but among Scandinavian shipbuilders the Ingeborg family had great weight. And it was not difficult for the clever Onassis, who at that time owned several ships and was developing a program for building his own tanker fleet, to make important contacts through her in the shipyards of Scandinavia.

This whirlwind romance lasted quite a long time, almost twelve years, but never led to marriage. Inga admired Onassis as a lover, was crazy about his skin and passionate kisses, but at the same time she also knew wild southern jealousy. She later said that he was even jealous of her own shadow. Moreover, scenes of jealousy were often accompanied by beatings. When Onassis raised his hand to Inga for the first time, she did not attach any serious importance to it and even admired his professional blows, which did not leave the slightest trace on his body. But the beatings began to be repeated more and more often, both with and without reason. At the same time, Onassis admitted to his mistress that violence gave him sexual pleasure. He proudly said that the Greeks had it in their blood, and even quoted a cynical proverb: “He who hits well loves well.”

Onassis never decided to marry Ingeborg: the difference in the characters of the lovers was too great. And the frantic passion, reinforced by beatings, eventually began to bore Ingeborg. Besides, who marries mistresses?

After breaking up with Ingeborg Dediechen, Onassis did not remain alone for long, and even seriously thought about getting married. His chosen one was Athena (everyone called her Tina) Livanos, the daughter of the largest Greek shipowner Stavros Livanos. Onassis met her in 1943 in New York at one of the social events and soon proposed to her. True, at that time Tina was only 14 years old, and Onassis had to wait almost three years for his bride to grow up. But still he waited! During this time, by the way, the future father-in-law and future son-in-law scrupulously studied each other's account books.

Aristotle Onassis and Athena Livanos got married in December 1946. One of the wedding gifts to the bride from the groom was a luxurious bracelet with diamonds - with the monogram “TL.L.U”. (Tina. I love you). It should be noted here that Tina was the first of three magnificent women to whom Onassis gave such bracelets. Subsequently, Maria Callas and Jacqueline Kennedy received them in turn. The text on the monogram remained the same, only the names changed.

For 46-year-old Onassis, this marriage was a very profitable deal. He got a lovely girl as his wife, intelligent, well-educated, from a noble Greek family. In addition, Tina was a wealthy heiress, since her father’s fortune amounted to almost $1 billion. As a wedding gift, Livanos gave his future son-in-law a deed of gift for two ships, the value of which exceeded a million dollars. True, when it came to paperwork, it turned out that the father-in-law, to put it mildly, had cheated, and instead of two ships, Onassis got only one.

As for the money Tina received as a dowry, it was invested in the Tina Realty Corporation, specially created by Livanos for this purpose. Of the millions that Livanos refused to his beloved daughter, the young couple received $446 thousand to rent an apartment in New York. The rest of the money of the Tina Realty Corporation was reliably protected by various clauses of the contract from possible attacks by Onassis.

So, family life started quite well. Young Tina, in love with her experienced husband, admired his charm, passion, and inexhaustible ardor for love. A year and a half after the wedding, the Onassis couple had a son, Alexander, and in 1950, a daughter, Christina.

Business was also going very well, and Aristotle was already able to acquire things that even very rich people could not afford. Perhaps the most significant of these expensive acquisitions was a yacht named after his beloved daughter “Christina”. Since 1954, this famous yacht has practically become a real home for Onassis and his family.

Onassis did not spare money for the arrangement and finishing of the “floating palace” the height of a five-story building and 100 meters long. The luxurious salon was decorated with original paintings by El Greco and priceless mosaic paintings of ancient Greek subjects. The smoking room had a fireplace decorated with lapis lazuli, and the bathrooms were decorated with marble. The taps of the ship's water supply system were made of gold, the handrails in the bar were made of ivory, and the parquet flooring was made of precious wood. There was even a landing pad on board for a small plane that could take off directly from the yacht. About 40 people served the numerous guests. Of course, the yacht also had a swimming pool, which could easily be converted into a dance floor.

Celebrities from all over the world constantly visited Christina. At one time, members of royal families, Hollywood “stars” (such as Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly), and leading European politicians vacationed here. Onassis was especially proud of the visit of 80-year-old Winston Churchill, who had already retired by that time. In fact, the famous guests, like the yacht itself, supported Onassis's image as a successful millionaire.

Onassis also indulged in lovemaking on the yacht. This self-confident, charming, energetic Greek practically never received any refusals. Only once did Aristotle admit defeat: despite all his efforts, Greta Garbo remained adamant and did not succumb to his charms.

Onassis's marriage to Tina lasted more than ten years. Until something happened that probably should have been expected from Onassis with his irrepressible energy, passions and ambitions. The name of the woman who captivated him for a long time is Maria Callas, a world famous opera singer. Onassis became seriously interested in her in the summer of 1959 in Venice, where he went with his wife to the annual ball given by Countess Costelbarco. And although everyone's attention was focused on Tina, dressed in a luxurious dress decorated with a garland of diamonds, rubies and emeralds, Onassis did not take his eyes off Maria all evening. Before that, he had met her only once, also in Venice and also at a social event.

He later said that these meetings were historical, “after all, we were the most famous Greeks in the world.”

Admiring Maria, Onassis did not fail to invite the singer and her husband Giovanni Batista Meneghini to “Christina.” Maria initially refused, but it was difficult to resist Onassis’s insistence. In the end, she agreed.

At the very beginning of this significant journey, Onassis and Maria were seized by a real love fever, and they were not prevented by the presence on board the yacht of either Tina or Giovanni, who was literally shocked and very offended. After all, for the sake of Maria Callas, he, a wealthy industrialist from Verona, left his family and business, was a devoted husband for ten years and devoted himself entirely to the career of his young wife. Despite the almost 30-year age difference, everyone considered their marriage successful. And suddenly, on Onassis’s yacht, Maria changed so much! She danced all night long with Aristotle, and later retired with him in his cabin. Of course it was a scandal! And Maria’s husband insisted that they leave the yacht at the nearest port, board a plane and return to Milan.

This cruise became fatal for Callas's family life. She fell in love with Onassis so selflessly that for his sake she decided to leave her husband and neglect secular conventions. In one of the interviews, she announced a break with her husband, and in November 1959 an official divorce followed.

Outraged, Tina also filed for divorce. True, by this time the couple’s relationship had already gone wrong, as evidenced by constant scandals from which the children suffered greatly. Tina had long felt defenseless and weak in front of her husband’s strong, assertive, selfish personality. Onassis's relationship with Maria seemed to sum up this not very happy marriage. The divorce proceedings of the famous couple were lengthy and scandalous and ended in November 1960. Aristotle left his wife part of his multimillion-dollar fortune, and a year and a half later she married an English lord.

From the outside it might seem that Onassis’s ambition was now satisfied: he possessed a famous woman whose voice and amazing beauty was admired by the whole world. But something was wrong in this love union, although Mary passionately loved Aristotle. At his request, she could sing for his guests almost all night and at the same time refuse a lucrative contract and performance if Arnie did not want it! She often had to spend long days alone, waiting for her lover, who was always busy with deals. She moved to Paris to “intercept” Onassis during his constant voyages between London and Monte Carlo, where the offices of the billionaire’s empire were located. And she even terminated her pregnancy at a late stage (at seven months!) only because Onassis demanded it. For the sake of love, she sacrificed everything, including her singing career. “I don’t want to sing anymore,” she admitted in one of her interviews. - I want to live. Live like any woman."

Callas dreamed of marriage with Onassis and once even publicly announced that it would take place. However, the very next day Onassis called this statement “just a fantasy.” He loved Maria in his own way, she became the second woman to whom he gave the famous diamond bracelet, changing the first letter T to M, but he did not even think about marrying her. In addition, a woman appeared in his life who was more suitable for the role of Mrs. Onassis. It was the legendary Jacqueline Kennedy, widow of the 35th President of the United States. Onassis later called it “his highest achievement.”

Onassis met Jacqueline back when John Kennedy was a senator. The couple visited the Christina while Winston Churchill was visiting there. While the politicians had lengthy conversations, Onassis showed his charming guest the yacht.

The second time Jacqueline vacationed on the famous yacht was in August 1963. At that time, she lost her third, recently born child, and the Greek tycoon invited her to unwind a little and get rid of depression. John Kennedy was by no means delighted with this cruise, and therefore set a condition: Jacqueline would be accompanied by her sister Lee and the Under Secretary of State for Commerce with her wife.

Onassis did everything possible to make Jacqueline feel comfortable. At her service were two hairdressers, a masseuse, an orchestra played for her, and cooks prepared delicious dishes. The First Lady of America was relaxing, literally basking in luxury. But everything was ruined by the publication on the pages of American newspapers of photographs of Jacqueline walking through the streets of Izmir or relaxing in a bikini with Onassis. They produced the effect of an exploding bomb. The decency of the First Lady's behavior was called into question!

An enraged Kennedy demanded that Jacqueline return home immediately. She refused, but still agreed to accompany him on a campaign trip to Texas, which was to take place in a month. On this fateful trip, 34-year-old Jeanklin became a widow: President Kennedy was shot right in the center of Texas in front of a crowd of thousands. Onassis immediately flew to the funeral. He met Jacqueline again a year after these tragic events, now in his house on Foch Avenue in Paris. He tried so hard to keep this meeting a secret that he even sent away the servants and served at dinner himself. Then Aristotle visited her more and more often in New York, sometimes they dined together in restaurants. And gradually Jackie began to feel safe with this man who had enormous vital energy. She liked that Onassis was very attentive to her and unusually generous. With him, she could talk openly about her failed family life, the death of her child, and the horror she experienced during her husband's murder. In May 1968, she was ready to accept Onassis's offer to marry him, but asked for a delay until the presidential elections, which her late husband's brother Robert Kennedy was supposed to win. She loved Robert very much and took an active part in his election campaign.

On June 5, 1968, another tragedy struck the Kennedy clan. Robert was fatally shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Jacqueline was horrified. “I hate this damn America, killing its best people. Someday this country will kill me and my children!” - she told her secretary.

And Onassis, having learned about this misfortune, could not hide his joy: “Finally she is free from these Kennedys!” - he exclaimed.

In the end, Onassis achieved what he wanted. On October 20, 1968, his marriage to Jacqueline Kennedy took place on the island of Skorpios in the Aegean Sea. By that time the groom was already 62 years old.

The entire Western press savored this wedding for a whole month. All details were also reported about the “air bridge” through which mountains of tulips were delivered from Holland to Skorpios; and about the armada of ships, day and night unloading food and boxes of drinks in the port of Skorpios; and about a flotilla of motor boats with reporters who tried in vain to break through the blockade ring formed by the patrol ships of Onassis himself and the ships of the Greek navy. A certain brave journalist was not ignored either, who managed to deceive the vigilance of the helicopter pilots covering the island from the air and parachuted down. The cut of the groom's tailcoat, the jewels on the bride's wedding dress, the diamond bracelet with the monogram "J.I.L.Y"; guests who were honored to attend the “wedding of the century”; and even the massacre of journalists at the Athens airport, where police obedient to Onassis broke the cameras of hundreds of reporters who rushed to cover the arrival of the bride from New York - all this was presented as a world sensation.

The “young couple,” despite the fact that the bride was a Catholic, got married according to the Orthodox rite. There were few guests - the closest relatives and business partners, about 30 people in total. And of course, no press!

Members of the Kennedy family ignored this wedding. Rose Kennedy, the mother of the assassinated president, found the strength to congratulate her now former daughter-in-law over the phone and wish her happiness, but when she hung up the phone, she began to cry. Ethel, the widow of Robert Kennedy, with whom Jacqueline was very friendly, sent a congratulatory telegram, but, like the rest of the family, did not come to the wedding.

America perceived Jacqueline Kennedy's marriage as a national tragedy. For all their democracy, the Americans were never able to accept such a blatant misalliance. The newspapers wrote: “A magnificent masterpiece fell from its pedestal, and it turned out that it was made of flesh and blood. Jacqueline is no longer a mystical symbol of the tragedy of the nation, she is just a woman.”

And yet, why did Onassis need the brilliant Jacqueline? Why did he leave Maria Callas and turn his children against him, since Christina and Alexander did not want to see another woman besides their mother next to their father?

The press stated directly: out of vanity, a wealthy Greek who owned a tanker fleet comparable to that of a major maritime power and half of the gambling business in Monte Carlo bought himself the most famous woman in the world. Indeed, marrying Jacqueline Kennedy was just a profitable deal: Onassis provided his wife with financial independence and security for her and her children, while she introduced her husband to the transcendental high society of America, which was so necessary for his business. Their marriage contract, which contained 170 clauses, complied with the best merchant canons. It was more like a regular charter agreement, under which the vessel is provided for use at rates that fluctuate depending on the season. Here are just a few examples. Immediately after the wedding, Jacqueline received 3 million dollars and one million was put in the name of her children. If Onassis leaves her, she will receive 10 million dollars for each year they lived together; if Onassis turns out to be abandoned (but only after five years of family life), then monetary compensation to her will be 18.75 million dollars. In the event of her husband's death, she was to receive $200,000 annually...

Journalists voluptuously described the countless expenses of the new Mrs. Onassis, which stunned ordinary people and increased newspaper circulation. Jacqueline buys containers of shoes and underwear, purchases clothing collections of the best couturiers for fabulous money, sable fur coats worth 60,000 thousand dollars each, unique jewelry made by jewelers in a single copy, yachts... Jacqueline drives Rolls-Royces, flies on private jets , has bodyguards, she has at her disposal luxurious villas in Paris, Morocco, Italy - with well-trained staff and silent secretaries who keep any secret...

But finding pleasure in crazy spending, Jacqueline did not feel happy in the presence of Onassis; rather, she was a stranger to him. Her husband’s behavior and habits irritated and even depressed her; they seemed a mockery of her refined taste, restrained demeanor, and inscrutability that hid her vulnerability. Onassis was, as they say, “simple to the point,” he loved noisy fun, broad gestures, was impulsive, and did not hide his emotions. She and Jacqueline were so different that they preferred to spend time apart. She is in Paris and New York, he is in Greece. Or vice versa.

Later newspapers asked: “Was Fortune jealous of Aristotle’s last trophy and decided to take revenge on his favorite? Or did Jacqueline Kennedy bring misfortune with her? Be that as it may, starting in 1969, the luck that had accompanied Onassis for so long in business and in love suddenly turned away from him. His financial empire began to collapse. He was forced to abandon the operation of a third of his fleet and the construction of new supertankers that had already been ordered. In addition, his other brainchild, Olympic Airways, was under threat of bankruptcy.

Some ominous fate began to haunt his family and relatives. In January 1973, his son Alexander died in a plane crash (he himself was sitting at the helm), who adored the sky as much as his father did the sea. In one night after the news of his son's death, Onassis turned into an old man. That same fateful year of 1973, Tina, his first wife, passed away, believed to be due to a drug overdose. Daughter Christina, who hated Jacqueline, finally quarreled with her, ran away from home and married an elderly womanizer.

And Jacqueline, as it turned out, was not the ideal that Onassis was looking for. If at the beginning of the marriage he did not see anything reprehensible in his wife’s huge expenses, admired her irresistible beauty, femininity and charm and said complacently: “She suffered a lot, let her now buy what she wants,” then over time the enthusiasm subsided. As the bills grew, Onassis became less and less generous: “What is she doing with all these rags? - now he asked. "I've never seen her in anything other than jeans." Onassis was not very pleased with the photographs of his wife in tabloid magazines: once the paparazzi even captured Mrs. Kennedy - Onassis in the nude.

But Jacqueline dealt him the strongest blow when, in February 1970, American newspapers published her intimate letter to her previous lover Rodzwill Gilpatrick, written during her honeymoon with Onassis. “...I remember everything,” she wrote, “what we talked about, dear Ros. I think that you also understand what place you occupied, occupy and will occupy in my life. Loving you Jackie." Onassis was furious: “God, what a laughingstock I’ve made of myself!”

Disappointed with his wife, Onassis even hired a lawyer to begin divorce proceedings. But the tragic death of Alexander pushed everything else into the background. Onassis is tired of fighting. From a cheerful and energetic businessman and ardent lover, he turned into a decrepit old man who was overcome by all sorts of ailments. Broken by illness and grief, Aristotle Onassis died on March 15, 1975 in an American hospital in Paris, nine months short of his 70th birthday.

This is how the man whose life and deeds were compared by journalists with the deeds of a real monarch ended his earthly days. True, Onassis himself said that in the world in which he was born and raised, there is something more important and significant than a scepter, a crown or the presidential chair. And he cited his favorite commandment, which he followed all his life: “The only thing that is taken into account today is money. Those who possess them are the true kings of our days."

Aristotle Onassis divided his millions between his 24-year-old daughter Christina and a fund established in memory of his son who died in a plane crash. Jacqueline was not even mentioned in the will. After eighteen months of persistent negotiations with Christina Onassis, she received only $26 million, while agreeing to completely sever ties with the Onassis family.

Immediately after the death of her second husband, Jacqueline, whom Christina called “the black widow who brings misfortune,” made an official statement: “Aristotle Onassis saved me at a time when my life was plunged into darkness. He meant a lot to me. We shared wonderful moments together that I will never forget and for which I am forever grateful.”

Still remaining in the public eye, Jacqueline fiercely defended her private life from the intrusive press, in which the famous jeweler and owner of South African diamond mines, Maurice Tempelsman, appeared. The ex-wife outlived Onassis by twenty years and died in the early spring of 1994 from cancer of the lymph glands, having managed to become a grandmother twice. But in the memory of Americans, this amazing woman remained not as Mrs. Onassis, but as Jacqueline Kennedy.

And Christina Onassis, who changed several husbands and led a rather chaotic lifestyle, died in November 1988. The body of the daughter of a Greek tycoon was found by police in the house of her school friend. Doctors declared death from a heart attack, but Christina’s acquaintances and friends believe that she took too much of a drug.

As for Maria Callas, the shock of the break with Onassis was so strong for her that she lost her magnificent voice. What could be worse for such a great singer like her?! Maria spoke bitterly about the relationship between Aristotle and Jacqueline: “He collects famous women. He pursued me because I was famous. Now he has found an object more suitable to his vanity - the widow of the US President! And I lost everything, like Medea, the heroine of my most beloved opera, by believing in his Love!” Although after Onassis’s marriage they continued to meet, she never forgave his betrayal. The tabloid press even reported that Maria allegedly cursed her lover for betrayal and for the death of their unborn child.

Maria Callas died at the end of 1977 at the age of 53. She ended her earthly days living in a luxurious Parisian apartment in complete solitude, brightened up only by two poodles. And since Callas did not leave a will, the $12 million the singer earned, ironically, but in strict accordance with the law, went to the people she loved least - her mother and husband.

The last of the Onassis family, Christina's daughter Athena Roussel, inherited her grandfather's huge empire at the age of three and went down in history as the youngest billionaire. She lives in France in the family of her father and guardian, businessman Terry Roussel.

Today, Athena is the most enviable match for high-society bride hunters. The most respectable grooms in the world have long not paid attention to fashion models, mannequins and other beauties, thinking only that on January 30, 2003, Athena turned 18 years old, and she became the mistress of a billion-dollar fortune.

Athena herself once admitted that if she ever got her grandfather’s billions, she would immediately donate them to charitable purposes, and leave mere change for herself - twenty million, so as not to depend on anyone, and go somewhere to rural wilderness to breed horses.

You can believe this if you want. True, on one condition - unless young Athena inherited the indomitable energy of her mother and grandfather.