Dimitris Melissanidis

Dimitris Melissanidis (Greek: Δημήτρης Μελισσανίδης; born 8 March 1951) is a Greek business oil tycoon who is one of Greece's most successful businessmen.[10]

Dimitris Melissanidis
Δημήτρης Μελισσανίδης
Born (1951-03-08) March 8, 1951[1]
Nikaia, Greece
NationalityGreek
OccupationEntrepreneur & Oil tycoon
Known forFounder & Former Owner of Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc.[2]
Owner of Geonama Holdings[3]
Owner of AEK Athens F.C.
Founder & owner of Aegean Oil[4][5]
Major sharelolder of OPAP[6][7]
Net worthUS$3.4 billion (2015)[8]
ChildrenGeorgios Melissanidis[9]

He is the founder and ex-owner[2] of Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. which is the largest independent fuel supplier in the world.[11]

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[12] and has been repeatedly acknowledged for his prestigious international shipping contribution.[13]

He has served as AEK Athens Football Club's thirtieth (30th) and thirty-second (32nd) president, serving from 1992–1993 and 1994–1995 respectively. He was also president of AEK during 1998–1999 but ENIC Group was the shareholder.

On June 7, 2013, with AEK relegated to the Amateur Division because of financial problems, Dimitris Melissanidis became again active for the club as an administrative leader. Later, together with other notable AEK fans and old players, they created the non-profit association "Union Friends of AEK" (Enosi Filon AEK) which took the majority stake of the football club.[14]

Early life

Melissanidis was born in Nikaia, Greece and was raised in Athens. He is the son of a Pontic refugee, Zoras Melissanidis, active in Pontic affairs, and a deeply respected local political figure prior to his forced move to Athens. Melissanidis began as a businessman in 1975 owning a small driving school in Korydallos area.[15]

Business career

AMPNI and Aegean Oil
Main articles: Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. and Aegean Oil

Melissanidis was the founder and owner of the marine fuels and bunkering services supplier Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. (AMPNI)[16] and of the petroleum company Aegean Oil which he still currently owns. He launched the business in 1995. In August 2016, Melissanidis sold all the shares of AMPNI.[2]

AEK F.C.
Main article: AEK Athens F.C.

Melissanidis was President of AEK Athens F.C. during the 90's.

On June 7, 2013, Dimitris Melissanidis became again active for AEK, after they declared bankruptcy, in order to save the club and bring them back to success. The company declared bankruptcy and were relegated to Greece's third tier. The club was reported to owe €170 million ($219 million) in taxes and will start the 2013–14 campaign in the Football League 2, the country's third amateur division.[17] Later, together with other notable AEK fans and old players, they created the non-profit association "Union Friends of AEK" (Enosi Filon AEK) which took the majority stake of the football club.

Since the arrival and return of Melissandis to the club, AEK has secured major sponsorship deals which will give the club a huge financial boost. Melissanidis has secured a €2.1 million sponsorship deal from OPAP, a €1.5 million contract with Greek Telecommunications company Nova Sports and a €1 million sponsorship deal with Fujitsu.

Melissanidis has unveiled plans also for a new stadium in Nea Filadelfia, where the old stadium of AEK was placed.[18][19]

On October 2, 2013 the AEK Athens board, under Dimitris Melissanidis, presented plans for the new stadium to the municipality of Nea Filadelfeia, in order to gain permission to build. A new 4-star UEFA system stadium will be built, seating between 32,500 and 35,000 spectators. The cost of this project is estimated to be around €70-80 million. It is modelled after the Agia Sophia church in Constantinople, as AEK has its roots there. Around 1,500-2,000 new jobs will become available and the neighbourhood is expected to benefit largely from this endeavour.[20] The structural design of the stadium was designed by Italian architect Massimo Majowiecki and the architectural design by the Greek architect Athanasius Kyratsous. Majowiecki is most known for designing the home ground of the Juventus Stadium.[21]

Emma Delta & OPAP

Melissanidis, via his own company Geonama Holdings,[22] reported owned a stake in Emma Delta, a private equity fund of EMMA Capital. Emma Delta acquired 33% stake of Greek betting firm OPAP[23] for €652 million.[22] According to Reuters, OPAP was the European biggest betting firm, as of 2008.[24] Dimitris Melissanidis is a major shareholder in OPAP and is the largest investor, investing €157 million in the takeover.[25]

At the signing, Dimitris Melissanidis ended his statement by commenting that "OPAP is turning a page".[26]

Other

Melissanidis has social and philanthropic action, mainly in cooperation with the Church of Greece and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. In January 2014, he was honoured with the title of Kouropalates (cura palatii) by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, a title given for the first time since the 15th century.[27][28]

Controversy

Dimitris Melissanidis has been involved in many controversies over the years. In the 1980s when he ran his first business in Piraeus (a driving school) he received his first bribery conviction and then another bribery conviction for paying off two players in an amateur football league.[29]]

In 1996, Melissanidis and his business partner, Yiannis Karras, were charged to a prison sentence[30] for oil smuggling, however the charges were dropped and he was not found guilty for oil smuggling.[31]

During the time of negotiations with OPAP, Costas Louropoulos, OPAP’s chief executive, felt put “under pressure by Mr 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”, Mr Louropoulos quoted Mr Melissanidis as telling him on May 20, 2013”, according to the "Financial Times".[32] 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.[33]

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,[34] the Greek reporter who published the government report in the left-wing ‘Unfollow’ magazine.[35][36] 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”. When the reporter told the caller that he would alert the authorities, he replied: “Screw you and the authorities. I don’t understand anything, I am Melissanidis. You will not be able to sleep. You will not be able to go out, I’ll be your nightmare. Fear of me will haunt you. They will come to your house and blow you up in your sleep. I am used to talking to big journalists. I looked you up and I will tear you down”.[37]

Furthermore, after Melissanidis assumed OPAP's management, AEK FC 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 F.C. pulled out of its €1.9 million sponsorship deal with OPAP.[38]

In 2014, he was found guilty for oil smuggling, with his partner Yiannis Karras, for the period 1993–1995. The punishment was redeemable for €20 a day.[39]

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References
  1. forbes Archived October 29, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. to Repurchase 11,303,031 Shares Owned by Dimitris Melissanidis". Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. 17 August 2016. Archived from the original on 28 November 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  3. https://www.reader.gr/business/poies-etaireies-einai-piso-apo-tin-emma-delta-poy-agorase-33-toy-opap
  4. https://www.sportime.gr/aek/melissanidis-i-aegean-ekane-dorea-sto-esi-sti-machi-me-ton-koronoio/
  5. https://www.thenationalherald.com/archive_whats_new/arthro/amid_fraud_allegations_aegean_marine_files_for_bankruptcy-14333/
  6. https://jewishbusinessnews.com/2013/08/16/alexander-nesis-takes-a-share-of-greeces-gambling-action/
  7. https://www.gamingzion.com/gambling/gambling-news/investment-fund-formed-to-purchase-one-third-of-opap/
  9. "Our big fat Greek privatisation scandals". al Jazeera. 11 June 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  10. Forbes
  11. Record Usage of Bunker Fuel in 2013
  12. "One Hundred Most Influential People in the Shipping Industry. Edition 6". Lloyd's List. December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  13. Dimitrios Melissanidis Lloy'ds List - Top 100
  14. Mεγαλομέτοχος της ΠΑΕ η Ένωση Φίλων ΑΕΚ
  16. Hope, Kerin (2018-11-01). "Auditors probe potential $200m fraud at Aegean Marine". Financial Times. Retrieved 2019-09-12.
  17. aek-athens-prepare-start-scratch-bankruptcy
  18. h-maketa-tou-palatiou-ths-agia-sofias-fwto
  19. Melissanidis unveils plan to build new AEK Athens Stadium
  20. AEK, αυτό είναι το σπίτι σου! (in Greek)
  21. Ο ρόλος-κλειδί του Μάσιμο Μαγιοβιέτσκι για την Φιλαδέλφεια! Massimo Majowiecki designs the new AEK stadium
  22. "Emma Delta approved for OPAP purchase". G3 News Wire. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  23. "Shareholder Structure". OPAP. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  24. "Greek OPAP puts off charter changes ahead of deregulation". Reuters. 11 June 2008. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  25. https://www.gamingzion.com/gambling/gambling-news/investment-fund-formed-to-purchase-one-third-of-opap/
  26. OPAP sale to Emma Delta inked, at last
  27. Άρχοντας Κουροπαλάτης της Αγίας του Χριστού Μεγάλης Εκκλησίας» αναγορεύθηκε ο Δημήτρης Μελισσανίδης
  28. Άρχων της Μεγάλης Εκκλησίας» ο Δημήτρης Μελισσανίδης
  29. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-08-20. Retrieved 2014-07-15.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  30. "ΑΚΟΜΗ ΣΤΗ ΦΥΛΑΚΗ Ο ΜΕΛΙΣΣΑΝΙΔΗΣ". Makedonia. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  31. Ktenas Spyros (1996-10-20). "Οι λαθρέμποροι πετρελαίου κλέβουν 80 εκατ. την ημέρα". To Vima (Το Βήμα). Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  32. Kerin Hope (June 27, 2013). "Greece faces collapse of second key privatization". Financial Times.
  33. Harry Papachristou (Aug 18, 2013). "UPDATE 2-Greek privatisation chief dismissed over holiday flight". Reuters. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  34. Baboulias Yiannis (5 February 2013). "Reporter receives death threats from man self-identified as Aegean Oil magnate (UPDATES)". Urban Diaries. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  35. Augustine Zenakos (February 3, 2013). "REPORTER THREATENED OVER AEGEAN OIL SMUGGLING REPORT". Borderline Reports. Archived from the original on 23 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  36. Elektra Kotsoni (February 2013). "A Greek Oil Baron Wants to Blow Me Up in My Sleep". Vice. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  37. Dimitrios Melissanidis Archived 2013-09-23 at the Wayback Machine
  38. Panos Bletsos (18 September 2013). "Olympiacos ditch OPAP sponsor cash over AEK row". Inside World Football. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  39. https://boro.gr/112296/melissanidhs-apo-daskalos-sxolhs-odhgwn-stoys-500-pio-ploysioys-toy-planhth/
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