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Vasilis Goulandris

Greek shipowner

Vassilis P. "Basil" Goulandris (6 September 1913 – 27 April 1994) was a Greek shipowner, and the founder of Greece's first Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Andros. He and his wife died childless and left an art collection worth $3 billion, which has been the subject of long-running litigation since she died in 2000.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Vasilis Goulandris (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Sep 6, 1913, died Apr 27, 1994.1

Companies

Early life and education

He was the son of Peter J Goulandris and Chrysa Dambassi.

He had a twin brother Nicholas "Nikos" (1913–83), elder brothers John (1907–50) and George (1908–74) and a younger brother Constantine (1916–78).

From Wikipedia’s article on Vasilis Goulandris (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: entrepreneur, businessperson, art collector, ship-owner.9

  • 1984 to 1994Honorary presidency6 7
  • 1979 to 1994Chairperson, Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation6 8
  • 1975 to 1984Vice president, Union of Greek Shipowners6 7
  • Date not recordedFounded Greek Line3
  • Date not recordedFounded Museum of Contemporary Art, Andros4
  • Date not recordedFounded Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation5

Basil Goulandris and his four brothers became known as the "Sons of Peter Goulandris", and in 1946 founded the Orion Shipping & Trading Co Inc, which made large purchases of US and Canadian-built ships, from a New York head office, and Capeside Steamship Co Ltd in London.

They bought at least 50 Liberty ships, and later commissioned new tankers and ore carriers, from US and Canada in 1953 to 1954, Japan from 1956 to 1994 and Polish from 1983 to 1984. In 1958, they had 82 ships, the second largest Greek shipowners. In 1970, Orion had 54 mostly larger ships, and were the largest Greek shipowners. In 1975, Orion had 64 ships, and were still the largest.

In the 1980s, only Basil of the five brothers was still alive, and he ran United Shipping & Trading out of Greece with his nephews, Peter J. Goulandris (son of John P. Goulandris and Maria Lemou), and Peter George Goulandris and Peter N. Goulandris, sons of Nikos Goulandris.

From Wikipedia’s article on Vasilis Goulandris (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Personal life

  • BornSep 6, 1913, Andros10
  • DiedApr 27, 1994, Athens11
  • CitizenshipUnited States, Greece12
  • SpouseElise Goulandris 1950 to 199413 14

Goulandris married Elisa Karadontis, "an Athenian beauty", and they became collectors of modern art, establishing the Basil and Elisa Goulandris Foundation. In 1979, they founded the Museum of Contemporary Art Andros.

Basil did not leave a will when he died in 1994, Elise died in 2000, and as of 2016, there has been a 16-year feud over their art collection, estimated to be worth US$3 billion. As they were childless, and much of it was owned through a tangled web of offshore companies, there are several rival claims to the collection.

The leaked Panama Papers shed some light on the ownership of shell companies in protracted litigation in Lausanne over ownership of artwork from the Goulandris's Gstaad chalet.

From Wikipedia’s article on Vasilis Goulandris (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Awards

  • Date not recordedCommandeur des Arts et des Lettres‎15 16
  • Date not recordedCommendatore15 16
  • Date not recordedKnight of the Legion of Honour15 16
  • Date not recordedOfficer of the Legion of Honour15 16

Sources

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