The Mavroleon family is a Greek family of shipping magnates with strong United Kingdom connections. They also own a large amount of land in Greece. At the height of their wealth their fortune amounted to around £2 billion, and their fleet comprised 32 ships.
Basil Mavroleon (1909–1991), descended from a long-established shipping family in Greece, moved to England as a member of the merchant shipping business based in the UK and run by his cousins, the Kulukundis family.[1] He later set up the shipping company London and Overseas Freighters (LOF).[2][3] Along with the Kulukundis, he set up the Greek merchant navy.
He married an English wife, Violet Withers, by whom he had a son, Manuel Basil Mavroleon, generally known by his nickname "Bluey" (1932–2009), who was educated in England and served in the Grenadier Guards. Bluey went on to run the firm but moved to Switzerland when the 1974–1979 Labour Government nationalised Austin and Pickersgill shipbuilders in which LOF was the largest shareholder. Bluey was particularly known for his generosity and parties. He was married four times and left four children and six grandchildren.[3]
His son Nicholas Mavroleon was married to American actress Barbara Carrera.[4] Another son Carlos Mavroleon (1958–1998) was educated at Eton and Harvard, and while he was in the US had an affair with Mary Richardson, later the wife of Bobby Kennedy Jr. He later became a member of the Mujahideen, with whom he fought against the Red Army in Afghanistan. A professional journalist but also a drug addict, he died a mysterious death in Peshawar while on assignment for CBS reporting on Operation Infinite Reach.[5]