Christina Onassis, the daughter of the well-known Greek shipping legend and magnate Aristotle Onassis had a three-year-old daughter, Athina, when she passed away at the young age of 37 in 1988.
The life of the legendary Onassis family was defined by money, love, and unbearable pain.
Christina’s daughter would later become the sole heir to the vast Onassis fortune, as she was the only surviving member of this extraordinary Greek family. The relationship between mother Christina and daughter Athina was undoubtedly brief due to life’s tragic turn of events.
Nonetheless, it left an indelible mark on Athina and the future of the name following the sudden deaths of Christina and her brother, Alexander, who passed away in 1973 in a plane crash.
Christina Onassis’ life of trouble
The life path of Christina was already paved even prior to her birth.
She grew up in the deep shadow of her famous father, something that made her life anything but ordinary. During her short and tumultuous time in this world, Christina had a personal life that was defined by unsuccessful relationships.
She was married four times between 1971 and 1984, with each union in this 13-year period ending in divorce. Throughout her adult years, Christina suffered from mental health issues that impacted her personality. She battled depression and had severe weight issues, problems that eventually led to drug addiction.
Tragically, Christina Onassis was found dead in 1988 at a mansion in Buenos Aires, Argentina during a visit. Her death left young Athina, who was only three years old at the time, without her beloved mother.
Athina’s sheltered childhood
After the loss of her mother, Athina was raised by her father, Thierry Roussel, in France, Spain, and Switzerland. Completely shielded from the public eye by her own choice during her youth, Athina inherited several billion dollars on her 18th birthday in 2003.
This inheritance included a vast portfolio of real estate, islands, and businesses around the world that spanned an impressive spectrum of sectors.
Despite the unfathomable and constant challenges of her family history, Athina managed to find ways to honor the Onassis name in her own quiet way.
Firstly, she shares her grandfather’s love of horses and equestrian sports. More specifically in 2005, she married Brazilian showjumper Álvaro de Miranda Neto. Athina herself began competing as a showjumper in 2006.
In addition to her sporting pursuits, Athina has also spoken of plans to start a foundation supporting hospitals and childhood disease research, carrying on the philanthropic legacy of her family.
The Onassis family curse?
Many people have speculated about the so-called “Onassis curse” throughout the last several decades. The family has indeed endured way too many tragedies for these to be deemed mere coincidences.
Losing her mother at such a young age, Athina was obliged to face the challenge of coming to terms with her family’s dramatic and heartbreaking fate. However, her strong belief in living a life away from the spotlight has borne fruit for the only daughter of Christina.
By willingly maintaining a more low-key lifestyle than her late mother, Athina has succeeded in breaking free from the family’s troubled past.
Although the time Christina and Athina spent together was extremely short, the bond and special relationship between mother and daughter is evident in Athina’s life choices.
From a young age, Christina Onassis’ daughter had to find her own unique and independent path in life. It was a path that would have to be different from those the family had previously followed.
