Stelios Haji-Ioannou (Greek Στέλιος
Χατζηιωάννου, born February 14 1967, in Athens, Greece) is a Greek entrepreneur. He is owner is of easyGroup, which part-owns easyJet Airline Company PLC, which operates the easyJet airline.
A graduate of the London School of Economics and City University Business School (now Cass Business School, London), he started with the shipping company Stelmar in 1992 with a loan from his father. With the success of the company he look at the starting up an airline; after a visit to the United States, inspired by Southwest he started easyJet, a "budget" airline in 1995.
The airline was an enormous success, easyJet being one of the major leaders in the European cheap flights boom of the 1990s. Haji-Ioannou expanded his interests with the formation of the easyGroup in 1998. Through easyGroup he owns or part-owns a range of companies, covering a range of activities such as internet cafés, credit card finance, car rental, cinemas and buses. All follow the "easy" approach of few "frills" and following yield management principles.
In 2000, easyJet floated on the London Stock Exchange, and Stelmar floated on the New York Stock Exchange the following year.
His personal fortune is estimated at £650 million. He lives in Monte Carlo and Athens.
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