Shipping magnates stand in contrast to Greece's troubles

London

MORE than a thousand delegates from the shipping industry gathered last month at the Hilton Athens for the Greek Shipping Forum, a day of speeches and panel discussions on private equity, ship recycling and financing.

The packed reception hall was a testament to how the nation's ship owners still dominate the industry decades after Aristotle Onassis and Stavros Niarchos ruled the waves. The Hellenic fleet is the world's most valuable at US$106 billion, according to VesselsValue.com, accounting for 19 per cent of the world's tankers.