Thierry Roussel
Encyclopedia
Thierry Roussel was the fourth husband of Christina Onassis
, and the only man with whom she had a child. Their daughter is Athina Onassis de Miranda
. Roussel is best known as the controversial former co-trustee of his eldest child's famous fortune and for having been involved in a number of legal entanglements with the four Greek trustees of that fortune. These disputes were mostly ended (or quieted) in 1999 by the court-ordered transfer of Athina's trust into a private auditing firm.
Laboratoires Pharmaceutiques, and his wife, Francine Grinda, herself the daughter of Jean-Paul Grinda and niece of the French politician Édouard Grinda
.
Roussel graduated from high school in 1972. He studied economics
at the Pantheon-Assas Paris II University.
He has two sisters: Patricia Roussel and Christine de Luynes (widow of Jean d'Albert, 12th duc de Luynes). His maternal uncles are the veteran Davis Cup
tennis player Jean-Noël Grinda and Olivier Grinda. The Roussel family's fortunes derive from the Roussel Uclaf
pharmaceutical corporation, most famous for the design of the abortifacient
RU-486 (mifepristone
).
in 1984. They had a honeymoon
in the Caribbean
, but their marriage ended in divorce in 1988. Generally, the story is reported the same way, with the strong suggestion that theirs was a marriage based rather on convenience or infatuation than true love. Whatever the truth, there were certainly serious marital problems. Roussel had at least one extramarital affair during the marriage, with former Swedish model Marianne "Gaby" Landhage, who gave birth to their elder two (of three total) children while Roussel was still married to Christina. In fact he has a son with Gaby who is only a couple months younger than his daughter Athena (by Christina) For Christina's part, she suffered from bouts of serious depression and allegedly self-medicated herself with drugs and overeating. In any case, Christina and Roussel began divorce proceedings eight months after Athina was born.
near Bonneville, the Roussels' estate in Sologne
. Athina Roussel was a bridal attendant. By then Athina was in her father's custody and was being raised by the motherly Landhage, whose care of her stepdaughter has been widely praised. Gaby and Athina enjoy a warm relationship to this day. Roussel and Gaby now have three children: Erik, Sandrine, and Johanna. The two older children were born during Roussel's marriage to Christina—Erik in July 1985, and Sandrine in May 1987. Johanna was born in July 1991. Roussel and Gaby raised all four children in Lussy-sur-Morges
, near Lausanne
Switzerland
, with ski trips to Saint Moritz
and summers on Ibiza
or Mustique
. To silence critics who claimed that Athina was being isolated from her mother's heritage, the Roussels spent some time on Skorpios
and visiting historic places in Athens
.
In 1987, he decided to reside in Switzerland and created the financial management company SGFC where he continues to act as President at the present time.
He co-managed his daughter Athina's personal fortune with 4 Greek administrators from 1988–1999, at which time the administration of the trust was transferred by court order to the Swiss auditing firm of KPMG Fides.
In 2003, he created a Fund of Funds called GMT with the participation of numerous international banks.
Roussel has sometimes been derided in the media for certain business decisions. The most legendary one was the investment in strawberry
farms in Portugal
. Some reports, like the Athens News Agency
in 1998, say the result was bankruptcy
. Diane Sawyer
investigated the situation in doing research for her interview with Athina
in 1998, and according to Sawyer, although Roussel did not actually file for bankruptcy
, he did sell the strawberry farms at a loss. According to Forbes
, it was a US $30 million loss.
Roussel used his company, Oderfruta, to invest in the farms, with a borrowed subsidy
from the European Union
, which hoped that the company might create jobs and stimulate economy in one of the poorest regions of Portugal. Roussel additionally borrowed money from the Portuguese state and a bank, but by 1994, the venture was badly debt-ridden.
Roussel did not let the fiasco discourage him, however. Over the years he has had numerous business interests, from a modeling agency
in Paris
, boat building in Morocco, and horse breeding
. The horse breeding
company, called "European Horses," naturally overlapped into his daughters' (Sandrine's and Athina's) passion for show jumping
. They rode his horses in competitions and Roussel was often photographed with them at those competitions.
Christina Onassis
-See also:*Christina, a song dedicated to her by artist - Patty Griffin*Christina O - the Onassis family yacht, named after Christina by her father-External links:...
, and the only man with whom she had a child. Their daughter is Athina Onassis de Miranda
Athina Roussel
Athina Onassis Roussel is a French competitive show jumper and heiress. She is the only surviving descendant of her grandfather Aristotle Onassis, the Greek shipping magnate, and is of half Greek and half French descent.- Early life :...
. Roussel is best known as the controversial former co-trustee of his eldest child's famous fortune and for having been involved in a number of legal entanglements with the four Greek trustees of that fortune. These disputes were mostly ended (or quieted) in 1999 by the court-ordered transfer of Athina's trust into a private auditing firm.
Early life and background
Thierry Patrick François Roussel, was born on 16 February 1953 at Neuilly, near Paris, son of the late Henry Julien Gaston Roussel, who was President and General Manager of the Roussel UclafRoussel Uclaf
Roussel Uclaf S.A. was the second largest French pharmaceutical company before it was acquired by Hoechst AG of Frankfurt, Germany in 1997, with pharmaceutical operations combined into the Hoechst Marion Roussel division...
Laboratoires Pharmaceutiques, and his wife, Francine Grinda, herself the daughter of Jean-Paul Grinda and niece of the French politician Édouard Grinda
Édouard Grinda
Édouard Joseph Auguste Grinda . A native of Nice, who also died in Nice, he was a French politician best known for his report, The Grinda Report of 1923 and as architect of France's medical insurance law of 1928....
.
Roussel graduated from high school in 1972. He studied economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at the Pantheon-Assas Paris II University.
He has two sisters: Patricia Roussel and Christine de Luynes (widow of Jean d'Albert, 12th duc de Luynes). His maternal uncles are the veteran Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
tennis player Jean-Noël Grinda and Olivier Grinda. The Roussel family's fortunes derive from the Roussel Uclaf
Roussel Uclaf
Roussel Uclaf S.A. was the second largest French pharmaceutical company before it was acquired by Hoechst AG of Frankfurt, Germany in 1997, with pharmaceutical operations combined into the Hoechst Marion Roussel division...
pharmaceutical corporation, most famous for the design of the abortifacient
Abortifacient
An abortifacient is a substance that induces abortion. Abortifacients for animals that have mated undesirably are known as mismating shots....
RU-486 (mifepristone
Mifepristone
Mifepristone is a synthetic steroid compound used as a pharmaceutical. It is a progesterone receptor antagonist used as an abortifacient in the first months of pregnancy, and in smaller doses as an emergency contraceptive. During early trials, it was known as RU-38486 or simply RU-486, its...
).
First marriage
Roussel married Christina OnassisChristina Onassis
-See also:*Christina, a song dedicated to her by artist - Patty Griffin*Christina O - the Onassis family yacht, named after Christina by her father-External links:...
in 1984. They had a honeymoon
Honeymoon
-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...
in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, but their marriage ended in divorce in 1988. Generally, the story is reported the same way, with the strong suggestion that theirs was a marriage based rather on convenience or infatuation than true love. Whatever the truth, there were certainly serious marital problems. Roussel had at least one extramarital affair during the marriage, with former Swedish model Marianne "Gaby" Landhage, who gave birth to their elder two (of three total) children while Roussel was still married to Christina. In fact he has a son with Gaby who is only a couple months younger than his daughter Athena (by Christina) For Christina's part, she suffered from bouts of serious depression and allegedly self-medicated herself with drugs and overeating. In any case, Christina and Roussel began divorce proceedings eight months after Athina was born.
Second marriage
Roussel married Marianne "Gaby" Landhage in 1990 in the village church in VillenyVilleny
Villeny is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department in central France....
near Bonneville, the Roussels' estate in Sologne
Sologne
Sologne , a region of north-central France extending over portions of the départements of Loiret, Loir-et-Cher and Cher...
. Athina Roussel was a bridal attendant. By then Athina was in her father's custody and was being raised by the motherly Landhage, whose care of her stepdaughter has been widely praised. Gaby and Athina enjoy a warm relationship to this day. Roussel and Gaby now have three children: Erik, Sandrine, and Johanna. The two older children were born during Roussel's marriage to Christina—Erik in July 1985, and Sandrine in May 1987. Johanna was born in July 1991. Roussel and Gaby raised all four children in Lussy-sur-Morges
Lussy-sur-Morges
Lussy-sur-Morges is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Vaud, located in the Morges district.-Geography:Lussy-sur-Morges has an area, , of . Of this area, or 74.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 13.2% is forested...
, near Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, with ski trips to Saint Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
and summers on Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
or Mustique
Mustique
Mustique is a small private island in the West Indies. The island is one of a group of islands called the Grenadines, most of which form part of the country of St Vincent and the Grenadines....
. To silence critics who claimed that Athina was being isolated from her mother's heritage, the Roussels spent some time on Skorpios
Skorpios
Skorpios is a private island in the Ionian Sea off the western coast of Greece and just to the east of the island of Lefkada. The 2001 census reported a population of two inhabitants...
and visiting historic places in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
.
Business career
He created his first company at the age of 22 and then created several publicity space rental companies, AEA, Super-média and Média Center, which were later resold to the Carat Group.In 1987, he decided to reside in Switzerland and created the financial management company SGFC where he continues to act as President at the present time.
He co-managed his daughter Athina's personal fortune with 4 Greek administrators from 1988–1999, at which time the administration of the trust was transferred by court order to the Swiss auditing firm of KPMG Fides.
In 2003, he created a Fund of Funds called GMT with the participation of numerous international banks.
Roussel has sometimes been derided in the media for certain business decisions. The most legendary one was the investment in strawberry
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
farms in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. Some reports, like the Athens News Agency
Athens News Agency
The Athens News Agency was one of the two major news agencies in Greece, the other being the Macedonian Press Agency, before they merged together into the Athens News Agency-Macedonian Press Agency .-History:...
in 1998, say the result was bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. Diane Sawyer
Diane Sawyer
Lila Diane Sawyer is the current anchor of ABC News' flagship program, ABC World News. Previously, Sawyer had been co-anchor of ABC Newss morning news program, Good Morning America ....
investigated the situation in doing research for her interview with Athina
Athina Roussel
Athina Onassis Roussel is a French competitive show jumper and heiress. She is the only surviving descendant of her grandfather Aristotle Onassis, the Greek shipping magnate, and is of half Greek and half French descent.- Early life :...
in 1998, and according to Sawyer, although Roussel did not actually file for bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, he did sell the strawberry farms at a loss. According to Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
, it was a US $30 million loss.
Roussel used his company, Oderfruta, to invest in the farms, with a borrowed subsidy
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
from the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, which hoped that the company might create jobs and stimulate economy in one of the poorest regions of Portugal. Roussel additionally borrowed money from the Portuguese state and a bank, but by 1994, the venture was badly debt-ridden.
Roussel did not let the fiasco discourage him, however. Over the years he has had numerous business interests, from a modeling agency
Modeling agency
A modeling agency is a company that represents fashion models, to work for the fashion industry. These agencies earn their income via commission, usually from the deal they make with the model and or the head agency....
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, boat building in Morocco, and horse breeding
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
. The horse breeding
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
company, called "European Horses," naturally overlapped into his daughters' (Sandrine's and Athina's) passion for show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
. They rode his horses in competitions and Roussel was often photographed with them at those competitions.