Nikolas Niarchos: The dynasty’s reporter returns to Spetsopoula to get married

If, backmost successful 1990 erstwhile Spyros Niarchos’ lad Nikolas was lone a twelvemonth old, idiosyncratic had told the Greek tycoon that his firstborn would go a journalist, helium astir apt would person laughed. With a idiosyncratic luck reportedly exceeding €1.5 billion, his lad could person done thing helium wanted successful life.

Thirty-five years later, Nikolas Niarchos is simply a palmy writer and, for many, a maverick heir who writes for the left-leaning work The Nation, criticizing Donald Trump conscionable arsenic comfortably arsenic helium travels to Yemen to study for The New Yorker.

This summer, successful conscionable a month, he’s leaving bachelorhood down and marrying the emotion of his life, creator Malou Dala Piccola, connected June 28 successful Spetsopoula. It’s the backstage land paradise of his gramps Stavros Niarchos, wherever Nikolas spent his guiltless puerility summers playing with his younger siblings Alexis and Ines, and his cousins—the children of his uncle Philip Niarchos: Stavros, Eugenie, Theo, and Electra.

All of them volition beryllium contiguous connected the past Saturday of June, alongside astir a 100 guests—some from Greece, galore from overseas and the planetary pitchy set—for the wedding of the year.

A fewer weeks later, the mates volition big a ample enactment connected the land of Patmos, apt successful mid to precocious summer, for 300 to 400 guests.

The Persistent Reporter

When Nikolas Niarchos walks the streets of Harlem, wherever helium lives with his partner—known to galore arsenic Maria-Ludovica—few admit him arsenic a celebrated heir of the Niarchos dynasty. Most spot a reserved young antheral with heavy glasses who has ne'er leaned connected his almighty past name, the 1 that opens countless doors.

Born successful 1989 successful the world’s metropolis, helium grew up lacking nothing, with his parent Daphne Guinness and begetter Spyros Niarchos ever by his side. At property 10, helium experienced his parents’ divorcement portion attending an elite backstage schoolhouse and developed a emotion for journalism during his teenage years.

After being accepted to Yale, helium chose to survey lit and authorities and aboriginal pursued a master’s successful journalism astatine Columbia. His engaged father, Spyros, had nary objection to his son’s determination to participate a tract wherever the household sanction typically carries nary weight.

After finishing his studies, helium focused connected investigative journalism, afloat alert that his reporting wouldn’t instrumentality him to the aforesaid locales arsenic his cousins Stavros and Eugenie, but alternatively to war-torn and conflicted regions. He speaks 5 languages, including Russian and Italian. He started penning successful London and went connected to lend to The Guardian, The Independent, and The Observer.

But it was the pugnacious stories that intrigued him.
“In 2015, portion moving arsenic a fact-checker astatine The New Yorker, I was visiting my household successful Greece erstwhile the exile situation began. I soon recovered myself connected a formation to Lesbos, wherever I witnessed a ‘human sea’ arriving from war-ravaged areas successful Iraq and Syria taken implicit by ISIS,” helium recalled.
He aboriginal reported from Samos, Djibouti, and Western Sahara—using his abrogation clip to screen exile stories. That was the commencement of his heavy dive into African reporting.

He went connected to study from Burkina Faso, Yemen, and Ukraine—almost instantly aft the warfare began—covering stories that appeared successful The Nation, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Guardian. He has besides traveled extensively successful Greece, visiting islands similar Kasos, Skyros, and Velopoula (a rocky islet adjacent Spetses and Milos), often unsocial oregon with his siblings, ever with his camera slung implicit his shoulder.

He seems to person a kindred tone successful the precocious Carlos Mavroleon, a subordinate of a well-known shipping household who erstwhile fought arsenic a Mujahideen against the Russians successful Afghanistan. Mavroleon aboriginal joined CBS’s legendary 60 Minutes team, undertaking unsafe assignments successful places similar Sierra Leone and Somalia earlier dying successful Pakistan portion searching for Osama bin Laden.

In July 2022, Niarchos went to the Congo to analyse moving conditions successful cobalt mines, wherever adjacent minors toiled for little than a dollar a day. His unauthorized interaction with rebels led to his apprehension by the ANR, the country’s cardinal quality service. He was held for respective days earlier being released—declared persona non grata and permanently banned from the country. His phones and laptop were ne'er returned.

All the Niarchos Family Will Attend

Preparations are underway connected Spetsopoula to get the land acceptable for the joyous lawsuit that volition bring unneurotic the full Niarchos household and adjacent relatives. Proud begetter Spyros Niarchos volition beryllium there, arsenic volition his ex-wife Daphne Guinness and their children.

Uncle Philip Niarchos volition besides be with his 3rd woman Victoria-Christina Guinness and their 4 children, including Stavros Niarchos, who volition get with his woman Dasha Zhukova. Also expected are Eugenie Niarchos, Theo Niarchos with long-time spouse Camille Rowe, and the youngest, Electra Niarchos.

Nikolas’ aunt, Maria Niarchos (sister of Spyros and Philip), who has a beauteous location successful Spetses, volition besides beryllium present. Andreas Dracopoulos, President of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and relative of Spyros and Philip, has been invited arsenic well.

Spetsopoula Will Host VIP Guests connected June 28

Nikolas and his household volition enactment connected Spetsopoula, portion the bride Malou Dala Piccola and her family, according to sources, volition enactment astatine a well-known edifice connected adjacent Spetses and question to the Niarchos land conscionable hours earlier the ceremony. The planetary guests, not expected to transcend 100, volition beryllium brought to the land by boat. Following the vows and congratulatory greetings, a wedding reception volition instrumentality place.

From Romance to Marriage

The mates volition besides big a larger enactment successful Patmos for 300–400 friends aboriginal successful the summer, though the nonstop determination is inactive nether wraps.

When they archetypal met, Nikolas saw successful Malou a charming young pistillate who, similar him, is profoundly passionate astir her work.

Malou Dala Piccola, oregon Maria Ludovica, is simply a ocular creator from an aristocratic Italian family. Due to household circumstances, she lived successful Russia for 7 years. After moving to London, she studied astatine the prestigious Central Saint Martins and the Atelier de Sèvres earlier launching her ain creator career.

Her enactment includes murals successful Venetian palazzos that sparked speech successful creation circles. Her romance with Nikolas Niarchos has lasted implicit 4 years, culminating successful their engagement—celebrated with a lively enactment among adjacent friends.

The solemnisation was filled with reddish décor and heart-shaped cakes featuring their faces. A item of the nighttime was the mambo they danced together—something they volition apt reprise connected Spetsopoula, lone this clip arsenic hubby and wife.