Erik Vassilatos, Kimberly, and the Yacht ‘Persephone’

source – topontiki.gr

“Erik, Kimberly, and the yacht ‘Persephone’ with the Kazakh oligarch – Who is the Greek-American who brought the new U.S. Ambassador to Greece on his private jet”

By Vassilis Diamantatos

From the villages of Erissos in Kefalonia to Chicago’s penthouses, Erik Vassilatos has written his own success story. The Greek-American entrepreneur, founder of the Vivid Seats platform and SkyBox Capital, combines business acumen, philanthropy, strong ties to his homeland, and close relations with Donald Trump’s circle. He’s the man who brought the new U.S. Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle to Greece in his private jet.

He also owns the yacht “Persephone,” which hosted Kazakh oligarch Daniyar Abulgazin and from which, in June 2024, fireworks were launched that set fire to Hydra’s pine forest!

Mr. Vassilatos had no involvement in that incident, since the yacht is reportedly managed by a luxury-charter company. But who is this billionaire from Kefalonia—whose best man is singer Kostas Argyros (today, a party is expected where Kimberly Guilfoyle will be a guest)—and whose fortune reaches $2 billion?

Everything began in Kefalonia. His father Stavros Vassilatos, from Chalikeri in Vasilikades of Erissos, together with his friend and partner Makis Spathis, owned a shop in Chicago selling used catering equipment—a small kingdom of metal shelves and deep-fryers—where young Erik spent endless hours helping and studying in the attic. Stavros had only one dream: that his son get educated and learn to respect all people regardless of origin or wealth. Erik studied Business Administration at the University of Iowa, where he met his future partner Jerry Bedniak. In their Mayflower Residence Hall dorm rooms they spent nights discussing ideas and loans, learning first-hand organization, responsibility, and teamwork.

That partnership later became one of the most impressive business success stories of recent decades. In 2001 they founded Vivid Seats, which grew into one of America’s largest ticket-resale platforms for sports and music events. In 2021 it was listed on the NASDAQ with a valuation of more than $2.1 billion.

Beyond business, Vassilatos is known for his philanthropy and love for Greece. He has donated to Kefalonian schools and the church of Agia Efimia, while his family maintains a holiday home there. His social circle includes Greek and American celebrities; he appears at events with figures close to the Trump family and has participated in Republican fundraisers.

The Greek-American entrepreneur has often stated that his roots keep him grounded. “Everything starts from home,” he has said in interviews, referring to his Kefalonian upbringing. His latest visit to Greece attracted attention after he arrived with Kimberly Guilfoyle and friends aboard his private aircraft and later on the yacht “Persephone.” Photos from Mykonos and Hydra showed them enjoying the Aegean alongside guests from Kazakhstan and the U.S. business world.

As for the Hydra incident in June 2024, investigations continue into who launched the fireworks that caused the blaze. According to sources, Vassilatos was not aboard the vessel at the time and has cooperated fully with Greek authorities.

For many Greeks abroad, he represents a new type of diaspora success story — rooted in humble origins, flourishing abroad, yet deeply connected to the homeland.

Demetra and Their Philanthropic Footprint

By his side stands, discreetly but meaningfully, his wife Demetra Vassilatos (née Vizios), a graduate of the University of Illinois and former executive at Mercedes-Benz USA. The couple married in 2016 and founded the Demetra & Eric Vassilatos Foundation, with capital exceeding five million dollars.

The Foundation supports educational programs, health initiatives, and cultural projects both in the United States and in Greece — with particular focus on Kefalonia.

Their presence on the island is frequent and substantial.
Vassilatos has funded infrastructure projects in Erissos, such as a modern sports field with LED lighting, locker rooms, and access for people with disabilities, while also supporting local needs by often covering bills and equipment purchases.

The residents call him a “benefactor,” although he prefers to be remembered simply as the son of Stavros Vassilatos.

The Yacht Rahil and the Luxurious Baptisms in Kefalonia

Every summer, the Vassilatos family returns to the waters of the Ionian Sea aboard the luxurious yacht Rahil — 65 meters long and nearly 12 meters wide — which they acquired for around 22 million euros. The yacht, formerly owned by Russian tycoon Arkady Rotenberg, accommodates up to 14 guests and has a 17-member crew.

There, among the islands and their circle of friends, summers are filled with music and Greek songs, often led by their best man and close friend Konstantinos Argyros. Despite all the opulence, Erik’s relationship with Kefalonia remains genuine. He chats with locals, visits the village, baptizes his children there, and makes sure to keep alive his connection to his father’s homeland. In one of his children’s baptisms, Antonis Remos sang; at another, Konstantinos Argyros performed.

In 2018, at the baptism of his first child, he rented out the entire courtyard of the Monastery of Agrilia, and against the backdrop of the half-ruined bell tower, organized a grand party where Remos sang. In 2021, at the baptism of his son Stavros, the singer was Argyros.

People from Kefalonia describe Mr. Vassilatos as a low-profile character who does not want things written or said about him. Gossip even claims that, when local Kefalonian news sites published posts about his children’s baptisms, he sent formal legal notices through an Athens law firm demanding that those articles be taken down — which, in the end, they were.

He has built the sports field in Erissos, which bears his father’s name, and at the Monastery of Agrilia in Sami, he has funded the monastery’s courtyard as well as state-of-the-art restroom facilities for the faithful.