George P. Livanos (9 July 1926 – 1 June 1997) was a Greek shipping magnate born in New Orleans, the son of Peter Livanos from Chios. He is sometimes confused with his cousin, George S. Livanos, the sole son of Stavros G. Livanos, a legend in Greek shipping and the founder of the Livanos shipping empire.
After the end of World War II, Livanos served in the Transportation Corps of the United States Army, first in Japan and then in Korea, where he was a sea captain in Army ships carrying cargo.
After earning a degree in Economics from the University of Athens, he founded his own company, Ceres Hellenic Shipping Enterprises, in 1949. Shortly after, he inherited his father's 30-ship fleet, which included the world's five largest supertankers. Loyalty to his Greek roots prompted Livanos to shun flags of convenience for his vessels, despite the enormous tax advantages that this would have meant. Instead his ships invariably flew the Greek flag. He was ahead of his time, as he had begun to heed warnings that abuse of the environment could destroy the planet and was involved in the protection of ocean and coastal waters. He founded the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HELMEPA) in 1982.
Livanos was an influential member of the Greek lobby in Washington. In 1988, he threw his backing behind the Presidential bid of the Democratic candidate and fellow Greek American, Michael Dukakis. He died in 1997, leaving his business to his son.
