Demetrius Vikelas

Greek businessman and writer; president of the International Olympic Committee (1835-1908)

Fame55.1
Momentum10.5
Writers rank#181

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Fame55.1
Momentum10.5
Writers rank#181
Wikipedia1.4K

Lived 1835–1908, aged 73

WritersWriter / Author

Wikipedia
43 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1835–1908
Aged 73
Awards
3
recognised works

Summary

Updated 2026-06-09

A Greek businessman-turned-writer who happened to be in Paris at the right moment became the first president of the International Olympic Committee — not because he sought the role, but because geography and reputation made him the logical choice to shepherd the Games back to Athens in 1896.

Biography

About

Demetrius Vikelas spent his childhood between Greece and Istanbul before making his fortune as a businessman in London, where he married. His wife's preferences brought him to Paris, and there he left commerce behind for literature, publishing novels, short stories, and essays that built him a reputation in intellectual circles. That reputation — and his Paris address — put him in the room when Pierre de Coubertin convened a congress in June 1894 to revive the ancient Olympic Games. The delegates voted to stage the first modern Olympiad in Athens in 1896 and named Vikelas to lead the newly for…

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