Poor little rich girl
The name Onassis has long been associated with two things - wealth and tragedy. Young Athina, who inherits the £5-billion family fortune as she turns 18 on January 28, lost her mother when she was just three and suddenly became the richest little girl in the world. Christina Onassis, whose life had also been marked by tragedy, had determined to create a secure and loving environment for Athina, but unfortunately her own emotional difficulties made this an impossible goal.
While she doted on her baby daughter, Christina's relationship with Athina's father Thierry Roussel was troubled, and when they eventually divorced, her struggles with depression deepened. Desperately trying to be a good mother, Christina lavished gifts on little Athina but Thierry objected, insisting that was not what she needed.
"I want her to know that money is not everything," he said. "I want her to know that it is not a gold statue which you must venerate."
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