John Christodoulou, or Yiannakis, as he was called when he was little, was born in 1965 in Kaimakli, Nicosia. He grew up in an ordinary Cypriot family at a time when life was different and people lived closer to one another. Children then ate homemade bread, olives and a little halloumi, played in the streets and, when they could, enjoyed a Keovita.
Yiannakis occasionally ventured further afield, since many of his childhood memories are linked to Sychari, near Kyrenia, where his grandparents lived. He spent much of his time there, never imagining that one day he would be forced to leave his homeland behind. In Sychari he rode his grandfather's donkey and took his grandmother's goats out to graze. They were happy days.
The invasion
In 1974, with the Turkish invasion, everything changed.
Yiannakis was only nine years old. He experienced the fear of war, the bombs, the paratroopers and the anxiety of the adults around him. Together with many others, he spent days and nights hiding in basements for protection.
The invasion turned his life upside down. His father lost his job and his shop, while the future in Cyprus became uncertain.
On 23 May 1975, one day before his tenth birthday, Yiannakis left for England together with his mother and sister. His father followed later.
They arrived in London with almost nothing. They did not speak English, had little money and had to adapt to a completely different world. One of the biggest difficulties for Yiannakis, among other things, was forgetting souvlakia and learning to eat fish and chips. He managed it. With the help of relatives and a great deal of hard work, the family began rebuilding their lives.
He thought things through
Yiannakis grew up and quickly realised that nothing comes easily. At sixteen he left school and started working. He learned the trade of jewellery-making and later became involved in diamonds, eventually becoming an expert in the field.
Over time he managed to save his first money. Rather than spend it, he decided to invest it. He bought a small flat in Finchley, fixed it up a little and sold it at a profit.
That was the start of his major business journey.
One investment led to another, and Yiannakis from Kaimakli became the businessman's businessman, John Christodoulou, in London, Monaco and Limassol. In short, he went from having nothing to becoming extremely wealthy.
He went on to establish the Yianis Group, a company that began investing in real estate. Today his company owns numerous hotels, offices, apartment buildings and commercial properties.
His wealth grew to such an extent that his name began appearing on lists of the wealthiest people in Britain.
He keeps his feet on the ground
Despite the wealth he accumulated, he never became arrogant.
He continues to believe that what he achieved was a result of the refugee experience and migration. As he has explained in interviews, the hardships his family endured taught him to work hard, appreciate opportunities and never take anything for granted.
A particularly important influence in his life was his father, who taught him to work hard, be honest and never give up.
Philanthropist
When his pockets filled with money, he also turned his attention to philanthropy.
Through the Yianis Christodoulou Foundation, he began helping children in schools, as well as parents who struggled financially, so they could provide their children with a better education.
For him, supporting children is especially important because, as he believes, every child should be able to succeed regardless of whether their parents have money.
Cyprus still remains in his heart and life. Although he spent most of his life in England and built his businesses there, he never severed his ties with the place where he was born.
He loves Cypriot cuisine, particularly meatballs and koupepia, as well as Cypriot music, the Cypriot dialect and local traditions. He has even said that when doing calculations he often thinks in Cypriot Greek.
The Turkish invasion and his refugee experience remain a very important part of his life and story. His memories of Sychari, Kyrenia and his childhood have never faded despite the decades that have passed.
Today, John Christodoulou is known as one of the wealthiest Cypriot businessmen in the world. Yet behind the billions, the yachts, the Anna Vissi and Konstantinos Argyros concerts, the luxury hotels and the major investments lies the story of a refugee child who left Cyprus at the age of ten with little Greek, no English and no idea where life would take him.
And perhaps that is the most striking part of his story: that Yiannakis from Kaimakli, who managed to build a vast business empire and become enormously successful, did so without forgetting where he came from.
For that reason, we should make use of him. At first he wanted to become president of Omonia, but Papastavrou got there first, so now it is time for something better.
Let's make him President of Cyprus.
"He is a man who has had his fill," people say. "If he becomes President, he won't want to eat and grab everything for himself like all the others do."
