Taki Theodoracopulos
| Taki Theodoracopulos | |
|---|---|
 Appearing on TV show After Dark in 1991 | |
| Native name | Παναγιώτης Θεοδωρακόπουλος |
| Born |
Panagiotis Theodoracopulos 11 August 1936 Greece |
| Education | |
| Alma mater | University of Virginia |
| Occupation | Journalist, publisher, writer |
Panagiotis "Taki" Theodoracopulos (/ˌθiːədɔːrəˈkɒpələs/; Greek: Παναγιώτης "Τάκης" Θεοδωρακόπουλος; born 11 August 1936)[1] is a Greek journalist and writer. He lives in New York City, London and Gstaad, Switzerland.[2]
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Early life and education[edit]
The son of a Greek shipping magnate,[3] Theodoracopulos was privately educated in the United States at Lawrenceville School and Blair Academy[4] before attending the University of Virginia.[5]
Career[edit]
Theodoracopulos's column "High Life" has appeared in The Spectator since 1977, where he was criticised by the then-editor Boris Johnson for a series of racist and antisemitic articles, including one alleging black people had lower IQs.[6][7][8] He has also written for other US and UK publications. In 1984, he was arrested for the possession of cocaine, after attempting to board a plane at Heathrow Airport, and served three months in HMP Pentonville.[3][5] He documented his prison experiences in Nothing to Declare: Prison Memoirs (1991).
In 2002, Theodoracopulos founded The American Conservative magazine with Pat Buchanan and Scott McConnell. He was also the publisher of the British magazine Right Now![citation needed] He currently publishes and writes for Taki's Magazine, described as a libertarian webzine of "politics and culture."
Theodoracopulos appeared in the 2013 James Toback film Seduced and Abandoned as himself.[9][10]
They have received criticism for writing in support of Greek ultranationalist political party Golden Dawn[11], and as a frequent critic of Israel[12] leading to accusations of anti-semitism[13].
Personal life[edit]
Theodoracopulos has an interest in Oriental martial arts, holds a black belt in karate[14] and owned a 123-foot yacht named Bushido. The yacht was put up for sale in 2012.[15]
Bibliography[edit]
- Theodoracopulos, Taki (1976). The Greek Upheaval : Kings, Demagogues and Bayonets. London: Stacey International.
- Taki and Jeffrey Bernard, High Life, Low Life, introduction by Richard West, edited by Cosmo Landesman. London: Jay Landseman, 1981. ISBN 0-905150-27-9
- Taki, Princes, Playboys & High-Class Tarts, foreword by Tom Wolfe, illustrations by Blair Drawson. Princeton: Karz-Cohl Publishers, 1984. ISBN 0-943828-61-9
- Taki, High Life, selected by Andrew Cameron, illustrated by Michael Heath. London: Viking, 1989. ISBN 0-670-82956-0
- Taki, Nothing to Declare: Prison Memoirs, London: Viking, 1991. ISBN 0-670-83276-6
- Glass, Charles (ed.), Taki: The Spectator Columns, 2001–2009, London, Quartet, 2010. ISBN 978-0-7043-7192-7
References[edit]
- ^ "Taki". The Spectator.
- ^ Eaton, Phoebe (31 October 2014). "Gstaad: The Last Resort". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ a b Bell, Matthew (15 May 2010). "What's the point of Taki if he isn't offensive any more?". The Independent. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
- ^ "Taki Speaks at Skeptics". Blair Academy. 9 April 2008. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ a b Byrne, Ciar (12 June 2006). "The Indestructible Journos". The Independent. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
- ^ Purnell, Sonia (2011). Just Boris: Boris Johnson: The Irresistible Rise of a Political Celebrity. London: Aurum Press Ltd. p. 193. ISBN 1-84513-665-9.
- ^ Byrnes, Sholto (1 February 2003). "A racist rant too far? Police investigate Taki the playboy pundit". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
- ^ "Boris says sorry over 'blacks have lower IQs' article in the Spectator". Evening Standard. 2 April 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
- ^ Theodoracopulos, Taki (25 May 2013). "What's Cannes all about? Seducing someone important". The Spectator. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ Ross, Deborah (9 November 2013). "Ryan Gosling couldn't play Taki better than Taki". The Spectator. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ "Should The Spectator Have Published An Article Defending Golden Dawn?". 23 July 2013.
- ^ "High seas and high horses - Opinion - Jerusalem Post". 5 October 2018.
- ^ "MY FRIEND TAKI HAS GONE TOO FAR » 3 Mar 2001 » The Spectator Archive". 31 July 2018.
- ^ Theodoracopulos, Taki (19 July 2013). "Black Belts and Golden Dawn". Taki's Magazine. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
- ^ Coletti, Paul (28 June 2012). "Taki's Yacht Bushido for Sale". Paul Coletti. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
