Taki Theodoracopulos


Panagiotis "Taki" Theodoracopulos is a Greek journalist and writer. He lives in New York City, London and Gstaad, Switzerland.

Early life and education

The son of a Greek shipping magnate, Theodoracopulos was privately educated in the United States at Lawrenceville School and Blair Academy before attending the University of Virginia.
Theodoracopulos was a sportsman early in life. He represented Greece at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1962 having been a tennis player beforehand, including playing at the 1961 French Open.

Career

Theodoracopulos's column "High Life" has appeared in The Spectator since 1977, where he wrote a series of controversial articles, including one alleging black people had lower IQs, for which Boris Johnson, made editor in 1999, later apologised. 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. He documented his prison experiences in Nothing to Declare: Prison Memoirs.
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! 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.
He has received criticism for writing in support of Greek ultranationalist political party Golden Dawn, and as a frequent critic of Israel, leading to accusations of anti-semitism. In 2018, he wrote an article commemorating D-Day in which he praised the Wehrmacht and asked readers to sympathize with them.

Personal life

Theodoracopulos has an interest in Asian martial arts, holds a black belt in karate and owned a 37.5-metre yacht named Bushido. The yacht was put up for sale in 2012.