Billionaire businessman Stelios Haji-Ioannou, known internationally as ‘Mr EasyJet’, has married his long-time partner Orla Murphy in a private civil ceremony at Monaco town hall, before hosting a reception at Villa La Vigie, a villa once rented by fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld.
About 50 relatives and close friends attended the ceremony. The couple’s witnesses were Haji-Ioannou’s sister, Clelia Haji-Ioannou, and the bride’s brother.
Reception at Lagerfeld’s retreat
After the ceremony, the couple welcomed their guests at Villa La Vigie, which stands above the sea in the Monte-Carlo Beach area, overlooking the Mediterranean.
Built in 1902 by Sir William Ingram, the villa has been associated over the years with figures from fashion and international high society. Lagerfeld rented it for about a decade, using it as a summer residence and private retreat in the principality.
Who is Orla Murphy
Murphy, who is from Ireland, studied equine science at the University of Limerick and moved to Monaco in 2008. There she worked as a sales executive at Boutsen Design, an interior design company specialising in yachts and private jets, according to the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation.
The couple met in Monaco, where their daughter, Haji-Ioannou’s only child, was born in 2018, according to the foundation.
The family lives in the principality, often visits Athens and spends part of the holidays on Spetses.
Haji-Ioannou’s Monaco base
Haji-Ioannou has lived in Monaco since 1990. His family office is based there, and the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation runs its local activities from the principality.
In 2006, aged 39, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to entrepreneurship, and in 2023 Prince Albert II awarded him Monaco’s highest honour.
Charity evening
A few days before the wedding, on 30 September, Haji-Ioannou hosted a charity event in Monaco attended by Prince Albert.
The evening was the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation’s 14th annual fundraiser for environmental causes. It raised 610,000 euros, shared equally between WWF International and the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco.
More than 60 philanthropists and supporters of environmental causes took part. The focus was on protecting marine life in the Mediterranean, in particular the Pelagos Sanctuary, a marine protected area between Monaco, France and Italy.
The foundation matched every donation made by guests. The annual initiative has raised about 4.2 million euros over 14 years.
