From Monaco to Ireland: Sir Stelios launches €500,000 prize for cross-border entrepreneurship
An ambitious initiative born in the Principality © Sir Stelios Foundation
The Greek-Cypriot billionaire and Monaco resident is extending his philanthropic efforts to the Emerald Isle with an ambitious initiative that began in the Principality.
Monegasque origin
The idea for the North-South Business Cooperation Awards for Ireland originated in Monaco. It was during a lunch at the Princess Grace Irish Library, attended by Prince Albert II, that Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, founder of EasyJet and Monaco resident, met the former Irish ambassador to London and Washington, Daniel Mulhall. The chance meeting in the Principality would give rise to a major philanthropic initiative.
“I approached him, and I said, ‘I’m doing this in Cyprus. Do you think it might work in Ireland?’ Immediately, he said ‘yes’, and the rest is history,” Sir Stelios tells The Irish Times from his Monaco home.
Deep personal involvement
The billionaire’s interest in Ireland goes beyond mere philanthropy. Sir Stelios lives in Monaco with his Irish partner Orla Murphy, originally from Kerry, and is the father of seven-year-old Aria. “We chose a name equally easy to pronounce in Greek and English,” he says.
The family dimension transformed his involvement: “I wanted to do something more substantial in Ireland because, obviously, I’m spending time there. I have family there now. One day, hopefully, this foundation will be run by her, and I want to have a bigger project in Ireland.”
Sir Stelios: over €100m donated to his charitable foundations since 2010
A tried and tested model, exported from Monaco
From Monaco, the Stelios Foundation has already been orchestrating similar awards in Cyprus for 16 years, distributing over €400,000 annually to encourage Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot cooperation. This tried and tested model has now been adapted for Ireland, with a €500,000 fund shared between 18 entrepreneurs.
Applications are open until 16 September, and are aimed at start-ups created since 2019 that operate on both sides of the Irish border. The awards ceremony will take place at Castle Leslie Estate in County Monaghan on 30 October 2025.