Sir Stelios makes exceptional donation to Restos du Cœur in Nice
Sir Stelios with François Chantrait at the Restos du Cœur centre in Nice © Stelios Philanthropic Foundation
The philanthropist and Monaco resident continues his acts of solidarity towards local charities with a recent food donation for people in need in the Alpes-Maritimes.
On 11 November 2025, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, head of easyGroup and a leading figure in Monaco’s business community, made a discreet visit to the Restos du Cœur centre on Rue Dabray in Nice to make a substantial donation of 730,000 cans of Bonduelle vegetables, ready to eat without heating or refrigeration.
Support in response to social emergency
The donation comes at a time of great strain for the charity. Restos du Cœur in the Alpes-Maritimes supports more than 22,000 people – including nearly 1,600 families at the Nice branch – a figure up 30% in a year, according to data shared by the Sir Stelios Foundation.
The food supplies will be distributed immediately and throughout 2026 by the foundation across the 38 centres located in the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var. François Chantrait, departmental head of Restos du Cœur 06, praised the considerable contribution: “These cans represent much more than food; they symbolise hope and remind us that no one should feel alone in our society.”
A long-term commitment to philanthropy
Based in Monaco, the 58-year-old Cypriot billionaire devotes a significant part of his fortune – estimated at 1.3 billion dollars by Forbes – to charitable work through his foundation headquartered on Quai Antoine 1er. The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation notably runs the Food from the Heart programme, which has provided meals to 200,000 people each month in Greece and Cyprus since 2013.
Knighted in the Order of Saint-Charles in 2023, the entrepreneur has diversified his charitable commitments in France, having funded the renovation of the Chapelle de la Madone in Menton in 2024, as well as several local initiatives in Monaco in the medical and entrepreneurial sectors. The efforts form part of his long-term philanthropic vision, strengthened by his membership of Bill Gates’ The Giving Pledge movement.