Mystery man shadows Kimberly Guilfoyle on Europe energy deals
A Greek-American businessman, Christos Marafatsos, has been appearing beside Kimberly Guilfoyle at official meetings across Southeastern Europe as she promotes U.S. liquefied natural gas deals—raising sharp questions about a private lobbyist's unusual access while she serves as U.S. ambassador to Greece under Donald Trump.
According to reporting first published by The Wall Street Journal and echoed in follow-up coverage, Marafatsos has acted as an unofficial gatekeeper for Guilfoyle, joining meetings at her ambassadorial residence and with officials across the region—a highly unusual role for a private citizen.
Key Takeaways
- Christos Marafatsos, a lobbyist tied to Greek construction firm Aktor, has repeatedly accompanied Kimberly Guilfoyle at diplomatic meetings.
- Aktor paid Marafatsos $160,000 for lobbying; his total client income over nine months was reported at $440,000.
- Guilfoyle has promoted U.S. LNG efforts involving Aktor ventures across Southeastern Europe, including a reported $6 billion Albania arrangement.
- An alleged March dinner remark about toppling governments drew Greek pushback; Guilfoyle's side and Greek officials disputed threat narratives.
- Lawyers for Guilfoyle, Marafatsos, and Aktor denied wrongdoing.
Who is the mystery man beside Kimberly Guilfoyle?
Marafatsos is a Maryland-raised Greek American whose prior work includes co-founding a Washington-area produce distributor and ventures from real-estate consulting to an Acropolis IMAX 3-D experience. He now represents Aktor and has been seen at Guilfoyle's side during official energy-related talks.
His presence has puzzled regional officials, who note he is a neophyte in diplomacy and energy yet repeatedly joins high-level meetings. More on related political mysteries is tracked in our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries coverage.
Why does his role in Europe energy deals matter?
Aktor announced a November joint venture, Atlantic-SEE LNG, split 60-40 with DEPA, a Greek state-backed energy company. In the months since, Aktor and the venture signed memorandums and commercial agreements with gas companies in Bulgaria, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Romania.
A $6 billion deal Guilfoyle helped Aktor pursue in Albania would, if completed, have that country buy gas from the company through 2050. Critics say it is irregular for a U.S. ambassador to so vigorously promote a foreign firm alongside its lobbyist.
What did the disputed Greece dinner exchange involve?
The Journal reported that at a March dinner in Athens attended by Greek Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou, Guilfoyle allegedly referenced Romania's government collapse and said the United States had influenced it, then added that Washington could "do that to any country we want" and "do that here."
Papastavrou allegedly pushed back, saying the U.S. could not replace Greece's elected government. Greek spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said the issue "was never raised" and would not be tolerated, calling the U.S.-Greece relationship strategic and based on mutual respect. Guilfoyle's representative challenged the description of the exchange; lawyers denied impropriety.