From Camelot to Aristotle Onassis—and Beyond

Jackie acquired titles one after another. As the wife of John F. Kennedy, the most celebrated member of the Camelot dynasty, she became First Lady of the United States—and the world’s most stylish woman. After his assassination, she was remembered as the nation’s grieving widow, a figure of immense dignity and fascination. A few years later, determined to rebuild her life—and secure her finances—she married the era’s “King Midas,” shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.

When fate left her a widow for a second time, Jackie entered a new chapter. Having already had a president and a tycoon, she found in Maurice Tempelsman a third kind of figure: a diamond mogul who became her confidant, companion, and, ultimately, her greatest source of stability.

A Quiet Presence

Unlike her other partners, Tempelsman avoided the spotlight. Known as courteous, discreet, and calming, he disliked ostentation but was never dull. Above all, he remained the guardian of Jackie’s secrets until the end. Their friendship and eventual romance stayed hidden for years. The public first caught wind of their relationship in the late 1980s, but the two had known each other for over 25 years.

Tempelsman, who died in August at the age of 95 following complications from a fall, had first entered Jackie’s circle during the Kennedy White House years. He served as a liaison between Washington and the South African diamond industry before JFK’s election. Even after Kennedy’s assassination and Jackie’s marriage to Onassis, the two remained in contact, often appearing together at operas and New York charity galas.

Only after Onassis’ death in 1975 did their bond deepen. By then, Jackie was working as an editor at Viking Press and had settled into a spacious Fifth Avenue apartment with her children, Caroline and John Jr. Trusting him completely, she asked Tempelsman to manage the $26 million inheritance she received from the Onassis estate.

A Trusted Partner

Jackie found in Tempelsman not a man eager to exploit her wealth or fame, but a partner she could rely on. He was already immensely wealthy. Born in Belgium in 1929 to a Jewish family that fled Nazi occupation, he began working in his father’s diamond business at 16. By 20, he had persuaded the U.S. government to acquire large stocks of African diamonds, quickly becoming a millionaire.

He was soon admitted to the exclusive circle of merchants authorized to buy directly from De Beers. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, he built close ties with African leaders—including Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire—and often acted as a behind-the-scenes mediator between Washington and African governments. The New York Times noted his support for liberation movements, including his role in organizing Nelson Mandela’s first visit to Washington in 1990.

Jackie and Tempelsman shared much in common: both born in 1929, both fluent in French, both supporters of the Democratic Party, both passionate about art, literature, and poetry. Unlike Kennedy and Onassis, Tempelsman neither sought publicity nor felt threatened by Jackie’s luminous reputation. She admired, above all, his “strength and success.”

Though officially still married to his wife Lily, with whom he had three children, Tempelsman moved into Jackie’s apartment in the early 1980s. “She adored him, and I think he brought her real peace,” a close friend later recalled.

At Her Side to the End

In January 1994, Jackie was diagnosed with lymphoma. Tempelsman stayed by her side through chemotherapy, holding her hand and comforting her. “He was always touching her hand or caressing her cheek,” one doctor remembered. “The love and respect they shared was rare.”

Jackie died at home on May 19, 1994, surrounded by Caroline, John Jr., and Maurice. Three days later, close friends and family gathered at her Fifth Avenue apartment to pay their final respects before the funeral. That morning, Tempelsman sat beside her coffin, which was turned toward the grand fireplace in the living room, quietly reading the Sunday papers—just as they had done together for nearly 15 years.