As a boy he leaves after the destruction of his village, Kalarrites, Epirus, for Italy and France where he studies law. He returned to Greece after the liberation of Greece from the Ottomans in 1828. He became involved in banking. With his brother Constantine, he and his brother founded serotrophy factories (Metaxourgio) in Sparta and Kalamata. Unfortunately both factories were destroyed by fire.

In 1854 they moved their operations to Athens and acquired a bankrupt silk cotton factory (1855-1875), hence the name of the Athens area as Metaxourgio. Athanasios Douroutis was appointed General Manager, who set up his house inside the factory, as many old industrialists had done. The interesting part of the story is that this building was built to the designs of the great Danish architect Christ. Hansen. In the mid-1850s, the factory employed an unprecedented 200 workers under protectionism, but after pressure, protectionism was stopped. In 1871 silk exports plummeted. The Duroutis brothers’ silk factory ceased operations in 1875, when the import of silk from China began, despite the efforts of A. Duroutis to reopen it. The factory now houses the art gallery of the Municipality of Athens. (Mullerou and Leonidou)

Douroutis wrote historical and economic studies. He was Additional Grand Master.