Greek oil and shipping businessman Vardis Vardinogiannis died in Athens on Tuesday, He was 91.
The Vardinogiannis family announced his death with the following statement: “With deep sadness, the Vardis Vardinogiannis announces that the beloved father and grandfather Vardis I. Vardinogiannis passed away today, Tuesday, November 12, 2024.
The funeral procession and burial will take place in a close family circle.”
He was the chairman and controlling shareholder of Motor Oil Hellas, Vegas Oil and Gas and was involved in numerous other shipping and business interests. Vardinogiannis was included in Lloyd’s List’s Most Influential People in Shipping, and the Forbes List with an estimated fortune of $2.7 billion.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sent his condolences noting that Vardinogiannis, “the patriarch of a family”, influenced the economic and social reality of Greece for decades.
“Behind his serious look, he hid a lot: from business audacity and dynamism in economic competitions to his countless charitable initiatives, many of which he wanted to remain unknown”, Mitsotakis said.
Vardis Vardinogiannis and his business empire
He was born in Episkopi, Rethymno, Crete, the son of a farmer family from Agios Ioannis, Sfakia which later moved to Episkopi in the early 20th century.
Vardinogiannis took elementary school during the Second World War when Crete was occupied by the Germans. In the postwar years, he moved to Athens, where he entered the Hellenic Naval Academy, from which he graduated in 1955 as an officer of the Greek Navy.
Vardinogiannis and his relatives had spread their net worldwide and controlled numerous successful companies in a variety of sectors. The interests included petroleum, shipping, banking, media, real estate, hotels, publishing and charity work. As of 2015, the Vardinogiannis family has stakes in 98 companies in total in Greece and abroad.
On 20 November 1990, the Greek terrorist group Revolutionary Organization 17 November attempted to murder him. He was saved while inside his highly armored car.
Vardis Vardinogiannis and his wife Marianna who died last year were are among the founders of the Robert Kennedy Leadership Council along with Bill Clinton and other world leaders.
Marianna Vardinogiannis
Marianna Vardinogiannis, also known as Marianna Bournaki, was a prominent figure in Greece known for her activism and philanthropic work. As a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, she advocated for the rights of children and families, particularly against child sexual abuse through her Foundation for the Child and the Family.
Additionally, she served as the President of the Elpida Association, an organization supporting children with cancer. Married to Greek shipping magnate Vardis Vardinogiannis, she played a significant role in various charitable initiatives and efforts to improve the lives of those in need.
Vardinogiannis was a trailblazing philanthropist and activist, making a profound impact on various causes. She founded and presided over the “Foundation for the Child and the Family,” which later became the “Marianna B Foundation Vardinogianni.” Additionally, she played a crucial role in the “ELPIDA” Association, dedicated to supporting children with cancer.
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