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Greek businessman and Kennedy family friend Vardis Vardinoyannis dies at the age of 90

Harry November 14, 2024

Vardis J. Vardinoyannis, a powerful and important figure in the Greek maritime and energy field, who survived the terrorist attack and developed close relations with the Kennedy family, died in Athens on Tuesday. He was 90 years old.

His death was announced by Mr. Vardinoyannis’s oil company, Motor Oil Hellas, which has grown into one of Greece’s largest companies.

Born on the island of Crete, the fifth of eight children, he represented the archetype of the Greek shipping magnate who became the power broker at the head of one of the country’s most influential families.

After graduating from the naval academy in 1955, he served as an officer until his forced retirement and exile to a then-remote Greek island due to his opposition to the military dictatorship that ruled the country from 1967 to 1974.

Mr. Vardinoyannis joined the family business in the early 1970s and began building a vast network of businesses that eventually included shipping, banking, hotels, sports clubs, newspapers and national television networks.

He was a supporter of the Robert F. Kennedy Civil Rights foundation and led numerous charitable efforts with his wife, Marianna, who died last year at the age of 86.

Greece’s conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis paid tribute to Mr. Vardinoyannis and his philanthropic work on Tuesday.

“It is with deep sadness that I say goodbye to Vardis Vardinoyiannis, the head of a family that has left an indelible mark on the economic and social landscape of our country in recent years,” Mitsotakis said. he said.

“Behind his always serious look he hid many facets, from the courage and dynamism in business competition to numerous philanthropic initiatives, most of which he preferred to keep anonymous.”

In 1990, Mr. Vardinoyannis survived an assassination attempt by the far-left militant group on November 17, when a car containing explosives and anti-tank rocket launchers was used to target a moving armored vehicle. Members of the group were eventually rounded up and convicted 13 years later for multiple deadly attacks on politicians, U.S. officials and local business leaders.

Mr. Vardinoyannis’s financial and political influence grew after he formed a partnership with Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco in the mid-1990s; After decades of difficulties and political instability, Greece prospered as a member of the European Union.

He maintained close ties to the Kennedy family, and in 1999 hosted the wedding of Robert F. Kennedy’s daughter, Rory Kennedy, to author and documentary filmmaker Mark Bailey in Greece.

Later in life, Mr. Vardinoyannis became closely involved in charity projects with his wife, who is a goodwill ambassador for UNESCO and the head of a children’s cancer charity.

He leaves five children.