Vardis J. Vardinoyannis, a powerful and crucial figure in Greek shipping and energy who survived a terrorist attack and had close ties to the Kennedy family, died Tuesday in Athens. He was 90.
His death was announced by Motor Oil Hellas, the petroleum company Mr. Vardinoyannis transformed into one of Greece’s largest companies.
Born on the island of Crete, the fifth of eight children, he embodied the archetype of the Greek shipping magnate who became a 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 on 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 an extensive network of businesses that eventually included shipping, banking, hotels, sports clubs, newspapers and national television networks.
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He was a supporter of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation and led several charitable initiatives with his wife Marianna, who died last year at the age of 86.
Greece’s conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday paid tribute to Mr Vardinoyannis and his philanthropic work.
“It is with deep sadness that I say goodbye to Vardis Vardinoyiannis – the patriarch of a family that has left an indelible mark on the economic and social landscape of our country in recent decades,” Mitsotakis said.
“Behind his always serious look, he hid many facets: from daring and dynamism in business competition to countless charitable initiatives, many of which he preferred to remain 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 his moving armored car. The group’s members were eventually captured and convicted thirteen years later for multiple and deadly attacks on politicians, U.S. officials and local business leaders.
Mr. Vardinoyannis’ financial and political influence grew after he formed a partnership with Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco in the mid-1990s, as Greece rose to prosperity as a member of the European Union after decades of hardship and political instability.
He maintained close ties with the Kennedy family and in 1999 organized the wedding of Rory Kennedy – daughter of Robert F. Kennedy – to the writer and documentary maker Mark Bailey in Greece.
Later in life, Mr Vardinoyannis became deeply involved in charity projects together with his wife, who was a UNESCO goodwill ambassador and head of a childhood cancer charity.
He leaves behind five children.