Residence Ekali, Athens, Greece Spouse(s) Mellissa Gromel Name Giannis Vardinogiannis | Years active 1984– Religion Greek Orthodox | |
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Full Name Giannis Vardinogiannis Occupation Entrepreneur & shipowner Parents Marianna Vardinoyannis, Vardis Vardinogiannis Similar People Marianna Vardinoyannis, Andreas Vgenopoulos, Vardis Vardinogiannis | ||
Giannis Vardinogiannis (Greek: Γιάννης Βαρδινογιάννης, born 7 April 1962) is a Greek billionaire shipping magnate, the eldest son of petroleum tycoon Vardis Vardinogiannis. He is included in the Lloyd's List Most influential people in the shipping industry.
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Early life and career
He majored in economics at Vassar College in the United States. He is a former car rally champion who owns the private rally team Cyclon Rally Sport, with seven participations (from 1986 to 1992) in the international Acropolis Rally. He was the first Greek driver in Acropolis Rally for five years from 1988 to 1992. He won six times (1987 to 1992) the Greek Rally title, driving Lancia Delta with co-driver Kostas Stefanis. Since his retirement from the sport, in 1993, he works in the family business(Vardinogiannis group of companies), which has interests in oil, shipping, television broadcasting, publishing, banking etc. The Vardinogiannis family owns the multi-billion oil refining company Motor Oil Hellas, in whose Board of Directors is Yannis Vardinogiannis, and also serves shipping company Avin International S.A., and Piraeus Bank.
He is the principal shareholder of the Cairo-based Vegas Oil and Gas.
As owner of Panathinaikos F.C.
In the summer of 2000, the President of Panathinaikos, Yiorgos Vardinogiannis, resigned from his duties and sold his share to his nephew Giannis Vardinogiannis, who changed the style of management into the club. On 22 April 2008, main shareholder Vardinogiannis gave a press conference in which he announced the decision of his family to reduce their share in the club to 50% – after 30 years of full ownership – through a €800 million increase of the company's capital stock. After the negotiations and the share capital increase, the Vardinogiannis family would hold 56% of the club, Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos 10% and the rest shareholders 34%. The Vardinogiannis family finally withdrew from Panathinaikos in 2012. The team had the following successes as an owner of Panathinaikos:
- Quarter-finals in Champions League: 2001-02
- Quarter-finals in Uefa Cup: 2002-03
- Greek Championship: 2004, 2010
- Greek Cup: 2004, 2010
Political views
In February 2015 Vardinogiannis said in a statement to Reuters that the new Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras had a valid point in attacking the corrupted Greek oligarchs.