Giannis Vardinogiannis (Greek: Γιάννης Βαρδινογιάννης) (born April 7, 1962 in Athens, Greece) is a Greek of Cretan descent, the first-born son of Vardis Vardinogiannis. 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 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, which has interests in oil, television broadcasting, publishing, shipping, etc. The Vardinoyannis family own the independent oil refinery Motor Oil Hellas, in whose Board of Directors Yannis Vardinoyannis also serves and shipping company Avin International S.A.
In 2000, he assumed full ownership of Panathinaikos FC after buying out his uncle Yiorgos Vardinogiannis' share. While his uncle guided Panathinaikos to glory days, Giannis Vardinigiannis was mostly unsuccessful. He never earned the respect of the club's fans as he was unable to win championships, except for one in the 2003/2004 season! Since he acquired the club, he maintained a frugal fiscal policy, which included buying inexpensive Greek and foreign players usually at the end of their careers, promoting players from the Panathinaikos youth system, and showing not enough care about the club's history and more importantly its future. For this, he was and still is, very unpopular with the club's fans who attribute the lack of the club's success to the Vardinogiannis policies. Due to the effect of the Vardinogiannis era and the Pateras and Vgenopoulos mismanagement during a 2 year period, the historic amd glorious club of Panathinaikos, is in 2012 buried in debt, does not own a football stadium, and is even unable to pay the rent and electricity at the Athens Olympic stadium!
He maintains various business interests of his own, such as the Ferrari dealership in Greece. On June 15, 2007 Giannis Vardinogiannis was elected president of the Greek Super League.
In autumn 2011, Giannis Vardinnogianis announced that his family intend to give up the Panathinaikos business for ever and put up his 54% shares for interested parties to take for free.
He is the principal shareholder of the Cairo-based Vegas Oil and Gas.