Nikos Sampson (December 16, 1935 – May 9, 2001) is the de facto president of Cyprus who succeeds Archbishop Makarios, appoints as President of Cyprus by the Greek military leaders of the coup d'état against Makarios, on July 15, 1974.

Sampson is a journalist and a member of EOKA, which rises against the British colonial administration, seeking Enosis (Union) of the island of Cyprus with Greece.

He is eventually arrested and sentenced to death, but is imprisoned in Britain after the sentence is commuted, returning after Cyprus gains independence.

Upon his return upon the formation of the Republic of Cyprus, he enters politics, becoming a member of Parliament.

Following the coup of 1974 by the Greek Junta, he is appointed President by the leaders of the coup Kombokis and Georgitsis as a solution of necessity because nobody else accepts, and remains in the position for eight days

Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on July 20 he resigns.

He is later sentenced to twenty years in prison for abuse of power, the only person convicted vis-à-vis the coup.

According to Cyprus-based Polish-American journalist, Andrew Borowiec, several members of the US embassy in Nicosia had been on friendly terms with Sampson and he had even toured the USA at the US government's invitation.

Three years into his sentence, he is allowed to go to France on medical grounds, and subsequently settles in France

He returns to Cyprus in 1990 to resume his sentence, and iwas pardoned for the remainder of his sentence in 1993.

Following his release, he goes into the newspaper publishing business.

He dies of cancer in 2001.