The Gambler: How Penniless Dropout Kirk Kerkorian Became the Greatest Deal Maker in Capitalist History

Where do legends come from? Are they born that way? Kirk Kerkorian is a capitalist legend who emerged from humble origins to conquer the business world for decades. He learned from an early age how to scrape for every penny as his father’s fortunes plummeted with over-extension and the Depression. Kirk became a fighter and then later a fighter pilot. Kirk loved the friendly skies and loved a risk, soon owning a small charter airplane business catering to the LA-to-Vegas crowd. He would parlay his airline profits into a run at the casino business, competing with Howard Hughes and being looked to as the savior who could erase the memories of the mob-run casinos. He then began to speculate in entertainment, leading to a takeover of MGM Studios, where his management would hold a fire sale on memorabilia and property that would lead the company into the black. The acumen that Kirk held served him well in each endeavor, despite occasional setbacks.

The Gambler is an excellent tour de force biography of a true rags-to-riches impressario. William Rempel has written a biography of a man who, despite his high-profile dealings, shunned the spotlight. The subject is not perfect, but Kerkorian is shown to be the type who would be the first to admit that fact. A class act of a biography!