I go to an occasional party, but just because I don’t go to a lot of events, and I’m not out in public all the time doesn’t mean I’m anti-social or a recluse. “I have 30- or 40-year friendships that I prefer to meeting new people. “I’m far from being reclusive,” declares Kerkorian.
Those who know him describe him not as Hughesian hermit, but a gentle, gracious, normal guy. Kerkorian rarely attends board meetings and never gives speeches. Today, Kerkorian is the 41st richest man in the country, worth about $5.7 billion. In Las Vegas, he built three hotels that were the largest in the world in their time, and proved that, contrary to the wisdom of the day, courting the convention and family travel markets could be profitable. Kirk Kerkorian, father of the Las Vegas megaresort, dropped out of school in the eighth grade to become a professional boxer, flew suicide missions for the Royal Air Force, made a small fortune in surplus military airplanes, and a larger one in the airline business.
