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Monday, Feb. 11, 2013 | 2 a.m.
Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian is pictured in Las Vegas in this Feb. 24, 2005, file photo.
In love, as in the development and expansion of an international resort corporation, timing is paramount. So it is that we note, on the week of Valentine’s Day, Kirk Kerkorian is once more the country’s most eligible bachelor.
The 95-year-old Kerkorian was reportedly engaged in September, but we can reliably impart that his relationship status has changed to “single.”
Kerkorian has what is known in the dating world as “game.” He has been a pioneer in the development of mega-resorts in Las Vegas. Kerkorian built the International Hotel (later the Las Vegas Hilton and today LVH) on Paradise Road in 1969, built the original MGM Grand (now Bally's) in 1971, is the former owner of Desert Inn and opened the current MGM Grand at Tropicana and the Strip in 1993. Kerkorian also owned the Strip parcel on which Caesars Palace was built by Jay Sarno in 1966.
Today, Kerkorian is the president/CEO of Tracinda Corp., his private holding company based in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Kerkorian is an unfailingly private person, especially for a public figure. He has been married three times, but there is no question his influence on Las Vegas has been … singular.
Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.
Comment removed by moderator. Off Topic
Las Vegas is blessed to have had someone with Kerkorian's vision, integrity and audacity to put his money where his mouth was when it came to the hotel/casino business. He truly made a positive difference and should be remembered as having done so. The 10s of 1,000s of jobs he created for Valley residents and others was a positive that endures today. He, along with Howard Hughes, were the visionaries that began the ascendance and the financial turn-around the Strip and its nearby environs saw for many years. So, my hat is off to the gentleman.
Kirk is a good guy. Never a publicity seeker. Whenever he gave money away he refused to have anything built in his name. Gotta love the humility in an age where today's multi-billionaires need their name in lights on the marquee.
ewww Who cares how much money he has and how good of business man he ishe is not a catch/ Obviously he doesn't respect women or he wouldnt treat them as play pieces in a game.
@ italiangal: Do you know Mr. Kerkorian? You must making that type of alegation or is it you beleive what you read about the man, which really isn't much since he's a very private person.
To Mr. Kerkorian, thanks for being what the real Las Vegas is supposed to be.
class act! forget the haters!
No one is remembered for what they did for themselves in business unless they contribute to the community in which they prospered. Kirk will go down as a zero. He will never come close to being remembered a a philanthropist in Nevada. As for his acheivements if it hadn't been him it would have been someone else.
Kirk was a big giver but he did it quietly. His most recent donation was about 25 million to the Andre Agassi school.
The tone was set by the writer not me!
By richr44
"No one is remembered for what they did for themselves in business unless they contribute to the community in which they prospered. Kirk will go down as a zero. He will never come close to being remembered a a philanthropist in Nevada."
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This is the biggest asinine remark I've seen on these forums in a long time. This is a VERY small sample of Kerkorians donations:
The Internal Revenue Service 990 Forms showed that in 2008, the most recent year available on Guidestar, the foundation's contributions to Las Vegas charities and nonprofits were: After-School All Stars Las Vegas, $100,000; Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, $1.1 million; Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Southern Nevada, $100,000; Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, $10,000; Clark County Public Education Foundation, $50,000; Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas, $100,000; Injured Police Officers Fund, $10,000; Nathan Adelson Hospice, $600,000; Nevada Cancer Institute, $14.9 million; Opportunity Village, $200,000; Salvation Army Clark County, $60,000; Teach for America, $1 million; Three Square, $2 million; United Way of Southern Nevada, $1 million; UNLV Foundation, $8 million; and VT Marty Hennessy Jr. Tennis Foundation, $10,000. He pledged another $9 million to the Clark County School District.
Close to $40 million alone donated in 2008 from Kerkorian to Southern Nevada charities.
@TomD1228, thanks for the info I didn't even realize that Kerk was so generous. italiangal lets the headlines sway her posts and knows zero about what she writes. Typical media blind blogger I guess. Thats part of the problem in Nevada today.
You are welcome chuck333. My ire is more directed at richr44 based on his idiotic statement regarding Kerkorian's charitable giving to S. Nevada. Kirk is likely the most prolific giver to Las Vegas charities in the history of Las Vegas. He does it quietly, without fanfare and without his name attached. The way it should be done. Italiangel's comment I just ignored.
Truly impressive writing some time sequence ago. It must be over eight to nine years when have read his writing at first time. At that time just didn't know gentleman's age, would only guess 50 years younger.
MMmhhh uh I'm tall, blonde, and SINGLE.. very S I N G L E ...somehow poor...so dear Kaksilomates hit me....awhg awgh I will like to be spoiled!