Kerkorian Kirk - The gambler: how penniless dropout Kirk Kerkorian became the greatest deal maker in capitalist history

For my wife, Barbara Hyde Pierce.

When she gambled on a writer,

I hit the jackpot.

There is an inspiring life story in the ninety-eight years that belonged to Kirk Kerkorian, a boy who ran barefoot in the rich dirt of Californias San Joaquin Valley before family financial chaos made him a city boy fighting for his place on the dirty sidewalks of Los Angeles. He was a tough guy who wept at funerals, a humble man privately proud of his accomplishments, a business genius who ignored his MBA advisers, a daring aviator and movie mogul, a gambler at the casinos and on Wall Street who played the odds in both houses with uncanny skill. But I was already sold on this project the moment I discovered that he started with nothing and inherited nothing, yet he parlayed that nothing into billions of dollars.

I never planned to write a biography of Kirk Kerkorian. We had never met. When I started, I knew no one among his advisers and friends. He was little more than a familiar name on the pages of the Los Angeles Times, my professional home for more than thirty-six years. Shortly after Kirk died I received a call from HarperCollins editor Julia Cheiffetz. She didnt know Kirk, either, but she had just read his obituary in the New York Times. She, too, wanted to know more. This book is a tribute to her foresight, curiosity, and instinct for a good tale.

We both underestimated the challenge. Kirk was also a very private man. He rarely did press interviews, never gave speeches, and treasured his privacy above all else. Many of his business aides and associates still believe that his privacy should be protected even beyond the grave. Consider my first contact with Kirks chief legal adviser, Patty Glaser. She responded by phone to my request for an introductory interview, catching me driving up Vermont Avenue on a sunny day near Griffith Park. I said Hello and she got straight to the point, No one is going to help you. No one from his inner circle will be available. We will not cooperate.

I regret that adamant decision. Fortunately, there would be major exceptions to the official stonewall. Fortunately, too, Kirks extraordinarily thin public record of interviews and personal insights would be offset by equally extraordinary discoveries. A collection of oral histories filed away in the Special Collections library at the University of Nevada Las Vegas was a gold minegaming pioneers, early Kerkorian partners, and then a ninety-minute tape of Kirk himself telling stories about the early days of Vegas and his personal adventures.

An excellent documentary for PBS called Flying the Secret Sky included excerpts from an on-camera interview with Kirk talking about his experiences with the Royal Air Force Ferry Command during World War II. Producer William VanDerKloot generously shared a full transcript of Kirks interview.

One other notable gem made available to the author was a wonderful family video with relatives and boyhood friends talking about growing up with Kirk. It was professionally produced and edited but had never been released to the public.

Kirks thirty-day wife, the former professional tennis star Lisa Bonder, was among those who declined to be interviewed for this book. She canceled our only scheduled interview saying that shed decided to tell her own story, to tell it myself, presumably in her own words and in her own book or article.

However, details of Kirks fraught relationship with Lisa can be found in the underground vaults of the Los Angeles Superior Court. Thats where I read through reams of Kirks and Lisas sworn statements, correspondence, and deposition transcriptsall part of case archives filling tens of thousands of pages. Their court battles spanned more than a decade and covered issues ranging from paternity and child support disputes to breeches of contract and invasion of privacy allegations. Tens of millions of dollars went to attorneys fees. Media coverage was sometimes sensational.

Unless otherwise noted, this narrative relies on that voluminous archival record and those factually undisputed details submitted in court filings by the estranged couple, as well as numerous expert witnesses and the sworn declarations of friends and family.

Thanking the long list of individuals who helped tell the story of Kirk Kerkorian for this book cannot include everyone. And a number of Kirks inner circle asked to remain anonymous. But very special thanks go to:

• Terry Christensen , one of Southern Californias top lawyers and for decades Kirks closest confidant. He hired a private eye to help investigate false paternity claims against Kirk and ended up indicted on federal wiretap charges.
• Alex Yemenidjian , who headed MGM studios when Kirk sold it for the last time. The former accountant, who became one of Kirks top negotiators, also ran the MGM Grand and was, some said, the son Kirk never had.
• Don King , the boxing promoter and a good friend of Kirks. They worked together to get a multifight deal at Kirks MGM Grand Garden for Kings client Iron Mike Tyson.
• Harut Sassounian , publisher of the California Courier, an English-language Armenian weekly based in Glendale, California, was also president of the United Armenian Fund and the driving force behind Kirks Armenian charity efforts.
• Michael Milken , the billionaire philanthropist and investment banker who helped finance many of Kirks casino and movie studio deals. Kirk often encouraged Mike to write a book about some of the many deals they did together.
• Ron Falahi , Kirks fitness guru, flight steward, and personal assistant spanning thirty-three years. The gentle muscleman and his warmhearted wife, the late Wendy Falahi, were among Kirks most loyal aides. Kirk encouraged Ron to write a book about their adventures.
• Una Davis , who remained a loyal friend and advocate through Kirks serial romantic adventures spanning fifteen years. And she was his wife on the day he died.
• Jerry Perenchio , the Hollywood deal maker and former CEO of Univision, was a close friend of Kirks for decades. He broke his own anti-interview pledge to pay tribute to Kirks life and legacy shortly before he followed his friend in death.
• Former U.S. senator Bob Dole (R-Kansas), who, along with his wife, Elizabeth Dole, befriended Kirk and supported many Armenian causes. Kirk became a major supporter of the American Red Cross when Elizabeth Dole was its president.
• Jack Holder , a Pearl Harbor survivor and former U.S. Navy flight engineer who worked for Kirk at Los Angeles Air Service after the war. They were lifelong friends.
• Darryl Goldman , tennis coach to the stars. He was a regular at Kirks weekend games called the grudge match played on Kirks private courts. He coached the billionaire to national ranking on the seniors tennis circuit when Kirk was in his mideighties.
• Manny (Mike) Agassi , one of Kirks oldest pals in Las Vegas. He was one of Kirks earliest tennis teachers. Mike is more widely known as the father of U.S. tennis legend Andre Kirk Agassi.
• Gene Kilroy , a straight-talking former marketing executive and boxing aficionado, seemed to know just about everyone in Las Vegas, and opened many doors for the author. Gene once worked for Kirk and was for many years the business manager of boxing great Muhammad Ali. He was also one of Kirks inner circle of Vegas friends, a pal of sister Rose and a familiar figure to most of the extended Kerkorian family and staff.
• Bobby Morris , the former musical director at the International Hotel whose band backed up Elvis at the pop stars Las Vegas comeback in Kirks first hotel.
• Daniel M. Wade , a former co-CEO and chief operating officer of MGM Mirage. He explained why Kirks people were so loyal: He always took the risks. He never took the credit. The devout Mormon says he still prays for Kirk every night.