Kirk Kerkorian

Las Vegas, 1970s-2000s

Born: 1917, Fresno, California, to Armenian immigrant parents
Died: June 2015 in Los Angeles, aged 98, after a brief illness
First Las Vegas business: Charter flights to and from Las Vegas, starting with a $5,000 Cessna in 1945
First casino investment: A $50,000 share of the Dunes in 1955, which he lost
International Hotel: Opened 1969 with 1,512 rooms, then the world's largest; now Westgate Las Vegas
Original MGM Grand: Opened December 1973 with 2,200 rooms; later Bally's, now Horseshoe Las Vegas
Current MGM Grand: Opened 1993, his third world's-largest hotel
Flamingo: Bought in 1967; NPR notes he reported its profits openly rather than skimming
MGM Grand fire: A 1980 fire killed 87 people; he rebuilt and reopened the hotel in 1981
Where to see his legacy today: MGM Grand, Westgate, Horseshoe Las Vegas and the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV

About

Kirk Kerkorian came to Las Vegas at the end of World War II, during which he had ferried bombers across the Atlantic for the Royal Canadian Air Force. In 1945 he bought a $5,000 Cessna to fly charter passengers to and from Las Vegas, and his airline, later called Trans International Airlines, grew from there. He invested $50,000 in the Dunes in 1955 and lost it, and resolved never again to invest in someone else's casino.

Land made his first Las Vegas fortune. In 1962 he bought 80 acres on the south Strip for $960,000, which he leased and later sold to Jay Sarno, who built Caesars Palace there. In 1967 he bought the Flamingo, partly to train staff for his next project, and land on Paradise Road. There he opened the International in 1969: 30 stories and 1,512 rooms, the largest hotel in the world. Elvis Presley's long run there began that summer.

After a dispute with the SEC over financing, Kerkorian sold half his company to Hilton, which took over the International and the Flamingo. Having bought control of the MGM film studio, he opened the first MGM Grand in December 1973, again the world's largest hotel, with 2,200 rooms. In 1980 a fire there killed 87 people, the deadliest disaster in Las Vegas history; he reopened the hotel in 1981 and sold it to Bally in 1986.

He then built the current MGM Grand, which opened in 1993, his third world's-largest hotel. His company bought Mirage Resorts in 2000 and backed CityCenter, which opened in 2009. UNLV historian David Schwartz told the Review-Journal that Kerkorian "may have had the biggest impact of any one individual" on the Strip. Despite that, he avoided the spotlight; UNLV describes him as an intensely private man who gave much of his charity anonymously.

What to expect

All three of Kerkorian's record-setting hotels still stand. The 1969 International is now Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, off the Strip on Paradise Road. The original 1973 MGM Grand became Bally's and was renamed Horseshoe Las Vegas on December 15, 2022. The current MGM Grand, opened in 1993, anchors the south Strip.

In April 2021 UNLV's medical school was renamed the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, and its new medical education building in the Las Vegas Medical District was named the Kirk Kerkorian Medical Education Building.

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Good to know

Kerkorian was known for avoiding publicity; UNLV historian Michael Green told NPR he "tried very hard to live [his life] out of the public eye."
The 1980 MGM Grand fire was started by an electrical cord inside a restaurant refrigerator; Kerkorian and the builders were later faulted for not installing safety equipment.
Before boxing gave way to flying, he was an amateur boxer nicknamed "Rifle Right Kerkorian."
He retired from the MGM Resorts board in 2011 but remained the company's largest shareholder through his firm, Tracinda.
His company also bought the Desert Inn and Sands in the 1980s and later sold them.

Questions about Kirk Kerkorian

What hotels did Kirk Kerkorian build in Las Vegas?

Kerkorian built three hotels that were each the world's largest when they opened: the International in 1969 (now Westgate Las Vegas), the original MGM Grand in 1973 (later Bally's, now Horseshoe Las Vegas) and the current MGM Grand in 1993. He also owned the Flamingo from 1967, and his company later bought Mirage Resorts and backed CityCenter.

Is the original MGM Grand still standing?

Yes. Kerkorian's first MGM Grand, which opened in December 1973 with 2,200 rooms, was sold to Bally in 1986 and operated as Bally's for decades. Caesars Entertainment renamed it Horseshoe Las Vegas on December 15, 2022. It is a different building from the current MGM Grand, which Kerkorian opened in 1993 farther south on the Strip.

What happened in the 1980 MGM Grand fire?

In 1980 a fire started by an electrical cord inside a restaurant refrigerator spread through the original MGM Grand. Eighty-seven people died, many overcome by smoke in their rooms, and hundreds more were injured. It was the deadliest disaster in Las Vegas history. Kerkorian rebuilt and reopened the hotel about eight months later, in 1981.

How did Kirk Kerkorian get started in Las Vegas?

As a pilot. After flying bombers across the Atlantic during World War II, he bought a $5,000 Cessna in 1945 and flew charter passengers to and from Las Vegas. His airline business grew into Trans International Airlines. In 1962 he bought 80 acres on the Strip, which became the site of Caesars Palace, and he used those profits to start building hotels.

What is named after Kirk Kerkorian in Las Vegas?

UNLV's medical school was renamed the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV in April 2021, in recognition of support from his estate and other donors. Its building in the Las Vegas Medical District is the Kirk Kerkorian Medical Education Building., which UNLV said would serve as the school's permanent campus.

When did Kirk Kerkorian die?

Kerkorian died in Los Angeles in June 2015 after a brief illness, days after turning 98. At the time he was the largest shareholder in MGM Resorts International, the company he founded. Flags at MGM properties on the Strip, including New York-New York, were lowered to half-staff in his honor.