How penniless, dropout Kirk Kerkorian became the greatset deal maker in capitalist history

The rags-to-riches story of one of America’s wealthiest and least-known financial giants, self-made billionaire

Kirk Kerkorian was a pioneering American aviator, movie mogul, risk taker, and business tycoon who transformed Las Vegas and Hollywood to become one of this country’s leading financiers. His life story demonstrates the cool daring of a World War II pilot, the grit of a scrappy boxer, the cunning of an inscrutable poker player, and an unmatched genius for making deals. While he never put his name on a building, Kerkorian owned most of the major hotels and casinos in Las Vegas by the time he died in 2015.​

In this engrossing biography, investigative reporter William C. Rempel digs deep into Kerkorian’s long-guarded history to introduce a man of contradictions—a poorly educated genius of deal-making, an extraordinarily shy man who pursued the boldest of business ventures, a careful and calculating investor who was willing to bet everything on a single roll of the dice.  

The Gambler illuminates, as never before, this little-known self-made entrepreneur and his inspiring legacy.