Kirk Kerkorian
The builder of scale
An aviation businessman who repeatedly enlarged the idea of a Las Vegas resort, from the International to two generations of MGM Grand.
Before the skyline
Kerkorian’s route into Las Vegas began in aviation. MGM’s corporate history places his first visit in 1945 as a Cessna pilot, followed by a stake in the Dunes in 1955 and land purchases during the next decade. His entry was a progression from transport and investment to resort development. [2]
Building, selling, building again
The International opened in 1969. The original MGM Grand followed in 1973; after its sale to Bally’s, another MGM Grand opened in 1993. These were separate properties and separate bets on scale. Reading them as a sequence makes more sense than treating “the MGM” as one unchanging hotel. [2]
Capital changed the city
The International and Flamingo passed to Hilton. Later, MGM acquired Mirage Resorts in 2000. These transactions connect Kerkorian’s story to the wider shift toward large corporate owners and to Steve Wynn’s resort portfolio. ARGENT’s reading of this career is that the deals matter as much as the openings. [3] [2]
The man in his own account
UNLV’s catalog for his 1999 Review-Journal oral history describes recollections of Jerry Williams introducing him to Las Vegas and of his respect for Howard Hughes. UNLV’s Lincy Institute also documents his less visible philanthropic legacy. These sources add a personal dimension to the corporate chronology. [1] [4]
Key dates
People in the same story
Howard Hughes
A figure Kerkorian discussed with respect in his 1999 oral history. [1]
Read the profileSteve Wynn
Follow the Mirage Resorts acquisition into Wynn’s development story. [2]
Read the profileIn the archive
17 matching entries in the saved collection.
Kerkorian Takes Over Bonanza
Indexed press reference · View the bibliography. The original report has not been independently read for this entry.
Kerkorian's net worth is $274 million
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Kerkorian's firm calls off plan for secondary offering
Indexed press reference · View the bibliography. The original report has not been independently read for this entry.
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Kerkorian may sell off part of Vegas holdings
Indexed press reference · View the bibliography. The original report has not been independently read for this entry.
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Kerkorian to sell control hotels on the Strip
Indexed press reference · View the bibliography. The original report has not been independently read for this entry.
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Bonanza Hotel Back in Kerkorian Realm
Indexed press reference · View the bibliography. The original report has not been independently read for this entry.
Go deeper into the record.
Sources for this profile and starting points for further research. Access notes mark links we could not open directly during the October 3–4, 2026 checks. Historical accounts describe their own period; they do not necessarily describe current operations.
- 1
Kirk Kerkorian oral history, February 10, 1999
Interview by K. J. Evans for the Review-Journal First 100 project. The catalog describes audio and a transcript; availability is subject to archive access arrangements.
- 2
Kirk Kerkorian: director emeritus and corporate history
A company account of its founder; useful for the development sequence, with an institutional perspective.
- 3
Corporate Las Vegas
A broad account of corporate investment and resort financing, rather than a contemporaneous report.
- 4