Sol Kerzner

Solomon Kerzner (born 1935) [1]. Hotel and gambling magnate.

Biography

Born in Troyeville, Johannesburg, the youngest of four children to Jewish Russian immigrants. His family started a hotel chain; after Kerzner graduated as a Chartered Accountant, he took over the running of the group and went on to create the most successful hotel group in South Africa, Sun International. He is now Chairman of the Board of Kerzner International based on Paradise Island, Bahamas. In 1979 he built the Sun City gambling and entertainment resort in the “independent” state of Bophutatswana, which featured the Super Bowl entertainment centre, where international stars and acts as well as international sports events were on offer during the Apartheid era and the cultural and economic boycott. During 1985, Kerzner's Sun City, South Africa resort was the topic of anti-Apartheid rock album titled Sun City by a group of rock musicians calling themselves Artists United Against Apartheid. On the success of this centre, he got involved in many other international hotel and gambling resorts; most notable is his role as the innovative developer behind the well-known Atlantis resort in the Bahamas. Four times married, and counts among the wives the former actress and Miss World, Anneline Kriel.

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