A leading figure in the gaming and hospitality industry has died. On March 21, Sol Kerzner died of cancer at his home in South Africa.
Born in Johannesburg, the son of Russian immigrants, Kerzner was “a working class boy from a rough neighborhood,” according to CNBC. He studied to be an accountant, but in his mid-20s took a sharp right turn and bought an inn in Durban, South Africa, then transformed the shabby property, the Astra, into one of the most popular hotels in the area.
It was the start of a remarkable career that spanned six decades. With a combination of intelligence, moxie and vision, Kerzner far outstripped his peers to become one of the most influential entrepreneurs in South Africa and the world.
Among his most notable achievements was the founding of two major hotel groups, Southern Sun and Sun International, which turned his home country into a tourist destination and earned him the name “the Sun King.”
Kerzner may be best remembered for his ambitious Sun City resort project, which could arguably be considered the first integrated resort. Starting in an undeveloped section northeast of Johannesburg, he built four hotels, a man-made lake, two Gary Player golf courses and a 6,000-seat entertainment venue that hosted artists like Frank Sinatra as well as world title fights. According to Forbes, “Kerzner defied the naysayers to train a best of breed workforce and to operate Sun City on a totally non-racial basis.”.
Despite suggestions to the contrary by the anti-apartheid protest song, “Sun City,” by Steven Van Zandt, “even the most cynical of visiting overseas journalists had to concede defeat in trying to find racism behind the operation of the vast resort,” Forbes said.
In fact, Kerzner became an intimate friend of South African President Nelson Mandela, who asked him to arrange a party for his presidential inauguration. “He makes a difference everywhere he goes,” said Mandela. “Sol, thank you for changing our world.”
In 1994, Kerzner bought Paradise Island, a resort the Bahamas, and turned it into the Atlantis, with 2,300 rooms and the Caribbean’s biggest casino. He later developed Atlantis resorts in Dubai and China. Over time, his influence extended to China and the United States. In 1996, working with his son, Butch, Kerzner built Mohegan Sun, his first U.S. development and one of the first significant tribal resorts, owned by the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut.
According to the New London Day, former Mohegan Sun executives and Mohegan tribal officials remembered Kerzner, saying, “The support and guidance Sol provided Mohegan in our early years created the cornerstone of our successes today. As an innovator in his industry, Sol was a true friend to Mohegan, and his loss is felt by all.”
“Sol made his mark globally as one of the most innovative hotel and gaming developers,” added Len Wolman, who partnered with Kerzner, his son and the Mohegan Tribe to develop and for a time operate Mohegan Sun. “It was so rewarding to partner with Sol and Butch Kerzner for decades beginning with our partnership with the Mohegan Tribe. My family and I appreciate and value most the friendships we formed, and the many memories of time spent together that we will forever cherish. Our hearts go out to the Kerzner family and their many colleagues and friends throughout the world.”
Jeff Hartmann, a former Mohegan Sun CEO, also praised Kerzner as “a brilliant casino developer who inspired much of the vision and design for Mohegan Sun that still stands tall today.”
Kerzner also created the One&Only brand of luxury resorts. In a tribute on its website, the company said Kerzner “originated bespoke luxury resorts” and espoused “a philosophy of unique, authentic, ultra-luxury experiences with genuine service from the heart.”
In 2006, Butch Kerzner, then CEO of his father’s company, died in a helicopter accident. The elder Kerzner, then executive chairman of Kerzner International, returned as CEO. Jeff Rubenstein, a lifelong friend, summed up Kerzner’s philosophy, saying, “Sol believed that no matter where you come from, if you put in the hours, you would succeed. He never used his circumstances or the tragedies he experienced in his life as an excuse for failure. If tragedy was a burden to Sol, hard work was the antidote and he himself always said, ‘You just gotta box on.’”
Ian Douglas, who worked for Kerzner for 20 years, said, “Sol was someone who possessed a rare combination of creative genius, uncanny financial acuity and an astonishing energy, which he poured into every business he touched. Nothing he built was ever boring and he never chased the money. He only chased success. He was always trailblazing, always in pursuit of bigger, better, new, different, more exacting and exciting projects around the globe.”
Kerzner retired in 2014, having made his mark in markets around the world. Looking back on his career, he said, “For me, it’s been an interesting journey. I have had tough times and good times and through it all, I’ve been determined to get it done. I can’t imagine doing anything else, it’s been a blast. Every day that I spent in business was a joy.”
