The Gambler: How Penniless Dropout Kirk Kerkorian Became the Greatest Dealmaker in Capitalist History
, Biography, 2018
A reported biography of a dealmaker who shunned publicity, built from research and interviews by a reporter who never met him.
About the book
Rempel's biography follows Kerkorian's ventures in aviation, casinos and hotels, and Hollywood studios. It begins with an Armenian immigrant family that lost its farm when he was a child and includes accounts involving Howard Hughes, Frank Sinatra and Steve Wynn.
Reading perspective
Rempel, a veteran investigative reporter, never met Kerkorian and built the book from research and interviews; one reviewer found it rich in dialogue and detail. Another noted that it remains incomplete about his private life, because sources were limited after his death.
What you’ll learn
Study what gets left behind
Kerkorian began a postwar cargo airline by buying surplus military aircraft. It offers a specific case for examining a venture that starts with assets released by a much larger system.
A binding word as business conduct
The portrait presents Kerkorian as regarding his word and handshake as binding in business. The review lists this beside his generosity and his wish to avoid publicity as defining traits, without claiming it explains his success.
Editorial sources
Book guidance draws on these sources; Founders evidence determines the ranking.
Why it ranks here
Reading rank #159. First covered in Episode #65. 6 scored evidence components. 3 Founders episodes. Coverage Score 94. Praise on record: David says finishing the book gave him the bittersweet feeling of wishing he could read it again for the first time, signaling strong enjoyment of the primary book.
Explore evidence and score breakdownOpen timeline
How the Coverage Score works
Reviewed Founders evidence adds points: a dedicated episode, a qualifying reread, explicit praise, or a reference in a later episode. Repeats of the same kind in one independently recorded discussion count once, including reviewed reused passages. Genuinely new qualifying discussion adds points. The score measures coverage, not quality.
Sources: official Founders episodes — #65, #85, #327
The largest contribution to this Coverage Score is Dedicated episode · Primary coverage (45 points).
Original Founders sources
- Kirk Kerkorian: Penniless Dropout became the Greatest Deal Maker in Capitalist History — David introduces this book as the episode's central source and draws Kerkorian's life story and business career from it throughout.
- Walter and Olive Ann Beech (Aviation Legends) — The host says Founders #65 on Kirk Kerkorian led him to learn about Olive Ann Beech.
- Ted Turner — David explicitly associates The Gambler with an earlier Founders episode, approximately episode 65.