The presentation of the Armenian version of “The Gambler”, a book about American-Armenian businessman, billionaire, philanthropist, Executive Director of Tracinda Corporation and National Hero of Armenia, Kirk Kerkorian was held on Monday in the Armenian capital of Yerevan.
Authored by William C. Rempel, “The Gambler: How Penniless Dropout Kirk Kerkorian Became the Greatest Deal Maker in Capitalist History Hardcover” book in English was released in the U.S. on 23 January 2018.
Armenia’s Edit Print Publishing house bought the copyright in translating and publishing it immediately after its release. The book, which has already become a bestseller, has been translated into Armenian by Alina and Anna Mirzoyans.
Founder and President of Edit Print Mkrtich Karapetyan announced at yesterday’s presentation that the publishing house also holds the copyright to translate the book into Russian and publish it, adding the Russian version of “The Gambler” will be published by the end of 2018.
Translator Alina Mirzoyan says the book will allow its readers to discover an interesting person and a great philanthropist. “Kerkorian was a self-contained person, we don’t know much about him. I believe it will be very interesting to read this book, which unfolds Kerkorian’s biography starting from his adolescence till the dawn of his life,” she said.
“The Gambler” tells the “rags to riches” story of one of America’s wealthiest and least-known financial giants, self-made billionaire Kerkorian – 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.
The book illuminates as never before this little-known self-made entrepreneur and his inspiring legacy.
Rempel says this is the engrossing story of the 98-year life of Kirk Kerkorian, a boy who would run barefoot over the soft and fertile land of the San Joaquin Valley until his family’s financial crisis turned him into a city boy who was forced to fight for finding his place on the dirty sidewalks of Los Angeles.
He was a tough boy who would cry during funerals, a modest person who would secretly take pride in his achievements, a business genius who would ignore the MBA’s advisors, a daring pilot and movie magnate, a gambler in casinos and in Wall Street and a person who would place bets with a supernatural skill, minimum risks and on the most probable outcome.
The author states that Kirk was a very closed person, who would rarely give interviews, never spoke addressed the public and placed his personal space above everything else. Most of his business advisors and partners were certain that his isolation had to be kept even after his death, but Rampel managed to write the book.
This is factually a documental book since all the citations and descriptive scenes are based on eyewitness accounts or previously published stories.