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Autor: Luiz Virolaine
Kerry Packer: Australia's Gambling Kingpin and Media Mogul
Aussie legend Kerry Packer! He was like a bulldozer in a suit, plowing through the business world without breaking a sweat. But Kerry? He wasn't just a suit-and-tie guy. His mark on the world was way bigger than that.
This bloke literally flipped cricket on its head, threw his weight around in the political arena, and after his heart gave him a hell of a scare, he made sure those lifesaving defib machines were in every NSW ambulance. Talk about making a difference, huh?
But let's cut to the chase, Kerry Packer was notorious for his outrageous gambling. The kind that could have a casino sweating bullets or popping champagne in a heartbeat a fantastic read. Casino bigwigs would get the jitters when he rocked up, but the staff? They loved him to bits! The guy was a hoot and would hand out tips like nobody's business.
So, how did Packer get his hands on the kind of dough that had casino owners quaking? And what's the deal with his cricket obsession?
Kerry Packer: The Early Saga
Born in the heat of December '37, right in Sydney, Kerry Packer was the son of Sir Frank Packer and Gretel Bullmore. As a kid, he lived through the terror of WWII, with everyone freaking out about a Japanese attack.
After subs from Japan rocked Sydney harbor around mid-1942, Kerry got shipped off to his auntie's place in Bowral, this quiet spot in New South Wales' Southern Highlands Macau Casino Stocks.
It was there in Bowral that Kerry got hit with polio and ended up stuck in the hospital for a rough nine months. Once he was discharged, the kid moved to Canberra for a couple of years to get his strength back on track.
School was a beast for Kerry after all that. He couldn't keep up, thanks to dyslexia that nobody caught onto, and his old man even called him ""the family idiot."" Ouch. That's gotta sting.
Close ties with his folks? Not so much. He figured they were too wrapped up in work and the war to have much time for him. But Kerry didn't badmouth them. He once said in an interview, ""My dad? He was tough, sure, but he was fair. Scared me a bit, but still, the man had his principles."" Even though Kerry defended his dad, others painted old Sir Frank Packer as a straight-up terror when he hit the bottle.
There's chatter that Kerry took a lot of heat, both in the mind and the body, from his parents, and that stuff might've dogged him all his life.
From Silver Spoon to Business Tycoon
Let's be real, Kerry Packer wasn't some rags-to-riches tale. He landed a cool AU$100 million from his dad's media empire when the old man checked out in '74.
Back then, it was all about TV stations, radio, local papers, and the biggest magazine gig in the country. And you know what? Kerry only got his mitts on it because his big bro Clyde got the boot from their dad's will after a family tiff cnn.
When Kerry took over at 37, he showed 'em all he was no chump. He beefed up the empire with property deals and cattle ranches. But media? That was his jam, and he pulled off the slickest deal in that world.
First off, in '87, he flogged The Nine Network to this high roller Alan Bond for an eye-watering AU$1 billion. Then, just three years on, he snagged it back for a meager AU$200 mil when Bond's pockets turned inside out. The guy pocketed an insane AU$800 mil profit!
He was caught on tape once saying, ""You only get one Alan Bond in your lifetime, and I’ve had mine."" Classic Packer.
Knowing when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em, that was Kerry's ace. He kept coming up trumps, climbed to the top as Australia's richest bloke, and even hit the global charts at number 94. At the peak of his game, his worth was over a whopping $5 billion, and he owned land bigger than Belgium!
Catching Fire: How Packer Turned Cricket Upside Down
Man, looking back, it's wild to think there was a time when folks barely saw dollar signs when they looked at cricket. Back in the '70s, the game was a slow burner, like watching paint dry, and it wasn't exactly pouring money into the players' pockets. So, you had these incredibly talented guys, playing their hearts out and barely scraping by.
That's why heads turned when Kerry Packer, the media tycoon, threw a wad of cash at the Australian Cricket Board in '76 to lock down the broadcast rights, and they knocked him back! Talk about a shocker, considering his offer was through the roof.
But hey, Packer wasn't the type to take ""no"" for an answer. Instead, he went all-in and dreamed up his own cricket league – the World Series Cricket. It was a total game-changer, meant to cash in on cricket like never before.
Flexing his financial muscle, he snagged some of the world's top cricketers, like England's captain Tony Grieg. He then whipped up some international teams and had them duke it out in two action-packed seasons across '77–'78 and '78–'79.
World Series Cricket didn't play by the old rule book. Packer jazzed it up to make it a hit on TV and with the fans. He shrunk those yawn-worthy five-day tests down to thrilling one-day clashes that keptBankroll Challenge you on the edge of your seat, day or night – a formula that's still a smash hit today.
And get this – he brought in helmets, snazzy colored gear, and he actually paid the players what they were worth! All that stuff's standard now, but back then, it was like he was from the future or something.
By '79, Packer shook hands with the bigwigs, winding up World Series Cricket but scoring a sweet deal for his Channel Nine. He snagged the exclusive rights to broadcast Aussie Test Cricket and even got a 10-year marketing gig – talk about a home run!
When Packer passed away, the cricket world stood still for a minute – literally. Everyone paused to remember the dude who flipped the sport on its head before the Australia vs South Africa test match kicked off.
Kerry Packer: The Big-Time Bettor
Kerry Packer wasn't just a heavy hitter in business and sports; the guy was a legendary gambler. He had the kind of bankroll that most of us can only dream of, and when he hit the casino floor, he turned heads and churned stomachs – the staff didn't know whether to cheer or cry!
Baccarat was his jam, and he had his favorite spots like MGM Grand and Bellagio in Vegas, and Crockford's in London, where he set a record but not the kind you'd want – he lost a staggering $16.5 million in a three-day streak, snatching the title for Britain's biggest gambling loss from some bloke who dropped $13 million at the same spot.
But Kerry wasn't just about the losses; the man also scored big-time. Once, he raked in $20 million in just 40 minutes at MGM Grand, betting $250,000 at a time on eight tables at once. Incredible, right?
And his wins and losses weren't just a big deal for him. They could make or break a casino. Stock prices could soar or plummet based on whether Packer walked out with a frown or a smirk.
Sometimes, casinos had to swallow their pride and ask him to take his business elsewhere, just so they could catch their breath and count their chips. That must've been one awkward convo, but Packer probably got a kick out of it.
The man was big-hearted, too. He wasn't shy about tipping – like getting a car for a valet or wiping out a cocktail waitress's mortgage. And he loved to spice it up, betting huge tips on behalf of the dealers. Once, he put down $100,000 for a dealer on blackjack and hit the jackpot, to the wild cheers of the staff.
As Paul Weintraub from Wynn Casino put it, Packer was the king of tippers. Nobody else has ever made such wild bets for the staff. It just shows the guy had a heart as big as his wallet.
Kerry Packer didn't just throw money around; he made it speak volumes. Take it from Bobby Baldwin, the big shot at Mirage Resorts. He shared this gem: Packer was at the Bellagio, keeping it cool at the card table, when this loudmouth Texan tried to muscle in, bragging about his $100 million net worth. Packer just flicked a coin from his pocket, gave the guy a chilly stare, and said, ""How about we flip for it?"" Boom. The Texan didn't dare accept.
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