Net Worth:

$16.1 billion +73%

Last Year:

$9.3 billion

Age:

89

Residence:

Beverly Hills

Source of Wealth:

Investments

The Money: Kerkorian is playing a winning hand in Las Vegas, where the red hot gaming industry and a play this month to buy two MGM Mirage properties has sharply raised the value of Mirage shares. Kerkorian’s 56 percent stake in the company now worth over $12 billion. Sold off the last block of General Motors Corp. stock worth an aggregate of $1.7 billion in December, ending bid to take over the struggling automaker. May have netted $100 million, depending on capital gains losses he took on some other stock sales.

Buzz:

Billionaire investor recently tendered a $4.5 billion cash offer for Chrysler Corp. after failing to take over General Motors. The bid was considered a low ball and the struggling automaker was sold to private equity firm Cerebus. Had acquired 9.9 percent of GM stock before dumping his remaining shares in December when the board rejected his proposed changes, including alliance with Nissan and Renault. Now owns more than half the hotel rooms on the Vegas strip. Since 2000, MGM Mirage has purchased Steve Wynn’s Mirage Resorts for $6.4 billion and the Mandalay Bay Resort group for $7.9 billion. Found himself tangled last year in the Anthony Pellicano affair through his attorney Terry Christensen, who represented Kerkorian in a child custody suit filed by former wife Lisa Bonder Kerkorian. Her lawyer sued Christensen, claiming he hired private investigator Pellicano to illegally wiretap telephone calls during the divorce proceedings. Christensen and Pellicano have been indicted and plead not guilty. Longtime movie maker, Kerkorian bought and sold MGM three times.