20 Facts About Sol Kerzner

Sol Kerzner founded both of South Africa's largest hotel groups, the Southern Sun Hotel Group and Sun International.

Sol Kerzner was the founder, chairman and CEO of Kerzner International.

Sol Kerzner's family owned and operated a chain of kosher hotels.

Sol Kerzner next built the 450-room Elangeni Hotel, overlooking Durban's beachfront and, in 1969, in partnership with South African Breweries, he established the chain of Southern Sun Hotels, which by 1983 operated 30 luxury hotels with more than 7,000 rooms.

In 1975, Sol Kerzner opened his first hotel outside South Africa on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, which he named Le Saint Geran.

In 1979, Sol Kerzner developed Sun City, the most ambitious resort project in Africa.

In 1994, following South Africa's first multiracial elections, incoming President Nelson Mandela asked Sol Kerzner to arrange the VIP function at his inauguration, which was attended by about 1,000 people, including many world leaders and heads of state.

In 1996, Sol Kerzner opened the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.

In early 2007, Sol Kerzner expanded Atlantis, Paradise Island with 2 new hotels; The Cove, and The Reef, which added 1,100 new rooms to the property.

Sol Kerzner extended the Atlantis brand globally with the development of Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, with a 1,500-room, water-themed resort opened in late-September 2008 on The Palm Jumeirah; a multibillion-dollar leisure and residential development in Dubai.

In September 2009, the "Mazagan Beach Resort" a luxury hotel in El Jadida, Morocco, was inaugurated by Sol Kerzner accompanied by show celebrities.

In October 2013, Sol Kerzner announced that he was building a new Atlantis hotel at Sanya, Hainan Island in China with Fosun International.

In 1984, Sol Kerzner made a deal with Leslie Young, the Minister of Finance for the bantustan of Bophutatswana, that any investments by his company, Sun International, that had the effect of advertising apartheid abroad would be tax-deductible.

In 1990, Sol Kerzner was found to have paid R5 million to Transkeian Chief George Matanzima for gaming licenses, R2 million of which was said to be a bribe.

Sol Kerzner died by suicide soon after her second child's birth.

Sol Kerzner married his fourth wife, Heather Murphy, in 2000, and they divorced in 2011.

Sol Kerzner left behind his wife, Vanessa Kerzner, and two children Tai and Kailin.

Sol Kerzner was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the industry during the International Hotel Investment Forum in 2019.

Sol Kerzner was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, which allowed him to have the postnominal letters 'K.

Sol Kerzner died of cancer on 21 March 2020 in Cape Town.