Who is Sol Kerzner? | Sol Kerzner Biography and Wiki

Solomon (Sol) Kerzner, K.C.M.G. (23 August 1935 – 21 March 2020) was a South African accountant and business magnate. He was the founder of South Africa’s largest hotel groups, the Southern Sun Hotel Group and Sun International. Additionally, he was the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Kerzner International. His career spanned more than 45 years in the resort industry.

After Kerzner graduated with a B.Com (Accounting) and B.Com (Hons) (Accounting) from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and qualified as a Chartered Accountant, he took over the running of his family’s hotel chain.

Sol Kerzner Age at Death | Death Cause

Sol Kerzner was born on 23 August 1935 in Johannesburg, South Africa and died on 21st March 2020 at the age of 84 in his home surrounded by his beloved ones. His death came following a long battle with cancer.

Sol Kerzner Education Background

He was a graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He was also a qualified Chartered Accountant.

Sol Kerzner Family

Kerzner was the youngest of four children, Kerzner was born in Troyeville, Johannesburg, South Africa, to Russian Jewish immigrants. His parents owned and operated a chain of kosher hotels.

Sol Kerzner Married | Wife

He has been married four times and his first wife was Maureen Adler and they had three children Butch Kerzner, Andrea Kerzner, and Beverly Kerzner Mace. His second wife was Shirley Bestbier; they had two children: Brandon Kerzner and Chantal Kerzner Sweeney. She committed suicide soon after the birth of her second child.

His third wife was Miss World 1974 Anneline Kriel who they divorced after five years. His fourth wife was model Heather Murphy who he married in 2000 but they divorced in 2011. Until his death, he never remarried.

Sol Kerzner Children

Sol was a father of five children from different mothers. He sired Howard Butch Kerzner, Andrea and Beverly Kerzner mace with his former wife Maureen Idler and with Bestbier he fathered two children namely, Brandon Kerzner and Chantal Kerzner Sweeney.

Kerzner’s son, Howard “Butch” Kerzner died on 11 October 2006 when the helicopter he was traveling in crashed near Sosua, in the Puerto Plata province of the Dominican Republic. His daughter, Andrea, is the founder and CEO of Lalela, a charity dedicated to bringing the arts to at-risk youth in South Africa.

Sol Kerzner Facts and Body Measurements

Here are some interesting facts you don’t want to miss about Sol Kerzner

Full Name: Solomon (Sol) Kerzner
Age At Death/ How Old?: He died on 21st March at the age of 84
Date of Birth: 23 August 1935
Place of Birth: Johannesburg, South Africa
Education‎: Graduate
Birthday: 23rd August
Nationality: South African
Father’s Name: Updating
Mother’s Name: Updating
Siblings: Three
Married?: He has been married five times but until his death he was unmarried
Children/ Kids: Five, but only four are alive
Height/ How tall?: Updating
Weight: Updating
Profession: accountant and business magnate.
Net worth: $500 Million

Sol Kerzner Career

His family started a hotel chain and after he graduated from the university he took over the running of the group and went on to create the most successful hotel group in South Africa, Sun International. In 1962 Kerzner purchased the Astra Hotel in Durban. He built South Africa’s first five-star graded hotel in Umhlanga, a village north of Durban and in December 1964 he opened Beverly Hills Hotel.

Following the Beverly Hills, Kerzner built the 450-room Elangeni Hotel (now renamed Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani), 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, Kerzner opened his first hotel outside South Africa on the Indian Ocean Island of Mauritius which he named Le Saint Géran.In 1979 he developed Sun City. Over a period of ten years he built four hotels, a man-made lake, two Gary Player designed championship golf courses and entertainment center with an indoor 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena.

In 1996 Sol Kerzner opened Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Connecticut in the United States and in 2000 opened the second phase of the project including a 1,200-room hotel through a joint venture with the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut called Trading Cove Associates.

TCA relinquished its management of the resort in 2002 but Kerzner through his company will still receive a 5% dividend on the gross revenue generated by Mohegan Sun until 2014. In 2002 he launched One&Only Resorts which currently operates seven properties in The Bahamas, Mexico, Mauritius, The Maldives, South Africa, Dubai, and Hayman Island.

Sol Kerzner Professional Positions

♦ 2002 – Present: Chief Executive Officer of One & Only Resorts.
♦ Present: Owner of Paradise Island Resort, Bahamas
♦ 1993 – Present: Chair of Kerzner International Limited, Florida, United States of America
♦ 1975 – Present: Owner of Le Saint Géran, Mauritius.

♦ 1960 – Present: Owner of The Palace Hotel, Durban
♦ Developer at Sun City, South Africa
♦ Founder of Sun International Limited, South Africa
♦ Founder of Southern Sun Hotels, South Africa.

♦ 1996 – 2003: Chief Executive Officer at Kerzner International Limited.
♦ 1993 – 1996: President of Kerzner International Limited, Florida, United States of America.
♦ 1989 – 1994: Chair of World Leisure Group

Sol Kerzner Net Worth

Kerzner has enjoyed a long career in business and hotel industries. Through proceeds from his work as a business mogul, he has been able to accumulate a huge fortune. Kerzner is estimated to have a net worth of about $500 million.

Sol Kerzner Awards and Achievements

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

Frequently Asked Questions About Sol Kerzner

Who is Sol Kerzner?

Solomon (Sol) Kerzner, K.C.M.G. was a South African accountant and business magnate. He was the founder of South Africa’s largest hotel groups, the Southern Sun Hotel Group and Sun International.

How old was Sol Kerzner At his death?

He died on 21st March 2020 at the age of 84 in his home surrounded by his beloved ones. His death came following a long battle with cancer.

Does Sol Kerzner still own Sun City?

Sol was the owner of Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, which he bought in 1998 from Merv Griffin, selling it on three years later

How did Sol Kerzner start his business?

Kerzner was born on 23 August 1935 in Johannesburg. He began his hospitality career in 1962. He built South Africa’s first five-star graded hotel, the Beverly Hills Hotel, in Durban, which opened in 1964. In the same year, he built the 450-room Elangeni Hotel, overlooking Durban’s beachfront.

Is Sol Kerzner married?

How much is Sol Kerzner worth?

He has an approximate net worth of $500 million. This amount has been accrued from his various hotel businesses.

What was Sol Kerzner’s cause of death?