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The year was 1967 and mobsters had control of most of the Las Vegas Strip. Famous billionaire Howard Hughes came to Las Vegas on what was supposed to be a short trip. However, things didn’t go exactly as plan. Known as one of the most eccentric tycoons in history, Howard Hughes almost never did what was expected. After extending his Las Vegas trip from a few days to several months, Desert Inn Hotel management eventually asked him to leave. They should’ve known better. Howard Hughes never does what he is told. Instead of packing his bags and heading home, he did the only reasonable thing a billionaire could do…he bought the hotel.
Who is this man who went on to change the face of Las Vegas? Well, much of Howard Hughes life still remains a mystery decades after his death. Hughes suffered from several emotional disorders and was extremely secretive. Even the exact time and place of his birth is still debated. Hughes had a strange childhood. His mother, a descendant of English royalty, was obsessed with hygiene and felt it her duty to protect her son from germs. Hughes was a talented engineer and took interest in the subject even as a child. However, engineering was not his only interest. Hugh was a jack of all trades and after the death of his parents, he moved to Hollywood to become a film director. Excelling at almost everything he put his mind to, Hughes won an Academy Award for Best Director for his film Two Arabian Knights. With a love for engineering and a hobby of flying planes, Hughes began to build aircrafts and later went on to create Hughes Aircraft Company. He later went on to purchase a large share of TWA. By this time, Hughes was one of the richest men in America. However, Hughes was troubled. He became obsessed with miniscule things like the size of his peas at dinner. Although peas where his favorite vegetable, he would use a special fork to sort them in size order as he was eating them. Hughes eventually vanished from the public eye and his travels were kept completely private. He would even rent out entire hotels, restaurants, and businesses just to ensure he wouldn’t have to run into other customers.
After his long stay in Las Vegas, Howard Hughes purchased the Desert Inn Casino for $14 million dollars. This purchase would lead to a spending spree for Hughes who went on to purchase several casinos throughout Las Vegas including: New Frontier, Castaways, The Landmark Hotel and Casino, Sands, and the Silver Slipper. Many of the hotels were purchased from known mobsters and Howard Hughes intended to clean up Las Vegas and turn the Strip into an entertainment capital where people could enjoy themselves and feel safe at the same time. Hughes spent years in Las Vegas hiding out in hotel rooms with the shades drawn so tightly that almost no light could come in. Hughes was known insomniac as well as a hermit. He suffered from severe social anxiety disorder and would do business only through hand letters and select phone conversations. Because of his insomnia, Hughes loved to watch movies at all hours of the night. Hughes even purchased several local television stations so that he could call them in the middle of the night and ask they play his favorite movies. He bought businesses, restaurants, and anything else he wanted for his own personal use. At the end of his Las Vegas spending spree, Hughes had spent a total of US$300 million dollars, which is equivalent to $1.6 billion dollars by today’s standards.
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