The life of South African casino tycoon Sol Kerzner unveiled in new book
A new memoir lifts the velvet curtain on the late mogul’s towering successes, turbulent friendships and game-changing influence on South Africa.
South Africa – The enigmatic life of Sol Kerzner, South Africa’s legendary casino and hotel magnate, has finally been laid bare in a newly released memoir that pulls no punches.
Sol – My Friend and Adversary, penned by British author and former Kerzner associate, Peter Venison, paints an unfiltered portrait of the man who reshaped the global hospitality industry and ruffled more than a few feathers along the way.
Kerzner, who died in 2020 at age 84, wasn’t just the architect of five and six-star luxury; he was the architect of spectacle. From the audacious Sun City, built during the height of apartheid, to the world-famous Atlantis resorts in the Bahamas and Dubai, Kerzner’s name became synonymous with opulence, risk-taking and larger-than-life vision.
The book, released in 2025, explores Kerzner’s climb from a humble South African accountant to an international tycoon whose fingerprints are etched into some of the world’s most iconic resort destinations. But it’s not all glitz and glamour.
Venison, once both confidante and rival, dives deep into the man behind the empire, revealing power plays, personal fallouts and a relentless drive and passion.
The memoir recounts Kerzner’s dogged pursuit of perfection and an almost theatrical approach to hospitality. One particularly riveting chapter unveils the unlikely and complex relationship between Kerzner and former South African president Nelson Mandela, offering insight into how this private alliance may have subtly shaped South Africa’s political transformation in the 1990s.
Publisher Melinda Ferguson describes the book as the first comprehensive account of Kerzner’s life and legacy, and promises a narrative that is “unflinching” in its honesty, capturing both his genius and complexities.
Clocking in at 350 pages, Sol – My Friend and Adversary is now available in paperback, a must-read for those intrigued by the high-stakes worlds of hospitality and casinos, and the titans who build them.
