Merv Griffin dies
at the age of 82
The TV mogul, creator of
"Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune", Merv Griffin passed away on
Sunday.
One
of the most famous TV moguls, Merv Griffin, died on Sunday at
the age of 82, from prostate cancer. Merv Griffin was the
perfect example of how the TV can turn a person from
rags-to-riches.
He started as a radio singer in San
Francisco at $100/week at age 19. Later he was the host of
The Merv Griffin Show in the mid 60's, but his biggest
success came when he got the idea for the popular TV shows
Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Being a producer of
these popular shows when they become the hottest on the air gave
him the opportunity to sell them to the Columbia Pictures
Television Unit for $250 million. At the time of the sale, the
deal was the largest acquisition of an entertainment company
owned by a single individual at that time. He retained part of
the profits from both shows as part of the sale.
After he added the quarter billion to
his bank account, Merv Griffin entered the hotel business by
first purchasing the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills from
Barron Hilton and then Resorts Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City
from Donald Trump. Merv Griffin was also an avid connoisseur of
thoroughbred racehorses.
Published on 08/12/2007
Related News:
E-mail:
news@ogpaper.com
