The stories of Kerry Packer are the stuff of pub chat legend.
While he passed away at the relatively early age of 68, the billionaire media tycoon and (formerly) Australiaโs most influential man experienced more in a single year of his life than most do across entire decades. Suffice it to say, having a $6.5 billion net worth and broadcast rights across the nation tends to afford you a whole lot of livinโ.
This isnโt an article about overcoming polio, dyslexia, or a cruel and callous father in Sir Frank Packer. This isnโt even an article about his business philosophies (at least not in the strictest sense).
And although 90% of the stories youโre about to read involve the spending of his money, this isnโt an article about how Kerry Packer turned his $100 million family estate โ inherited upon the death of Sir Frank โ into one of the greatest media empires the country has ever known.
This is about the most notable antics witnessed from one Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer AC: high roller, shot caller, and unapologetic baller.
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Kerry Packer Stories: Billionaire Antics & A Life Well Lived
Just the tip (itโs more than enough)
Outside of the boardroom, a decent portion of the stories youโll hear about Kerry Packer relate to his first love: gambling. Because when you wield the level of influence he did back in the day, along with a bank balance that virtually unlocks the worldโs doors, ultra-premium thrills are required.
โBetting is like a disease, which is not understood by those who do not have it,โ said Packer.
Exploits of this particular brand included:
- Playing ยฃ15 million across four different roulette tables only to see it all go down the drain.
- Racking up $25 million across seven blackjack tables in the span of 40 minutes.
- Grabbing a crystal ashtray and smashing open a locked baccarat table when the pit boss couldnโt find the key.
- Retaining a private room at The Ritz in London just for card games; having once ended a single session in said room ยฃ19 million poorer.
But win or lose, he was always a generous tipper.
Packer was once in such good spirits about winning $20 million that evening, he dropped $1 million on the MGM staff. On two other occasions, he paid the six-figure mortgages of two separate cocktail waitresses โ the first simply because he took a liking to her, and the second because heโd accidentally bumped into her, causing a tray of drinks to spill.
The tale that perfectly encapsulates Packerโs spirit, however, was when he pushed $800,000 worth of chips towards a โdeserving croupier.โ She apparently blushed and explained it couldnโt be pocketed as tips were pooled amongst staff. So Packer called the manager, requested her firing on the threat of taking his business to rival establishments, before handing her the chips and commanding:
โNow rehire this woman immediately.โ
Kerry Packerโs generous tipping wasnโt limited to the casinos, either. After surviving a heart attack that left him clinically dead for seven minutes, he gave his ambulance drivers and every EMS worker who attended to him $1 million each; in addition to donating a kingโs ransom to the Ambulance Service of NSW.
โIโll flip you for it.โ
One of the more well-known Kerry Packer stories involves a loudmouth Texan and what might be the greatest way to tell someone he should pipe down.
As confirmed by Mirage Resorts boss Bobby Baldwin, Packer was playing at a table when the Texan in question asked to join. The former clearly wanted to be left alone; the latter didnโt accept rejection in the most gracious manner.
โIโm a big player too. Iโm worth $100 million,โ said the Texan.
At which point Packer produced a coin from his pocket and said, โIโll flip you for it.โ
Needless to say, old mate tucked his tail between his legs and quietly returned to his table for the rest of the evening.
The ยฃ100,000 ham sandwich
Around the mid-90s, late one evening in some English village, Kerry Packer was riding the high of his polo teamโs victory. With every intention of treating the fellas to a coupla schoobangers and a hearty feed, they rocked up at a pub. Given the hour, the kitchen was closed and they were turned away in less-than-polite fashion.
At the next hotel over, Packer & Co. received the exact same news. Only this time, the owner was a touch more accommodating.
โThereโs some ham out the back and I can make you up some sandwiches,โ he said.
Naturally, after a spirited match and the nocturnal trek in search of some grub, Packer and his mates dug in with plenty of enthusiasm. The publican later returned with a bill for ยฃ128. Thankful an effort was made, Packer wrote him a cheque for their meals and drinks โ long with an additional ยฃ100,000 as a tip and a hilarious condition.
โBefore you bank it, take it to the other pub at the end of the village, and show it to the bloke who wouldnโt give us any grub.โ
Creature of habit
A red-hot punt wasnโt Kerry Packerโs sole vice. The man also enjoyed a dart every now and then. And by every now and then, I mean he chain-smoked.
A close friend who wished to remain anonymous revealed he once paid Las Vegas magician-hypnotist Marshall Sylver some decent money to rid him of this nasty habit.
โHe paid $100,000 in advance and Sylver went to The Mirage to hypnotise him. It worked. He stoppedโฆ for about 45 minutes,โ recounted the anonymous friend.
Ah well. Canโt win โem all.
Changing the game
As a competition, World Series Cricket may have only existed for two years, but its impact on the nature of modern cricket was โ and continues to be โ lasting.
In fact, it wouldnโt be an overstatement to claim Kerry Packer drastically altered the landscape of both cricket and Aussie sports marketing as we know it today. Plus, who can resist that siren call of โCโmon Aussie Cโmonโ?
Essentially, the sport was taken to a whole new level with Packerโs (partial) invention of one-day international cricket. Players were forced to adapt to the times and improve their athleticism due to the formatโs fast-paced schedule. Players were also given the opportunity to become full-time professionals as money began flowing like never before.
And on the televised front, suddenly, eyeballs around the world were glued to screens.
This entry could honestly be its own independent article/several articles. If youโre interested in finding out more, we suggest watching Howzat! Kerry Packerโs War on Stan and Amazon Prime Video, and then work your way through the compendium of written content online.
Beer for all
Sydney Morning Herald reader Kent Mayo recounted how heโd spotted the Packers in an SCG corporate box during a cricket match between Australia and England. It didnโt take much for the Poms in attendance to get mouthy.
โโCome on, Kerry,โ the Poms shouted up to him,โ said Mayo.
โโYou own this game, and we came a long wayโฆ shout us a beer, eh?โ โ
The big fella stood up with a massive grin on his face, walked up the steps and vanished to the โhowls of Pommy disappointment.โ Moments later, a barman emerged carrying a massive wicker basket with a blue ribbon in hand, which was lowered over the railing.
It was packed with tinnies on ice. The English spectators erupted in delight.
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Everyone performs better with a gun to their head
With something of a reputation as a workplace bully when things went south, you can imagine Kerry Packerโs management style would be abrasive, to say the least.
David Evans, General Manager of GTV9 Melbourne from the early 1970s through to the 80s, revealed discussions could get downright, s**t-your-pants terrifying.
โThere are so many storiesโฆ some are funny, and some of them are not so funny,โ said Evans.
โOnce I recall Gordon French, TCN head of programming and a fairly nervous sort of guy, being summoned. This day, something had pissed Kerry off about the ratings, and he reached into his right-hand drawer and pulled out what Iโm sure was a .44 Magnum. But at any rate, was a very large gun.โ
โHe pointed it at Gordon and said something like, โIf we donโt see an improvement, son, this is how youโll end upโ โ and clicked the trigger. Of course, the gun was empty, but poor Gordon went as white as a sheet.โ
Know your worth
Negotiating your contract with Kerry Packer could be just as confrontational as cocking up on the job.
George Negus remembered meeting with Packer and Nine executive Sam Chisholm at a Sydney pub to discuss his salary. Packer picked up a beer coaster and told Negus to write how much he wanted on one side. Packer made his offer on the other.
โHe looked at my figure and said, โThis blokeโs an idiotโฆ heโs asking for less than I was gonna give,'โ said Negus.
โHe asked which I wanted, mine or his. But I remembered I was dealing with a gambler, so I said, โYours.โ He tore up the coaster, and said, โYouโve got it.'โ
โOn the way back to the network, Chisholm told me he had, in fact, offered a hell of a lot more than I asked for.โ
Arbitrage Kerry
In 1987, Kerry Packer made a good amount of cash at the expense of disgraced businessman Alan Bond. The former sold Nine Network to the latter at what was then a record price of $1.05 billion; something old Kerry would regret at first, but remedy soon enough.
Three years later, as Bondโs operation was collapsing in on itself, Packer swooped in to repurchase his baby for just $250 million before using some of the profits to acquire a 25% stake in the Foxtel consortium.
โYou only get one Alan Bond in your lifetime, and Iโve had mine,โ Packer famously quipped.
James Packer broke down the true complexities of the deal after his fatherโs passing in 2006, as outlined in detail by Wikipedia:
โKerry Packer received $800 million in cash, with $250 million left in Bond Media as subordinated debt. As Bond went under, Packer converted the subordinated debt into a 37% stake in Bond Media. About $500 million of debt remained in Bond Media. Packer received $800 million in cash before receiving a free 37% equity stake that put a debt-included value of $500 million on the Nine Network, which by then included Channel Nine in Brisbane.โ
Whatโs the Australian government to a billionaire?
Ever the larrikin, when Kerry Packer was summoned for an inquiry into the print media industry conducted by the Australian government circa 1991, he used it as an opportunity to take his pendulous nutsack out and plop it right on the bench (figuratively speaking, obviously).
When asked to state his full name and the capacity in which he appeared, he bluntly replied, โKerry Francis Bullmore Packer. I have appeared here reluctantly.โ
A little later on, after facing some allegations he had been covertly controlling the content of Fairfax papers โ which he could not own due to cross-ownership laws despite his burning desire โ giving politicians in attendance the business at every conversational turn without taking a breath, he spoke the following iconic quote into existence when questioned about his companyโs taxes.
โOf course I am minimising my tax. And if anybody in this country doesnโt minimise their tax, they want their heads read. Because as a government, I can tell you youโre not spending it that well that we should be donating extra.โ
I did it my way
Never one to stand around idly, when Kerry Packerโs health began failing to a point of no return, he requested that doctors simply let him go. A week prior to shuffling off his mortal coil, he actually told his cardiologist he was โrunning out of petrolโ and wanted to โdie with dignity.โ
The heart attack he suffered 15 years prior, which left him clinically dead for seven minutes, had already shown him the void of existence. Speaking to 37th Premier of NSW, Nick Grenier, he is reported to have said: โSon, Iโve been to the other side, and let me tell youโฆ thereโs nothing there.โ Yet Packer didnโt flinch at the abyss. Quite the contrary. Life from that point forward was an act of defiance.
โThereโs no one waiting there for you, thereโs no one to judge you, so you can do what you bloody well like.โ
On December 26th, 2005, he made his exit. And you can guarantee, if it were up to him, there wouldnโt have been any fanfare, pageantry, and certainly no state funeral. Just a bloke finally giving it a rest.
