Categories: People

Alex Yemenidjian – Hollywood Phenomenon

Alex Yemenidjian was born in Argentina in 1955 into the family of an ordinary Armenian shoemaker. When he was 13 years old, his family moved to the United States in search of a better life and settled in Los Angeles. In 1977, Alex Yemenidjian graduated from college as an accountant. He would then teach the theory of taxation at the University of California for several years.

The beginning of Yemenidjian’s successful career of an economist was marked by a job offer from the Las Vegas casino “Flamingo” owned by billionaire Kirk Kerkorian. Kirk Kerkorian would highly appreciate the productivity and talent of Yemenidjian, eventually making him his “right hand”.

Alex Yemenidjian became the financial manager of a number of Kerkorian’s companies. From 1997 to 2001, Kerkorian made several deals buying and selling the ownership stake of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Every time, Yemenidjian sold the stake for bigger money than he had bought.

The repeated change of ownership led MGM to losing most of its film archive, as well as to losing the image of one of the most successful Hollywood producers. Kerkorian entrusted the restoration of MGM’s glory to Alex Yemenidjian, entrusting him with the management of the company.

MGM’s financial turnover was significantly less than that of its competitors, but under the leadership of Yemenidjian, the company significantly increased its budget in a short amount of time. The key to Yemenidjian’s success was the talent to choose the “correct” pictures for production.

In 2001, “Hannibal” was released. Having earned $332 million in the first 4 months of its release, it was the tenth highest-grossing film of the year. The low-budget “Heartbreakers” in the first month alone grossed over $40 million. “Original Sin” starring Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie earned $36 million. By the decision of Alex Yemenidjian were shot “The Godfather 3” and a James Bond film as well.

“Alex Yemenidjian is not just a financial genius, he is a magician. What he has done is a miracle,” Jack Valentine, former chairman of the American Film Institute, said in an interview. After such a success, Kirk Kerkorian entrusted Yemenidjian with the management of almost all his companies.

And only after the passing of Kerkorian, Alex Yemenidjian began developing his own business. Today, he is the owner of the Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. He continues the charitable activities of Kerkorian who had given him a start in life. Alex Yemenidjian renders great financial assistance to the Armenian diaspora of the US, Armenia, and Artsakh as well.

Vigen Avetisyan

View Comments

  • We are a few but scadered all over the world let's not forget Mr 5 percent Kaloust Gulbenkian Armani creator of MRI MiG Alex Manougian single faucet creator ,Aznavour Cher Stephan Stepanian concrete mix transport vehicle Arline Francis Kazanjian there is a book published called yes we have there are many many more !!!

Recent Posts

From Lake Van to Yerevan: The Bronze Helmet of Urartu, the First Armenia

The crested bronze helmet on the left of this comparison was not made by a…

1 day ago

A Tower Crowned by a Lion-Rider: Reading a Bronze Age Cult Vessel Through the Lens of the Armenian Highlands

A small, weathered piece of fired clay — barely 31 centimeters tall — sits today…

5 days ago

A Hand Reaching Through Three Millennia: The Bronze Pendant from Yeghvard

Pendant (Amulet) in the Shape of a Human Hand | 7th–6th centuries BC | Yeghvard…

2 weeks ago

Duduk (Tsiranapogh): The Ancient Voice of Armenia from the Bronze Age to UNESCO Heritage

Introduction The duduk (Armenian: դուդուկ)—traditionally known as tsiranapogh (ծիրանափող, “apricot-wood pipe”)—is one of the most…

2 weeks ago

The Earliest Known Mention of Yerevan in Armenian Epigraphy: The 874 Inscription of Sevanavank

Perched on the rocky peninsula of Lake Sevan, the medieval monastery of Sevanavank preserves one…

4 weeks ago

The Land of Kajants: Language, Kings, and Gods

Reconsidering the Language and Sacred Heritage of Urartu in Armenian Historical Thought For more than…

1 month ago