The Anti-Trump

Merv Griffin had a business career Donald Trump could only dream about.

While the Apprentice had a good season or two before slipping into the abyss, “The Merv Griffin Show” had a twenty year run and turned Merv into a favorite of bored housewives everywhere. He was the original Oprah.

But his biggest hits came from producing “Jeopardy” and the “Wheel of Fortune”. He sold the rights in 1986 for $250 million, while retaining a share of the profits. Big money, back then.

He had fun breeding racehorses as well, but really scored a coup in the late 1980’s by buying the Beverly Hilton from Barron Hilton. A $125 million investment in the property led to a battle with Trump for control of Resorts International.  Griffin outfoxed The Donald, despite Trump’s 80% share of voting rights, and Griffin went on to net a reported $100 million profit from the transaction. The investing activities provided an outlet for him, as he so eloquently put it, “I love the gamesmanship, “ he told Life magazine in 1988. “This may sound strange, but it parallels the game shows I’ve been involved in.”

Merv was working on a new show even as he entered the hospital a month ago. The son of a stockbroker, Griffin is survived by his son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.

Well done, Merv, well done.

Merv Griffin Dies At age 82
AP

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