For most mere mortals, gambling is a fun activity that they occasionally engage in in the hopes of achieving a life-changing payday. For many others though, gambling is much more than a pleasant distraction – it is almost a way of life, some even being classified as professional gamblers. These gamblers are usually known for their bravery in taking risks and using their skills to turn their bets into millions.
Take a look at 5 of the wealthiest gamblers in the world:
Andrew Black – Worth $670 Million
British entrepreneur and racehorse owner Andrew Black is one of the world’s richest gamblers today, with a net worth of $670 million. Together with gambling entrepreneur, Edward Wray, he founded Betfair, the world's first and largest bet exchange in the early 2000s. Black found his passion for gambling while working in London. He is also a professional bridge player and a noted “angel” investor in technology businesses in the UK and further afield.
Edward Thorp - $800 Million
One doesn’t normally associate mathematics professors with gambling, but that’s exactly the case with American Edward Thorp. In fact, Throp is known as one of the most successful gamblers in the world.
Thorp is known for inventing card counting and is the author of one of the most popular gambling books, Beat the Dealer. Using this knowledge, Thorp has become exceedingly wealthy and has secured his place in the Blackjack Hall of Fame.
Bill Benter - $1.55 Billion
Bill Benter used his experience as a professional gambler to develop one of the most successful software programs in the horse race betting industry, earning almost $1 billion. Benter learnt how to count cards and was only 22 years old when he left university, moved to Las Vegas, and started playing blackjack. Thanks to his interest and skill in gambling mathematics, Benter has been able to beat the odds at winning blackjack hands and has emerged as one of the richest gamblers in the world today.
Tony Bloom - $1.7 Billion
Another gambler who built their career on math is Tony Bloom, who is an English entrepreneur, sports bettor, and poker player. Bloom, who graduated with a mathematics degree from the University of Manchester, has been nicknamed “The Lizard” when playing poker owing to his ability to remain calm despite high stakes.
Bloom views playing poker as a fun activity and a way of escaping his busy entrepreneurial life. He won his first poker tournament in January 2004, when he won the Australian Poker Championships in Melbourne. He also won the No Limit Hold’em VC Poker Cup in London in 2005 and is one of the biggest horse racing bettors in the world.
Kerry Packer - $6.5 Billion
The late Kerry Packer was an Australian media mogul who had a strong passion for gambling. Besides owning one of the largest media companies in the world, Packer was also renowned for his outstanding gambling abilities and was known for making blackjack dealers very nervous when he approached the tables.
Packer was renowned for big wins on his annual vacations in both the UK and in Las Vegas. On average, he won in the region of $4.6 million every year when vacationing.
Despite his reputation as an ace gambler, packer experienced one of the largest gambling losses ever recorded in 1999, losing a whopping $22.06 million in 1999. Packer passed away a few days after his 68th birthday in December 2005.
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