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Kerry Packer photo by Unknown-

Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Kerry Packer

Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer was an Australian Media tycoon and he was considered one of Australia鈥檚 most powerful media proprietors of the twentieth century.

However, the Packer family company owned a controlling interest in both the Nine Network and the publishing company Australia Consolidated Press which later merged to form Publishing and Broadcasting Limited.

Moreover, outside Australia Kerry Packer was best known for founding World Series Cricket.

Furthermore, at the time of his death, he was the richest and one of the most influential men in Australia. Here are the top 10 outstanding facts about Kerry Packer.

1. At the Age of Eight Kerry Packer was struck by Poliomyelitis

Kerry Packer photo by Unknown-

Packer’s primary schooling suffered greatly when he was struck with a severe bout of poliomyelitis at the age of eight however he was confined to an Iron lung for nine months.

Moreover, his father apparently thought little of his son鈥檚 abilities and once cruelly described him as 鈥�the family idiot鈥�.

Interestingly Kerry subsequently steered PBL to heights far beyond anything his father or brother achieved.

The nickname his father gave him strive to new heights in schooling trying to achieve 鈥�础鈥� grades.

2. Kerry Packer was a keen Polo player

Kerry Packer photo by Unknown-

Packer was a keen polo player. In 1992 he and Gonzalo Pieres Sr founded Ellerstina a polo team that has claimed multiple titles at the Argentina Open and other high-handicap tournaments.

Interestingly Packer bought the Fying Hill estate in west Sussex and expanded it to over 400 acres where he built the headquarters for the Ellerston polo team.

However, Packer sold the estate to the Russian Businessman Roman Abramovich in 1999 for 12 million Euros.

3. Kerry Packer was a heavy smoker and Gambler

Parker was a longtime heavy smoker and an avid gambler. Interestingly in 1999, a three-day losing streak at London casinos cost him almost 28 million dollars the biggest reported gambling loss in British history.

Furthermore, the Ritz Hotel in London even had its own room for Kerry Packer.

There he was able to play blackjack with a minimum bet of 10,000 Euros per hand and he once lost more than 19 million Euros in this room.

4. He suffered from Heart Attacks and also Chronic Kidney Condition

Packer suffered as many as four heart attacks and in 1990 while playing polo at Warwick Farm Sydney he suffered from a heart attack that left him clinically dead for seven minutes.

However, Packer was revived by paramedics and then airlifted to St Vincent鈥檚 Private Hospital Sydney and received bypass surgery from Dr. Victor Chang a pioneering cardiac surgeon.

Moreover, Packer also suffered from a chronic Kidney condition for many years and in 2000 he made headlines when his long-serving helicopter pilot Nick Ross donated one of his own kidneys to Packer for transplantation.

The story of the transplant was covered in detail by the Australian TV documentary program Australian Story.    

5. He founded the World Rugby Corporation

Packer founded the World Rugby Corporation a company formed by lawyer Geoff Levy and former Wallaby player Ross Turnbull.

However, both wanted a professional worldwide rugby union competition in 1995, and a majority of the All Blacks and Wallaby teams signed up to the World Rugby Corporation.

Moreover, the South Africa Rugby Union told the springboks players that they would never play for their country again if they committed to the World Rugby Corporation and they remained with the South Africa Rugby Union.

In addition, most of the All Blacks then followed them, and finally, the Wallabies did too so the World Rugby Corporation project was abandoned.  

6. Kerry Packer was best known for founding World Series Cricket

Outside Australia Packer was best known for founding World Series Cricket.

However, the World Series Cricket was a commercial professional cricket competition staged between the years 1977 and 1979 which was organized by Kerry Packer and his Australian television network Nine Network.

Furthermore, the World Series Cricket ran in commercial competition to establish international cricket and it drastically changed the nature of cricket and its influence continues to be felt today.           

7. His family has long been involved in the media

Packer’s grandfather Robert Clyde Packer owned two Sydney newspapers while his father Sir Frank Packer was one of Australia鈥檚 first media moguls and Kerry鈥檚 son James was executive chairman of Publishing and Broadcasting Limited before resigning in 2008.

However, Sir Frank wanted Kerry to experience work in the newspaper industry from the ground up so Kerry started in the loading dock of the Sydney newspaper The Telegraph loading papers.

Interestingly he was not originally destined for the role but in the early 1970s, Kerry took the place of the designated successor his older brother Clyde after Clyde fell out with their father and he quit PBL and moved to America.

Kerry took over the running of PBL in the year 1974 after the death of his father.

8. Kerry Packer made a fortune through Alan Bond

In the year 1987 Packer made a fortune at the expense of disgracing tycoon Alan Bond.

However, he reportedly sold Alan the Nine Network at the record price of A1.05 billion dollars in 1987 and then brought it back three years later for A250 million dollars when Alan鈥檚 empire was collapsing.

Interestingly Packer later quipped 鈥�You only get one Alan Bond in your lifetime and I鈥檝e had mine.鈥�

In addition, Packer was then able to reinvest the proceeds in a 25% share in the Foxtel pay TV consortium.

9. He donated a large sum to the Ambulance Service of New South Wales

Packer donated a large sum to the Ambulance Service of New South Walesa to pay for equipping all NSW ambulances with a portable defibrillator colloquially known as 鈥�Packer Whackers鈥�.

However, he told Nick Greiner 鈥�I鈥檒l go you 50/50鈥� The NSW State government paid the other half of the cost. Interestingly he is reported to have said 鈥�Son I have been to the other side and let me tell you there.鈥�

10. Kerry Packer died out of Kidney Failure

He died of Kidney failure on 26^th December 2005 nine days after his 68^th birthday at his home in Sydney Australia with his family by his bedside.

However, knowing that his health was failing he instructed his doctors not to treat him with curative intent or artificially prolong his life with dialysis.

Moreover, he told his cardiologist earlier in the week that he was 鈥�running out of fuel鈥� and wanted to 鈥�die with dignity鈥�.

His private funeral service was held on 30^th December 2005 at the family country retreat Ellerston near Scone in the Hunter Region.

Interestingly having obtained council permission he was buried on the Ellerston property near the polo field.

Furthermore, it was reported in November 2011 both in Australia and the UK that the grave was to be marked by a bronze statue of a horse鈥檚 head by sculptor Nic Fiddian-Green.