Howard Hughes in Las Vegas

Howard Hughes in Las Vegas

From Stuff You Should Know by iHeartPodcasts

May 28, 2026 · 49 min

About this episode

The episode discusses Howard Hughes's life in Las Vegas during the late 1960s and early 1970s, focusing on his struggles and eventual control over the city.

From 1968 to 1972 Howard Hughes holed up in a suite in the Desert Inn casino in Las Vegas. Addicted to morphine and living on candy bars and milk, he was in bad shape. When he was told to leave, he bought the hotel and stayed. Soon he owned half of Vegas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Topics covered

  • Howard Hughes
  • Las Vegas history
  • Desert Inn casino
  • addiction
  • wealth
  • real estate

Keywords

  • Howard Hughes
  • Las Vegas
  • Desert Inn
  • morphine addiction
  • candy bars
  • hotel ownership
  • 1960s
  • 1970s

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Desert Inn

Places: Las Vegas

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