A BRASH South African who made his fortune selling sex and gambling to whites under apartheid, Sol Kerzner is an improbable new partner in the scheme to transform the Dome.

The youngest son of poor Russian Jewish immigrants in Johannesburg, he took boxing lessons as a child and has been fighting to the top ever since.

He grew up in poverty in a rough district where, as one of only two Jewish boys in his class, his fighting skills were a necessity. Mr Kerzner became an accountant but at 29 had raised the money to build South Africa's first five-star hotel.

Within five years Mr Kerzner had started the Southern Sun Hotel chain which transformed South Africa's leisure sector.

In 1979, he built Sun City after striking a deal for exclusive gambling rights. It became the haunt of wealthy white South Africans and was the scene of world heavyweight title fights and Miss World contests.

Mr Kerzner was then reputed to be worth about Pounds 600 million.

His private life has been just as colourful. He has five children from his first two marriages, two of whom were left motherless when his second wife committed suicide in 1978. His third marriage to South Africa's first Miss World, Anneline Kriel, ended in acrimony.

In 1989 Mr Kerzner had a heart attack. His doctor told him not to come back until he had given up his 60 cigarettes a day and cut the alcohol.

Mr Kerzner later became engaged to model Christina Estrada. She waited seven years in vain for him to marry her before being dumped for best friend, Heather Murphy, who became his fourth wife.

Two years ago Mr Kerzner turned his attention to Britain with a Pounds 9.6million move for London Clubs International and plans for three casinos.

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