Akio Kashiwagi
Akio Kashiwagi (柏木昭男 Kashiwagi Akio) a.k.a. "The Warrior"[1](c.1938 - January 3, 1992) was a wealthy Tokyo-based real estate investor who was famous for the large amounts of money he wagered at Las Vegas and Atlantic City casinos.[2]
Kashiwagi owned a home and office in Tokyo, out of which he ran his business, Kashiwagi Shoji Co.[1] He stated he was the sole principal of this real estate and investment business.[1] He claimed an income of a hundred million dollars a year and a billion dollars in assets, but his finances were so secretive that a credit review for casino officials declared his profession only as "Business".[1]
Kashiwagi regularly played baccarat for large sums, betting 100,000[2] or 200,000[1] dollars a hand on the game, for hours at a time.[1][2] He got into a legal wrangle with Donald Trump's Atlantic City casino in 1990 over a deal in which Kashiwagi was to bet $12 million. Kashiwagi left the casino with two million dollars in chips, having lost ten million. He claimed the casino had failed to hold up its end of the deal.[2]
On January 3, 1992 Akio was killed, stabbed as many as 150 times[2] with a samurai sword.[3] His body was discovered in his home near Mount Fuji.[2] Also, at the time of his death, Akio still had casino debts of several million dollars.[2]
In the film Casino, the character of K.K. Ichikawa (Nobu Matsuhisa), the Japanese high roller, is based on real-life Akio Kashiwagi.[4]
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