Overview of Howard Hughes in Las Vegas
This episode of Stuff You Should Know explores Howard Hughes’s strange, reclusive years in Las Vegas and how his presence helped transform the city from a mob-dominated gambling outpost into a more legitimate business and tourist destination. The hosts also trace Hughes’s decline from aviation and Hollywood superstar to profoundly isolated, mentally and physically unwell billionaire living in near-total confinement.
Howard Hughes’s Rise Before Vegas
Howard Hughes was born in Houston in 1905 into a wealthy oil family and inherited a large fortune as a young man. He used that money to build a huge business empire across several industries:
- Founded Hughes Aircraft
- Acquired major stakes in TWA and RKO Studios
- Became a famous movie producer and aviation pioneer
- Dated high-profile stars like Katharine Hepburn and Ava Gardner
He was charismatic, handsome, and widely admired, but his life changed drastically after a serious plane crash left him badly burned and in chronic pain. That injury helped trigger a long-term opioid addiction and a major decline in both his physical and mental health.
Hughes’s Decline and Reclusive Life
By the 1950s and early 1960s, Hughes was increasingly isolated, deeply unwell, and dependent on morphine. The episode emphasizes that his reclusiveness was not just eccentricity—it was tied to severe mental illness, likely including OCD, along with paranoia and germophobia.
Key signs of his condition included:
- Extreme fear of germs and contamination
- Refusal to let others handle objects without tissues
- Detailed instructions for simple tasks, like opening a can of peaches
- Saving his urine in bottles and avoiding shared bathrooms
- Living in near-total darkness with blacked-out windows
- Neglecting personal hygiene while obsessing over sterilization
By 1961, he had effectively disappeared from public view.
Howard Hughes in Las Vegas
Hughes first went to Las Vegas in 1966 for what was supposed to be a short stay, largely because Nevada was seen as a useful tax shelter. He arrived by private train and took over the top floor of the Desert Inn. He never left for years.
What followed became one of the most bizarre stretches of his life:
Life in the Desert Inn
- He occupied the entire ninth floor
- Rarely, if ever, allowed housekeeping inside
- Lived on candy bars, canned fruit, milk, and sweets
- Became malnourished and anemic
- Surrounded himself with tissues, strict routines, and a small inner circle of staff
A famous example was his obsession with Baskin-Robbins banana ripple ice cream, which he ordered in massive quantities, only to later switch tastes and leave the hotel stuck with huge leftovers.
His Inner Circle
Hughes relied on a close network of assistants and handlers, including:
- Robert Maheu, his chief of security and point man
- A group of aides nicknamed the “Mormon Mafia” because several were Mormon and seen as more trustworthy by Hughes
These men served as intermediaries, carried his messages, and managed much of his daily life.
Hughes’s Impact on Las Vegas
The episode argues that Hughes’s biggest impact on Las Vegas was not as a gambler, but as a wealthy outsider whose presence helped make the city respectable.
Why his arrival mattered
At the time, Las Vegas was still widely seen as a mob city. Hughes’s name gave the city a new image:
- He was famous, wealthy, and nationally respected
- His investment made Las Vegas seem safer for corporations and mainstream business
- He helped legitimize casino ownership by large companies
- He inspired or accelerated the shift away from mob control
Casino and hotel acquisitions
Hughes bought a number of major properties, including:
- The Desert Inn
- The Sands
- The Castaways
- The Silver Slipper
- The Landmark
- The Frontier
He also pushed a vision of Vegas as a cleaner, more orderly, more “modern” city.
Hughes’s Vision for Nevada
Hughes wanted Las Vegas and Nevada to become an “environmental city of the future,” but many of his ideas were never accepted. Some were practical, some bizarre, and some deeply troubling.
Examples of what he pushed for:
- Reducing or eliminating certain taxes
- Opposing dog racing
- Blocking rock festivals
- Having street realignments reviewed by him
- Fighting water systems he believed were unsafe
The episode also makes clear that Hughes was racist, including efforts tied to maintaining segregation and trying to block Black athletes and performers. One major example was his attempt to stop Arthur Ashe from competing in a tennis tournament at one of his hotels.
Conflict, Mob Influence, and the End of His Vegas Years
Although Hughes helped weaken the mob’s influence in Las Vegas, he did not eliminate it. The casinos he bought were still vulnerable to skimming and corruption, and millions of dollars were allegedly siphoned off from him.
Other major developments included:
- He briefly tried to fight the construction of rival luxury hotels
- He responded to competition with giant grand openings of his own
- The federal government later stepped in to prevent him from gaining a monopoly on Vegas gambling
Eventually, Hughes left Las Vegas in 1970 in a severely weakened state, reportedly on a stretcher. He then repeated the same pattern elsewhere, retreating into another isolated life in the Bahamas.
Death and Legacy
Howard Hughes died in 1976 at age 70 on a plane flight from Mexico to Houston. He was severely emaciated and physically ruined by neglect, addiction, and illness.
Lasting legacy
- He helped transform Las Vegas from a mob city into a more respectable business destination
- His money and reputation helped open the door for corporate casino ownership
- His life became a symbol of extreme wealth, control, mental illness, and isolation
- He left behind a massive fortune and a legal mess over his estate
Key Takeaways
- Howard Hughes was once a brilliant, glamorous industrialist, but his life deteriorated into extreme isolation and illness.
- His Vegas years were defined by paranoia, obsessive routines, and dependence on a tiny circle of aides.
- Despite his instability, he had a huge influence on Las Vegas’s transformation into a mainstream destination.
- The episode presents Hughes as both historically important and deeply flawed: sympathetic because of his suffering, but also racist, controlling, and often cruel.