Biographical profile of Conrad Hilton, one of the greatest hoteliers of all time. He acquired his first hotel more by accident than by design, the Mobley in Cisco, Texas. Seeking to increase his profits by maximizing space, sometimes taking drastic action to do so, he developed a system he called "mining for gold," a system he employed in all his subsequent hotel acquisitions. He built Hilton Hotels into a giant hospitality company which now boasts 485,000 rooms and 2,800 hotels. Hilton was a visionary and daring risk taker who knew how to turn hotels into cash generating assets. he also lived the Hollywood life, marrying Zsa Zsa Gabor and residing at his posh Bel-Air, California, estate, Casa Encatada. Award-winning author and syndicated columnist Daniel Alef, who has written more than 300 biographical profiles of America’s greatest tycoons, brings out the story of Hilton's remarkable life and the turbulence he encountered while climbing the road to the pinnacle of success. [3,395-word Titans of Fortune article with timeline, short bibliography and video links]