Howard Hughes

Howard Hughes (1905-1976), American manufacturer, pilot, and film producer, born in Houston, Texas, and educated at Rice Institute and the California Institute of Technology. At the age of 19 he inherited the Hughes Tool Company, manufacturers of a bit used in drilling oil wells. He moved to Hollywood in 1926: his films introduced Jean Harlow and Jane Russell to the world.

Hughes, who began flying when he was 14 years old, set several world records as a pilot in the 1930s, and founded the Hughes Aircraft Company. In 1938 he set a record by flying around the world in 91 hr 14 min.

A multimillionaire, Hughes controlled among his extensive holdings the RKO Radio film studios, Trans World Airline (TWA), and large property interests in Nevada as well as hotels and gambling casinos in the state. After the early 1950s, when Hughes began to shun public appearances, he became the subject of many rumours and legends. He disposed of his TWA holdings in 1966. After 1972, Hughes, a defendant in numerous complicated legal actions, lived as a recluse outside the United States, insisting on absolute privacy and adopting peculiar dietary regimes.