Living Portrait - William Zeckendorf Tycoon

A merchant displays his samples. We can stand right here on this roof and walk around here. We can see almost $200 million of our investments from this roof. Here's the Chrysler Building and the Graybar Building.

I'd say those two worth $90 million. This one here is worth $15 million, $18 million, and 270 Park Avenue around the corner here. That's the whole block to the north of us here. That's worth another, I should think, $20 million.

As 1407 Broadway, that building has got a million feet in it. We built that. CBS Radio, a division of the Columbia Broadcasting System, and its 217 affiliated stations present the CBS Radio Workshop, dedicated to man's imagination, the theater of the mind.

My name is Martin Weldon. I'm a radio reporter. The man you heard earlier pointing out some of his properties is without question the most spectacular real estate operator of this time he's been praised as a financial wizard a man responsibility and vision who creates cities out of deserts is also been called a mere money juggler

who buys from peter to sell to paul pocketing a difference in price a man who's elaborate schemes to build and create and develop are nothing but pipe dreams a man who buys and sells but does not build But whatever he is, he is a tycoon, a businessman of undeniable wealth and power.

Tonight, the CBS radio workshop examines the personality, the living and working habits of a tycoon. Our tools are a notebook and a tape recorder, combining to create a living portrait of a man in action, the portrait of William Zechandorf.

Among those who have seen him in action is Billy Rose. He has all the instincts of a Mississippi Riverboat gambler. He'll take any kind of a wild chance if his knowledge tells him there's a good possibility of an enormous payoff.