USD Magazine, Summer 2004

"Tom was really happy with the money we made, and he was having no problem finding things to do," says Poster. "We both knew we'd get into another venture in time, but I guess I was the one who pushed to make it happen sooner." The $215-million purchase was completed in January, and in the first quarter of this year Golden Nugget revenues are up more than 11 percent over the same period last year, while net income increased almost 50 percent. As for the rest, well, you can see it on television every Monday night. Suffice to say chat Breitling - who focuses on entertainment and technology while Poster oversees the casino - is not sorry he once again cast his lot with his old friend. "This is definitely the biggest bet of our lives," says Breitling, who's currently writing a book tided The Golden Boys about the duo's Travelscape experiences. "But whatever happens, it's been a true American Dream." The best part of the dream, Fertitta and Breitling say, is chat they did it together. Last year, they joined forces again to create Insomnia Entertainment, a film and televi– sion production company chat will focus on stories about Las Vegas. They recently wrapped up production on their first film, "Standing Still," a romantic comedy that features young stars James Van der Beek and Mena Suvari. So the big question is, where does all chis energy come from? For a couple of guys who both say they're as close as brothers, and who both own casinos chat have their own television shows, you might think it's a case of sibling rivalry. Bue Fertitta laughs out loud when asked if there's competition among the two. "Tom and I go back so far chat there is no rivalry," he says. "We like to help each other as much as we can." Breitling and Poster, who call their purchase of the Golden Nugget the biggest bet of their lives, learned to cope with the TV cameras at the same time they figured out how to turn their casino into an in-demand destination.

And therein, say Fertitta and Breitling, lies the real payoff, the biggest jackpot. When these guys talk about success, they don't talk about money, they talk about friends, family and having a great time. "Things have to feel right for us, and in some respects we chink a little differently about what feels right, " Breitling says. "My mom taught me to enjoy the simple things, and not to get caught up too much in the material side of life. When I look ahead, all I chink is, 'chis is going to be fun. "' +