Sol Kerzner, Chairman and CEO of Kerzner International

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Hotels, high-life and haute cuisine. Former college boxing champion Sol Kerzner has fought his way from humble beginnings to become a heavy weight in the international hotel business.

The South African entrepreneur's mantra is blow away the customer. Aged 72, on his latest billion dollar project, he continues to build on his success.

CNN's Todd Benjamin caught up with him in London and began by asking him what it takes to go the distance.

Kerzner: I think it's dedication; I think it is being creative, but, most importantly of all, I think it is getting the commitment of the people -- the folks that are running the resorts, the hotels and what have you, committed to blow away the customer. When the customer arrives, when the guest arrives, give him an experience that is ahead of what he anticipates. What I am hoping is that when folks come away from the "one and only" resorts, or Atlantis, or what have you, having expected something and coming away thinking: "Wow, so much better than what we expected to have."

Benjamin: You can be very tough. If you see something and that is not right, you don't suffer fools lightly do you?

Kerzner: I think if you want to have great standards, if you want to have a great product, our product is not just the physical, it is not just creating a plan, building a beautiful resort and having wonderful beaches and what have you, I think it is all about the people as well. And I think it is therefore important to look for perfection. Perfection in our business is almost impossible, but you have to keep trying.

Benjamin: Now, as a child, you came from a very humble background. You were small, you were taunted at school. What did that teach you?

Kerzner: It was a fairly tough environment, neighbourhood. But I think it then created a determination to toughen up and a determination to do better, and the last couple of years at school I surprised myself, because all of a sudden I was doing very well and when I finished school I was able to go to university, and a few years before I finished school I wouldn't have believed it possible.

Benjamin: What do you look for in your key lieutenants? What's most important for you?

Kerzner: I think passion; you've got to love the business. Obviously, it is good to work with smart people, who understand the business very well. But I would say, of everything I can think of, it is dedication -- it is being passionate about what they are doing and understanding what they do.

Benjamin: You have had a lot of highs in your life, you have had a lot of fun, but probably the darkest moment in your life, of course, was the death of Butch, your son, your heir apparent, who died in a helicopter crash. I think when you are a parent and you have a child who dies, you never get over that, but how do you move beyond it?

Kerzner: As you say losing one of your children is devastating. It is difficult even to begin to describe how one feels, but in our relationship we were, business-wise, talking a couple of times a day. What I can tell you it's really tough, but life has got to move on. And in many ways I am pleased that I am moving forward, moving on, with a lot of his vision. E-mail to a friend