Citizen Kane is loosely patterned after the real life of William Randolph Hearst who was a newspaper and media tycoon in the early 1900s. At one time he owned more newspaper companies than anyone in the world. Hearst built his Hearst Castle called "San Simeon" along the central coast of California. He spent over 20 years building it. This is a movie about a very successful, very wealthy person who sought acceptance and love, both of which eluded him.