Stephen A. Wynn
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Stephen Alan Wynn ( Weinberg; born January 27, 1942) is an American real estate developer and art collector. He was known for his involvement in the luxury
casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...
and
hotel industry A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a refr ...
, prior to being forced to step down in 2018. Early in his career he oversaw the construction and operation of several
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
and
Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...
hotels, including the Golden Nugget, the
Golden Nugget Atlantic City Golden Nugget Atlantic City is a hotel, casino, and marina located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Having been opened in 1985 as Trump's Castle, it was renamed Trump Marina in 1997. Landry's, Inc. purchased the casino from Trump Entertainment ...
,
The Mirage The Mirage is a defunct casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The 65-acre property included a casino and 3,044 rooms. Mirage Resorts, Golden Nugget, Inc., led by developer Steve Wynn, purchased the future lan ...
,
Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure a ...
, the Bellagio, and Beau Rivage in
Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
, and he played a pivotal role in the development of the
Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits ...
in the 1990s. In 2000, Wynn sold his company,
Mirage Resorts Mirage Resorts (formerly Golden Nugget Companies) was an American company that owned and operated hotel-casinos. It was acquired by MGM Grand, Inc. in 2000, forming MGM Mirage (now MGM Resorts International). History Golden Nugget Companies Inc. ...
, to MGM Grand Inc., resulting in the formation of MGM Mirage (now
MGM Resorts International MGM Resorts International is an American Multinational corporation, multinational hospitality, sports and entertainment company. It operates resorts in Las Vegas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Maryland, Ohio, New Jersey, Macau, Shanghai, ...
). Wynn later took his company
Wynn Resorts Wynn Resorts, Limited is an American publicly traded corporation based in Paradise, Nevada, that is a developer and operator of high-end hotels and casinos. It was founded in 2002 by former Mirage Resorts Chairman and CEO Steve Wynn and is now r ...
public in an
initial public offering An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investm ...
and was Wynn Resorts' CEO and Chairman of the Board until February 6, 2018, when he announced his resignation. He is a prominent donor to the Republican Party and was the finance chair of the
Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is the primary committee of the Republican Party of the United States. Its members are chosen by the state delegations at the national convention every four years. It is responsible for developing and pr ...
from January 2017 to January 2018, when he resigned amid
sexual misconduct Sexual misconduct is misconduct of a sexual nature which exists on a spectrum that may include a broad range of sexual behaviors considered unwelcome. This includes conduct considered inappropriate on an individual or societal basis of morality, ...
allegations, which Wynn has denied. On February 6, 2018, Wynn stepped down as CEO of Wynn Resorts. Through Wynn Resorts, he has overseen the construction and development of several luxury resorts, opening
Wynn Las Vegas Wynn Las Vegas, often simply referred to as Wynn, is a luxury resort and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It is owned and operated by Wynn Resorts, and was built on the former site of the Desert Inn re ...
in 2005,
Wynn Macau Wynn Macau ( zh, c=永利澳門) is a luxury hotel and casino resort in the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China with two towers containing a total of 1,008 rooms and suites, approximately of casino space, over ...
in 2006,
Encore Las Vegas Encore Las Vegas (also called Encore at Wynn Las Vegas or simply Encore) is a luxury resort, casino and hotel located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The resort is connected to its sister resort, Wynn Las Vegas, located directly so ...
in 2008, Encore at Wynn Macau in 2010 and
Wynn Palace Wynn Palace (, Portuguese language, Portuguese: Palácio Wynn) is the second luxury integrated resort from international resort developer Wynn Resorts in the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, following the l ...
in Macau in 2016, and Wynn Everett near
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
which opened in June 2019 under the name
Encore Boston Harbor Encore Boston Harbor (previously referred to as Wynn Everett and Wynn Boston Harbor) is a luxury resort and casino located in Everett, Massachusetts (on the border with Boston). It is owned by Realty Income and operated by Wynn Resorts. The reso ...
. In 2006, Wynn was inducted into the
American Gaming Association The American Gaming Association (AGA) is a United States gambling industry association. It was founded in 1994 with the goal of promoting, educating and lobbying on behalf of the gambling industry. The AGA's offices are located in Washington, D.C ...
Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
. As of April 2025, Wynn's net worth was estimated by ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' at $3.7 billion. Steve Wynn collects
fine art In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function (such as ...
, including pieces by artists such as
Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...
and
Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, ; ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...
.


Early life and education

Steve Wynn was born Stephen Alan Weinberg on January 27, 1942, in
New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...
, to a
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
family. His father, Michael, owned a chain of
bingo Bingo or B-I-N-G-O may refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * Bingo, a game using a printed card of numbers ** Bingo (British version), a game using a printed card of 15 numbers on three lines; most commonly played in the UK and Ireland ** B ...
parlors in the eastern United States. His mother Zelma (née Kutner), was from Maine. Wynn’s father changed the family's last name in 1946 from "Weinberg" to "Wynn" when Steve was 4 years old "to avoid anti-Jewish discrimination". Wynn was raised in Utica,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, and graduated from
The Manlius School The Manlius Pebble Hill School (MPH) is a secular, coeducational, independent, pre-K through 12 school in DeWitt, New York. The school is the result of a merger in 1970 between The Manlius School, founded in 1869, and the Pebble Hill School, esta ...
, a private boys' school east of
Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...
, New York, in 1959. After high school, Wynn studied
English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from the English-speaking world. The English language has developed over more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a set of Anglo-Frisian languages, Anglo-Frisian d ...
at the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
, where he was a member of the
Sigma Alpha Mu Sigma Alpha Mu (), commonly known as Sammy, is a college fraternity founded at the City College of New York in 1909. Though initially founded as a Jewish organization, the fraternity dropped its religious affiliation and became open to men of a ...
fraternity. Wynn graduated in 1963 with a
Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
. Shortly before graduation, his father died during heart surgery, leaving $350,000 in gambling debts. Wynn, who had been accepted into
Yale Law School Yale Law School (YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United ...
, relinquished his admission and instead took over his family's bingo parlor in
Waysons Corner, Maryland Waysons Corner is an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States, east of Upper Marlboro. Waysons Corner is located at the junction of Maryland routes 4 and 408 (Southern Maryland Boulevard), where the former chang ...
.


Career


Frontier and the Golden Nugget (1967–1989)

In 1967, Wynn and his family moved to
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
where he purchased a small stake in the Frontier Hotel and Casino. That year he met
E. Parry Thomas Edward Parry Thomas (June 29, 1921 – August 26, 2016) was an American banker who helped finance the development of the casino industry of Las Vegas, Nevada. Along with his business partner, Jerome D. Mack, he is credited with building Las Vegas ...
, the president of the Bank of Las Vegas, which was the only bank at the time willing to extend loans to Las Vegas casinos, and Thomas helped finance several of Wynn's early land deals. In 1971, Wynn bought a controlling interest in the
Golden Nugget Las Vegas The Golden Nugget Las Vegas is a luxury hotel and casino located in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, on the Fremont Street Experience. The property is owned and operated by Landry's, Inc. It has 2,419 hotel rooms. History The Golden Nugget was o ...
, one of the oldest casinos in the city. His company stake increased so that, in 1973, he became the majority shareholder, and the youngest casino owner in Las Vegas. In 1977 he opened the Golden Nugget's first hotel tower, followed by several others.
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
was a periodic headliner at the Golden Nugget, and Wynn has since maintained a relationship with the Sinatra family, even naming a restaurant at
Encore An encore is an additional performance given by performers at the conclusion of a show or concert, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford Universi ...
"Sinatra". In 1980, Wynn began construction on the
Golden Nugget Atlantic City Golden Nugget Atlantic City is a hotel, casino, and marina located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Having been opened in 1985 as Trump's Castle, it was renamed Trump Marina in 1997. Landry's, Inc. purchased the casino from Trump Entertainment ...
in
Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...
. It was Atlantic City's first and only "locals casino" and the city's sixth casino after the city legalized gambling in 1976. Joel Bergman, who designed Wynn's other resorts, designed the Golden Nugget. Though at its opening it was the second smallest casino in the city, by 1983 it was the city's top earning casino. Wynn sold the Atlantic City Golden Nugget in 1987 for $440 million.


The Mirage and Treasure Island (1989–1997)

Wynn's first major casino on the
Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits ...
was
The Mirage The Mirage is a defunct casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The 65-acre property included a casino and 3,044 rooms. Mirage Resorts, Golden Nugget, Inc., led by developer Steve Wynn, purchased the future lan ...
, which opened on November 22, 1989. It was the first time Wynn was involved with the design and construction of a casino, and he financed the $630 million project largely with high-yield debt, high-yield bonds issued by Michael Milken. Its construction is also considered noteworthy in that The Mirage was the first casino to use security cameras full-time on all table games. The hotel became the main venue for the ''Siegfried & Roy'' show in 1990, and in 1993 the hotel hosted the Cirque du Soleil show ''Nouvelle Expérience''. During this period, University of Michigan students Bobby Kotick and Howard Marks sought Wynn's funding for Arktronics, their Startup company, start-up developing Graphical user interface, GUI-based integrated software. According to Kotick, he and Marks met Wynn at the Dallas “Cattle Baron’s Ball” in September 1983; Wynn invited them onto his private McDonnell Douglas DC-9 for the flight to
Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...
and, upon their arrival, wrote a US $300 000 check in the Golden Nugget’s basement office to capitalise their start‑up. Kotick added that Wynn initially took a “one‑third, one‑third, one‑third” equity split with the two students and told them “contracts schmantracts—you’re family now,” but he declined to invest further after their software venture stalled. Wynn accepted their request, claiming that Thomas had financed his early land deals on the condition that Wynn someday mentor another entrepreneur. Aside from Wynn's $300,000 investment in Arktronics to fund the development of Jane (software), Jane, he later provided funding for a hostile takeover of Activision that ultimately allowed Kotick to become its CEO until Microsoft's 2023 acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. Wynn's next project, Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, opened in the Mirage's old parking lot on October 27, 1993, at an overall cost of $450 million. The establishment was the home of the first permanent Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas. In 1995, Wynn's company proposed to build the List of Atlantic City casinos that never opened#Le Jardin, Le Jardin hotel-casino in the marina area if the state of New Jersey built a road that connected to the hotel-casino. The company had also agreed to allow Circus Circus Enterprises and Boyd Gaming to build casinos on the site but later reneged on the agreement. While the road, called the Atlantic City-Brigantine Connector, was eventually built, Le Jardin was cancelled after the company was acquired in 2000 by MGM Grand Inc., which later built the Borgata, in a joint venture with Boyd Gaming, on the site.


Bellagio and Beau Rivage debuts (1998–1999)

On October 15, 1998, Wynn opened the even more opulent Bellagio (resort), Bellagio, a $1.6 billion resort considered among the world's most spectacular hotels. The architect was Jon Jerde of The Jerde Partnerships, and construction was undertaken by Wynn's company Mirage Resorts, Mirage Resorts, Inc. When built, the Bellagio was the most expensive hotel in the world. In front of the hotel are the Fountains of Bellagio—shooting fountains choreographed to music that "dance" on the hotel's 8.5-acre man-made lake—which are now considered Las Vegas landmarks. The Bellagio is credited with starting a new spree of luxurious developments in Las Vegas. Among these developments include The Venetian (Las Vegas), The Venetian, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Mandalay Bay, and Paris Las Vegas. Wynn brought Mirage Resorts' style to Biloxi,
Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
, in 1999, where he oversaw development of the 1,835-room Beau Rivage. Themed to blend Mediterranean beauty with Southern hospitality, the resort was part of a building boom that established Biloxi as a regional tourism center along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. ''Beau Rivage'' was originally the name Wynn wanted to give the Bellagio, though he had decided on ''Bellagio'' after vacationing in Bellagio (Italian region), the Italian region of the same name. Beau Rivage opened as the largest hotel-casino to be built outside Nevada. The casino was initially located on a series of floating barges, as local law confined all casinos to mobile marine vessels at the time. The hotel, restaurants, and associated facilities were constructed on land.


Wynn Las Vegas and Macau (2000–2007)

Mirage Resorts was sold to MGM Grand Inc. for $6.6 billion ($21 per share) in June 2000 to form MGM Mirage. Five weeks before the deal was closed (April 27, 2000) Wynn purchased the Desert Inn for $270 million. He closed Desert Inn later that year. Wynn took Wynn Resorts, Wynn Resorts Limited public in 2002. Wynn became a billionaire in 2004, when his net worth doubled to $1.3 billion. On April 28, 2005, he opened his most expensive resort at the time, the
Wynn Las Vegas Wynn Las Vegas, often simply referred to as Wynn, is a luxury resort and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It is owned and operated by Wynn Resorts, and was built on the former site of the Desert Inn re ...
, on the site of the former Desert Inn. Built at a cost of $2.7 billion, it was the largest privately funded construction project in the nation as of 2005. Wynn successfully bid for one of three gaming concessions opened for tender in Macau.Wiseman, Paul. (January 22, 2007
Macau leads Las Vegas in gambling –
Usatoday.com.
This property, known as
Wynn Macau Wynn Macau ( zh, c=永利澳門) is a luxury hotel and casino resort in the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China with two towers containing a total of 1,008 rooms and suites, approximately of casino space, over ...
, opened on September 5, 2006.


Encore hotels and other projects (2008–2018)

In the summer of 2008, hiring began for
Encore Las Vegas Encore Las Vegas (also called Encore at Wynn Las Vegas or simply Encore) is a luxury resort, casino and hotel located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The resort is connected to its sister resort, Wynn Las Vegas, located directly so ...
, the newest in Wynn's collection of resorts. The tower of Encore is modeled after the Wynn Las Vegas tower, and they share the same "property" though they are separate hotels. After having started construction in 2006, the overall cost of the project equaled $2.3 billion. Encore opened on December 22, 2008. As of December 31, 2012, Wynn and Encore Las Vegas employed approximately 9,000 full-time employees. Wynn Macau, Encore at Wynn Macau, an expansion of Wynn Macau similar to the expansion of the Las Vegas property, opened on April 21, 2010. In 2016, Wynn opened the Wynn Palace in Cotai, Macao, PRC. It was previously approved by the Macau government in 2012. In September 2014, Wynn was awarded the license to build the
Encore Boston Harbor Encore Boston Harbor (previously referred to as Wynn Everett and Wynn Boston Harbor) is a luxury resort and casino located in Everett, Massachusetts (on the border with Boston). It is owned by Realty Income and operated by Wynn Resorts. The reso ...
casino (originally to be named Wynn Boston Harbor) in the eastern Massachusetts city of Everett, Massachusetts, Everett, near downtown
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
. In 2018, The Wall Street Journal, ''The'' ''Wall Street Journal'' reported that some people recounted a pattern of sexual misconduct by Wynn, including several former employees. On February 6, 2018, Wynn stepped down as CEO of Wynn Resorts, though he denied all allegations.


Political activities

In the past, Wynn has financially supported both Democratic and Republican Party efforts. In 2011 he spoke in support of Nevada Senator Harry Reid.Schwartz, Ian. (July 18, 2011
Wynn Slams Obama On Business
RealClearPolitics.
Wynn supported Barack Obama in the 2008 United States presidential election, 2008 election. In December 2010, Prince Albert II of Monaco bestowed Monaco, Monegasque citizenship to Wynn, an unusual act since Wynn did not meet the prerequisites. According to the ''Las Vegas Sun'', Wynn was given citizenship when he agreed to be an outside director in Monaco QD International Hotels and Resorts Management, which is a joint venture between the governments of Monaco and Qatar. The organization buys and manages hotels in Europe, the Middle East and North America. Between 2012 and 2018, Wynn contributed more than $2.5 million to the Republican Governors Association and also donated $411,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, $248,000 to the
Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is the primary committee of the Republican Party of the United States. Its members are chosen by the state delegations at the national convention every four years. It is responsible for developing and pr ...
, and $100,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee.Alex Isenstadt
RNC finance chair Steve Wynn resigns after sexual harassment allegations
''Politico'' (January 27, 2018).
In 2016, Wynn donated $833,000 to Republican Party joint fundraising committees.Saunders, Debra J.
Steve Wynn named RNC finance chairman
" ''Las Vegas Review-Journal'', January 30, 2017.
After Donald Trump won the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Wynn was named a vice-chairman of Trump's inauguration committee. After the January 2017 First inauguration of Donald Trump, inauguration of Donald Trump, Wynn was named finance chairman of the
Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is the primary committee of the Republican Party of the United States. Its members are chosen by the state delegations at the national convention every four years. It is responsible for developing and pr ...
. In October 2017 ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported that Wynn, who has financial interests in China, Lobbying, lobbied President Trump on behalf of the Chinese government to return a Chinese whistleblower, Guo Wengui, to China.China’s Pursuit of Fugitive Businessman Guo Wengui Kicks Off Manhattan Caper Worthy of Spy Thriller
''The Wall Street Journal'', October 22, 2017
On January 28, 2018, Wynn resigned from the finance chairman position amid sexual misconduct allegations. In May 2021, the United States Department of Justice, Department of Justice ordered Wynn to register as a Foreign Agents Registration Act, foreign agent of China, and filed a civil lawsuit. He denied acting as a foreign agent and lobbying on China's behalf. The case was dismissed in October 2022. Together with his spouse, Wynn contributed $1.5million to Donald Trump's Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign, 2020 presidential campaign.


Art collecting

Wynn is known for amassing a large collection of
fine art In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function (such as ...
, often placing the pieces in his various casinos and hotels. In 2004, Wynn purchased Johannes Vermeer, Vermeer's ''A Young Woman Seated at the Virginals'' at a Sotheby's auction for $30 million. With the purchase, he became the first art collector to purchase a Vermeer painting in over 80 years. Wynn later sold the painting to the Leiden Collection owned by Thomas Kaplan for the same price. In 2006, Wynn acquired J. M. W. Turner's ''Giudecca, La Donna Della Salute and San Giorgio'' for $35.8 million via an anonymous telephone auction. Although Wynn did not officially identify himself as the buyer, his identity was confirmed by two people acquainted with the transaction. Wynn purchased the painting from the St. Francis of Assisi Foundation, a White Plains, New York, White Plains-based nonprofit organization that supports Capuchin priests on their missionary trips. Steve Wynn's private art collection with specific commentary about his paintings by
Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, ; ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...
are highlighted in the 2008 film ''Monet's Palate'' with Meryl Streep and distributed by American Public Television. The collection was on display at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, Nevada, Reno while the Wynn Las Vegas was being constructed and was installed in the resort shortly before it was opened. The Wynn Las Vegas gallery, which had charged an entrance fee, closed shortly after the start of 2006. In 2009, he spent $33.2 million on Rembrandt's ''Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo, Man with His Arms Akimbo'', the auction record for the artist. Under the direction of Steve Wynn, Wynn Resorts acquired Jeff Koons's ''Tulips'' at auction in November 2012 for approximately $33.6 million. In May 2014, Wynn acquired ''Popeye,'' also by Koons, for over $28.165 million. In February 2020, Wynn bought two Picasso paintings from Donald B. Marron Sr., Donald Marron's collection for $105 million: ''Woman with Beret and Collar'' and ''Jacqueline''. ''Le Rêve (Picasso), Le Rêve'' is the Picasso portrait that was the working name of Wynn's resort project. Wynn purchased the painting from an anonymous collector in a private sale in 2001. In 2006, he reportedly planned to sell the work to Steven A. Cohen for $139 million, which would at that time have been the highest price paid for any piece of art. However, Wynn put his elbow through the canvas while showing it to a group of guests. This canceled the sale, and after a $90,000 repair, the painting was estimated to be worth $85 million. Wynn sued his insurance company over the $54 million difference with the virtual selling price. The case was settled out of court in April 2007. In 2013, Wynn sold ''Le Rêve'' to Steven A. Cohen for $155 million.


Personal life

Wynn married Elaine Wynn, Elaine Farrell Pascal in 1963. They divorced in 1986, remarried in 1991, and divorced again in 2010. Elaine Wynn was a director of the company's board for 13 years, ending in 2015. They have two daughters, Kevyn and Gillian.Los Angeles Confidential: "Generous Sister Act Gillian and Kevyn Wynn" by Evelyn Crowley
retrieved December 21, 2014
Kevyn was kidnapped in 1993 and Wynn paid $1.45 million in ransom for her return. The kidnappers were apprehended when one attempted to use a large sum of cash to buy a Ferrari in Newport Beach, California. Kevyn was found unharmed several hours later. On April 30, 2011, Wynn married Andrea Danenza Hissom in a ceremony at the Wynn Las Vegas. Actor Clint Eastwood served as the best man. Wynn suffers from the degenerative eye disease retinitis pigmentosa, which he was diagnosed with in 1971. In 2010, Wynn switched to a Plant-based diet, plant-based diet after watching the documentary ''Eating'' by Mike Anderson.


Honors and recognition

In May 2006, Time (magazine), ''Time'' magazine included Wynn as one of the ''Time 100, World's 100 Most Influential People''. Wynn was appointed to the Trustee, Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts by President of the United States, President George W. Bush on October 30, 2006. In November 2006, Wynn was inducted into the
American Gaming Association The American Gaming Association (AGA) is a United States gambling industry association. It was founded in 1994 with the goal of promoting, educating and lobbying on behalf of the gambling industry. The AGA's offices are located in Washington, D.C ...
Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
. ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' magazine named him to a list of "captains of capitalism" in 2007 alongside others included such as Oprah Winfrey and Jeff Bezos. Wynn was named to Institutional Investor (magazine), ''Institutional Investor's'' Best CEOs list in the All-America Executive Team Survey from 2008 through 2011. In March 2011, ''Barron's (newspaper), Barron's'' named Steve Wynn one of the 30 "World's Best CEOs." In November 2014, Wynn ranked 17th on ''Harvard Business Review's'' list of 100 best-performing CEOs in the world. He also received an honorary doctorate degree from the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
in 2006, which was rescinded following Wynn's sexual misconduct allegations in 2018.


Legal issues

In 1991, Dennis Gomes, president of Wynn's Golden Nugget, left his position to join Donald Trump's Trump Taj Mahal in
Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...
, receiving a $1 million bonus in lieu of equity (finance), equity. Wynn filed suit against Trump and Gomes for breach of contract, as Gomes was contracted to work at the Nugget until 1992. Gomes settled in 1994. In 1997, Wynn sued Barricade Books for defamation over the catalog description of an unauthorized biography ''Running Scared'' by John L. Smith. Wynn was initially awarded $3.2 million, resulting in Barricade declaring bankruptcy. In 2001 the ruling was thrown out by the Supreme Court of Nevada. A retrial was scheduled for 2004. The issue was settled between Wynn and New York publisher Lyle Stuart in a confidential agreement, and the case dismissed. In a legal battle over an attempt by Wynn-controlled Mirage to build a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Atlantic City, Donald Trump claimed in a lawsuit that Wynn used a private investigator as a double agent to secretly record conversations with Trump. The investigator, Louis Rodriguez, a former Los Angeles police officer and investigator for the IRS, claimed he had a change of heart because he felt that Trump used his efforts "in an immoral and unethical manner to cause financial harm" to Wynn and Mirage and thus turned "whistleblower." Wynn settled the lawsuit in 2000 and befriended Trump, who attended Wynn's wedding in 2011. Beginning in 2008, Wynn engaged in a dispute with ''Girls Gone Wild (franchise), Girls Gone Wild'' producer Joe Francis. In 2011, a Nevada district attorney prosecuted Francis for writing a bad check to cover a $2 million gambling debt owed to Wynn, but the judge dismissed the case for falling outside the six-month statute of limitations. Wynn collected the debt in a separate civil case. In response to the collection, Francis alleged that Wynn threatened to kill him, prompting Wynn to file suit for defamation against Francis. In February 2012, Clark County, Nevada, judge Mark Denton ruled that Francis damaged the reputation of Wynn with the false claim and awarded Wynn $7.5 million in damages. In September 2012, after Francis repeated the alleged threat on television, Wynn added a second defamation claim, and a jury awarded Wynn $40 million in compensatory as well as punitive damages. In January 2012, Wynn's former business partner Kazuo Okada filed suit to gain access to company documents related to Wynn's pledge to donate $135 million to the University of Macau Development Foundation. Wynn later accused Okada's company, Universal Entertainment, Aruze, of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, leading to a Department of Justice probe into Aruze's gifts of hotel rooms and other expenses to Philippine, South Korean, and Japanese gaming officials. In a March 2013 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, Wynn noted that while the Okada dispute could cut into Wynn's profits, beyond an "informal" SEC inquiry into the Macau donation, there was no formal investigation underway. In July 2013, the SEC announced that its investigation into the Macau donations was concluded and it would not pursue any enforcement action against Wynn or Wynn Resorts. In 2014, Wynn sued hedge fund manager James Chanos for slander after Chanos, at a Berkeley event, allegedly said Wynn violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Wynn's lawsuit was dismissed, with U.S. District Judge William Orrick III ruling that Chanos's remark was constitutionally protected speech. Wynn was also ordered to pay Chanos' legal fees.Linette Lopez
"Steve Wynn just lost his slander appeal against Jim Chanos"
''Business Insider'' (March 28, 2017).
Wynn's subsequent appeal was rejected by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In March 2024, Wynn filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to overturn New York Times v. Sullivan, ''New York Times v. Sullivan'', which on First Amendment to the United States Constitution, First Amendment freedom of speech grounds, limits the ability of a Official, public official to sue for defamation.


2018 Wynn Resorts departure

Wynn has dealt with several legal issues related to sexual misconduct allegations that were covered by ''The Wall Street Journal'' in 2018. One accusation came from a manicurist whom Wynn later paid a $7.5 million settlement. In February 2018, Nevada regulators fined Wynn's company $20 million for failing to respond to sexual misconduct claims. In April 2019, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission fined Wynn Resorts $35 million due to the gaming authority's findings that former company executives did not disclose sexual misconduct allegations against Steve Wynn. Angelica Limcaco, a former salon manager at Wynn Las Vegas, filed a federal lawsuit in 2018 against Wynn Resorts and Steve Wynn claiming that she was fired, blacklisted and intimidated into silence after she elevated her concerns in 2006 to then-president of Wynn Las Vegas, Andrew Pascal. The case was appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after Judge Miranda Du ruled in favor of Wynn Las Vegas, holding that the claim was not made within the statute of limitations. Angelica Limcaco's attorney, Jordan Matthews, argued that the time limits should not apply because Limcaco feared for her personal safety. Jordan Matthews (attorney), Jordan Matthews filed a petition with the Ninth Circuit in March 2020 questioning the Nevada District Court's selection of Elayna Youchah as a magistrate judge. Elayna Youchah was Wynn Las Vegas' lead counsel in the Limcaco case and Youchah was apparently selected just before Judge Du dismissed Limcaco's case. Matthews argued there was no disclosure about this apparent conflict of interest. In May 2020, Judges William A. Fletcher, Jay S. Bybee and Paul J. Watford, heard oral argument on the Limcaco case in San Francisco, California. Jordan Matthews (attorney), Jordan Matthews argued that the lower court's decision should be reversed. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission Report confirmed that Wynn Las Vegas and Steve Wynn took steps to remove a rape victim immediately after Limcaco reported the rape and Limcaco was then threatened by her superior, Doreen Whennen, to remain silent. In March 2018, lawyer Lisa Bloom announced that she would represent a former dancer in a sexual misconduct suit against Wynn. In response, Wynn filed a defamation lawsuit against Bloom, pointing out that he is Visual impairment, legally blind and could not "leer" at dancers. In April 2018, Wynn filed a defamation lawsuit against his former employee Jorgen Nielsen after he made negative comments about Wynn's alleged sexual misconduct to ''The Wall Street Journal'' and ABC News (United States), ABC news. In October 2019, Neilsen filed a lawsuit against Wynn Resorts, its CEO, Matthew Maddox, its former general counsel, Kim Sinatra, and Wynn Resorts former head of security, James Stern, for allegedly spying on him. In April 2019, James Stern, a former FBI agent and the former executive vice president of corporate security for Wynn Resorts, resigned after testifying before the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to spying on Elaine Wynn and other employees. According to court documents filed by Wynn's lawyers in 2018, Wynn had reached a settlement in 2006 with another former Wynn employee who had accused him of sexual misconduct. The settlement included a non-disclosure agreement. After the ''Wall Street Journal'' article came out, the woman announced to Wynn's lawyer that she intended to speak publicly about the settlement, and the lawyer reported her to the FBI for extortion; no charges were filed. In 2020, a Nevada judge ruled that a woman defamed Wynn when she reported in 2018 that he had raped her in the 1970s, noting that her testimony lacked veracity. In July 2020, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit without prejudice against Wynn Resorts, Ltd., which was filed by nine anonymous employees. The federal judge said the women could not justify why it was necessary to file the lawsuit anonymously. Since Judge James C. Mahan dismissed the case without prejudice, the lawsuit can be refiled.


References


External links

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WynnResorts.com
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wynn, Steve Steve Wynn, 1942 births American billionaires American casino industry businesspeople American chief executives of travel and tourism industry companies American company founders American corporate directors American hoteliers 20th-century American Jews American political fundraisers American businesspeople in real estate Businesspeople from Nevada Businesspeople from New Haven, Connecticut American art collectors Jewish art collectors Living people Manlius Pebble Hill School alumni Nevada Republicans People from the Las Vegas Valley Businesspeople from Utica, New York University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences alumni People stripped of honorary degrees People named in the Paradise Papers 21st-century American Jews Jews from Connecticut