Steve Wynn

Steve Wynn married Elaine Pascal in 1963. The couple divorced in 1986 only to remarry in 1991. They divorced again in 2010. They have two daughters, Kevyn and Gillian.

He married Andrea Danenza Hissom in a ceremony at the Wynn Las Vegas in 2011.

He was born as Stephen Alan Weinberg in New Haven, Connecticut on January 27, 1942. His father Michael ran a string of bingo parlors while his mother Zelma was a dedicated homemaker who took care of Steve and his younger brother Kenneth. His father changed the family’s last name from "Weinberg" to "Wynn" when Steve was six months old.

In spite of being an enterprising and successful businessman, Michael developed an addiction to gambling and lost much of his wealth. Nonetheless he was determined to give his sons a good life and encouraged Steve to study well so that he could pursue a more stable profession instead of getting into the bingo business.

Steve Wynn went to the Manlius School from where he graduated in 1959. Then he enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania.

His father died in March 1963 during open-heart surgery. He was only 46 years old. Though heartbroken at the loss of his beloved father, Steve managed to graduate with a B.A. in English literature the very same year.

The Wynn family was plunged into financial crisis after the death of his father who left behind gambling debts that totaled $350,000. Since Kenneth was just ten years old at that time, the burden of providing for his family fell upon Steve’s shoulders.

Steve, along with his new wife, took charge of the family business and worked hard to re-establish it. Within a year he had expanded the business and transformed it into a profitable one.

He moved to Las Vegas in 1967 and was able to purchase a small stake in the Frontier Hotel and Casino. He became acquaintances with E. Parry Thomas who was known to be one of the most influential bankers in Las Vegas. Thomas, who was the president of the Bank of Las Vegas, which was the only bank at the time that would extend loans to Las Vegas casinos, helped Wynn in procuring several land deals.

Steve Wynn acquired a controlling interest in the Golden Nugget Las Vegas, a landmark downtown casino, in 1971. He renovated and expanded the casino from a gambling hall to a resort hotel and casino. The revamped Golden Nugget became a huge tourist attraction.

During the 1980s, he built the Mirage, a 3,044 room Polynesian-themed hotel and casino resort located on the Las Vegas Strip. It was the first time Wynn was involved with the design and construction of a casino. The hotel, which opened in November 1989, featured innovative and extravagant themes such as an erupting volcano which made it one of the most lucrative casinos in Las Vegas.

The Mirage, which opened in 1989, is considered one of the most luxurious hotels built by Steve Wynn. With a cost of US $630 million, it was the most expensive hotel-casino in history. Actual gold dust was used in the tinting process of the hotel’s distinctive gold windows.

The Bellagio is another one of his opulent luxury resorts and hotels. Famed for its elegance, the Bellagio features an artificial lake which houses the Fountains of Bellagio, a large dancing water fountain synchronized to music. The two towers of Bellagio collectively have over 4,000 rooms.