Stephen A. Wynn, Chairman of Desert Inn and former Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Mirage Resorts, Inc., moved his family from Maryland, VA to Las Vegas, Nevada more than 30 years ago. He began his career in the gaming industry as an executive and part owner of the Frontier Hotel and Casino. In addition, between 1968 and 1972, he owned and operated a wine and liquor importing company.
An entrepreneur at heart, Wynn saw golden opportunities in Las Vegas. One of his more profitable investments was a real estate transaction with Howard Hughes. With the profits from that transaction, he invested heavily in Golden Nugget, Inc. (which was renamed Mirage Resorts, Inc. in 1991). He gained control of the company in 1973, assembled a highly experienced management team, and transformed the casino operating company from one small downtown property to a world-renowned casino and resort giant.
He later oversaw the building of the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City. This resort became known for its luxurious facilities, its innovative television advertising and its superstar entertainment. Its sale to Bally in 1987 for $440 million allowed Mr. Wynn the opportunity to focus his attention on the design and development of what would become the company's flagship property, The Mirage, which opened in November 1989. This destination resort, with its South Seas tropical theme, quickly changed the image by which all casino hotels have since been designed. The opening of The Mirage ignited a $12 billion construction boom, catapulting Las Vegas into the fastest growing city in America and the number one tourist destination in the country.
In October 1993, Treasure Island opened adjacent to its sister property, The Mirage. A Four-Diamond resort, Treasure Island is an elegant escape for those wanting to experience the excitement and thrills of Las Vegas. Mr. Wynn didn't stop there though for he aspired to build the most spectacular and luxurious hotel in the world. In 1998, he may have done just that when he opened the traditional European inspired Bellagio.
Most recently, Wynn oversaw the development of a new resort in Biloxi, Mississippi. Opening its doors in 1999, Beau Rivage is the centerpiece of the building boom that will propel Biloxi into the role of a regional tourism center along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Mr. Wynn also serves as the chairman for the Moran Eye Institute at the University of Utah and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Trustees of his Alma Mater, the University of Pennsylvania, on the Board of the George Bush Presidential Library and most recently, was named Vice Chairman of the Kennedy Center's 2000 Corporate Fund Board.