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Women of Clark County
Elaine Wynn
1942 - 2025
Elaine Wynn co-founded Mirage Resorts and Wynn Resorts, which introduced a new style of resort-casinos to the Las Vegas Strip. She was an art collector and philanthropist, with a focus on education, the arts, and supporting Democratic political candidates.
She and her husband Steve Wynn got their start in the gaming industry in Maryland, managing bingo parlors. The couple moved to Las Vegas, eventually opening the Mirage in 1989 and the Bellagio in 1998. When it opened, the Bellagio was the most expensive resort ever built.
Both Elaine and Steve contributed significantly to their business ventures. Elaine managed aspects related to style and design, helping to develop a more elaborate style of resort-casinos. The couple divorced, remarried, and divorced again in 2010.
Elaine Wynn was involved in various philanthropic activities, serving on education boards such as the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Foundation and the Nevada State Board of Education, as well as supporting the arts. President Obama appointed Wynn as a trustee of the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Wynn served as the co-chair of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and supported the establishment of an art museum in Las Vegas.
Pictured: Elaine Wynn, 2018. Glenn Pinkerton, Las Vegas News Bureau. LVCVA Archive.
Sources
- Green, Penelope. “Elaine Wynn, Billionaire Arts Patron Who Helped Modernize Las Vegas, Dies at 82.” The New York Times, April 17, 2025, sec. Business. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/business/elaine-wynn-dead.html.
- Sanford, Karla Marie. “Elaine Wynn, LACMA Co-Chair, Art Collector and Wynn Resorts Co-Founder, Dies at 82.” Los Angeles Times, April 15, 2025. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2025-04-15/elaine-wynn-dead-wynn-resorts-lacma.
For questions or comments, please reach out to the Clark County Museum at ccmuseum@clarkcountynv.gov.