Elaine Wynn

Elaine Wynn (April 28, 1942 – April 14, 2025) was an American billionaire businesswoman and philanthropist who co-founded Mirage Resorts (1976) and Wynn Resorts (2000) alongside her former husband Steve Wynn. She played a pivotal role in the resurgence of the Las Vegas Strip and remained the largest individual shareholder of Wynn Resorts until her death. After Steve Wynn’s departure in 2018, she successfully led a proxy campaign to remove board members loyal to him.

Beyond gambling, Wynn was deeply committed to education reform. She served on the Nevada State Board of Education from 2012 to 2020, was twice elected president (2015 and 2017), and co-chaired the Nevada Blue Ribbon Education Reform Task Force. She was a national board member of Communities in Schools from 1999 until her death and chaired that board from 2007 to 2024.

Wynn was also a noted art collector and philanthropist. She co-chaired the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) from 2015 onward and was a trustee of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010. In 1999 she was inducted into the Gaming Hall of Fame.