Elaine Wynn, the businesswoman, art collector and philanthropist whose vision shaped Las Vegas, has died. The announcement was made by the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation. She was 82.
Wynn was a resident of Beverly Hills and the largest individual shareholder of Wynn Resorts, according to a statement from the foundation. She devoted significant time to properties including the Golden Nugget, The Mirage, Bellagio and the Wynn and Encore resorts.
“Ms. Wynn wielded significant influence, not just as an investor, but as a steward of a vision that transcended mere entertainment,” the foundation said in its statement. “She understood that Las Vegas was not just a destination; it was an experience—an ever-evolving tapestry woven with threads of art, culture, and the human spirit.”
In a statement posted on Instagram, Wynn Resorts noted her many accomplishments with the company.
“As co-founder and one of the largest shareholders of Wynn Resorts, she helped to create and grow the company to become the most esteemed luxury resort brand in the world,” the statement reads. “Her many talents and special touches are indelibly imprinted on the company and still evident throughout our resorts … The current and former employees who worked alongside her to create Wynn and Encore Las Vegas cherish the many fond memories they have of her, especially of when they opened Wynn Las Vegas with her 20 years ago this month.”
Wynn was passionate about education and the arts, lending her vision to many endeavors in both fields. In her role as a leader at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), she was deeply involved with highly impactful projects such as the sculpture “Levitated Mass” by Michael Heizer.
“We owe so much to Elaine, and also to our trustees Bobby Kotick and Carole Bayer Sager, who introduced her to LACMA,” said Michael Govan, LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director, in a statement on the museum’s website. “Personally, I feel eternally blessed to have been able to work with Elaine and learn so much from her ambition, leadership, tenacity and love. Our hearts are with Elaine, and her family, especially her daughters Gillian and Kevyn, and her seven grandchildren.”
Wynn had recently announced a collaboration with the Pritzker Prize winning architect Francis Kere to build the Las Vegas Art Museum in partnership with LACMA. She also served as a Trustee of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
In the education sphere, Wynn assisted five Nevada governors with education initiatives, including co-chairing Nevada’s Blue Ribbon Education Reform Task Force in 2011. She served as chair of the UNLV Foundation and sat on the Nevada State Board of Education, where she was elected president twice.
Through her work with Communities In Schools, a nonprofit organization that offers support to students in schools, Wynn collaborated with the organization’s founder, Bill Milliken, to drastically expand the operation’s reach.
Wynn is survived by her daughters, Kevyn and Gillian and seven grandchildren, as well as the many friends she has made throughout the years.
“This world lost an exceptional human being and tireless pioneer this week,” said Jillian Manus, a lifelong friend. “Elaine Wynn redefined Grace, Prowess, Empathy, Integrity, Honor, Commitment, Resolve, Wisdom, Leadership and Light. She bettered everyone she met, simply by believing and championing their potential. She envisioned this world as a painter’s palette, taking her brush to fill all lives with magnificent colors, curiosity and creativity. She made the impossible possible with unwavering determination and deep purpose.”
Wynn’s cause of death has not been announced.
Contributions in Wynn’s memory can be made to the LACMA to support the construction of the Las Vegas Museum of Art.
