LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Elaine Wynn, the former gaming executive and philanthropist who co-founded a casino empire in Las Vegas with her ex-husband Steve Wynn, has died at the age of 82.
A publicist for the Elaine Wynn Foundation announced her death on Tuesday. A cause was not disclosed.
“Elaine Wynn was more than a businesswoman or philanthropist; she was a force of nature—a curator of dreams in a city built on aspirations,” her foundation said in a statement.
Born in New York in 1942, Elaine Wynn married Steve Wynn in 1963, and they founded what would become Mirage Resorts, the company behind The Mirage, Treasure Island and Bellagio.
The couple divorced in 1986 but remarried in 1991, and after selling Mirage Resorts to MGM Grand, they later co-founded Wynn Resorts in 2000, for which she served as a director, .
They divorced again in 2010, but Elaine Wynn kept her millions of shares in Wynn Resorts and remained an influential voice in its operations both as a shareholder and as a member of the board of directors.
The Wynns’ relationship turned bitter, and Elaine Wynn became entangled in the fallout of sexual misconduct allegations against her former husband. He denied wrongdoing and argued the claims were part of a campaign from his ex-wife to change the terms of their divorce.
Elaine Wynn later testified in a 2018 court hearing that she was made aware of a rape allegation against Steve Wynn in 2009.
Beyond the gaming industry and scandal, Wynn was a prominent philanthropist and community advocate, particularly in education. She was a leading contributor to Communities in Schools, served as chair of the UNLV Foundation and spent eight years as a member of the State Board of Education.
Most recently, she helped launch the effort for Las Vegas to build a new permanent art museum.
She is survived by her daughters Kevyn and Gillian and seven grandchildren.
The Elaine Wynn Foundation says contributions to her memory can be made to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to support the construction of the Las Vegas Museum of Art.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
