The world’s richest casino proprietor has a relatively low-key demeanor, but has amassed billions through fervent ambition. The current proprietor of the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas is Sheldon Adelson. Globally renowned for his philanthropic efforts, he also manages to spend a portion of his wealth on things he enjoys. Adelson, who is 76 years old and currently worth approximately $21.5 billion, is still the CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Other variants of the Venetian, a popular hotel in Las Vegas, can now be found in Singapore and Macau. Sheldon made his initial fortune by producing and hosting successful computer programs.
- Kirk Kerkorian
Kirk Kerkorian, a 95-year-old Las Vegas businessman, is the second-wealthiest casino proprietor in the world. About $11 billion in wealth, he had humble beginnings. After holding a variety of positions, he became the proprietor of a small airline renowned for transporting high-rolling gamblers across the country. He purchased the land on the Las Vegas Strip where Caesar’s Palace is currently located. With the money he made, he invested in the film studio MGM and then entered the casino industry in Las Vegas as the head of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Even though he has sold portions of his MGM stock on multiple occasions, he still possesses 39 percent.
- Stanley Ho
Stanley Ho, also known as Ho-Hung-Sung, ranks third in wealth with approximately $7 billion. He is now the wealthiest person in Macau, and is primarily known for being an original Asian patriarch. His sources of wealth include real estate, shipping, air transportation, finance, and casino ownership. In fact, he initially engaged in illicit activities and was a formidable opponent during his early years of wealth accumulation.
- Steve Wynn
Steve Wynn is ranked fourth in terms of Las Vegas hotel holdings, with approximately $2.8 billion. Wynn renovated the Golden Nugget, Bellagio, Wynn, Treasure Island, Encore, and Mirage hotels in Las Vegas. Wynn is an avid art collector who has spent vast sums of money acquiring works by Matisse, Monet, Picasso, Rembrandt, and Vermeer, among others.
Donald J. Trump
Donald Trump is ranked fifth on our list, with extensive real estate and casino holdings in New York and Atlantic City. Even after declaring bankruptcy on three properties, Trump now has around $2 billion in assets. From 2017 to 2021, Trump also served as the 45th president of the United States of America. In the history of the United States, he was only the third president to be impeached by the House of Representatives and the only president to be impeached twice, in 2019 and 2021.
- Elaine Wynn
Elaine Wynn, the ex-wife of Steve Wynn, has a stake in at least 68 casino properties and an estimated net worth of $1.7 billion, earning her a spot on our list of the richest casino proprietors. As of March 2018, Wynn is the largest shareholder of the publicly traded Wynn Resorts and is known as the Queen of Las Vegas. In 2016, she pledged a gift of $50 million to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where she also serves as co-chair. This funding will be used to construct a new permanent collection space.
Seven. Phil Ruffin
Entrepreneur Phil Ruffin is also on the list because he has an interest in over sixty-five casino properties. In 2007, Ruffin sold the New Frontier Hotel and Casino to El-Ad Properties for $1.2 billion. As a result of his hard work and renovations, this property became the most expensive per-acre acquisition in the history of the Las Vegas Strip.
- John Paulson
John Paulson, who has interests in Caesar’s Entertainment and Boyd Gaming, would come next. In 2015, Paulson, who is known for his frequent charitable contributions, went above and beyond. He pledged $400 million to Harvard University, the college’s highest donation in its 400-plus-year history.
9-10 Frank Fertitta III & Lorenzo Fertitta
Frank Fertitta III, with $1.25 billion and interests in 49 land-based casinos, and Lorenzo Fertitta, with $1.2 billion and interests in over 40 land-based casinos, round out our list of the 10 wealthiest casino owners. The Fertitta brothers inherited their interest in the casino industry from their father’s extensive casino holdings. Frank Fertitta III is the current CEO of Las Vegas’s Station Casinos.