LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — She's one of the most influential women here in Southern Nevada and helped build and create many of the landmarks locals love about the Las Vegas Valley.
Elaine Wynn, the billionaire philanthropist and casino-resort co-founder, has passed away at the age of 82 in Los Angeles after a brief illness.
Remembering the life and legacy of Elaine Wynn
You may recognize the Wynn name from the mega-resort on the Las Vegas Strip, but Elaine and her ex-husband had a much deeper hand in the valley than just the founding of Mirage Resorts and Wynn Resorts. Next to the Wynn and Encore, Elaine was instrumental in the creation of other legendary casinos in Las Vegas including The Mirage, Treasure Island, and the Bellagio.
At the Bellagio, she played a key part in the development of The Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden—a massive favorite for locals and visitors alike.
Elaine pioneered educational causes in the valley and beyond, and she had a key hand in starting after school programs in the Clark County School District.
She was an enormous patron of the arts, using her wealth and influence to support performing arts venues like The Smith Center and art museums. She was also a die hard basketball fan! Close friends with Mike "Coach K" Krzyzewski, and a bidder to bring a professional team to Las Vegas with Oprah Winfrey and David Geffen.
A Las Vegas legacy
Over my 24 years at Channel 13, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Elaine numerous times. In 2005, right before the opening of the Wynn, I asked her how she wants to be remembered.
"I'd hope that people would look upon us as innovative and creative and that we've left Las Vegas in a better way that we found it and that we used whatever leadership skills we had to extend beyond our commercial boundaries and out into community building." — Elaine Wynn
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According to Forbes, Elaine amassed a wealth of $1.9 billion, and her charitable spirit caught the eye of fellow billionaire Warren Buffet and his Giving Pledge. She told me 10 years ago she planned to give most of her money away.
FROM 2015 | Elaine Wynn sits down with Tricia Kean
Tuesday, the community shared their thoughts and memories of Elaine Wynn. Former Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman met me in studio to remember the legacy of Wynn.
WATCH | Carolyn Goodman remembers Elaine Wynn