Elaine Wynn Las Vegas, NV Obituary – April 15, 2025 — Elaine Farrell Wynn, a pioneering force in the Las Vegas business and arts scene and one of America’s most influential philanthropists, died suddenly on Tuesday morning, April 15, 2025. She was 82.
A co-founder of Mirage Resorts and Wynn Resorts, Wynn helped shape modern Las Vegas alongside her former husband and business partner, Steve Wynn. Over the course of her decades-long career, she built a legacy not only in gaming and hospitality but also in education reform, visual and performing arts, and philanthropy.
Born Elaine Farrell Pascal on April 28, 1942, in New York City, she was raised in a middle-class Jewish family. She graduated from George Washington University in 1964 with a degree in Political Science. In 1963, she married Steve Wynn, with whom she had two daughters, Kevyn and Gillian. The couple divorced in 1986, remarried in 1991, and divorced again in 2010.
Elaine Wynn’s career began in earnest in 1976 when she and Steve Wynn co-founded Mirage Resorts, introducing a new era of luxury and spectacle to the Las Vegas Strip. In 2000, the pair launched Wynn Resorts, which soon became a hallmark of modern casino and hotel innovation. She served on the board of directors and, after their final divorce, emerged as the company’s largest shareholder, holding a 9% stake—valued at nearly $2 billion as of 2018. 
In 2018, Wynn played a pivotal role in reshaping the company’s governance in the wake of Steve Wynn’s sexual misconduct scandal. She regained her voting rights and successfully led a shareholder campaign to reform the board, earning national attention for her advocacy of ethical business practices and transparency.
Beyond business, Wynn was a deeply committed philanthropist and civic leader. She chaired the UNLV Foundation, served on the State Board of Education, and was appointed by President Barack Obama to the board of trustees of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She also held leadership roles with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation, supporting initiatives in public education and social equity.
Wynn was a passionate collector of modern and contemporary art. In 2013, she made headlines for purchasing Francis Bacon’s Three Studies of Lucian Freud for $142.4 million and later loaned the painting to the Portland Art Museum. Just last year, she announced a major partnership with Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman to establish the Las Vegas Museum of Art, projected to open in 2028 in collaboration with LACMA.
Her sudden passing has shocked the Las Vegas community and beyond.
“She was a visionary leader, a fearless advocate, and an inspiration to generations of businesswomen,” said Mayor Goodman in a statement Tuesday morning. “Las Vegas has lost one of its brightest lights.”
Elaine Wynn is survived by her daughters, Kevyn and Gillian, and numerous extended family and friends. Plans for a memorial service have not yet been announced. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation, continuing her life’s mission of advancing education, equity, and the arts. Obituary and funeral arrangements memorial soon
