Wynn Buys Desert Inn as Gift for Wife

Casino mogul Steve Wynn has purchased the Desert Inn hotel-casino, a month after he agreed to sell Mirage Resorts Inc. to rival MGM Grand Inc. “Wynn confirmed [Thursday] afternoon that he is the purchaser of the Desert Inn as a birthday gift for his wife,” a spokesman for Wynn said. Wynn also acquired the Desert Inn golf course behind the resort and an adjacent 32-acre parcel. The spokesman declined to say how much Wynn paid Starwood Hotels & Resorts for the Strip property, but the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported earlier this week that Wynn was considering buying the Desert Inn for $275 million in an all-cash deal.