The chairman and chief executive of casino operator Las Vegas Sands Corp, Sheldon Adelson (pictured), continues to be the richest gaming tycoon in the United States, the latest Forbes ranking shows.
Mr Adelson was ranked 12th among America’s 400 richest people, with an estimated net worth of US$32 billion, Forbes said in announcing the list on Monday. Although the figure was up by US$3.5 billion from a year earlier, he dropped one spot on the list.
Besides the U.S. market, Las Vegas Sands owns and operates casinos both in Singapore and Macau.
The second richest American gaming tycoon was Kirk Kerkorian, the largest shareholder of casino operator MGM Resorts International with a 19 percent stake. The firm is the parent of Macau-based MGM China Holdings Ltd, which owns and manages casino hotel MGM Macau.
Forbes estimated Mr Kerkorian’s net worth at US$4.3 billion, putting him in number 114 on the list, four spots up in comparison with one year ago.
With a net worth of US$3.5 billion, Wynn Resorts Ltd chairman and chief executive Steve Wynn was ranked 155th. He was 184th in 2013.
His ex-wife, Elaine Wynn, also appeared again on the 2014 list, on spot 261, with a net worth of US$2.4 billion.
Wynn Resorts controls Wynn Macau Ltd, which owns and manages a casino hotel on the Macau peninsula.
On the gaming supplier side, Scientific Games Corp chairman Ronald Perelman was listed at number 32 with a net worth of US$14.5 billion. Scientific Games, a specialist in lottery equipment and management, announced in August it was acquiring fellow gaming equipment maker Bally Technologies Inc in a deal valued at US$5.1 billion.
Microsoft Corp chairman Bill Gates continued to be the richest American, with a net worth of US$81 billion, followed by leading investor Warren Buffet, worth US$67 billion, Forbes said.
The 400 wealthiest Americans were worth US$2.29 trillion, the highest figure ever, the magazine noted. The figure is about the same as the gross domestic product of Brazil.
