Steve Wynn says he is friends with Trump and Clinton both, but he has not decided which will receive his vote.
In this strangest of political seasons, all the major casino moguls want to give their take on the U.S. Presidential Election. MGM CEO Jim Murren wrote an opinion piece in which he endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson attended the GOP convention, where he briefly became part of the dramatic fued between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.
Now, Wynn Resorts CEO Steve Wynn is giving his opinion on the presidential election, among other things. The 74-year old Wynn recently gave an interview with Talk Asia, a Hong Kong-based CNN program presented by Monita Rajpal. Talk Asia is a 30-minute program which ranges from Giorgio Armania to Manny Pacquiao and from Deepak Chopra to Lady Gaga, Jason Mraz, and Victoria Beckham.
During his Talk Asia discussion, Steve Wynn said, “I’m one of those Americans — frustrated, anxious, and unsatisfied.”
Talk Asia Interview from Wynn Palace
Speaking from his latest casino, the $4.2 billion Wynn Palace on the Cotai Peninsula in Macau, Steve Wynn added, “And I haven’t decided who to vote for because I’m waiting for someone to have a responsible conversation and address the issues that affect the American people.”
What is interesting about Steve Wynn’s opinions is he claims to be friends with both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. That does not stop him from criticizing both candidates, or the political parties who support them. Like Mercutio in Hamlet, Steve Wynn’s mood seems to call for a “plague a’ both your houses“.
“This Claptrap of Hot Air”
The Las Vegas casino executive told Talk Asia, “Our process seems to promote this kind of foolishness, this populist rhetoric, this claptrap of hot air.”
Steve Wynn describes Donald Trump as a “character“, then adds, “Most of my buddies are characters.”
He pivots to say that Hillary Clinton is a “highly motivated, very intelligent woman.”
Then he criticizes the 18-month process of selecting a president, which seems to degrade the process. Wynn says, “What’s disappointing at this time? Just the rhetoric around it, and just in the way how much of a circus it has become.
“Any one of these people (Clinton or Trump) has the capacity of doing something intelligent and positive, but for some reason the campaign doesn’t allow that to emerge and I am hoping that when we get to the debates we might really get substantive exchange.”
Talking Down the Process
Americans concerned about Steve Wynn running down the US presidential process in a foreign country should take the discussion with a grain of salt. Steve Wynn just made a $4.2 billion investment in a Chinese casino in a city where the officials are trying to restrain growth. American businessmen might talk about Washington regulations, but they are nothing to compare with the recent meddling of Chinese bureaucrats. Macau officials are trying to keep growth from casino revenues at 3% year-to-year, because they don’t want to draw unwonted attention from Beijing.
Steve Wynn has been working the officials in Macau for two years to get a higher allotment of gaming tables, so he can see a good return on that multi-billion dollar investment. In October 2014, he compared China’s one-party system favorably to America’s two-party system, because the US’s system was “chaotic”. In October 2015, Wynn seemed to momentarily flip-out over the table allotments, criticizing Chinese officials for their arbitrary nature. Such harsh words are not likely to make friends, so excuse Steve Wynn if he implies that the U.S. political process is a bit foolish.
When in a nation of people which doesn’t get to choose its leaders, it’s politic to make the democratic process seem a bit like folly — politic, yet still true. Steve Wynn is too much of a quintessential American to really believe a lot of what he says for Chinese consumption, but he’s also a good enough salesman to believe what he says enough to convince others.
Focus on Thing You Control
As soon as he seems to fret over the American political scene, Steve Wynn seems to dismiss the idea of fretting over such things. His advice is not to worry about the things one cannot control.
Wynn said, “In business or in life, focus on the things over which you do have some control. And don’t fret about all the other problems. Most of the time they don’t come true anyway.”
One can sense the casino executive is talking about more than the presidential election of 2016. Like anyone else, Steve Wynn has to face the consequences of decisions which are out of his control. He might as well have been discussing table game allotments as the democratic process.
Steve Wynn’s Advice on Success
For those readers who don’t like equivocation, Steve Wynn gave his wisdom for success in life. It is a common refrain from the most successful people, common to men like Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and even Donald Trump. The advice is simple, yet wise: find something you enjoy and you’re good at and work hard at it.
Steve Wynn’s advice for Talk Asia is, “Most people I know that are successful have a few things in common that are undeniable. Driving ambition, and they have applied that to something they’re good at, that they love doing…and they are fun to be around, especially when they’re talking about their passion.“
