Media Company CEO Wins $1 Million At Vegas Blackjack Tables, Drops $300K On Steak DinnerVice Media's Shane Smith Has High Roller Week |
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Shane Smith, CEO of Vice Media Inc., reportedly won $1 million playing blackjack and then dropped $300,000 for a steak dinner at Bellagio last month, according to Bloomberg.
MGM Resorts International, owner of the casino, revealed on an earnings call Tuesday that unidentified guests had enjoyed a $300,000 meal, and the firm’s CEO said it actually was an indicator of the city’s economic recovery.
The high roller was later revealed as Smith.
MGM CEO Jim Murren said he hadn’t seen a check like that since 2007, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He added: “It tells you there is a release valve that has opened. That isn’t a trend, but it’s a sign people are ready to spend money again.”
Smith and his team were in Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show.
Bottles of wine valued at $20,000 apiece were to blame for the huge dinner tab.
Smith is said to have a net worth of around $400 million.
One of Las Vegas’ iconic casinos—the Riveria—was just purchased by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and this year will be torn down to add more convention space to Las Vegas in order to attract even more people who will gamble and spend like Smith.
The trick, as always, is to keep them coming back.