Mirage CEO Awarded Damages in Libel Suit

Mirage Resorts Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Stephen Wynn was awarded $3.17 million in damages by a Nevada jury in his libel suit against the publisher of a Wynn biography. Barricade Books, the publisher of “Running Scared: The Life and Treacherous Times of Las Vegas Casino King Steve Wynn,” falsely alleged in the book’s catalog advertisement that Wynn had ties with organized crime, Wynn’s attorney, Barry Langberg, said in a statement. The jury awarded Wynn $2.1 million in compensatory damages and $1.07 million in punitive damages, the lawyer said. Lyle Stuart, president and one of the owners of closely held Barricade, said he planned to appeal the ruling. The book, by John L. Smith, a Las Vegas newspaper reporter, is the subject of a separate libel suit, Langberg said. Las Vegas-based Mirage is a casino and hotel operator.