Sheldon Adelson

On one corner of the Las Vegas Strip, Steve Wynn runs his signature $2.7-billion mega-resort and busily plans another. Across the street, Sheldon Adelson is building the Palazzo hotel-casino next to his successful Venetian. Soon to be shimmering near both properties are Donald Trump's gold-glass hotel-condo towers, and Phil Ruffin has ambitious plans for the aging New Frontier casino. Four billionaire-sized egos, a slew of big-budget projects and all within stone's throw of one another.

When billionaire Sheldon Adelson sold his successful Comdex computer show and decided to build a lavish hotel-casino with thousands of rooms, gambling executives ridiculed his business model. They said Adelson's plan for the Venetian to cater to business travelers and profit from hotel rooms and conventions wouldn't work on the Las Vegas Strip, where everyone knew casinos were the true moneymakers.