The Most Highly Compensated Hotel CEOs of 2017

For the fourth year in a row, Wynn Resorts co-founder Steve Wynn took home the biggest paycheck of all hospitality CEOs. The disgraced casino mogul, who was forced to resign from his company earlier this year after multiple allegations of sexual abuse and harassment were made against him, received a total compensation package of $34.5 million in 2017, which is worth 777 times more than the salary of a median full-time Wynn Resorts employee. Wynn's number, while staggering in comparison to other hospitality CEOs, aligns with what he has made in previous years, although last year's compensation did represent an increase of nearly $6.4 million from the previous year. His total compensation was close to $28.2 million in 2016, approximately $20.7 million in 2015, and $25.3 million in 2014. Wynn wasn't the only hospitality CEO who enjoyed a financially successful 2017. Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson received a total compensation package of $26 million in 2017, followed by Wynn's successor, current Wynn Resorts CEO and former chief financial officer Matt Maddox, who received $24.8 million. Gaming CEOs traditionally receive much higher compensations packages than their hotel-only CEO peers, and that stayed true in 2017. The highest paid hotel CEO in 2017 was Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta, who received nearly $18.8 million. Overall, the fact that most hospitality CEOs saw their compensation packages increase in 2017 is an indicator of the strength of the industry, said Keith Kefgen, managing director and CEO at Aethos Consulting Group, a global hospitality industry advisory firm. Kefgen noted that increases in both short-term and lo