William S. Boyd, Chairman and CEO, Boyd Gaming Corporation

Legend has it Sam Boyd rolled into Las Vegas on Labor Day, 1941, along with his wife and 10-year-old son Bill with just $80 in his pockets, a sense of strong optimism, a winning attitude, and a legendary work ethic.

His only son, William S. Boyd (Bill), chairman and CEO of Boyd Gaming Corporation, learned a tremendous amount from his father and helped build Boyd Gaming Corporation into a staggering $5 billion gaming empire, and a well-respected leader and inno-vator in the gaming industry.

"In 1941, when I was 10 years old, Las Vegas was a small town with less than 10,000 people," recalls Boyd. "You knew everybody in town. Growing up, my dad was a dealer. My parents encouraged me to get an education." Boyd followed their advice, graduated from law school, and practiced law for 15 years in Las Vegas, and later entered the gaming industry.

"My dad worked his way up in the casino business and made his first investment in the Sahara in 1952, where he bought a 1% interest before it opened for a total of $16,000. $10,000 borrowed, and $6,000 in cash. Over time I started to invest with him.

"We later invested in a small casino in Henderson, called the Eldorado. Over the years we have had interests in the Mint, the Union Plaza, the California and other downtown properties.

"They all said we were crazy. You will lose everything. On April 1, 1979, we opened Sam’s Town, halfway between the California and the Eldorado. It was successful from the very first day. It was the first real, local, full-scale casino in Las Vegas. I’ve always been a risk-taker. It never bothered me to take chances. We had our public offering in 1993, yet we’ve always kept it a family culture.

"We always knew we wanted to ex-pand into the local market. The only way we could get into it in a really big way was to acquire another company. Michael Gaughan (chairman and CEO of Coast Casinos) and I have been friends for 35 years. In a few days we put a deal together. Boyd acquired Coast’s Orleans, Gold Coast, Barbary Coast and Sun Coast properties."

Boyd Gaming is also partners with MGM MIRAGE as well in the widely successful Borgata in Atlantic City. It is also the owner of the Stardust Resort and Casino, right on the Strip.

"On the business side, I’m most proud of all of our employees and what they have accomplished. It’s about all your employees getting behind what you are trying to do and working hard.

"From a personal standpoint, I’m most proud of the UNLV law school. I had to go out of state for law school." In 2005, Boyd generously donated an additional $25 million to the William S. Boyd School of Law at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

A magic memory: "Wayne Newton is a great guy. At a White House Rose Garden ceremony, President Bush thanked me for working with them so Wayne could take over for Bob Hope and head the patriotic USO tour."

Today, Boyd Gaming Corporation has grown to over 25,000 employees in six states and 18 properties with its recent acquisition of Coast Casinos. Boyd smiles, "I also have three children, who are all in the family business. All have been raised here, along with eight wonderful grandchildren."

With $80 and a dream, the Boyd family values of integrity, commitment and excellence should continue to blossom and flourish for many years to come.

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