Wynn’s Triple Play
When Elaine Wynn commissioned Timothy Greenfield-Sanders to photograph her billionaire hotelier and art collector husband, Steve Wynn. it took the two very busy men about a year to agree on a day and time. Greenfield-Sanders arrived at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel shortly before their appointment last summer and, after settling into his room, made his way to the 8,000-square-foot ballroom that would be his makeshift studio.

“I had the 20×24-inch Polaroid camera out and Wynn was just thrilled,” Greenfield-Sanders says. “After a few shots he said, “OK, I’ll be back in an hour with the boys.’ I didn’t really know what he meant by that.”

Wynn returned an hour later with Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. Buffett’s company NetJets was hosting a poker tournament down the hall, and Wynn wanted to get his “boys” in on the action. Greenfield-Sanders took a triple portrait as well as shots of them individually. “Gates is a little reserved,” the photographer says. “You can sort of fantasize thaat he’s just thinking of calculations all the time. And Buffett’s extremely outgoing and funny.”

Wynn was so pleased with the large-format Polaroids, he asked Greenfield-Sanders to show them at the NetJets tournament. “We brought them into the next room,” Greenfield-Sanders recalls. “Steve grabbed a mic, stopped everyone, and said, “I’ve just had my portrait done by the world’s greatest photogrpher! Come and see! They’re all here right now!” Of course, I was a little embarrassed.”