Gambling Stories
Shane Smith ‐ The lucky CEO who dropped $300k on dinner after a big Las Vegas Win
Your idea of an elaborate steak dinner may amount to a few hundred pounds, but Shane Smith, CEO of the multi-billion dollar media company, Vice allegedly dropped $300k on a steak dinner for himself and 30 others while in Las Vegas for the recently held Consumer Electronics Show.
According to the New York Times, Smith treated his party of 30 guests to a lavish dinner at renowned chef Jean-Georges' Vongerichten's Prime Steakhouse, with some bottles of wine served being charged at $20k per bottle.
This kind of indulgence may not seem out of a place for the CEO of a massive media organization, given that his estimated personal net worth amounts to around $400 million, the interesting thing though is that guests have confirmed that he dipped into his Las Vegas gambling winnings to cover the tab.
Smith is said to have won in excess of $1 million while gambling over the course of the week during the Consumer Electronics Show. Sources have also confirmed that he was particularly lucky at the Las Vegas blackjack tables.
Both the MGM Resorts International and Bloomberg spokespeople have confirmed that Smith was a big spender, with The Times noting that one MGM executive had commented to a Nomura Securities analyst, that $300,000 for dinner at Prime was a pretty good cheque and that he would have liked the wine selection.
Smith has developed quite a reputation for his antics, and according to those in the know, stood on stage at the company's year-end function held in December, and personally delivered a $1,500 cash bonus to each employee. Seems he is as generous as he is lucky.
