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The following is an excerpt from a DEF 14A SEC Filing, filed by WYNN RESORTS LTD on 4/19/2004.
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WYNN RESORTS LTD - DEF 14A - 20040419 - CERTAIN_RELATIONSHIPS

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

 

Stockholders Agreement.     Mr. Wynn, Aruze USA and Baron Asset Fund are parties to a stockholders agreement that establishes various rights among Mr. Wynn, Aruze USA and Baron Asset Fund with respect to the ownership and management of the Company. These rights include, but are not limited to, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal, tag-along rights and certain other restrictions on the transfer of the shares of the Company’s common stock owned by the parties to the stockholders agreement.

 

Under the stockholders agreement, if Mr. Wynn, Aruze USA or Baron Asset Fund purchase shares of the Company’s common stock from the Company in a private placement on terms and conditions that are not offered to the other parties to the agreement, the purchasing stockholder must afford the other parties preemptive rights. These preemptive rights will allow the non-purchasing parties to purchase that number of shares in the

 

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purchasing stockholder’s allotment of private placement shares that is necessary to maintain the parties’ shares in the same proportion to each other that existed prior to the private placement.

 

In addition, under the stockholders agreement, the parties granted each other a right of first refusal on their respective shares of the Company’s common stock. Under this right of first refusal, if any such stockholder wishes to transfer any of his or its shares of the Company’s common stock to anyone other than a permitted transferee (as defined in the agreement), and has a bona fide offer from any person to purchase such shares, the stockholder must first offer the shares to the other parties to the stockholders agreement on the same terms and conditions as the bona fide offer. In addition to this right of first refusal, Mr. Wynn and Aruze USA also granted each other and Baron Asset Fund a tag-along right on their respective shares of the Company’s common stock. Under this tag-along right, Mr. Wynn and Aruze USA, before transferring his or its shares to any person other than a permitted transferee, must first allow the other parties to the agreement to participate in such transfer on the same terms and conditions.

 

The stockholders agreement also provides that, upon the institution of a bankruptcy action by or against a party to the stockholders agreement, the other parties to the agreement will be given an option to purchase the bankrupt stockholder’s shares of the Company’s common stock at a price to be agreed upon by the bankrupt stockholder and the other stockholders, or, if a price cannot be agreed upon by such stockholders, at a price equal to their fair market value. In addition, under the stockholders agreement, if there is a direct or indirect change of control of any party to the agreement, other than Baron Asset Fund, the other parties to the agreement have the option to purchase the shares of the Company’s common stock held by the party undergoing the change in control. Under the agreement, a stockholder may assign its options to the Company.

 

In addition, under the stockholders agreement, Mr. Wynn and Aruze USA have agreed to vote their shares of the Company’s common stock for a slate of directors, a majority of which will be designated by Mr. Wynn, of which at least two will be independent directors, and the remainder of which will be designated by Aruze USA.

 

Buy-Out of Aruze USA Stock.     Stephen A. Wynn, Kazuo Okada, Aruze USA, Aruze Corp. and the Company have entered into arrangements which provide that if any Nevada gaming license application of Aruze USA, Aruze Corp. or Kazuo Okada concerning Aruze USA’s ownership of the Company’s stock is denied by gaming authorities or requested to be withdrawn or is not filed within 90 days after the filing of the Company’s application, Mr. Wynn may elect to purchase the shares owned by Aruze USA in the Company. Mr. Wynn may pay this purchase price with a promissory note. If Mr. Wynn chooses not to exercise his right to purchase the shares, the Company has the right to require him to purchase the shares, including with a promissory note. The Company has granted Mr. Wynn certain demand registration rights and piggyback registration rights with respect to any shares he purchases from Aruze USA under these buy-out arrangements.

 

Wynn Design & Development.     Wynn Design & Development, a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of the Company, is responsible for the design and architecture of Wynn Las Vegas (except for the Aqua Theatre showroom) and for managing construction costs and risks associated with the Wynn Las Vegas project. Wynn Design & Development will also have similar responsibilities for the Company’s hotel and casino construction project in Macau. Nevada law requires that a firm licensed as a professional architectural organization certify architectural plans. These architectural services for the Wynn Las Vegas project will be provided by the firm of Butler/Ashworth Architects, Ltd., LLC. In return for these services, the Butler/Ashworth firm will be paid $1.00 and reimbursed for certain expenses it incurs in providing the architectural services. The principals of the Butler/Ashworth firm are DeRuyter O. Butler and Glen Ashworth, both of whom are employees of Wynn Design & Development. Mr. Butler is Executive Vice President of Wynn Design & Development. Wynn Design & Development is the only client of the Butler/Ashworth firm and pays the salaries and benefits of Messrs. Butler and Ashworth. The Company has no ownership interest in Butler/Ashworth.

 

Art Gallery.     We operate an art gallery at the former premises of The Desert Inn in which we display paintings from The Wynn Collection. The art gallery will close during 2004 and reopen in 2005 in its new space

 

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in Wynn Las Vegas. The Company originally leased The Wynn Collection from Stephen A. and Elaine P. Wynn at a monthly rate equal to the gross revenue received by the gallery each month, less direct expenses, subject to a monthly cap. In August 2002, the lease terms were amended to reduce the rental fee paid to Mr. and Mrs. Wynn to one-half of the net revenue, if any, of the gallery. Under the August 2002 amendment Mr. and Mrs. Wynn were required to reimburse the Company for the gallery’s net losses. From inception to May 31, 2003, the gallery incurred $103,293 of net losses that were reimbursed by Mr. and Mrs. Wynn and, accordingly, the Company did not make any lease payments during this period. Effective June 1, 2003, the lease terms were further amended. Under the terms of the June 1, 2003 amendment, Mr. and Mrs. Wynn agreed to lease The Wynn Collection to the Company for an annual fee of $1, and the Company is entitled to retain all revenues from the public display of the Wynn Collection and the related merchandising revenues. The Company is responsible for all expenses incurred in exhibiting and safeguarding The Wynn Collection, including the cost of insurance (including terrorism insurance) and taxes relating to the rental of the Wynn Collection.

 

Aircraft Arrangements.     From January 2002 until May 30, 2002, Valvino used a Bombardier Global Express aircraft in its business operations. The aircraft was owned by World Travel, LLC (“World Travel”) and was leased to and operated by Las Vegas Jet. Las Vegas Jet and World Travel were owned entirely by Stephen A. Wynn. On May 30, 2002, Mr. Wynn sold World Travel and Las Vegas Jet to Valvino for approximately $38.2 million (consisting of approximately $9.7 million in cash and the release of Mr. Wynn from a guarantee on the approximately $28.5 million of remaining indebtedness of World Travel secured by the aircraft), the amount that World Travel paid for the aircraft. Following the Company’s initial public offering in October 2002, Wynn Las Vegas refinanced the indebtedness on the aircraft through the use of one of its credit facilities.

 

World Travel continues to lease the aircraft to Las Vegas Jet. Las Vegas Jet operates the aircraft for the Company and its subsidiaries. In addition, Stephen A. Wynn, Mr. Kramer and Mr. Schorr have time-sharing agreements with the Company covering their personal use of our aircraft that requires each such executive to pay us the lesser of (1) his and his family’s share of the direct costs incurred by us in operating the aircraft or (2) the amount required by applicable federal aviation regulations. During 2003, the following amounts were paid to the Company pursuant to these timesharing arrangements: Stephen A. Wynn ($252,588); Mr. Kramer ($18,362); and Mr. Schorr ($77,297).

 

Reimbursable Costs.     We periodically incur costs on Mr. Wynn’s and certain other officers’ behalf, including costs with respect to personal use of the corporate aircraft, household employees at Mr. and Mrs. Wynn’s residence, personal legal fees, construction work at Mr. and Mrs. Wynn’s home and other personal purchases. Mr. Wynn and other officers have deposits with the Company to prepay any such items. These deposits are replenished on an ongoing basis as needed. At December 31, 2003, the Company’s net liability to Mr. Wynn and other officers was approximately $60,000.

 

Tax Indemnification Agreement.     Stephen A. Wynn, Aruze USA, Baron Asset Fund, and the Kenneth R. Wynn Family Trust (referred to collectively as the “Valvino members”), Valvino and the Company have entered into a tax indemnification agreement relating to their respective income tax liabilities. Prior to the contribution of the Valvino membership interests to the Company, the income and deductions of Valvino passed through to the Valvino members under the rules governing partnerships for federal tax purposes and were taken into account by them at their personal tax rates. Commencing upon the contribution of the Valvino membership interests to the Company, income and deductions are to be treated as income and deductions of the Company and are to be taken into account by it at applicable corporate tax rates. A reallocation of deductions of Valvino from the period prior to the contribution to the period commencing upon the contribution, or a reallocation of income of the Company from the period commencing upon the contribution to the period prior to the contribution, would increase the amount of taxable income (or decrease the amount of loss) reported by the Valvino members and decrease the amount of taxable income (or increase the amount of loss, including carryforwards, or increase the amount of tax basis in the assets) of the Company. Accordingly, the tax indemnification agreement generally provides that the Valvino members will be indemnified by the Company and its subsidiaries for additional tax costs (including interest and penalties) caused by reallocations that increase the taxable income or decrease the tax loss of the

 

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Valvino members for the period prior to the contribution of the Valvino membership interests. Any payment made pursuant to the agreement by the Company or any of its subsidiaries to the Valvino members may be non-deductible for income tax purposes.

 

Legal and Advisory Services.     In 2003, the Company utilized the services of a law firm and an advisory services firm in which Edward Wayson has a one hundred percent interest and a fifty percent interest, respectively. Edward Wayson is the brother of D. Boone Wayson, one of the Company’s directors. During 2003, the Company paid $23,052 to the law firm and $124,769 to the advisory firm, although $75,586 of this amount was a reimbursement of expenses to a party unrelated to Edward Wayson. D. Boone Wayson has no interest in either business.

 

Employment of Seth Schorr.     During 2003, Seth Schorr, the adult son of Mr. Schorr, was employed by Las Vegas Jet, LLC, an indirect subsidiary of the Company, and seconded to Wynn Macau, S.A. at an annual salary of $75,000. Seth Schorr is no longer employed by the Company or any of its affiliates.

 

Employment of Kenneth Wynn.     During 2003, Kenneth Wynn, the brother of Mr. Wynn, was employed by Wynn Development and Design, LLC, an indirect subsidiary of the Company, at an annual salary of $250,000. Kenneth Wynn was the President of Wynn Development and Design. Kenneth Wynn is no longer employed by the Company or any of its affiliates. Kenneth Wynn forfeited his grant of restricted shares of Company common stock concurrent with his departure from the Company.

 

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