Phil Ruffin facts for kids

Phillip Ruffin is a very successful American businessman. He owns famous places like the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino and Circus Circus Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. He also owns many other businesses, including hotels, casinos, and even a company that makes hand trucks. In 2019, he was listed by Forbes as one of the world's billionaires, with a net worth of about $3.1 billion.

Early Life and School

Phil Ruffin was born in Potter County, near Amarillo, Texas. His family came from Lebanon. He grew up in Wichita, Kansas, where his dad owned a grocery store. He has four brothers and sisters.

In 1953, he finished high school at Wichita North High School. He was a wrestling champion there! He went to Washburn University and Wichita State University for a few years, but he didn't finish his degree.

Phil Ruffin's Business Journey

In 1972, Phil Ruffin started a new idea in Kansas: self-serve gas stations. He built a chain of 60 convenience stores across the Midwest. Later, in 1987, he used the money from these stores to build his first hotel, a Marriott in Wichita. His businesses also included selling oil and making hand trucks.

In 1994, Ruffin leased his convenience stores to a company called Total. He used that money to buy even more hotels. Then, in 1995, he bought the Crystal Palace casino resort in Nassau, in the Bahamas. He used that casino as a loan to buy the New Frontier Hotel and Casino.

The New Frontier Hotel and Casino

Phil Ruffin is well-known for buying the New Frontier Hotel and Casino. This was a very old and famous place on the Las Vegas Strip. When he bought it in 1998, there was a very long strike happening with the workers. Ruffin quickly solved the strike after he bought the property.

In 2007, Ruffin sold the New Frontier. The sale price was $1.2 billion for the 36-acre property. This was the highest price ever paid per acre on the Las Vegas Strip at that time.

Treasure Island Casino

MGM Mirage sold the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino (often called TI) to Phil Ruffin in March 2009. He bought it for $600 million in cash and some other payments. Ruffin believed that building a new casino like Treasure Island would cost much more, around $2.7 billion.

He took full ownership of Treasure Island on March 20, 2009. In 2018, he said he turned down a "huge" offer to sell TI from a Chinese company. He explained that properties on the Las Vegas Strip are "irreplaceable." He said, "Money is not that valuable. Assets are valuable, especially when they are irreplaceable."

Trump International Tower

Phil Ruffin also worked with his friend Donald Trump on a project. They built the Trump International Hotel and Tower right next to the Fashion Show Mall. Construction started in July 2005, and the tower opened in March 2008. Ruffin owns half of this building because he provided the land for it.

Circus Circus Las Vegas

MGM Resorts International sold Circus Circus Las Vegas to Phil Ruffin in December 2019 for $825 million. This purchase included the nearby Slots-A-Fun Casino, the Adventuredome amusement park, and other open areas. Ruffin plans to add a big swimming pool area with a wave machine, sand beaches, and a lazy river ride. In January 2025, Ruffin stated his intention to sell the property.

Wichita Greyhound Park

Ruffin's company owns Wichita Greyhound Park, a dog racing track. In 2007, he announced he would close the track. This happened after a public vote to allow slot machines or casino gambling at the track failed by a small number of votes.

Convenience Stores

Ruffin Companies' website says the company owns 61 convenience stores. These stores are leased to Total and run by Diamond Shamrock in three different states.

Hotels and Lodging

Ruffin's Hotel Group owns and runs 13 hotels. These hotels are part of well-known brands like Marriott Hotels, Fairfield Inn, and Courtyard by Marriott. They are located in Oklahoma, Kansas, California, Texas, and Alabama.

Manufacturing Businesses

Phil Ruffin owns and runs Harper Trucks, which is the world's largest company making hand trucks. He also owns Angelus Manufacturing, which makes steel hand trucks. In 2013, Ruffin bought WelCom Products, which makes the Magna Cart line of folding hand trucks sold around the world.

Casino Miami

Ruffin bought Casino Miami in Miami, Florida, on December 3, 2018. It is located at 3500 NW 37th Avenue, Miami, Florida, and he has big plans to make it larger.

Friendship with Donald Trump

Phil Ruffin is a long-time friend and business partner of Donald Trump. Trump was even the best man at Ruffin's third wedding in 2008. They met in the early 2000s. Ruffin has said that a handshake from Trump is "better than any contract." In June 2018, Trump gave the Ruffins a tour of Air Force One when he was in Las Vegas.

Trump Campaign Support

In 2015, Ruffin gave $1 million to a group supporting Trump's campaign for president. This group was called Make America Great Again PAC. Ruffin's donation was more than half of all the money that group received. The group later closed down and gave Ruffin his money back.

In April 2017, Ruffin said he talks with Trump often. He said, "If something comes up, I’ll call him. They’ll always put me through. But I don't call unless it's something important." In May 2017, he felt that the news media was unfair to Trump. He added that Trump "gave up a lot – the most luxurious life you can imagine, and he did it to try to help the country."

In 2020, Ruffin and his wife gave a total of $1.5 million to Trump's 2020 presidential campaign. In 2023, Ruffin gave $2 million to Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA Inc.) super PAC.

Personal Life

Phil Ruffin has been married three times. He has three children with his second wife, Lynne. His daughter Michelle Ruffin-Stein runs the Wichita Marriott hotel that he owns. His son Chris Ruffin runs the Wichita Hyatt, which he also owns. His son Phil Ruffin Jr. runs Harper Trucks Inc., the hand truck company.

On January 6, 2008, Phil Ruffin married Oleksandra Nikolayenko, who was Miss Ukraine in 2004. They have two children: a son named Rizzard William Ruffin (born in April 2010) and a daughter named Malena (born in 2013). Ruffin helped fund a special food and learning program at the Alexander Dawson School, where his two youngest children go.

Ruffin also appeared on the TV show High Stakes Poker.