Michael Leven retires from Las Vegas Sands board of directors

Michael Leven retires from Las Vegas Sands board of directors

The man who was pivotal in the growth of Las Vegas Sands in Asia has bade farewell—completely—to the company.

Michael Leven retires from Las Vegas Sands board of directorsIn a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday, the Las Vegas-based casino operator announced that its former president, Michael Leven, has retired from the company’s board of directors.

Leven informed the company on Monday that he has decided to retire from the company’s board of directors and also from the board of its Macau subsidiary Sands China Ltd., “effective immediately.”

“Mr. Leven has decided to retire and has confirmed that he has no disagreement with the board, and there are no matters that need to be brought to the attention of the shareholders of the company in respect of his retirement,” Sands China said in a separate filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The 77-year-old executive joined the board of Las Vegas Sands in 2004. Five years later, he was named president of the U.S.-based casino operator, replacing William Weidner who was fired. That was around the same time the company was about to enter the Singapore market and also expand its Macau operations.

In 2012, Leven accepted a contract extension, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The man retired from his position as Sheldon Adelson’s no. 2 man in 2014, but agreed to say on the two boards of directors.

Leven was succeeded by Las Vegas Sands’ current president, Rob Goldstein.

Over in Macau, Leven briefly held the position of chief executive and executive director of Sands China after Steve Jacobs was summarily dismissed in 2010.

Leven is considered to be an essential player during Las Vegas Sands’ expansion in Asia. While he was president, the casino operator opened the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and also increased its market presence in Macau.

Some, however, might remember the former executive as the man who accused the “out-of-control” U.S. federal government of wanting to legalize online gambling so that is can tax the crap out of it.