William Hornbuckle Net Worth Revealed Inside the Stock Trades Salaries and Vegas Real Estate

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The CEO of MGM usually moves quietly purchasing shares at the bottom selling near the top and trading a six bedroom Henderson home for a blufftop estate a few miles away while the Las Vegas Strip shouts for attention with blazing marquees and billion dollar building cranes. Unlike some casino CEOs he doesn’t pursue celebrities. William Hornbuckle’s net worth presents a compelling narrative when you begin to piece the figures together.
William Hornbuckle’s estimated net worth as of 2026 varies greatly depending on the data source you use; it ranges from $23 million on the cautious end to about $59 million when assets across MGM Resorts International MGM Growth Properties and PLAYSTUDIOS are taken into account. Based mostly on SEC Form 4 filings that detail his insider stock trades the most frequently quoted amount is between $28 and $49 million. Naturally none of these numbers really depict the situation. A public filing does not include information about deferred compensation private assets or real estate holdings.
| Full Name | William Joseph Hornbuckle IV |
| Known As | Bill Hornbuckle |
| Age | 67 years old |
| Current Role | CEO & President, MGM Resorts International |
| Appointed CEO | December 2012 |
| CEO Tenure | ~13.3 years |
| Annual Salary | ~$2 million (base); total compensation ~$25.3 million |
| Estimated Net Worth (2026) | $28.5M – $59.4M (varies by source) |
| MGM Shares Owned | ~549,893–777,854 shares |
| Education | B.S. Hotel Administration, University of Nevada, Las Vegas |
| Previous Roles | President/COO Mandalay Bay, President/COO MGM Grand Las Vegas, President/COO Caesars Palace |
| Notable Board Roles | Executive Co-Chairperson, MGM China Holdings; Three Square Food Bank Trustee |
It’s evident that Hornbuckle has been incredibly careful about when to acquire and when to sell. He intervened and bought about 49 800 shares back in March 2020 when MGM stock had plummeted to about $12 per share amid the early pandemic panic. In retrospect the acquisition made at a time when the majority of investors were completely abandoning the hospitality industry seems prophetic. Eventually MGM’s shares returned to above $40. It’s the kind of action that distinguishes those who are knowledgeable about businesses from those who just manage them.
Most individuals would consider his pay alone to be a noteworthy professional accomplishment. As CEO of MGM Resorts International Hornbuckle receives a base income of almost $2 million a year yet that amount hardly covers his whole compensation. His 2023 package came to about $25.3 million when bonuses stock awards and options are taken into account. In a particularly prosperous year that amount reportedly increased to $37.9 million. In the U.S. market where CEO compensation norms are closer to $14 million that is above typical for a firm of MGM’s size. Depending on who you ask that premium may or may not be warranted.
The career of Hornbuckle is like taking a tour through the history of hospitality in American casinos. As Vice President of Hotel Operations he assisted with the opening of The Mirage in 1989 a moment that truly altered public perceptions of a resort in Las Vegas. Executive positions at Treasure Island Caesars Palace MGM Grand Mandalay Bay and ultimately the top position at MGM Resorts International followed a steady upward trajectory. Given the size of what he now supervises his degree in hotel management from UNLV seems almost antiquated but it grounds him in a way that many CEOs on the finance route just aren’t.
The real estate transactions provide an additional perspective on his financial situation. A large 8 525 square foot house in Henderson’s Anthem Country Club with six bedrooms a movie theater and a 600 bottle wine cellar was sold by Hornbuckle and his wife Wendy in 2024 for $3 million. The return wasn’t very impressive because they had paid $2.81 million for it back in 2005. The sale took place about ten months after the couple paid $8.25 million for a larger adjacent mansion with views of the mountains an infinity pool and a 1.25 acre blufftop location. The enhancement is difficult to ignore. These are not the actions of a liquidity conscious person.
A more complex picture is revealed by his stock trading pattern. Hornbuckle made an estimated $18.8 million by selling over 440 000 shares of MGM stock between 2021 and 2023. In January 2023 he sold 120 000 shares at a price of $41 apiece making around $4.9 million which was his biggest single transaction. Then in August 2024 he reversed course and repurchased almost 59 000 shares at $33.73 indicating that he perceived a return in value at that price. The purchasing and selling history shown by SEC filings over time indicates that the buyer was paying careful attention to valuation rather than just cashing out whenever available.
The specifics of Hornbuckle’s larger private holdings are yet unknown. Only publicly traded positions are included in SEC filings and a guy with his employment and remuneration history most likely possesses assets far larger than those listed in regulatory disclosures. His founding of the local Las Vegas banking institution Bank of George suggests deeper ties to the community and financial system that are not evident in stock tables.
What is apparent is that Hornbuckle has carefully amassed his wealth over decades through a combination of business progress astute insider trading and real estate timing indicative of a person who is well versed in the Las Vegas market. The fact that he is still the CEO of one of the most well known resort brands in the world at the age of 67 may be more important than whether his net worth eventually approaches $28 million or $59 million.
