Life Lessons From Outgoing Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman -- At A Glance

On outlasting haters

“Almost everyone thought I would be temporary. I was referred to within the company as the company kidney stone: I came on suddenly, I would hurt like crazy, but at some point, I would pass and everybody would be OK.”

–Speaking at a lecture at the University of California, Berkeley, on Sept. 5, 2013

On fighting stereotypes

“You all have your own stereotypes of what an academic is: socially incompetent…unable to attract women…I’ve tried to suggest to people that my interest in academic life was a little different: that I was a really competitive jerk, that I liked to win.”

–Speaking at a lecture at Stanford University on Jan. 27, 2004

On studying a new environment

“First night I’m on the job—literally the first night—I left the Harvard classroom in the morning, I was in Atlantic City in the evening. I’m walking through the casino through a row of people playing slot machines, I say, ‘How’re you doing tonight, sir?’ He says,’[Expletive].’…The person who’s losing disproportionately hates ya. The guy who’s winning disproportionately loves ya. Both of these are opportunities.”

–Speaking at a lecture at the University of California, Berkeley, on Sept. 5, 2013

On managing

“You don’t have the luxury of typically human relationships. You don’t have the luxury to not like people that are close to you that you work with. You just can’t not like ‘em. You have to make that relationship successful.”

–Speaking at a lecture at Stanford University on Jan. 30, 2009

On marketing

“You work as a marketer for Apple, that’s a sissy’s job. You’ve been workin’ as a marketer for Blackberry? You gotta earn your work there. You market the N.Y. Yankees, you work half a day. You market the N.Y. Mets, you gotta get up early, you gotta work really hard.”

–Speaking at a lecture at New York University on Feb. 5, 2013

On sticking to what you know

“Steve Wynn is a genius at building fancy buildings. I know nothing. You wouldn’t want me to redecorate your basement. I mean I’m just incompetent—I have no, not even a pedestrian level of expertise. I don’t touch ‘em.”

–Speaking at a lecture at Stanford University on Jan. 27, 2004