People
John Payne
John Payne is President and Chief Operating Officer of VICI Properties, an experiential real estate investment trust whose portfolio includes gaming, hospitality, and entertainment destinations. He joined VICI at its formation in October 2017 after a long operating career at Caesars Entertainment. VICI credits him with helping drive nearly $40 billion of investment volume over the eight years through 2025; the figure describes company investment activity during his tenure, not solely transactions he personally originated.
Updated
Known For
- Building and operating gaming and hospitality businesses at Caesars before joining VICI during its 2017 formation.
- Serving as VICI's President and COO from October 2017; the company says he helped drive nearly $40 billion of investment volume through 2025.
- Leading operating roles at Harrah's New Orleans and across Caesars' regional and central divisions before moving into corporate leadership.
Career
Payne was senior vice president and general manager of Harrah's New Orleans from 2002 to 2005, then held regional leadership roles at Caesars in the Gulf Coast and Atlantic City. He became president of Caesars' Central Division in 2007, led Enterprise Shared Services from 2012, and oversaw Central Markets and Partnership Development in 2013–14. In 2014, he became CEO of Caesars Entertainment Operating Company. VICI appointed him president and COO when the REIT was formed in October 2017. VICI's current profile says he has more than 25 years of gaming and hospitality experience. He earned a political science bachelor's degree from Duke and an MBA from Northwestern.
Related Pages
- Investor People Hub
- National Investor Benchmarks Hub
- VICI Properties
- Edward Pitoniak
Sources
- John Payne - VICI Properties
- VICI Properties - Corporate Governance - Management and Board of Directors - Person Details
- VICI Properties Management Team (career chronology and current title)
- Source: Top 200 Global CRE People and Families