already planning to build the Wynn Macau resort in China, and said, "Others have finally convinced me that the Wynn name would allow us to cross-market and offer a consistency of branding for all our properties". Three individuals in particular helped convince him to change the name: businessmen Barry Diller and Donald Trump, and film director Steven Spielberg. France was opposed to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and this was also a reason for changing the resort's name. According to chief architect DeRuyter Butler: "The name Le Reve is very closely tied to France, which was an opponent to our political approach to Iraq. It wasn't anything derogatory toward France, but Mr. Wynn started to look at other potential names". Wynn's surname signature is used as the resort's logo, and is present in neon lettering along the top of the hotel tower. The logo ends with a period punctuation mark. According to longtime local reporter Steve Friess, the resort "screamed Wynn Period as if to say, 'This is the Wynn. Period.' Wynn once told me as much, explaining it was a subtle way of saying that this is the definition of his embodiment as a resort, the ultimate". In a 2005 commercial, Wynn himself promoted the resort as "the only one I've ever signed my name to". Financing and construction The Desert Inn's Augusta Tower was imploded in October 2001, and construction on the new resort was scheduled to begin two months later. However, this was delayed by complications in excavating the former site of the Augusta Tower. The resort was expected to cost $1.6 billion, and the start of construction was further delayed by difficulty acquiring funds. By June 2002, the project cost had increased to $1.8 billion. This would make it the most expensive casino resort in the world, topping Wynn's $1.6 billion Bellagio. Wynn announced that the project would be partly financed by bank loans and Aruze, in addition to an initial public offering (IPO) in Wynn Resorts. Wynn had previously wanted to retain private ownership and dismissed the idea of selling stock to raise financing. Wynn Resorts hoped to raise $470 million through the IPO, selling one-third of its shares; the remainder would be held by Wynn himself and Aruze. Ahead of the IPO launch, Wynn traveled around the U.S. to pitch his plans, spending three weeks on the road. Investors were apprehensive about the project