Derek Stevens (born September 17, 1967) is an American businessman who owns several hotel-casinos in downtown Las Vegas. Stevens, along with his brother Greg, purchased the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino in 2008, followed in 2011 by Fitzgeralds, which they renamed as The D Las Vegas. He also owned the Las Vegas 51s baseball team from 2008 to 2013, and built the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center in 2014. Stevens and his brother purchased the Las Vegas Club in 2015, and the Mermaids Casino a year later, demolishing both to build the Circa Resort & Casino. Stevens also launched Circa Sports, a chain of sportsbooks. Since the 1990s, he has also served as the CEO of Cold Heading Company, a manufacturer of auto parts that is based in his home state of Michigan. Early life and education Stevens was born on September 17, 1967, in Detroit, Michigan. His father John Stevens was an architect, and his mother, Betty, was a high school teacher who had studied math and physics. His grandfather, Rene DeSeranno, started Cold Heading Company, an auto-parts manufacturer, in Warren, Michigan in 1952. He has a younger brother, Greg Stevens. The family lived in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, and Stevens attended Grosse Pointe South High School, where he played baseball and some football. In 1990, Stevens graduated from University of Michigan, located in the city of Ann Arbor. Four years later, he earned a Master of Business Administration degree in finance, from Wayne State University in Detroit. He initially studied to be an engineer, but decided he wanted to be in business instead, after spending time in Ann Arbor. Career Stevens' first job was working for three years as a valet along the Detroit River. He visited Las Vegas for the first time in the late 1980s, and became enamored with its various attractions. He made frequent visits from then on, often to attend sporting events, as well as conventions. Stevens took over Cold Heading Company in 1993 or 1994, after the CEO stepped down. Stevens initially took the job on a temporary basis, but would remain in the position for decades. Cold Heading manufactures nuts and bolts for auto companies. The company added a second plant, in Indiana, in 1998, and later expanded operations to Ohio. It also purchased a manufacturer of fasteners in 1999. During the 1990s, Stevens began investing in gaming companies, buying stock in International