They said a person rolled a big wheel if he was important and had influence.

VOA: special.2009.11.29

You spin this big wheel and it rotates for a while and then it stops at one number, but obviously a random number, because this wheel of fortune had all the numbers from zero to one hundred.

你转动那个大轮盘,它会旋转一会儿,最后停在一个数字上,显然是一个随机数,因为幸运轮盘可以指向,0到100的的任何数

耶鲁公开课 - 金融市场课程节选

As in many machines, a big wheel makes the little wheels turn.

VOA: special.2009.11.29

Big wheel is another way to describe an important person.

VOA: special.2009.11.29

Big wheel became a popular expression after World War Two.

VOA: special.2009.11.29