Sheldon Adelson, Billionaire Casino Magnate, Dies Aged 87
The renowned gambling mogul and Republican donor passed away due to complications from lymphoma, reports say.
Billionaire casino owner and Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson has died of complication from “a long illness”, his wife announced on Tuesday. He was 87.
“It is with unbearable pain that I announce the death of my husband, Sheldon G Adelson,” Dr Miriam Adelson said. A Nevada newspaper reported his cause of death as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which Adelson was diagnosed with in 2019.
Born in 1933 and raised in a Boston suburb to Jewish parents, Adelson went on to found and serve as chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp, the largest gambling company in the world, from its inception in 1988. Aside from the immense Venetian and Palazzo casino-resorts in Las Vegas, he also owned the Venetian Macau in China and the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
By the time of his death he ranked among the wealthiest people in the world, with Forbes estimating his net worth as greater than $33 billion.
Aside from his business life, Adelson was active in American politics and well-known for his conservative views, particularly in relation to Israel. He offered wide-ranging financial support to Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories and was a significant opponent of Palestinian statehood.
Adelson was renowned as a megadonor for the GOP. Together with his wife, he pledged more than $525 million to federal political campaigns and committees since the 2010 election cycle, according to OpenSecrets.
Adelson was also President Donald Trump’s largest donor, with a total of $172.7 million given to the Trump campaign and lesser Republican campaigns since the 2016 race. Trump awarded Miriam Adelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018.
The Las Vegas Sands said Adelson’s funeral is set to be held in Israel, with a memorial service in Las Vegas to be announced at a later date.
