Late billionaire casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson was the former CEO of Las Vegas Sands who died a billionaire and the spouse of Miriam Adelson. How he died, his fortune, and biography facts explored.
The Adelson family headed by matriarchy, Miriam Adelson, is set to buy a stake in investor Mark Cuban‘s NBA team Dallas Mavericks.
Miriam Adelson, the largest shareholder in Las Vegas Sands, is the widow of casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who died on January 11, 2021.
When the $3.5 billion deal is sealed, Miriam will own a majority share, according to media reports that cited sources familiar with the deal. The deal will reportedly see Cuban retain partial ownership of the Mavericks franchise and remain in control of the team’s basketball operations.
This led to many in an inquisition over who Sheldon Adelson was, how he died, and how much he was worth. Keep reading for more about the late billionaire.
Who was Sheldon Adelson?
Sheldon Adelson (real name: Sheldon Gary Adelson), 87, was a real estate developer, philanthropist, and businessman.
He was the chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp and worked to integrate luxury hotel casinos with convention centers.
The executive owns more than half of the $14 billion sales gambling empire, which has casinos in Las Vegas, Singapore, and Macao, China.
Additionally, he was the pioneer of building the Venetian Hotel in the famous Vegas Strip.
He spent nearly $1.5 billion to build the hotel and recreate the famous St. Marks’ Square with waterways and gondolas to give tourists the feel of Venice.
Adelson was also a big Trump supporter and political donor, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to Republican candidates and conservative political action committees.
In 2018, he donated over $128 million to Republican campaigns.
Additionally, he was also the newspaper owner of the Israel Hayom in Tel Aviv since 2007 and purchased the Las Vegas Review-Journal in December 2015.
What was Sheldon Adelson’s net worth?
Adelson was reportedly worth over $35 billion dollars.
He was born to a poor Lithuanian and Welsh immigrant family and slept on the floor of a Boston tenement.
Adelson went on to attend City College of New York but did not graduate and joined the army instead.
After being discharged, he started a charters tour business and soon became a millionaire.
Over the course of his career, Adelson was the owner of over 50 businesses and counting.
After being named in the Forbes richest list, he claimed he had never planned on being wealthy, saying: “I never thought about becoming wealthy. It never crossed my mind. What really motivated me was to try to accomplish something,” according to gamblingsites.
When did Sheldon Adelson die?
Adelson died on January 11 after battling cancer for almost a year.
He had been diagnosed in 2001 with peripheral neuropathy, restricting his ability to stand and walk.
His wife, Dr. Miriam Adelson confirmed his death a day later in a statement via Las Vegas Sands writing: “It is with unbearable pain that I announce the death of my husband, Sheldon G. Adelson, of complications from a long illness.
Adding: “To me – as to his children, grandchildren, and his legions of friends and admirers, employees and colleagues – he is utterly irreplaceable.”
As news about his death quickly spread, Donald Trump Jr. shared his sentiments about Adelson’s life on Twitter, writing: “Sheldon was a true American patriot and a giant among men. He treated his employees like family. His philanthropic generosity changed countless lives.
Adding: “The US-Israel relationship is stronger today because of him. My heart goes out to the Adelson family.”
Who is Miriam Adelson, Sheldon Adelson’s widow wife?
Miriam Adelson (real name: Miriam Ochshorn Adelson) is famous as the spouse of late billionaire Sheldon Adelson.
By profession, Miriam Adelson is a physician born on October 10, 1945, in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Growing up, Miriam went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in microbiology and genetics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
She later went on to get her medical degree at Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Medical School.
In 1986, Miriam went to work as a physical with a concentration in drug addiction at Rockefeller University.
She went on to marry Sheldon Adelson — CEO of the large casino company Las Vegas Sands.
As she continued to dedicate her studies to her research, Miriam went on to open the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Research Clinic in Las Vegas.
Adelson is survived by his wife, his three sons: Gary, Adam, and Matan Adelson; three daughters, Shelley Adelson, Sivan Dumont, and Yasmin Lukatz; and 11 grandchildren.