Major Trump donor and casino magnate Sheldon Adelson has passed away at 87, following a long battle with cancer.
Zionist and Republican donor Sheldon Adelson was announced dead on Tuesday, due to complications from cancer treatment. Adelson, considered to be one of the world’s richest men, battled non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma since his diagnosis in 2019.
“It is with unbearable pain that I announce the death of my husband, Sheldon G Adelson,” Miriam Adelson said the statement.
The son of Jewish immigrants, Adelson built his enormous wealth in the latter part of his life through investments in casinos and resorts. Forbes estimates his net worth to be over $33 billion.
“If you do things differently, success will follow you like a shadow,” he said during a 2014 talk to the gambling industry in Las Vegas.
In the late stages of his life, Adelson held a deep influence in American politics, offering donations to Trump and the Republican party. Over the years, it is estimated that the tycoon donated almost half a billion dollars to the party.
Did you post about your heart going out to the families of the people you helped get murdered? 🤔
— Judy Gilbert-Wormser (@Judysmokeshow) January 12, 2021
The Adelson family have been top donors in almost every major election since 2016, smashing the record for the highest donation given by an individual by nearly $172 million.
The billionaire was particularly involved with American-Israeli relations, supporting Israel’s occupation in Palestine: an event which has been condemned by world powers and is considered illegal. Adelson financed many Jewish settlements in Palestine and offered to fund the US Embassy move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, asserting Israel’s sovereignty in the disputed Golan Heights.
Life Bans Sheldon Adelson From Its Platform pic.twitter.com/YO5XqQk2UZ
— The Backward (@dailybackward) January 12, 2021
Adelson’s death was mourned by Israeli nationalists, including former Israeli defence minister Naftali Bennett, who said Adelson would be “forever be recorded in the annals in the State of Israel.”
“Along with his wife Miri, Sheldon was one of the greatest contributors in history to the Jewish people, Zionism, settlements, and the state of Israel,” he added.
Local media reports say Adelson’s funeral will be held in Israel.
