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Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson has died. He was 87.

Adelson was 87.

Published: January 12, 2021 8:17am

Updated: January 12, 2021 11:22am

Billionaire casino owner and Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson died Monday night. He was 87.

His company, Las Vegas Sands, said Tuesday that Adelson died from complications related to treatment for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

"Born to immigrant parents and raised in a poor section of Boston, Mr. Adelson went from a teenager selling newspapers on a street corner to becoming one of the world's most successful entrepreneurs," the company said in a statement about Adleson, the company's founder and chief executive officer. "His impact on the industry will be everlasting."

Adelson, who built a casino empire spanning from Las Vegas to China, became a major force in domestic and international politics. His support was essentially critical for any Republican running for president. 

His wife, Miriam Adelson, also released a statement announcing Adelson's death.

"Sheldon was a generous benefactor of charitable causes, especially medical research and Jewish heritage education. He will be missed by many – none more than his beloved family," said former President George W. Bush, who received financial backing from Adelson. 

Bush also called Adelson "an American patriot, a generous benefactor of charitable causes, and a strong supporter of Israel."

Adelson was the son of Jewish immigrants and raised with two siblings in a Boston tenement, according to the Associated Press

In 2018, Forbes ranked him No. 15 in the U.S., worth an estimated $35.5 billion, the wire service also reports.

“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 Las Vegas, Macao and Singapore, Mr. Adelson's vision for integrated resorts transformed the industry, changed the trajectory of the company he founded and reimagined tourism in each of those markets," the company also said in announcing Adelson's death. 

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