Sheldon Adelson, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands and a major donor to Republican politicians, died late Monday following complications related to his cancer treatment, according to reporting from CNN Business. He was 87.
Adelson took a leave of absence from Sands last week to resume treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which his aides first disclosed in late February 2019.
He rose from a childhood in Boston to become one of the world’s richest men as founder and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp. He was Sands’ first employee, which has since grown to 50,000 employees.
“His impact on the industry will be everlasting,” the company said. Sands’ shares opened slightly higher Tuesday.
Adelson’s funeral will be held in Israel, the birthplace of his wife, Dr. Miriam Adelson, CNN reported. Plans for a memorial in Las Vegas, where he ran the Venetian and Palazzo casinos, will be held at a later date.