Sheldon Adelson, the US casino magnate and prominent Republican donor and philanthropist, has passed away after a long illness, his wife announced on Tuesday. He was 87.
Adelson was the billionaire founder of Las Vegas Sands and is credited with transforming the cities of Las Vegas and Macau into gaming and resort destinations. He leveraged his vast wealth to exert social and political influence on causes from Jewish affairs to combating opioid addiction, bought regional newspapers in Nevada and Israel and befriended world leaders around the globe.
Most recently, Adelson was a close confidant of US president Donald Trump and wielded power behind the scenes, including successfully urging Mr Trump to push for the relocation of the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.