Developer Sheldon Adelson dies; influencedU. S. policy on Israel

LAS VEGAS— Sheldon Adelson, who rose from a modest start as the son of an immigrant taxi driver to become a billionaire Republican power broker with a casino empire and influence on international politics, has died. He was 87.

Adelson died from complications related to treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Las Vegas Sands announced Tuesday. The company said last week that Adelson had stepped away from his role as CEO and chairman to resume treatments for the cancer, which he first announced in 2019.

In politics, Adelson was a recordbreaking campaign donor who had the ear of domestic and international leaders, including President Donald Trump. His advocacy redefined U.S. relations with Israel during the Trump administration and bolstered ties that U.S. politicians and American Jews had to the country.

Adelson, the son of Jewish immigrants, once said at a gambling conference that he hoped his legacy would not be his glitzy casinos or hotels but his impact in Israel, where he had a deep and lifelong attachment.