President Donald Trump, in a speech to Israel’s parliament, spotlighted mega-donor Miriam Adelson’s outsized influence on US policy toward Israel, recalling her frequent White House visits with her late husband, casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. Sheldon Adelson, who died in 2021, assembled the world’s largest casino empire as head of Las Vegas Sands Corp (LVS.N), opens new tab and put much of his fortune into nurturing conservative politicians and policies in the United States and Israel, Reuters reported. Both Adelsons have been known for their philanthropy and business ventures in Israel and donations to Jewish causes. “She loves Israel,” Trump told the Knesset on Monday, crediting the couple with shaping decisions like his 2017 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, his 2018 move of the US embassy to the holy city, and his 2019 endorsement of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. Gesturing to Adelson, an Israeli-born physician and a major donor to his presidential campaigns, Trump said, “Stand up, Miriam,” before recounting how the Adelsons would regularly call and visit him in the Oval Office. He joked that her husband was so persistent he’d “come in through the window,” underscoring the couple’s extraordinary access and impact on his administration. With a grin, Trump said, “She’s got $60 billion in the bank,” then added, “I think she is saying, ‘No, more,’” drawing laughter. He praised her as a wonderful woman whose devotion was so deep, she once refused to say which she loved more – Israel or the United States.
Who is Miriam Adelson?
Miriam Adelson assumed majority control of Las Vegas Sands in 2021 following the death of her husband, casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson. The company operates major casinos in Singapore and Macau, Al Jazeera reported. Adelson had controlled a larger share of the casino company’s stock when she married Sheldon in 1991, who had built Las Vegas Sands into a gambling empire with resorts across Asia and the US. After Sheldon’s death, Miriam took over the majority stake in the business. In 2022, the family sold their iconic Las Vegas Strip properties, including the Venetian resort, for $6.25bn. The following year, in 2023, Miriam Adelson also acquired majority ownership of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team. Born in Tel Aviv in 1945 after her parents immigrated from Poland, Adelson trained as a physician specialising in addiction treatment. Sheldon Adelson was one of the top Republican Party donors, giving millions to pro-Israel candidates. Go to Source
