Sheldon Gary Adelson (1933–2021) was an American billionaire businessman, casino magnate, investor, major political donor, and philanthropist. Born into a working-class Jewish immigrant family in Boston, Massachusetts, he began his entrepreneurial journey young, selling newspapers at age 10 and later engaging in various ventures including a pack-a-day candy business, a vending machine operation, a charter bus company, finance, real estate, and trade shows such as COMDEX, which helped him amass his initial fortune. He dropped out of the City College of New York after two years to pursue business full-time. His breakthrough came in the casino industry; in 1988, he purchased the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for $110 million and transformed it into the Sands Expo and Convention Center, pioneering the modern Las Vegas 'convention-driven' business model. He later developed The Venetian and Palazzo resorts in Las Vegas and sold the original Sands to fund this expansion. As founder, chairman, and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corporation, he expanded globally, building iconic properties including The Venetian Macao, the development of the Cotai Strip in Macau, China, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, and multiple resorts in Macao, turning the company into one of the world's largest casino operators and a global powerhouse in the integrated resort and gaming industry.

A devout Orthodox Jew and staunch Zionist, Adelson was a prominent philanthropist, donating hundreds of millions to Jewish causes, medical research, and education through the Adelson Family Foundation, notably co-founding Birthright Israel with his wife Miriam (married in 1991) to fund free trips to Israel for young Jewish adults. Politically, he was arguably the most influential Republican megadonor of the 21st century and a key funder of the conservative advocacy network, which includes groups such as Concerned Veterans for America. He was heavily invested in pro-Israel causes and conservative politics, serving as a major donor to the Republican Party and Israeli causes, including as a leading donor to Republican campaigns and Netanyahu's Likud party. He was a staunch supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hawkish Israel policies, contributing over $500 million to conservative causes, including $218 million to support Donald Trump's 2020 reelection campaign (making him the largest individual donor in U.S. election history), as well as funding GOP super PACs and Netanyahu-aligned causes in Israel. His influence extended to Israeli politics, where he was a close friend and supporter of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He owned media outlets including the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Israel Hayom (a free pro-Netanyahu newspaper he co-founded and launched in 2007), and Makor Rishon, using them to promote pro-Israel and conservative viewpoints. His pro-Israel stance and opposition to the Iran nuclear deal shaped his advocacy, notably contributing to the 2018 relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and playing a critical role in the Trump administration's decision to move it.

Adelson's career was marked by controversies, including labor disputes at his casinos, allegations of union-busting, corporate misconduct in Macao, a 2015 settlement with the U.S. Justice Department and SEC for $9 million over anti-money laundering violations at Las Vegas Sands properties in Las Vegas and Macao, lawsuits over business practices such as evictions and construction disputes, and criticism for his media ownership's perceived bias and using his wealth to sway elections. Health issues plagued his later years; he battled non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and passed away in 2021 at age 87. At his death, his net worth was estimated at $35 billion, with his widow Miriam Adelson inheriting control of his empire, leaving behind a legacy of business innovation and political influence marred by ethical debates over his donor activities.