Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson dies at 87

American business tycoon and well-known Republican supporter Sheldon Adelson died on Monday, according to a statement released on Tuesday from the Las Vegas Sands company, reported AFP.

“Our founder and visionary leader, Sheldon G. Adelson, passed away last night at the age of 87 from complications related to treatment for non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,” the statement read.

A supporter of outgoing US President Donald Trump as well as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Adelson was as famous for his luxury hotels, casinos and convention centres spanning from Las Vegas to China as he was for the millions he donated to the Republican Party.

Forbes estimated his net worth at $35 billion as of Tuesday.

Adelson was a major donor to Trump and fiercely opposed former Democratic president Barack Obama, giving nearly $220 million to the current outgoing president and his fellow Republicans in Congress during the 2020 election.

In a statement, former president George W Bush, a Republican called Adelson an “American patriot, a generous benefactor of charitable causes, and a strong supporter of Israel.”

“Sheldon battled his way out of a tough Boston neighbourhood to build a successful enterprise that loyally employed tens of thousands — and entertained millions,” Bush said.