Sheldon Adelson
Founder of Las Vegas Sands and leading Republican donor; died in 2021.
Sheldon Adelson, who died in January 2021, set the modern benchmark for Republican mega-donors giving in their own names. TEXAS PAC's 15 October 2026 report, which lists a single donor committee and no person, is the contrast.
Last refreshed: 18 October 2026
Timeline for Sheldon Adelson
Gave over $100m with Miriam Adelson in 2018
US Midterms 2026: Mentioned in: Texas PAC's only donor got Musk's sumsBackground
Sheldon Adelson is the yardstick for very large Republican giving made under the donor's own name. In the 2018 cycle he and Miriam Adelson gave more than $100m to Republican committees, much of it to the Senate and House leadership super PACs. The 2026 comparison is with TEXAS PAC, whose filing shows another committee, not a person, as its only source of money.
Adelson founded Las Vegas Sands and served as its chairman and chief executive. He owned the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He died on 11 January 2021, aged 87.
His giving remains the benchmark because the donor was never in doubt: the committees he funded reported him by name.
Who was Sheldon Adelson?
How much did the Adelsons give Republicans in 2018?
When did Sheldon Adelson die?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 18 October 2026. Editorial standards.