There are many outstanding personalities in the casino world, who inspire others by their example, but Sheldon Adelson, the chairman, and CEO of Las Vegas Sands, stands out among them. For some people, he is a brilliant strategist who has conquered the business world; for others, he is the epitome of luxury and wealth. He is a billionaire who has made himself and achieved what others can only dream about.
The Biography of Sheldon Adelson
He was born in Dorchester, near Boston, on August 6, 1933. His father was a poor Lithuanian immigrant who worked as a taxi driver. His mother, a housewife, was originally from Ukraine but was born in Wales after her family went to the United States from Kyiv. Sheldon's childhood was in poverty, and he began to make a living by selling newspapers.
After growing up, he entered the City College of New York with majors in corporate finance and real estate but didn't finish it. In the fifties, he served in the U.S. Army and settled as a court stenographer on Wall Street. Later he worked as a mortgage broker, an expert on investment, entrepreneur, and financial advisor.
After getting richer and returning to Boston, Adelson invested in various projects. Gradually, he became the owner of more than seventy-five companies.
In the late 1960s, the stock market crashed, but Sheldon could make a fortune on real estate transactions.
In the early seventies, he started organizing exhibitions and conferences. His show COMDEX (Computer Dealer Expo), which focused on computer dealers, was hugely successful. In 1995, Adelson sold it to Softbank for $860 million.
Sheldon Adelson's Casinos
Sheldon Adelson came to the gaming industry in 1988 when he and his partners bought the legendary hotel and casino The Sands in Las Vegas. A year later, they built the first private exhibition center in the U.S., The Sands Expo.
In 1991, Adelson and his wife Miriam had a honeymoon in Venice. After that, he decided to create a new casino in the Venetian style. The Sands was razed to the ground, and the hotel-casino The Venetian was built. Its construction costs were one and a half billion dollars. This complex was a sensation; it got numerous awards and was recognized as one of the best in the world many times.
Later, Sheldon Adelson turned his attention to Macau, building luxurious casinos:
- Sands Macao,
- Venetian Macao,
- Marina Bay Sands.
You can read about them in the articles at Casinoz.
Adelson is one of the 16 wealthiest people in the world. In 2011, his fortune was more than twenty-five billion dollars. He is known for his charity projects and is called the king of the casino industry and the richest Jew in the world.
