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July 30, 2026Short & citedBlog
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Money & Work • Philanthropy

Miriam Adelson

Miriam Adelson is an Israeli-American physician, businesswoman, philanthropist, and political donor.

Updated July 30, 20261 min readCited sources

Miriam Adelson is an Israeli-American physician, businesswoman, and philanthropist. She is the widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and a major shareholder of Las Vegas Sands.

Who is Miriam Adelson?

Born in Tel Aviv in 1945, Miriam Adelson trained as a physician and specialised in addiction medicine. She married Sheldon Adelson in 1991 and became closely tied to his business and philanthropic ventures. Her medical background informed her later charitable work in substance-abuse research and treatment.

Business and wealth

After her husband's death, Miriam Adelson inherited a controlling stake in Las Vegas Sands, the global casino and resort company. She is also the publisher of Israel Hayom, a major Israeli daily newspaper. Bloomberg identifies her as a majority shareholder of Las Vegas Sands, making her one of the wealthiest women in the world.

Philanthropy and political influence

Adelson has funded addiction-treatment centres and medical research in Israel and the United States. She and her family are major donors to Israeli, Jewish, and Republican political causes. Her political giving has made her a prominent figure in conservative U.S. politics and pro-Israel advocacy.

In short

  • Israeli-American physician turned billionaire philanthropist
  • Majority owner of Las Vegas Sands casino empire
  • Publisher of Israel Hayom newspaper
  • Top donor to Republican and pro-Israel causes

Quick questions

Who is Miriam Adelson?
She is an Israeli-American physician, businesswoman, philanthropist, and political donor best known as the widow of Sheldon Adelson.
What is Miriam Adelson known for?
She is known for her work in addiction medicine, major ownership in Las Vegas Sands, philanthropy, and significant political donations.
What companies is Miriam Adelson associated with?
She is a majority shareholder of Las Vegas Sands and the publisher of Israel Hayom.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Adelson
    Supports: Birth date, identity, marriage to Sheldon Adelson, current publisher of Israel Hayom, wealth estimate, business associations.
  2. UNLV Special Collections — https://special.library.unlv.edu/jewishheritage/people/dr-miriam-adelson
    Supports: Medical training, addiction specialty, founding of treatment and research centres, philanthropic activities.
  3. Bloomberg — https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/miriam-o-adelson/
    Supports: Majority shareholder status in Las Vegas Sands and family wealth profile.
  4. The Times of Israel — https://www.timesofisrael.com/5-things-to-know-about-miriam-adelson/
    Supports: Doctoral background, philanthropic giving, Adelson Medical Research Foundation, public role.
  5. The Guardian — https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/07/meet-dr-miriam-adelson-the-record-breaking-republican-donor-driving-trumps-israel-policy
    Supports: Political donor role, Israeli background, public influence.