By Sally Goldman
Miriam Adelson is one of the world’s wealthiest women, a prominent physician, business leader, and major political donor with deep ties to both the United States and Israel. As the widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, she has inherited and expanded a vast empire while wielding significant influence in Republican politics, particularly through her support for former President Donald Trump. Her life story blends medical expertise, entrepreneurial success, Zionist advocacy, and high-stakes philanthropy, making her a key figure in transatlantic relations.
Born Miriam Farbstein on October 10, 1945, in Tel Aviv during the British Mandate of Palestine (now Israel), Adelson grew up in a family that had fled Poland before the Holocaust. Her father was involved in left-wing politics as a member of Mapam and owned movie theaters in Haifa, where the family relocated in the 1950s. She attended the Hebrew Reali School for her primary and secondary education.
Adelson pursued higher education in Israel, earning a Bachelor of Science in microbiology and genetics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She later obtained her medical degree (MD) magna cum laude from Tel Aviv University’s Faculty of Medicine. Her early career included mandatory service in the Israeli military as a medical officer at Ness Ziona, followed by a role as chief internist in the emergency room at Tel Aviv’s Rokach Hospital.
In 1986, Adelson moved to the United States to join Rockefeller University as an associate physician, specializing in drug addiction. She collaborated for two decades with researcher Mary Jeanne Kreek on methadone therapy for heroin addiction, publishing numerous scientific papers and serving as a guest investigator. Together with her late husband, she founded the Adelson Clinics for substance abuse treatment, with branches in Israel (1993) and Las Vegas (2000), emphasizing medically assisted detox methods.
Adelson met Sheldon Adelson, a wealthy Jewish businessman and founder of Las Vegas Sands, on a blind date in 1989. They married in 1991, and she had two sons with him, Adam and Matan. Prior to this, she was married to physician Ariel Ochshorn, with whom she had two daughters; that marriage ended in divorce by 1986.
Following Sheldon’s death in 2021 from complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Miriam became the majority owner of Las Vegas Sands, one of the world’s largest casino and resort companies. She has also served as publisher of Israel Hayom, Israel’s most widely read newspaper, since 2018. In December 2023, she and her son-in-law Patrick Dumont acquired a controlling 69% stake in the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, with Dumont serving as team governor due to reported NBA concerns over her political profile. Adelson advocates for gambling legalization in Texas to expand her business interests.
Her net worth is estimated at around $40-47 billion as of late 2025, making her the richest Israeli citizen, the wealthiest person in Nevada, and one of the top 50 richest people globally.
Adelson shifted from Democratic leanings to becoming a staunch Republican after her marriage to Sheldon. The couple became major donors, with Miriam contributing $46 million in the 2012 U.S. elections alone, making her the top female donor that cycle. Their support extended to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 1996 campaign and U.S. President George W. Bush.
The Adelsons were instrumental in Donald Trump’s political rise. They were among his largest backers in 2016, contributing to his campaign, inauguration, and legal defense funds. In total, Miriam has donated $284 million lifetime to political causes, surpassing even Sheldon’s $273 million. For Trump’s 2024 campaign, she pledged and delivered over $100 million, including a $100 million gift in October 2024 through her super PAC, making her the third-largest donor that cycle. Her influence on policy is notable. During Trump’s first term, the Adelsons advocated for moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights—decisions Trump credited to them. In 2018, Trump awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She has pushed for U.S. support of West Bank annexation and backed Trump’s 2021 pardon of Israeli spy Aviem Sella. Adelson describes Trump as deserving a “Book of Trump” in the Bible for his pro-Israel stance.
In December 2025, at a White House Hanukkah reception, Adelson made headlines by jokingly offering Trump “another” $250 million to pursue a third term in 2028, prompting chants of “four more years” from attendees. Trump quipped about the offer, noting she had given similar amounts before, while emphasizing it would require constitutional changes—a notion prohibited by the 22nd Amendment. Trump has reportedly discussed the idea privately with attorney Alan Dershowitz, who is authoring a book exploring its hypothetical legality. While presented lightheartedly, the exchange highlights Adelson’s ongoing commitment to Trump’s agenda and her role in blending financial power with political ambition.
Adelson’s relationship with Israeli leadership has had ups and downs; she fell out with the Netanyahus around 2019 and testified in Benjamin Netanyahu’s 2024 corruption trial. Post the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, she supported hostage deals but criticized radicals and movements like Black Lives Matter.
Through the Adelson Family Foundation and Adelson Medical Research Foundation, she donates about $200 million annually to Jewish and Israeli causes—the largest private foundation of its kind. Key initiatives include over $250 million to Birthright Israel by 2015, funding for Ariel University’s medical school in the West Bank, and support for Yad Vashem, the Zionist Organization of America, and anti-BDS efforts via the Maccabee Task Force (over $70 million from 2013-2015). She has received honors like the 2008 Woodrow Wilson Award and honorary citizenship in Jerusalem.
Adelson’s work continues to focus on healthcare, addiction treatment, and strengthening ties between the U.S. and Israel. As a board member of the University of Southern California, she remains active in education and research.
Miriam Adelson exemplifies how personal background, professional expertise, and immense wealth can shape global politics. From her roots in Israel to her boardrooms in Las Vegas, she has built a legacy of influence that extends far beyond business. Whether through her medical contributions, casino empire, or political donations, Adelson remains a polarizing yet pivotal figure, often at the intersection of American conservatism and Zionist advocacy. As debates over her recent third-term quip illustrate, her impact on U.S. policy and elections shows no signs of waning.
