What is Miriam Adelson's Net Worth?
Miriam Adelson is an Israeli American physician, political donor, and casino heiress with a net worth of $34 billion. Miriam accumulated this wealth through her long marriage to the late casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who passed away on January 11, 2021. Upon Sheldon's death, Miriam inherited a majority stake in Las Vegas Sands, a casino empire generating over $4 billion in revenue annually. She holds 47% of the company's publicly-traded stock and has received $10 billion worth of dividends over the last three decades. Before November 2023, she owned 57% of the shares but sold approximately $2 billion worth in preparation to acquire the Dallas Mavericks from Mark Cuban.
As a medical doctor and former Israeli army member, Miriam founded two substance abuse treatment clinics, one in the United States and one in Israel. She met Sheldon on a blind date in 1991, and they were together until his death in 2021. Today, she is one of the richest women in the world.
Miriam and Sheldon were also prominent donors to Republican candidates and conservative causes.
Early Life
Miriam Farbstein was born on October 10, 1945, in Tel Aviv, Mandatory Palestine. Her parents escaped Poland before the Holocaust and settled in the Middle East. The family eventually moved to Haifa, Israel, where her father opened a chain of movie theaters.
She earned a bachelor's degree in microbiology and genetics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an M.D. from Tel Aviv University's Sackler Medical School. Miriam then worked as an emergency room doctor at Rokach Hospital in Tel Aviv, where she rose to the position of chief internist. After marrying Dr. Ariel Ochshorn and having two sons, Miriam divorced in the early 1980s and moved to New York City in 1986 to specialize in drug addiction treatment.
Sheldon Adelson Marriage
In 1986, Miriam moved to New York City for a job at Rockefeller University, focusing on drug addiction. She met Sheldon Adelson in 1989 on a blind date, and they married in 1991. During their honeymoon in Venice, Italy, Sheldon envisioned a mega hotel/resort modeled after an Italian city, which ultimately led to the creation of The Venetian.
(Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images)
Casino Fortune
Sheldon Adelson initially amassed his fortune through the Las Vegas COMDEX computer industry trade show, launched in 1979. In 1988, he purchased the Sands Casino for $110 million. By 1991, Sheldon had demolished the Sands and invested $1.5 billion to construct his dream mega resort, The Venetian.
In 1995, Sheldon and his partners sold their trade show business to SoftBank for $862 million, earning him over $500 million.
Sheldon expanded his casino empire to international locations such as Macau and Singapore.
Republican/Conservative Donations
Sheldon and Miriam Adelson were generous supporters of Donald Trump, especially during his Presidency. It was estimated that the Adelsons donated $200 million to Trump and the Republican Party during the 2020 election cycle.
In 2012, they contributed $93 million to Republicans, followed by $82.58 million in 2016 and $123.25 million during the 2018 midterm elections.
Dallas Mavericks
In November 2023, Miriam sold $2 billion worth of her Las Vegas Sands shares to acquire the majority of the Dallas Mavericks from Mark Cuban, valuing the team at $3.5 billion. This is slightly lower than the team's prior $4.5 billion valuation but represents a significant return on investment from the $285 million that Cuban paid in 2000 to Ross Perot.
Interestingly, Cuban will retain 100% control of basketball operations while maintaining a minority ownership stake.
Personal Life
Miriam was married to Ariel Ochshorn, with whom she had two daughters, before divorcing in 1980. She married Sheldon in 1991, and they remained together until his death in 2021. Sheldon had three adopted children from a previous marriage.
In 2015, one of Miriam's daughters from her first marriage, Yasmin Lukatz, purchased a mansion in Atherton, California for $35 million. In May 2022, she sold it for $45 million.
Las Vegas Mansion
In 2005, Sheldon and Miriam paid $4.1 million for a 2-acre property in Las Vegas. Over eight years, they built an extravagant 43,500 square foot mansion with 8 bedrooms and 20 bathrooms. The estate includes three lots and features a private water park in the backyard, making it the largest private residence in Clark County, Nevada.
Malibu Colony
Over several decades, Sheldon and Miriam acquired nine oceanfront homes in the exclusive Malibu Colony gated neighborhood, representing around 10% of all the homes in the area.
