Miriam Adelson

Miriam Adelson is an Israeli-American physician, philanthropist, and conservative political donor. Adelson is the widow of the late billionaire businessman and philanthropist Sheldon Adelson. In 2007, the Adelsons established the Adelson Family Foundation, a private grantmaking organization that primarily supports programs that benefit the state of Israel and the Jewish people. 1

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At-A-Glance

Occupation: Donor
Ideological Alignment: Right of Center
Issue Areas: Tech Policy, Foreign Policy
Nationality:

Israeli-American

Born:

1945

Occupations:

Medical Doctor, Philanthropist

Spouse:

Sheldon Adelson

Contents

    Miriam Adelson and her late husband Sheldon Adelson reportedly spent over $500 million on donations to support Republican political campaigns, nonprofits advancing pro-Israeli advocacy, and conservative-leaning causes. 2

    Since Donald Trump won the Republican nomination for president in 2016, Miriam Adelson has been a major donor to his campaigns and appeared to encourage President Trump to run for an unconstitutional third term in the 2028 elections at a White House event.  3

    As of February 9, 2026, Forbes estimated that Miriam Adelson and her family’s net worth was $37.8 billion.  4

    Early Life

    Miriam Farbstein was born in 1945 to Menucha and Simha Farbstein, who fled Poland ahead of the Holocaust and settled in Haifa in what would become Israel. Her father owned several movie theaters and the family lived by modest means. Her first husband was physician Ariel Ochshorn, with whom she had two children. In 1991, she married Sheldon Adelson, the late chair and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands casino-management firm, whom she met on a blind date in 1988. 5

    Education and Career

    Miriam Adelson earned a degree in microbiology and genetics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, worked in the biological research department during her mandatory military service in Israel, and then earned a medical degree from the Sackler Medical School at Tel Aviv University. 6

    After working as chief internist in an emergency room at the Rokach Hospital in Tel Aviv, Miriam Adelson worked as an associate physician at Rockefeller University in New York. At Rockefeller, Adelson studied drug addiction and chemical dependency, especially as it related to the spread of HIV among drug addicts. In 1993, she founded a research clinic and substance abuse center at Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center, with a mission based on treating addiction as a disease. In 2000, the Adelsons opened the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Research Clinic in Las Vegas,  6 where Miriam Adelson was the chair and medical director as of 2026. 7 The Adelsons established the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation in 2006 to advance biomedical research. 8

    Miriam Adelson is also the publisher of Israel Hayom, a Hebrew-language free daily Israeli newspaper. 9 The newspaper was financed by Sheldon Adelson, who was a friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and has been criticized due to claims that he served as Netanyahu’s mouthpiece. 10

    Miriam Adelson along with her daughter and son-in-law, Sivan and Patrick Dumont, are the majority owners of the Dallas Mavericks NBA team. The controlling shares of the organization were sold to them by Mark Cuban in January 2024 for $3.5 billion. 11

    Political Activism

    Miriam Adelson and her late husband Sheldon Adelson have reportedly donated over $500 million to the political campaigns of Republican party candidates, nonprofit groups conducting pro-Israel advocacy, and conservative advocacy groups. 2

    During the 2016 election cycle, she initially donated to the campaign of then-U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) in the Republican primary. Following Donald Trump winning the Republican nomination, Adelson contributed $10 million to Future45, a Republican super PAC supporting Trump’s 2016 election.  12

    Adelson continued to donate to campaigns of Republican candidates during the 2018 midterm election cycle and contributed $25 million to the Senate Leadership Fund and $27.5 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund.  12

    In the 2020 election cycle, Adelson supported President Trump’s presidential reelection campaign with a contribution of $45 million to the pro-Trump Preserve America PAC along with smaller contributions to the Trump Victory PAC and the Donald J. Trump for President PAC.  12

    In 2024, Adelson’s largest contributions went to Republican and pro-Trump PACs like Preserve America ($106 million), the Senate Leadership Fund ($15 million), and the Congressional Leadership Fund ($10 million). She also contributed to Republican parties across multiple states and to the campaigns of Republican party candidates including those of Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Justice (R-WV), and Tim Sheehy (R-MT). 12

    In December 2025, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reported that Miriam Adelson urged Trump to run for a third term in the 2028 election during a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House, despite election to a third term being prohibited by the 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution. 13 NBC also reported that after whispering something to Trump, he said she would donate “another $250 million” to his next campaign. 3

    Political Contributions

    170 Freedom Milwaukee 2024 Host Committee (political party)

    Alabama Republican Party (political party)

    Alaska Republican Party (political party)

    American Excellence PAC (PAC)

    California Republican Party Federal Account (political party)

    Colorado Republican Committee (political party)

    Congressional Leadership Fund (hybrid PAC)

    Connecticut Republican State Central Committee (political party)

    Cruz for President (campaign committee)

    DC Republican Party Federal Account (political party)

    Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. (PAC)

    Future45 (super PAC)

    Georgia Republican Party (political party)

    Hardworking Americans Inc. (super PAC)

    Idaho Republican Party (political party)

    Illinois Republican Party Federal (political party)

    Indiana Republican State Committee (political party)

    Kansas Republican Party (political party)

    Las Vegas Sands Corp. Political Action Committee (Sands PAC) (PAC)

    Maine Republican Party (political party)

    Maryland Republican State Central Committee (political party)

    Massachusetts Republican Party (political party)

    Michigan Republican Party (political party)

    Mississippi Republican Party (political party)

    Missouri Republican State Committee Federal (political party)

    Montana Republican State Central Committee (political party)

    National Republican Senatorial Committee (political party)

    Nevada Republican Central Committee (political party)

    Never Surrender (PAC)

    North Carolina Republican Party (political party)

    North Dakota Republican Party (political party)

    New Hampshire Republican State Committee (political party)

    New Jersey Republican State Committee (political party)

    NY Republican Federal Campaign Committee (political party)

    Ohio Republican Party (political party)

    Oklahoma Leadership Council (political party)

    Oregon Republican Party (political party)

    Preserve America (super PAC)

    Protecting Americans Project Action Fund (hybrid PAC)

    Republican Campaign Committee of New Mexico (political party)

    Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania (political party)

    Republican National Committee (political party)

    Republican Party of Arizona (political party)

    Republican Party of Arkansas (political party)

    Republican Party of Florida (political party)

    Republican Party of Guam (political party)

    Republican Party of Iowa (political party)

    Republican Party of Kentucky (political party)

    Republican Party of Louisiana (political party)

    Republican Party of Minnesota Federal (political party)

    Republican Party of Virginia (political party)

    Republican Party of Texas (political party)

    Republican Party of Wisconsin (political party)

    Republican State Committee of Delaware (political party)

    Rhode Island Republican State Central Committee (political party)

    RJC Victory Fund (super PAC)

    Save America (PAC)

    Senate Leadership Fund (super PAC)

    South Carolina Republican Party (political party)

    South Dakota Republican Party (political party)

    Tennessee Republican Party Federal Election Account (political party)

    Truth and Courage (super PAC)

    Trump 47 Committee (PAC)

    Utah Republican Party (political party)

    Washington State Republican Party (political party)

    West Virginia Republican Party (political party)

    Win it Back PAC (super PAC)

    Wyoming Republican Party (political party)

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    References

    1. “Home.” Adelson Family Foundation. Accessed February 9, 2026. https://adelsonfoundation.org/AFF/.
    2. Yakowicz, Will and Bertoni, Steven. “The Improbable Life of Sheldon Adelson, Republican Kingmaker and Casino Billionaire.” Forbes. January 12, 2021. Accessed February 15, 2026. https://www.forbes.com/sites/willyakowicz/2021/01/12/casino-billionaire-republican-power-broker-and-trump-ally-sheldon-adelson-is-dead/.
    3. Bahari, Sarah. “Dallas Mavericks owner Miriam Adelson urges Trump to run for third term.” NBC DFW, December 18, 2025. Accessed February 16, 2026. https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/sports/dallas-mavericks/dallas-mavericks-owner-miriam-adelson-urges-trump-to-run-for-third-term/3958248/.
    4. “Miriam Adelson & family.” Forbes. Accessed February 9, 2026. https://www.forbes.com/profile/miriam-adelson/?sh=20b58b759c40.
    5. Musleah, Rahel. “Miriam Adelson.” Hadassah Magazine, October/November 2014. Accessed February 15, 2026. https://www.hadassahmagazine.org/2014/10/22/miriam-adelson/.
    6. McDonald, Duff. “Meet the woman behind Sheldon Adelson.” Fortune, February 8, 2012. Accessed February 15, 2026. https://fortune.com/2012/02/08/meet-the-woman-behind-sheldon-adelson/.
    7. “Staff.” Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Research Clinic. Accessed February 15, 2026. https://adelsoncliniclasvegas.com/staff/.
    8. “AMRF.” Adelson Foundation. Accessed February 15, 2026. https://www.adelsonfoundation.org/AMRF/.
    9. “Dr. Miriam Adelson.” Israel Hayom. Accessed February 14, 2026. https://www.israelhayom.com/writer/dr-miriam-adelson/.
    10. Heller, Aron. “A look at the corruption scandals facing Israel’s Netanyahu.” The Associated Press, November 21, 2019. Accessed February 14, 2026. https://apnews.com/general-news-af91f7095bb44745aff139001a9ef725.
    11. Gavin, Mike. “Who is the owner of the Dallas Mavericks? Meet the Adelson family.” NBC DFW, June 6, 2024. Accessed February 15, 2026. https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/sports/miriam-adelson-dallas-mavericks-mark-cuban/3561775/.
    12. “Individual Contributions: Miriam Adelson.” Federal Election Commission. Accessed February 15, 2026. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=miriam+adelson.
    13. U.S. Constitution – Twenty-Second Amendment | Resources | Constitution Annotated | congress.gov | Library of Congress. Accessed February 24, 2026. https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-22/.