Sheldon Adelson.Photo by Color China Photos/Zuma Press
It’s the least Mitt Romney could do for his biggest backer.
Casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam, will attend Romney’s election night party in Boston Tuesday evening, CNN reports. The Adelsons are the largest donors of the 2012 election cycle, giving more than $53 million in disclosed donations to candidates and super-PACs. That includes a staggering $20 million (that we know of) to Restore Our Future, the record-setting super-PAC devoted solely to electing Romney president.
The Adelsons’ entire record of giving in this election cycle is likely far greater. In April, Sheldon Adelson said that he planned to give millions more to dark-money nonprofit groups that don’t disclose their donors. Adelson later said in June he could give as much as $100 million to defeat Obama, and insiders familiar with Adelson’s giving told CNN that the Adelsons will come “very close” to meeting that goal.
Forbes puts Adelson’s net worth at $20.5 billion, making him the 14th-richest American. Ironically, no other American has gotten richer during Obama’s first term in office than Sheldon Adelson.
To better understand Adelson’s influence on the 2012 elections, check out these nifty charts.
