Born August 1, 1933, Sheldon Gary Adelson is an American billionaire businessman and property developer. As the third richest person in the United States, Adelson's net worth of 26-billion dollars has earned this CEO the respect and admiration of millions who wish to follow in his footsteps.

Adelson is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., which is the parent company of Venetian Macao Limited, which also operates The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and the Sands Expo and Convention Center. Adelson's biggest increase in wealth came when he sold 10% of his casino shares to the public.

Adelson has recently bore the brunt of rumor and scandal. He has come under fire for his involvement with right-wing lobbying groups. The allegations suggest that Adelson has financed several unsuccessful Republican congressional candidates and has attempted to raise as much as $250 million to attack Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

Adelson has also been accused many times of attempting to purchase political favor. But Adelson, undeterred by rumors, has continued, even in failing health, to increase his fortune and operate his business. The son of a taxi driver, his road to riches wasn't paved in gold.

Adelson's parents were Jewish-Americans. His mother's family emigrated to the U.S. from the Ukraine, and his father's family hails from Lithuania. Adelson was born and grew up in a tough Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood. Refusing to let poverty write his story, Adelson began to work at a very young age. His first job was selling newspapers on local street corners.

Through continued hard work, Adelson owned his own business by the age of 12. As the years went past, Adelson worked as a mortgage broker, and investment adviser, and a financial consultant. He started his own business selling toiletry kits, and in the 1960s he started a charter tours business with two of his friends. He attended college at City College of New York, but failed to earn a degree.

The start of Adelson's enormous wealth began with the computer trade show COMDEX, which his partners developed for the computer industry. Throughout the 1980s and ‘90s, COMDEX proved to be the premier trade show. In 1988, Adelson and his partners purchased the Sands Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

They set out to recreate the mystique of Las Vegas by revitalizing the hangout of celebrities such as Frank Sinatra. The following year, Adelson and his partners constructed the Sands Expo and Convention Center. In 1991, a honeymoon in Venice with his wife Miriam inspired Adelson to spend 1.5 billion dollars to construct his new vision, The Venetian, which is a Venice-themed resort hotel and casino.

The Venetian revolutionized the hotel industry in Las Vegas. Adelson was on the fast-track to infamy in America's most famous city.

In 1995, Adelson and his partners sold the Interface Group Show Division to SoftBank Corporation. With his share, Adelson began work on other casinos, such as the Venetian Macao. Adelson continues to work, planning to build bigger and better casinos all over the globe.