Casino boss Sheldon Adelson is once again the global gaming industry’s wealthiest figure, even if the COVID-19 pandemic is playing havoc with everyone’s net worth.

The annual Forbes ‘billionaires’ list pegs Las Vegas Sands boss Adelson as the gambling sector’s Daddy Warbucks with an estimated net worth of $26.8b. The 87-year-old Adelson ranks 28th on the overall Forbes list and was the only gaming industry figure to crack this year’s top-100.

Forbes introduced a new wrinkle for the 2020 list to reflect the volatility in the global economy caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The ‘real-time’ list now shows the daily fluctuation in the net worth of the 2,095 individuals who made the grade in 2020 and, as this was being published, Sheldon’s net worth was up 1.44% ($441m) from the day before, with his net worth having increased by over $4b since the original list was released.

Adelson recently showed a willingness to share some of his immense wealth by continuing to pay Sands staff furloughed by the shutdown of the company’s US casinos, and challenged other casino bosses to do likewise “for as long as possible.”