Casino titan Sheldon Adelson has died following complications from cancer treatment, bringing down the curtain on a life of incredible success and equally incredible controversy. 

Early Tuesday, casino operator Las Vegas Sands announced that Adelson had passed away on Monday night at the age of 87 due to complications from his treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The company announced just last week that Adelson was taking medical leave, the second such round following the original announcement of his cancer diagnosis in the spring of 2019. 

From humble origins in Boston, Adelson founded Las Vegas Sands in 1989 through his purchase of the faded Sands Hotel in Las Vegas. Adelson is largely credited with pioneering the ‘integrated resort’ casino model, relying on non-gaming amenities – particularly the meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) aspect – to draw guests who would then mosey on over to the gaming floor during their stay. 

Sands eventually became the world’s largest casino operator, with highly lucrative properties in the US, Singapore and Macau. The latter market bolstered Adelson’s reputation as a visionary when he chose to build up a then-swampy area known as Cotai on which the region’s most impressive gambling palaces now stand.