Sheldon Adelson taking leave of absence for cancer treatment

GOP mega-donor Sheldon Adelson is taking a leave of absence from his role as chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands as he receives treatment for cancer.

The casino company said in a Thursday statement that Adelson, 87, “recently resumed his cancer treatment” for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and is “taking a leave of absence as of today from his role as chairman and chief executive officer of both Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) and Sands China Ltd.”

The companies’ board of directors have temporarily installed Robert Goldstein, currently president and COO of the Las Vegas Sands, as acting chairman and acting CEO of both firms.

Adelson remains in control of Las Vegas Sands and Sands China. He’s also the owner the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The casino mogul is perhaps most well-known for his donations to GOP lawmakers and causes. Adelson is a close ally of President Trump’s, and he and his wife dumped $75 million into a pro-Trump super PAC launched in late August to boost the president’s ultimately failed reelection bid. They also rallied behind Trump in 2016.

Trump gave Miriam Adelson, Sheldon Adelson’s wife, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018.