Sheldon Adelson, one of the Republican Party's most sought-after
contributors, is leaning increasingly toward supporting Marco Rubio —
and the Florida senator is racing to win the backing of other
uncommitted megadonors who have the potential to direct tens of millions
of dollars his way and alter the contours of the Republican primary
fight.
Last week, during a campaign swing through Las Vegas, Rubio held a
meeting in Adelson's offices at the Venetian Las Vegas, one of a number
of five-star luxury casinos the billionaire mogul owns around the world.
Adelson, seated at the head of his conference table, heaped praise on
Rubio’s performance while he discussed the dynamics of the 2016 race.
Those briefed on the meeting described it as short but said it had an
air of importance, with the two joined by Rubio’s campaign manager,
Terry Sullivan, and a pair of senior Adelson advisers, Rob Goldstein and
Patrick Dumont.
Those close to Adelson — who spent more than $100 million on
Republican candidates and causes during the 2012 campaign and has been
aggressively courted by most would-be Republican nominees — stressed
that the 82-year-old gambling magnate had made no final decision on whom
he’d support but said that momentum had strongly shifted to the Florida
senator. A formal endorsement, they said, could come as soon as the end
of the month — and with it, the potential for a multimillion dollar
contribution. With a net worth of $25.7 billion, according to Forbes,
Adelson can afford to spend freely.