Prospective candidates have eagerly sought out meetings with the 76-year-old, Israeli-born Adelson, whose net worth, according to Forbes, is more than $26 billion. The list of possible contenders who’ve spoken with Adelson includes Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Florida Sen. Rick Scott and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Adelson’s team has been bombarded with requests from Republican politicians looking to get face time with her, and some have made pilgrimages to her Las Vegas home. The attention reflects her outsize influence: Over the past decade, she and her late husband spent more than a half-billion dollars on GOP causes.
Adelson’s lieutenants say her decision is driven by a desire to stay out of what could be a bitter fight for the nomination. After…
