[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Sign-in] [Mail] [Setup] [Help]
Status: Not Logged In; Sign In
(s)Elections See other (s)Elections Articles Title: Billionaire Sheldon Adelson Says He Might Give $100M To Newt Gingrich Or Other Republican 2/21/2012 @ 12:04AM |29,552 views Billionaire Sheldon Adelson Says He Might Give $100M To Newt Gingrich Or Other Republican Steven Bertoni, Forbes Staff Sheldon Adelson: The GOP's $25 billion man This story is part of a larger profile appearing in the March 12th, 2012 issue of FORBES magazine. The complete cover story will appear online beginning Wednesday, February 22nd. Sheldon Adelson plays as stubbornly in politics as he does in business. So the criticisms that hes trying to personally buy the presidential election for Newt Gingrich are met with a roll of the eyes. Those people are either jealous or professional critics, Adelson tells me during his first interview since he and his wife began funneling $11 million, with another $10 million injection widely expected, into the former speakers super PAC, Winning Our Future. They like to trash other people. Its unfair that Ive been treated unfairbut it doesnt stop me. I might give $10 million or $100 million to Gingrich. Adelson, the 78-year-old CEO of casino giant Las Vegas Sands, certainly can afford to: With a net worth of roughly $25 billion, that $11 million, which jolted Gingrichs flatlining presidential bid back to life, equates to 0.044% of his fortune. For someone with a $1 million net worth, the equivalent would be $440, or a two-night stay at Adelsons Venetian casino. Adelson could personally fund an entire presidential campaignsay, $1 billion or soand not even notice. Is that fair? Im against very wealthy people attempting to or influencing elections, he shrugs. But as long as its doable Im going to do it. Because I know that guys like Soros have been doing it for years, if not decades. And they stay below the radar by creating a network of corporations to funnel their money. I have my own philosophy and Im not ashamed of it. I gave the money because there is no other legal way to do it. I dont want to go through ten different corporations to hide my name. Im proud of what I do and Im not looking to escape recognition. Hes also proud of his hawkish defense of Israelhis wife is Israeli and his young sons carry Israeli passports. Yet those who have categorized his patronage of Gingrich and other Republicans as a one-issue investment have it wrong. The man whose net worth, by Forbes calculations, has jumped more ($21.6 billion) during Obama Administration than any American Mark Zuckerberg included wants to take the president out for economic reasons.What scares me is the continuation of the socialist-style economy weve been experiencing for almost four years. That scares me because the redistribution of wealth is the path to more socialism, and to more of the government controlling peoples lives. What scares me is the lack of accountability that people would prefer to experience, just let the government take care of everything and Ill go fish or I wont work, etc. U.S. domestic politics is very important to me because I see that the things that made this country great are now being relegated into duplicating that which is making other countries less great.
Im afraid of the trend where more and more people have the tendency to want to be given instead of wanting to give. People are less willing to share. There are fewer philanthropists being grown and there are greater expectations of the government. I believe that people will come to their senses and not extend the current Administrations quest to socialize this country. It wont be a socialist democracy because it wont be a democracy. So with Gingrich looking increasingly unviable, does that mean hell throw his largess behind another candidate? If Ron Paul is chosen I certainly wouldnt do that. What about front-runner Mitt Romney? I dont want to say. Newspapers said I had two meetings with Romney and Gingrich [on Feb. 3], which is untrue. Most of what is being said about me in this current brouhaha is just not true. I know Romney; I like him. I know Santorum; I like him.
The likelihood is that Im going to be supportive of whoever the candidate is. I just havent decided that yet and will wait to see what happens. Whomever he supports, Adelson claims he wont pay for mudslinging. I dont believe in negative campaigning. I believe in saying that my opponents are very good people and Im confident a lot of them would do a good job, but I would do a better job, and heres why, says Adelson. Money is fungible, but you cant take my money out of the total money you have and use it for negative campaigning. Of course, that stance ignores the fact that an avalanche of negative ads against Romney won Gingrich South Carolina, and that Adelsons $5 million injection was the dominant source of his funding. Thats what everybody says, but that doesnt mean its true, the billionaire says, waving his hands dismissively. Most of whats been written about me in this is untrue. (Follow me on Twitter at @StevenBertoni) Poster Comment: Adelson, the 78-year-old CEO of casino giant Las Vegas Sands, certainly can afford to: With a net worth of roughly $25 billion, that $11 million, which jolted Gingrichs flatlining presidential bid back to life, equates to 0.044% of his fortune. For someone with a $1 million net worth, the equivalent would be $440, or a two-night stay at Adelsons Venetian casino. Adelson could personally fund an entire presidential campaignsay, $1 billion or soand not even notice. **** Hes also proud of his hawkish defense of Israelhis wife is Israeli and his young sons carry Israeli passports. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top Page Up Full Thread Page Down Bottom/Latest
#1. To: TwentyTwelve (#0)
It's not even hidden: the dirty chutzpath is out to make sure Ron Paul is not the candidate, no matter the co$t to his bottom line. Top Page Up Full Thread Page Down Bottom/Latest |
||
[Home]
[Headlines]
[Latest Articles]
[Latest Comments]
[Post]
[Sign-in]
[Mail]
[Setup]
[Help]
|