Adelson calls Jacobs lawsuit ‘blackmailing and extortion’
Las Vegas Sands Chairman Sheldon Adelson has again leveled charges at the former head of the company’s Macau subsidiary, saying the ex-employee’s wrongful termination lawsuit was “pure threatening, blackmailing and extortion. That is what it is all about.”
Adelson was speaking at a JP Morgan-sponsored investment forum and addressed the lawsuit filed in Clark County District Court by Steven Jacobs, who spent more than a year as the CEO of Sands China.
The last time Adelson spoke publicly about the Jacobs lawsuit, the case amended to include a defamation charge and Adelson was added a defendant.
Adelson didn’t temper his comments at the investment forum. He said the lawsuit “was not a serious case.”
In court filings, Jacobs accused Sands China and Las Vegas Sands of using improper leverage against Macau government officials.
The allegations have led to investigations by the Gaming Control Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Justice and the FBI into possible violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Adelson told the investment forum the company was cooperating with authorities.
He also downplayed the accusations, joking that investigators wanted access to all his emails.
“I don’t have a computer,” Adelson said. “I am not an email type of person. You cannot teach an old dog new tricks.”