The man behind hit TV shows like The Waltons, Dallas and Knots Landing founded production company Lorimar in 1969 with developer Irwin Molasky and producer Lee Rich after making his money with a 24-hour grocery store in Las Vegas and the La Costa resort in the 1950s and 1960s.

He was briefly the vice chairman at Warner Bros.

Paying tribute to Adelson on Wednesday (09Sep15), Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg told The Hollywood Reporter, "Merv was one of the true greats! He did it all and he did it his way. He was a wonderful mentor to so many and will be missed."

Adelson wed journalist and broadcaster Walters in 1981, but the union was short-lived and the couple divorced just three years later. They reconciled and married again in 1986, but divorced for good in 1992.