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- Former hedge-fund manager George Soros is the 178th-richest person on the planet, with a net worth of approximately $8.3 billion, according to Forbes.
- Soros is well known for his philanthropy, having given away more than $32 billion, according to his personal website.
- He has purchased a sprawling network of homes in the New York area, including a Southhampton estate and an Upper East Side townhouse.
- The billionaire spends big on causes he believes in, including politics.
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Conspiracy theorists accuse former hedge-fund manager George Soros of aiding Nazis, conspiring to fill Budapest with refugees, and trying to start a Civil War in the United States. While these theories lack support, little is actually known about how the 88-year-old billionaire passes his days.
Soros built his fortune running what was once the world’s largest hedge fund — Quantum Fund. After he passed his hedge fund to his sons in 2011, Soros has largely focused his personal goal of creating a more open society through giving to both his personal foundation and a variety of progressive politicians, according to his personal website.
Keep reading to see how George Soros built his fortune, how he spends it — and why.
Soros was born as Gyorgy Schwartz into a Jewish family in Budapest on August 12, 1930. They later changed their surname to Soros.
AP Photo/James A. Mills
Source: Bloomberg
Soros and his family stayed in Budapest through the city’s Nazi occupation from 1944–1945, using fake IDs to hide their Jewish heritage. "Instead of submitting to our fate, we resisted an evil force that was much stronger than we were — yet we prevailed. Not only did we survive, but we managed to help others,” Soros is quoted as saying on his personal website.
AP Photo/Vincent Yu
Source: GeorgeSoros.com
Soros’ family fled Hungary for London as the Soviets swept the country in 1947. In London, he worked part-time as a waiter in a night club and as a railroad porter.
Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Source: GeorgeSoros.com
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Source: Business Insider – trogers@businessinsider.com (Taylor Nicole Rogers)