Before mid-2018, the world had 2,208 billionaires and the 190th man on the list is George Soros who is described as the man who broke the Bank of England. Soros is a businessman, political activist and philanthropist who is one of the biggest investors in the world. Globally, he has become a supporter of democratic ideals and human rights, which has seen him donate through the Open Society Foundation to over a hundred countries.
George Soros Biography
It was like György Schwartz that George Soros was born on August 12, 1930 in Budapest, Hungary. He was raised in a wealthy Jewish family with a father, Tivadar, an Esperantist lawyer and writer, and a mother, Elizabeth, who also came from a wealthy family. The family’s original name was Soros, however, it changed its name for protection in anti-Semitic Hungary to Schwartz.
During World War II, George Soros’ family survived thanks to documents claiming they were Christians. His father not only saved his family at that time, but many other Hungarian Jews.
Soros went to England where he studied at the London School of Economics. He also worked as a waiter and railway porter, among other things, while still a student. By 1951 he had already obtained a Bachelor of Science in Philosophy from the London School of Economics. This was followed in 1954 by a Master of Science in Philosophy.
Even though he started by managing different jobs including selling goods on the seaside, he soon realized that what he wanted to do with his life was completely different. This led him to find a job in a merchant bank. At first, all he wanted was to make $100,000 and then retire. He started his career at Singer & Friedlander, then moved to FM Mayer, Wertheim and Co, then Arnhold and S. Bleichroeder, where he began to put his trading skills to good use and quickly became a serious investor.
Soros continued his investments which came to make him one of the richest men in the world. During the 1992 Black Wednesday currency crisis in the UK, he was given the name ‘The Man Who Broke the Bank of England’ after he made a short sale which allowed him to turn a profit of about $1 billion out of the $10 billion in short sales he made.
The billionaire is also involved in politics as a big liberal supporter. He contributed to the election of Obama and the failure of Hillary Clinton. More so, he is also a philanthropist who has donated billions of dollars to various causes.
His religion
Inasmuch as it was in an anti-Semitic Jewish home that the Hungarian-American investor was raised and had to lay claim to Christianity in his youth, George Soros does not believe in the existence of a god.
Wife, Son, Daughter
When it comes to his family life, Soros has his own fair share of relationships and has been married three times in the past. The first time he tied the knot was in 1960 when he married Annaliese Witschak. The marriage was to survive until 3 children and 23 years later, then ended in 1983.
The next woman to be the investor’s wife was Susan Weber whom he married in 1983. An American historian, Susan remained by George’s side until the marriage ended in 2005, but not without two children.
Tamiko Bolton was the next woman in his life. The pair met in 2008 and soon after began dating before getting engaged in 2012. In 2013, 83-year-old Soros married Bolton, then 42.
Of all his marriages, George Soros has fivechildren. His first three children, born to his first wife, Annaliese Witschak, are Sons, Robert Daniel Soros and Jonathan Tivadar Soros, and their daughter, Andrea Soros Colombel. His second marriage had two sons, Alexander Soros and Gregory James Soros.
Is he dead?
For the 90s, George Soros is no longer as active as before. However, he is still very much alive.
In October 2018, he survived a bomb threat after an explosive device was found in his mailbox. While the motive for the pipe bomb was not known, Soros is being targeted by right-wing groups. He wasn’t the only one to have the bomb sent to him, with other famous Americans like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Brennan having glow bombs sent to their mailboxes just a day after he received it.