Childhood and Education Journey of George Soros in Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of George Soros. A timeline of key moments.

George Soros is a prominent American investor and philanthropist. As of March 2025, his net worth was $7.2 billion, significantly reduced by his extensive charitable contributions. He has donated over $32 billion to the Open Society Foundations, with $15 billion already distributed. This represents 64% of his original fortune. Soros was recognized by Forbes in 2020 as the 'most generous giver' based on the percentage of his net worth donated to philanthropic causes.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1924: Parents' marriage

In 1924, George Soros's parents, Erzsébet and Tivadar, married.

August 12, 1930: George Soros Born

On August 12, 1930, George Soros, originally named György Schwartz, was born in Budapest.

August 1930: György Schwartz Born in Budapest

In August 1930, György Schwartz (later George Soros) was born into a prosperous, non-observant Jewish family in Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary. His family, like many upper-middle-class Hungarian Jews, were uncomfortable with their Jewish roots.

1936: Family Name Change

In 1936, the Schwartz family changed their name to Soros to protect themselves in increasingly antisemitic Hungary. Tivadar chose the name because it is a palindrome, meaning "next" in Hungarian and "will soar" in Esperanto.

March 1944: Nazi Germany Occupied Hungary

In March 1944, when George Soros was 13 years old, Nazi Germany occupied Hungary. Jewish children were barred from schools and had to report to the Judenrat.

1944: Survival during WWII

In 1944, Soros's family survived the war by purchasing documents stating they were Christians. 14-year-old Soros posed as the Christian godson of a government official. Soros later wrote that 1944 had been "the happiest [year] of his life" as he witnessed his father's heroism.

1945: Survival of the Siege of Budapest

In 1945, George Soros survived the Siege of Budapest, where Soviet and German forces fought house-to-house. He and his mother hid with the family of Elza Brandeisz and attended their Lutheran church.

1951: Bachelor of Science in Philosophy

In 1951, George Soros obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in philosophy from the London School of Economics.

1954: Master of Science in Philosophy

In 1954, George Soros obtained a Master of Science degree in philosophy from the London School of Economics.

1960: Marriage to Annaliese Witschak

In 1960, George Soros married Annaliese Witschak, an ethnic German immigrant who had been orphaned during World War II.

1979: Financial Support for Dissidents in Eastern Europe

From 1979, Soros began financially supporting dissidents in Eastern Europe, including Poland's Solidarity movement, Charter 77 in Czechoslovakia, and Andrei Sakharov in the Soviet Union.

1980: Honorary degree from the University of Oxford

In 1980, George Soros received an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Oxford.

1983: Divorce from Annaliese Witschak

In 1983, George Soros divorced Annaliese Witschak, after being married for 23 years.

1983: Marriage to Susan Weber

In 1983, George Soros married Susan Weber.

1984: Founding of First Open Society Institute in Hungary

In 1984, Soros founded his first Open Society Institute in Hungary with a budget of $3 million, advancing his advocacy for 'open societies'.

1988: Soros advises "No" campaign in Chile

In 1988, George Soros advised the "No" campaign in the Chilean plebiscite, providing crucial data and studies that informed the campaign's television program, which ultimately contributed to their victory.

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1991: Doctor of Humane Letters from Yale University

In 1991, George Soros received a Doctor of Humane Letters from Yale University.

1994: Soros's Speech on Right-to-Die and Hemlock Society

In 1994, George Soros delivered a speech where he mentioned offering to assist his mother, who was a member of the Hemlock Society, in committing suicide. During the same speech, he also voiced his endorsement for the Oregon Death with Dignity Act and subsequently provided financial support to its advertising campaign.

1995: Honorary degree in economics from the University of Bologna

In 1995, George Soros received an honorary laurea degree in economics from the University of Bologna.

1998: Soros Suggests Israel Immigration to his Son

In 1998, following his son Alexander's bar mitzvah, George Soros suggested that if his son was serious about being Jewish, he might want to consider immigrating to Israel.

1998: Statement on religious beliefs

In a 1998 interview with CBS News, George Soros stated that he was not religious and does not believe in God.

2000: Soros advises Ricardo Lagos

In 2000, George Soros sought to improve the image of Ricardo Lagos, who was then a presidential candidate, among business circles.

November 11, 2003: Soros's Commitment to Defeat President Bush

On November 11, 2003, George Soros stated in an interview with The Washington Post that removing President George W. Bush from office was his "central focus" and a "matter of life and death." He expressed his willingness to sacrifice his entire fortune to defeat Bush.

2003: Donations to Defeat President George W. Bush

During the 2003-2004 election cycle, George Soros donated $23,581,000 to various 527 Groups (tax-exempt groups) that aimed to defeat President George W. Bush.

September 28, 2004: Speech: "Why We Must Not Re-elect President Bush"

On September 28, 2004, George Soros kicked off a multistate tour with a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., titled "Why We Must Not Re-elect President Bush". The online transcript of this speech gained attention after a reference to FactCheck.org during the vice presidential debate inadvertently redirected traffic to Soros's site.

2004: Large Donations to U.S. Political Campaigns

Leading up to the 2004 presidential election, Soros significantly increased his donations to U.S. political campaigns. During the 2003-2004 election cycle, Soros donated $23,581,000 to 527 Groups aimed at defeating President George W. Bush. After Bush's reelection in 2004, Soros backed the Democracy Alliance, supporting progressive causes.

2005: Divorce from Susan Weber

In 2005, George Soros and Susan Weber divorced.

2006: Meeting with Mahathir Mohamad

In 2006, Mahathir Mohamad met with George Soros and afterward stated that he accepted that Soros had not been responsible for the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

2008: Meeting Tamiko Bolton

In 2008, George Soros met Tamiko Bolton, whom he would later marry.

February 2009: Soros comments on global financial system disintegration

In February 2009, George Soros stated that the world financial system had effectively disintegrated and was on life support with no immediate resolution in sight.

June 2009: $100 Million Donation to Central and Eastern Europe

In June 2009, Soros donated $100 million to Central and Eastern Europe to mitigate the impact of the Great Recession on the poor, voluntary groups, and non-government organizations.

August 2009: $35 Million Donation to New York State for Underprivileged Children

In August 2009, Soros donated $35 million to the state of New York, earmarked for underprivileged children, providing $200 per child aged 3-17 to parents with benefit cards. Additional funds were added by the state from the 2009 federal recovery act. Soros also supported the Center for American Progress through the Open Society Foundations.

September 27, 2012: $1 Million Donation to Priorities USA Action

On September 27, 2012, Soros donated $1 million to Priorities USA Action, a super PAC supporting President Barack Obama's reelection.

June 15, 2013: Death of brother Paul Soros

On June 15, 2013, George Soros's older brother, Paul Soros, a private investor and philanthropist, passed away.

September 21, 2013: Marriage to Tamiko Bolton

On September 21, 2013, George Soros married Tamiko Bolton.

October 2013: $25,000 Donation to Ready for Hillary

In October 2013, Soros donated $25,000 to Ready for Hillary, becoming a co-chairman of the super PAC's national finance committee.

June 2015: $1 Million Donation to Priorities USA Action Supporting Hillary Clinton

In June 2015, Soros donated $1 million to the Super PAC Priorities USA Action, which supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race.

December 2015: $6 Million Donation to Priorities USA Action

In December 2015, George Soros donated $6 million to the PAC Priorities USA Action, supporting Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race.

January 2016: Prediction of a Financial Crisis

In January 2016, at an economic forum in Sri Lanka, George Soros predicted a financial crisis similar to the 2008 crisis, based on the global currency, stock, and commodity markets, as well as the struggling Chinese yuan.

August 2016: $2.5 Million Donation to Priorities USA Action

In August 2016, George Soros donated $2.5 million to Priorities USA Action, a Super PAC that supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race.

2016: Donations to Progressive Criminal Justice Reform Proponents

Since 2016, Soros has been donating sums exceeding $1 million to the campaigns of progressive criminal justice reform proponents through the Safety and Justice PAC in local district attorney elections.

2017: Funding of Larry Krasner's Campaign

In 2017, Larry Krasner was elected as the District Attorney of Philadelphia with the help of a $1.5 million ad campaign funded by Soros.

May 16, 2018: Open Society Foundations Move Office

On May 16, 2018, Soros's Open Society Foundations announced their decision to relocate its office from Budapest to Berlin, citing an "increasingly repressive" environment in Hungary as the reason for the move.

October 2018: US Mail Bombing Attempts

In October 2018, similar bombs were mailed to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and other Democrats and liberals.

October 22, 2018: Pipe Bomb Found at Soros's Home

On October 22, 2018, a pipe bomb was discovered in the mailbox at George Soros's residence in Katonah, New York. The bomb, found by a caretaker, was later photographed and detonated by the FBI as part of the October 2018 United States mail bombing attempts.

October 26, 2018: Cesar Sayoc Jr. Arrested

On October 26, 2018, Cesar Sayoc Jr. was apprehended in Aventura, Florida, on suspicion of mailing pipe bombs.

July 2019: $5.1 Million Donation to Democracy PAC

By July 2019, Soros had donated $5.1 million to his newly launched super PAC, Democracy PAC, for the 2020 election cycle.

August 2019: Sayoc Sentenced to Prison

In August 2019, Cesar Sayoc Jr. received a 20-year prison sentence for mailing 16 pipe bombs to 13 victims; none of the devices detonated.

2020: Donation to Joe Biden's Presidential Campaign

During the second quarter of 2020, Soros donated at least $500,000 to Joe Biden, becoming one of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's largest donors.

2020: Launch of Democracy PAC

George Soros launched a new super PAC called Democracy PAC for the 2020 election cycle.

2020: Support for George Gascón and Kim Foxx

In 2020, Soros was the largest donor supporting George Gascón for Los Angeles County District Attorney, contributing $2.25 million, and gave $2 million to a PAC supporting Kim Foxx's campaign for Cook County State's Attorney.

2022: Real estate holdings in 2022

As of 2022, George Soros owned homes on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, in The Hamptons on Long Island, and in Katonah, New York, within Westchester County.