Lasting Legacy of George Soros: A Look at the Influence on History

A detailed timeline of the impact and legacy of George Soros across different fields.

George Soros is a Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist with a net worth of $7.2 billion as of May 2025. He is renowned for his significant philanthropic contributions, having donated over $32 billion to the Open Society Foundations, with $15 billion already distributed. These donations represent 64% of his original fortune. In 2020, Forbes recognized Soros as the "most generous giver" based on the percentage of his net worth donated.

Sections (7)

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

1984: Soros played a role in the transition from communism to democracy in Hungary

In 1984, George Soros played a role in the peaceful transition from communism to democracy in Hungary and provided a substantial endowment to Central European University in Budapest.

1998: Soros's Advice to Son on Jewish Identity and Israel

In 1998, after his son Alexander's bar mitzvah, George Soros advised him to consider immigrating to Israel if he was serious about being Jewish.

2003: Soros's Philanthropic Funding

As of 2003, George Soros had given away a total of $4 billion toward efforts to promote non-violent democratization in the post-communist states, primarily through the Open Society Foundations.

September 2006: Soros pledges $50 million to Millennium Promise

In September 2006, George Soros pledged $50 million to the Millennium Promise to provide educational, agricultural, and medical aid to villages in Africa enduring poverty.

2007: Soros donates to projects

In 2007, Time magazine cited two specific projects - $100 million toward Internet infrastructure for regional Russian universities, and $50 million for the Millennium Promise to eradicate extreme poverty in Africa - noting that George Soros had given $742 million to projects in the U.S., and given away a total of more than $7 billion.

2008: Reflexivity in Housing Markets

Around 2008, an example of reflexivity in modern financial markets was that of the debt and equity of housing markets. Lenders made more money available to more people in the 1990s to buy houses. More people bought houses with this larger amount of money, thus increasing the prices of these houses.

2008: Attention to Reflexivity Theory After Financial Crisis

George Soros's theories on reflexivity, which were initially dismissed by economists, gained more attention following the 2008 financial crisis, eventually becoming the central theme of an issue of the Journal of Economic Methodology.

2009: Awarded Bernardo O'Higgins Order of Merit

In 2009, Michelle Bachelet awarded George Soros the Bernardo O'Higgins Order of Merit in recognition of his "unwavering commitment to democracy and open societies."

May 2011: Soros donates to Bard College

In May 2011, George Soros donated $60 million to Bard College, establishing the Bard College Center for Civic Engagement.

October 17, 2017: Soros transfers $18 billion to Open Society Foundations

On October 17, 2017, George Soros transferred $18 billion to the Open Society Foundations.

2017: Study on Grant Program Impact

A 2017 study found that a grant program by George Soros awarded funding to over 28,000 scientists in the former Soviet republics, which more than doubled publications, significantly induced scientists to remain in the science sector, and had long-lasting beneficial impacts.

October 2018: Soros donates to the Wikimedia Foundation

In October 2018, George Soros donated $2 million to the Wikimedia Foundation via the Wikimedia Endowment program.

2018: Financial Times Person of the Year

In 2018, George Soros was named the Financial Times Person of the Year, recognized as "a standard bearer for liberal democracy, an idea under siege from populists".

2018: Alex Soros on his father's motivations for philanthropy

In a 2018 interview, Alex Soros, George Soros's son, stated that his father fights for an open society because, in a non-Jewish state, a Jew can only feel safe when other minorities are protected, which drives his philanthropic activities.

January 2020: Soros announces $1 billion endowment donation

In January 2020, George Soros announced a $1 billion endowment donation at the World Economic Forum, establishing the Open Society University Network in partnership with Bard College and the Central European University.

March 2020: Soros listed as 162nd richest person

As of March 2020, Forbes magazine listed George Soros as the 162nd richest person in the world, with a net worth of $8.3 billion, and noted he has donated 64% of his original fortune.

July 2020: Soros donates to Bard College

In July 2020, George Soros donated $100 million to Bard College, to strengthen and expand Bard's Center for Civic Engagement initiatives, and its leadership role as a founding partner of the Open Society University Network.

July 2020: Soros's Foundations plan grants for racial justice

In July 2020, George Soros's Foundations announced plans to give $220 million in grants for racial justice groups, criminal justice reform and civic engagement.

April 2021: Soros pledges $500 million to the endowment of Bard College

In April 2021, George Soros pledged $500 million to the endowment of Bard College. The donation sits among the largest ever made to higher education in the United States.

August 2021: Soros donates to the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College

In August 2021, George Soros donated $25 million to the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, following the $500 million donation in April 2021.