(San Francisco) American billionaire and philanthropist George Soros is in the process of handing control of his empire to his son Alexander Soros, who notably wants to fight the possibility of a return of Donald Trump to power, according to the Wall Street Journal ( WSJ).
Hated by ultra-conservatives, regular target of attacks with anti-Semitic overtones, George Soros began to create in the 1980s a network of foundations (“Open society foundations” or OSF) which invests all over the world in favor of various causes, economic and judicial reforms, minority and refugee rights and freedom of expression.
At 92, he set out to pass the reins of his organization to one of his sons, 37-year-old Alexander.
In an interview with the WSJ published on Sunday, the latter explained that he is “more political” than his father and that he is concerned that former Republican President Donald Trump could be re-elected to the White House in 2024.
“I would love to see money not play such a big role in politics, but as long as the other side does, we’re going to have to keep doing it too,” he told the business daily.
Under his leadership, the OSF should continue along the same path – support for democracies, political figures of the American left, etc. – but also add other causes such as the right to abortion or gender equality.
Alexander Soros was elected chairman of the foundations’ board in December and now directs the political activities gathered within the “super PAC”, a structure that disburses funds to the campaigns of political candidates.
He is the only family member to serve on the investment committee of Soros Fund Management, the firm that oversees the funds, according to the WSJ.
The bulk of the $25 billion it is endowed with will go to the OSF in the coming years and $125 million has been set aside for the super PAC.
The young Soros made it clear that he wanted to be more involved in the United States than his father. He supports programs encouraging Latino and African-American voters to vote, and calls on elected Democrats to communicate better.
“Our side needs to be more patriotic and inclusive,” he said. “Just because someone votes for Trump doesn’t mean they’re lost or racist. »
First known for his skills as an investor and speculator, George Soros devoted his money to defending his ideas, from the fight against apartheid in South Africa to supporting democracy activists in dictatorships.
