You’ve probably seen the name George Soros plastered across every corner of the internet. It’s usually attached to some wild claim about him controlling the world or funding a secret revolution. Honestly, it’s hard to find a middle ground. People either see him as a saint of democracy or a Bond-style villain. But if you strip away the memes and the shouting matches on X, what’s actually going on with George Soros and Open Society Foundations?
The reality is a lot more technical—and frankly, a lot more bureaucratic—than the conspiracy theories suggest.
George Soros is 95 now. He’s lived a life that sounds like a movie script. Born in Hungary, survived the Nazi occupation by hiding his identity, then fled to London to work as a railway porter while studying. Eventually, he became the man who "broke the Bank of England" by shorting the pound in 1992. That one trade made him a billion dollars in a single day.
But for the last few decades, his focus hasn't been on the markets. It’s been on spending that money. A lot of it. We’re talking over $32 billion.
The Massive Scale of Open Society Foundations
Most people don’t realize how big this network actually is. It’s not just one office in New York. The George Soros and Open Society Foundations (OSF) ecosystem is the largest private funder of independent groups working for justice and human rights globally. They operate in over 120 countries.
Here’s a snapshot of where that money went recently:
- Africa: Roughly $69.9 million spent in 2024 alone.
- Europe and Central Asia: Over $83 million dedicated to "revitalizing democracy."
- United States: Hundreds of millions funneled into civil rights, voting access, and criminal justice reform.
They don't just write checks to big charities. They fund "strategic litigation." That’s a fancy way of saying they pay for lawyers to sue governments or corporations when they think human rights are being stepped on. They also fund "impact investments" through the Soros Economic Development Fund. This arm of the foundation has deployed over $400 million to help businesses in "frontier markets"—places like Slovakia or parts of Africa where regular banks won't go.
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Why does everyone hate him?
It’s a mix of things.
First, Soros is a high-profile donor to the Democratic Party. In the 2022 midterms, he put up $170 million. That naturally paints a target on his back for half the U.S. population.
Second, his work in Eastern Europe has royally pissed off leaders like Viktor Orbán in Hungary. Orbán basically ran an entire campaign against Soros, leading to the Central European University—which Soros founded—being forced out of Budapest and moving to Vienna.
Then there are the darker corners of the web. Because Soros is Jewish and wealthy, he has become the "face" of age-old antisemitic tropes. Many researchers, including those from the Anti-Defamation League, have pointed out that a lot of the "Globalist" talk is just a thin veil for older, uglier prejudices.
The Big Handover: Alex Soros Takes the Wheel
There’s a massive shift happening right now. In late 2023 and throughout 2024, George officially handed the reins to his son, Alex Soros.
Alex is different.
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He’s younger, obviously. He’s been described as "more political" than his father. While George was focused on the philosophy of an "Open Society" (a concept from Karl Popper), Alex seems more interested in the boots-on-the-ground reality of winning elections and protecting voting rights in the U.S.
This transition hasn't been smooth sailing.
To make the organization "nimbler," OSF cut about 40% of its global staff recently. That’s hundreds of people. They also paused new grant-making for months to "reimagine" their strategy. They’re moving away from "standing programs" and toward "time-bound goals." Basically, they want to be able to jump into a crisis, fix it, and leave, rather than funding the same nonprofit for 30 years.
The 2025-2026 Investigation
It’s not just internal drama. As of late 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice under the current administration has been sniffing around OSF. There have been directives to investigate potential fraud or "material support for terrorism."
OSF has called these "politically motivated attacks." They’re fighting back in court, claiming it’s an attempt to silence speech. Whether these investigations find anything or not, they’ve already had a "chilling effect" on the philanthropy world. Other big donors are watching closely to see if their tax-exempt status could be at risk if they fund "controversial" causes.
What Most People Miss About the "Open Society"
The phrase "Open Society" isn't just a brand name. It’s a specific philosophy. It’s the idea that no one has a monopoly on the truth.
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In an open society, the government is accountable. The media is independent. People can disagree without getting thrown in jail. Soros saw the opposite of this during the Nazi and Soviet eras. That’s why he started by giving scholarships to Black South African students under apartheid and funding photocopiers for dissidents in the Eastern Bloc. He wanted people to be able to spread ideas that the government couldn't control.
Today, that looks like:
- Drug Policy Reform: OSF was one of the first big funders to push for the decriminalization of marijuana.
- Climate Justice: They’re pouring money into "green economic transformation" in the Global South.
- Independent Journalism: They fund small news outlets in countries where the government owns all the TV stations.
Actionable Insights: Navigating the Noise
If you’re trying to make sense of the news regarding George Soros and Open Society Foundations, don’t rely on a single headline.
- Check the Grantees: If you want to know what OSF actually does, look at who they fund. Their website lists thousands of grants. You’ll find everything from local bail funds in the U.S. to Roma rights groups in Europe.
- Follow the Filings: Because it’s a private foundation, OSF has to file Form 990s with the IRS. These are public records. They show exactly how much money is coming in and where it’s going.
- Differentiate between the Man and the Foundation: George Soros’s personal political donations (to PACs) are separate from the Foundation’s grant-making. Mixing them up is where most of the confusion starts.
- Monitor the Legal Battles: The outcome of the current DOJ investigations will likely set a precedent for how much "advocacy" a nonprofit can do before it loses its tax-exempt status.
The landscape is changing fast. With Alex Soros at the helm and a heap of legal challenges on the horizon, the era of "strategic opportunism" is officially here. Whether you think they're saving democracy or destroying it, one thing is certain: they aren't going away quietly.
To understand the full impact, look into the specific organizations receiving multi-year grants in your region. These groups often drive local policy changes long before they hit national news. Reviewing the 2026 expenditure reports on the OSF "Voices" blog provides the most current data on their shifting geographic priorities, especially in Southeast Asia and Latin America.