George Soros, the Hungarian-American investor behind Soros Fund Management, has a net worth of about $8.6 billion as of September 2026, far below the roughly $25 billion he held in 2017 because he has given away most of his fortune to his philanthropy. At 96, he remains best known for the 1992 Black Wednesday trade against the British pound. Here are 15 verified facts about his life, his money and his giving.
George Soros at a glance
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | August 12, 1930, in Budapest, Hungary |
| Net worth (September 2026) | About $8.6 billion |
| Famous trade | Short sale of more than $10 billion of pounds sterling in 1992, with an estimated profit above $1 billion |
| Main vehicle | Soros Fund Management (Quantum Fund) |
| Philanthropy | More than $32 billion given to the Open Society Foundations |
| Foundation chair | Alexander Soros |
1. He was born in Budapest in 1930
George Soros was born György Schwartz on August 12, 1930. His father, Tivadar, was a lawyer and an author who wrote in Esperanto. In 2026 Soros is 96 years old.
2. His family survived the Nazi occupation of Hungary
Germany occupied Hungary in March 1944, when Soros was 13. His family survived by buying documents that identified them as Christians. He also lived through the siege of Budapest in 1945.
3. He left for England in 1947
Soros left Hungary for Paris at 17 and then moved to England in 1947. He took jobs that reportedly included work as a waiter and a railway porter while he studied.
4. He studied philosophy at the London School of Economics
He earned degrees in philosophy from the London School of Economics, in 1951 and 1954. Philosophy shaped how he later described markets, as systems where beliefs and prices influence each other.
5. He moved to the United States and built a Wall Street career
Soros relocated to the US and became a US citizen in 1961. He worked in finance in New York for years before starting his own fund, learning the business from the inside.
6. He launched his first hedge fund in 1969
In 1969 he founded Double Eagle, later renamed the Quantum Fund. He founded Soros Fund Management in 1970 and became its chairman. Quantum became the engine behind his fortune.
7. Black Wednesday made him famous
In September 1992, Soros sold short more than $10 billion of British pounds as the currency came under pressure. His profit was estimated at more than $1 billion. The trade is the one most associated with his name.
8. He turned his fund into a family office in 2011
In July 2011, Soros returned money to outside investors, about $1 billion, and continued to manage the family fortune, then about $24.5 billion. Soros Fund Management has since operated for the family rather than outside clients.
9. How rich is George Soros in 2026?
His net worth stands at about $8.6 billion as of September 2026. Earlier tallies around $25 billion reflected the same fortune before the large transfers described below.
How we valued it: we start from the roughly $24.5 billion family fortune reported in 2011, subtract the $18 billion transferred to his foundation in 2017 and later gifts, and add investment returns on what remains. We checked the result against the latest published estimate.
10. He has given away more than $32 billion
Soros has donated more than $32 billion to the Open Society Foundations (OSF), which began in 1993 as the Open Society Institute and took its present name in 2010. His largest single transfer was $18 billion, completed in 2017. The foundations report spending more than $24 billion since 1993.
11. He pledged $500 million to refugee-related investments
In 2016, Soros announced plans to invest $500 million in businesses and initiatives that support migrants and refugees. The money was framed as investment capital, not only as grants, and he said he had been a refugee himself.
12. He funded work on end-of-life care
One of his lesser-known projects was the Project on Death in America, which supported better care for dying patients and their families. It reportedly distributed about $45 million in grants over roughly a decade.
13. He has been married three times and has five children
Soros married Annaliese Witschak in 1960 and they divorced in 1983. He married Susan Weber in 1983, divorcing in 2005. In 2013 he married Tamiko Bolton. He has five children, including Robert, Jonathan and Alexander.
14. His son Alexander now chairs the Open Society board
Alexander Soros is listed as chair of the board. George Soros handed over leadership of the organization to his son in 2023.
15. What we take from his career
Our read of his record is that his biggest results came from a small number of high-conviction trades sized boldly after deep analysis, and from a willingness to change course quickly. That is our reading of the public record, not a prediction or advice.
Keep reading
- George Soros net worth profile: the full wealth breakdown
- Self-made billionaires who started poor: other fortunes built from nothing, the article the original linked to
- The most common ways to become a self-made billionaire: how Soros’s path compares
FAQ
How much is George Soros worth in 2026?
About $8.6 billion as of September 2026, according to the latest published estimate we found. That is well below the roughly $25 billion figure from 2017, mainly because of his gifts to the Open Society Foundations.
How did George Soros make his money?
Through hedge funds. He founded Double Eagle in 1969, later renamed the Quantum Fund, and Soros Fund Management in 1970. His 1992 short sale of the British pound is the best known trade.
What was the Black Wednesday trade?
In September 1992, Soros sold short more than $10 billion of pounds sterling. His profit was estimated at more than $1 billion.
How much has George Soros donated?
More than $32 billion to the Open Society Foundations, including an $18 billion transfer in 2017.
Who runs the Open Society Foundations now?
Alexander Soros, George Soros’s son, is chair of the board. George Soros handed leadership to him in 2023.
Is George Soros still alive and how old is he?
Yes. He was born on August 12, 1930, so he is 96 years old in 2026.
How we estimate net worth
Our estimates are based on public reporting, company valuations, and deal and earnings figures all compiled in an internal valuation model. They are approximate, and figures change over time as new information emerges.
For this profile we used fund disclosures, publicly reported gifts and the foundation’s own reporting. We then adjusted for the 2017 transfer and for market returns on the remaining assets.
Last updated: October 2026.
