Soros: The Life and Times of a Messianic Billionaire
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The first biography of George Soros written with his cooperation -- a dramatic story of the capitalistic genius who has become the leading philanthropist of our time. In a fascinating narrative, we follow Soros from European dislocation to unfathomable success and wealth. Born into a Jewish family in Budapest, he was on his own by age 14, passing as an Aryan to survive World War II. As a penniless 17-year-old in London, he dreamed both of personal glory and making the world less harsh. Ambition and opportunity drove him to Wall Street, where he arrived in 1956. Soon he was "the greatest money manager in the world." In his early 50s, restless and having made his fortune, Soros turned to doing good as a full-time occupation, showing the same energy, imagination, and courage in spending his money as he had in making it. He has invested more than $1 billion worldwide through his Open Society foundations, undermining the kind of totalitarianism he knew in his youth. Kaufman reveals how Soros became a key figure in accelerating the collapse of communism, while minimizing the trauma of transition, and how his work continues today. Packed with event and character, this is the story of a remarkable, brilliant, hugely generous, but -- until now -- little-understood man. Michael T. Kaufman was a reporter, editor, columnist, and foreign correspondent during his 40 years with The New York Times. He has won a George Polk Award for his journalism and was a Guggenheim Fellow. This is his sixth book. He lives in New York City. Library Journal What makes George Soros such a fascinating topic for biographers? The year 1995 saw Robert Slater's Soros: The Life, Times and Trading Secrets of the World's Greatest Investor and Soros's own Soros on Soros, written with Byron Wien and Krisztina Koenan. Now Kaufman, a former New York Times award-winning reporter, foreign correspondent, and editor, documents the life of this successful but controversial figure, drawing on unpublished manuscripts and interviews with Soros, his family, and acquaintances. The result is this wide-ranging and absorbing book. Although the work covers the full spectrum of Soros's activities, the recurring theme is of Soros the person and his never-ending pursuit of universal truths. Despite his achievements as a remarkable money manager and generous philanthropist, Soros's lifelong dream was to become a noted philosopher. Leaving his home in Budapest at 14, he eventually became a Wall Street maverick and made billions so that he could give it away. Soros has used his wealth to create a network of Open Society foundations in Eastern and Central Europe and the former Soviet Union to foster democratic institutions. More recently, he has expanded his philanthropic network to the United States, focusing on various social issues. This comprehensive biography is a good selection for business collections. Bellinda Wise, Nassau Community Coll. Lib., Garden City, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
IntroductionxiPart IOrigins1.Erzebet and Tivadar32.Family Values153.War274.Peace455.Down and Out in London546.The London School of Economics627.Work73Part IIMaking Money8.America839.Fallibility9610.Philosophizing10611.Getting Back to Business11912.A Quantum Leap13413.Midlife147Part IIIGiving It Away14.Into Philanthropy16315.Human Rights17316.Hungary18917.Domestic Reforms20118.China21319.Russia22220.Black Wednesday23521.Branching Out24222.Deeper Pockets25623.Rescue Missions26824.Death of a Hero28225.Having Impact29026.Baltimore30327.Soros at Seventy316Acknowledgments325Index329
