Category: Government

George Soros’s Support for Justice Through The Open Society Foundations

George Soros is a billionaire investor and the founder of Soros Fund Management. He has a net worth of $25.2 billion. George was born in Hungary. The shrewd entrepreneur fled the country for England where he enrolled in the London School of Economics. He used to work as a waiter and a railway porter. Soros began his career in finance at a merchant bank before moving to New York. He worked in Wall Street and was able to start a hedge fund with $12 million in 1969. Soros shorted the British pound and made an outstanding profit. Soros has continued to make investments through Soros Management Fund. The company’s assets are valued at $30 billion. In 2017, Soros recruited Dawn Fitzpatrick to manage his investment portfolio. She serves Soros Fund Management as the chief investment officer.

He is also involved in philanthropic activities. Soros has donated over $12 billion. He supports people and organizations that fight for freedom of expression, accountable government, and promote justice and equality around the globe. His contributions focus on issues that discourage discrimination. Soros has supported groups that represent the Roma people of Europe and ordinary citizens such as sex workers and drug users. While living under the Nazi occupation, he experienced similar intolerance firsthand that led to the death of more than 500,000 Hungarian Jews. Soros’ Jewish family survived through concealing their information and obtaining false identity papers. His father played an imperative role of protecting his family. He made a fortune after moving to the United States. Soros used this fortune to create the Open Society Foundations. This organization has active operations in more than 100 countries. The success of open societies is anchored on its strong network of foundations, projects, and partners. Learn more about his profile at Forbes.com

The work of the Open Society Foundations reflects Soros’ ideology that is greatly influenced by Karl Popper’s philosophy. Initially, Soros interacted with the philosopher during his days at the London School of Economics. In his article, Open Society and Its Enemies, Karl Popper notes that no ideology or philosophy is the complete arbiter of truth. He argues that societies can only advance when they uphold freedom of expression, democratic governance, and respect for individual rights. This idea forms the core of the operations of the Open Society Foundations. George Soros started donating in 1979 when he offered scholarships to black South African students. In 1980, he supported the advancement of open societies in the Communist East Bloc. He purchased photocopiers to reprint texts that had been banned at the time. Over the years, Soros has continued to support numerous causes through the Open Society Foundations. This information was originally published on the Open Society Foundations’ website as explained in this link https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/people/george-soros.

Betsy DeVos The Benevolent Billionaire

Background

Betsy was born and brought up in Holland, Michigan. Her father is an automobile oligarch, owning several dealerships in their native Holland town. After being elected President, Donald Trump nominated Betsy DeVos as education secretary, a position she was approved of by the Senate.

Betsy attained her high school education from Holland Christian High School. She later joined Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she received an undergraduate degree in Business Administration. While on campus, Betsy was an active participant in college politics.

A staunch Christian, Betsy is an ardent follower of the North America Christian Reformed Church. Her devoutness has seen her hold prominent positions in churches, being elder of a local church. Additionally, DeVos is a consistent donator of funds to her alma mater, Holland high school.

Career

The nomination to the education sector is a significant leap in her long political career, going way back to campus. I think that being a lifetime Republican contributed significantly to her appointment in the Trump’s administration. In the early nineties, she sat in the Republican committee in her home state, Michigan. Moreover, she has been at the helm of the party’s Michigan branch for two different terms. The first term was from 1996 through 2000, with the second coming in 2003.

With a strong financial background, Betsy has been an ardent supporter of the Republican presidential aspirants. For a long time, she has poured significant amounts towards the campaign of Republican nominees. When President Bush was seeking his second term, Betsy DeVos was a vanguard in the campaign. I suppose that her following appointment to the Senate Committee leadership was as result of her advocacy for Bush’s re-election.

Philanthropy

While Betsy and her family have donated significant funds towards the political arena, their charity does not end there. They have extended their generous gestures to other humanitarian causes. Since its inception in 1989, the DeVos family foundation has given millions of dollars to charitable causes.

One notable donation was the funding of the inauguration of a pro-education site, The 74. The foundation gave a significant amount to the project, which highlights Betsy’s commitment to improving the education sector. Furthermore, the organization reimbursed another education activist movement, The Partnership for Educational Justice. I think this bolsters Betsy’s credibility for the education secretary position. Other recipients of the foundation’s charity are Success Academy Charter Schools, Alliance for School Choice, and much more.

Apart from education, the foundation has also supported start-ups. In 2015, the group donated USD 750,000 to a Washington-based think tank. Also, a further $1 million was pledged to support the think tank’s future.

I acknowledge the efforts that Betsy and her spouse have made in giving back to the community. While it’s not obligatory, I think that the rich ought to give to the poor, and the DeVos’ have demonstrated that.