Who is Alexander Soros, US billionaire George Soros’ ‘more political’ son and successor?

American investor and philanthropist George Soros has passed on the reins of his $25 billion empire to his younger son Alexander Soros. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published on 11 June, the 92-year-old, who is known for his support of liberal causes, said his son has "earned it" on the succession.Previously, the elder Soros had expressed resistance to handing over his nonprofit Open Society Foundations (OSF) to one of his five children – Alexander, Andrea, Gregory, Robert and Jonathan.Who is Alexander Soros, George Soros’ successor? What does OSF do? We explain.Who is he?Alexander Soros, who goes by Alex, was appointed the chairman of the OSF last December, as per the WSJ report.The 37-year-old is the oldest son of George Soros and his second wife, historian Susan Weber.Alex completed BA in History from New York University in 2009. Later, he went on to earn a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in 2018 with a thesis on “Jewish Dionysus: Heine, Nietzsche and the Politics of Literature”.Alex first hit headlines in 2008 when his photographs "chilling at dad's house in Southampton, drinking 40s while cruising on the family boat, and making out with the babes" surfaced, according to The New York Times (NYT) report in July 2012.As per the NYT, Alex had joined the Open Society board in 2011, which brought the father and son closer.Speaking to US-based daily in 2012, Leon Botstein, president of Bard College who is also associated with Open Society, said about Alex that he saw “himself in an observing and learning mode”.“He’s careful with his interventions, and is an extremely intent listener.” But, Botstein added “he’s not loath to contradict his father, which is very hard to do.”Besides his work, Alex's “flamboyant” party lifestyle continued to be reported by media, with the New York Post describing these revelries filled with "models, NBA players, and drunken hide-and-seek" in a 2016 report, noted Insider.Alex has been deputy chair of OSF since 2017. As per his profile on the OSF website, he is the “founding chair of Bend the Arc Jewish Action, and sits on the boards of Bard College, the Center for Jewish History, Central European University, the European Council on Foreign Relations, and International Crisis Group.”

As per WSJ, Alex directs political activity as president of Soros’ super PAC (political action committee).

He is the only member of the Soros family on the investment committee running Soros Fund Management, which oversees money for the foundation and the family, Associated Press (AP) reported citing WSJ.Not Alex, but Soros’ elder son Jonathan Soros, a 52-year-old lawyer with a background in finance, was earlier seen as the obvious successor of the philanthropist until “a falling out and a change of heart”, as per WSJ.ALSO READ: 'Bogeyman of the Right’: George Soros and his many controversies explainedAlexander Soros’ ambitionsIn his interview with WSJ, Alex said he was "more political" than his father, adding, however, that they “think alike."His Hungarian-born father has been a right-wing target and anti-Semitic conspiracies for years now.According to AP, Alex plans to widen his father’s “liberal aims” as well as take up different causes such as voting and abortion rights, and gender equity.He said he is interested to keep using his family’s wealth to back left-leaning US politicians.Alex also told the newspaper he recently met with Joe Biden administration officials, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer as well as Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau.The younger Soros expressed concerns that former President Donald Trump would be back at the White House, hinting that the Soros organisation is likely to play a vital financial role in the 2024 presidential elections.“As much as I would love to get money out of politics, as long as the other side is doing it, we will have to do it, too,” he told WSJ.As per the newspaper, Alex has also indicated more support for Jewish causes and charities than his father. Moreover, he has also backed environmental causes and workers’ rights in the US, noted The Guardian.“With my background, there are a lot of ways I could have gone astray,” Alexander said. “Instead I became a workaholic, and my life is my work.”What does OSF do?George Soros, a Jewish multi-billionaire, founded Open Society Foundations in 1993, which he has used to fund education, health, human rights and democracy projects across the globe, noted BBC.The nonprofit organisation, which gives $1.5 billion annually to different human rights causes and promotes democracy, is active in more than 120 countries, as per its website.According to the website, Soros has “given away more than $32 billion of his personal fortune” to fund OSF.During the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, the organisation announced an investment of $220 million to “build power in Black communities, promote bold new anti-racist policies in US cities, and help first-time activists stay engaged.”As per Indian Express, it has also spent millions on people in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in 2021, as well as Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian war.With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.