George Soros today received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States.
A survivor of Nazi-occupied Hungary and then Communist repression, Soros has contributed more than $32 billion to advancing freedom and justice across the world. His early experiences shaped his lifelong mission to support open society and fight oppression in a vast array of places—whether that meant standing up for the Rohingya minority, sending humanitarian aid to besieged Sarajevo, or fighting discrimination against Europe’s Roma.
Beginning in 1979 with scholarships for Black South African students under apartheid, Soros pioneered a new, now widely adopted approach to philanthropy of working directly with local communities. Anticipating the fall of Communism, he established his first foundation in Hungary, and expanded to support democratic reform across Eastern Europe. Over the next decade, the Foundations grew to work in more than 100 countries to promote human rights and justice. He has championed education, founding the Central European University, with the belief that critical thinking is a cornerstone of an open society. Broadening public access to information and ideas has always been central to his philanthropy and philosophy—promoting it through debate, arts, and culture. His efforts include establishing scholarships, fellowships, translations, and documentary film.
Today, the Open Society Foundations support civil society groups and projects that sustain democracies worldwide, despite mounting challenges. In recent years, Soros has responded to global crises from COVID-19 to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while warning about threats from digital platforms and extremism.
“The medal marks George Soros’s lifelong commitment to promoting human rights, equity, and justice,” said Binaifer Nowrojee, president of the Open Society Foundations. “George is always courageous in the fight for open society without fear or favor. He has never been interested in promoting his own voice, but standing as an ally of those who are excluded or not being heard.”
