Which Hungarian-born billionaire founded the Open Society Foundations?

George Soros founded the Open Society Foundations, a philanthropic network that supports civil society, human rights, education and democratic institutions. The organization grew from his earlier efforts to help societies become more open after decades of authoritarian rule.

Soros began this work in the 1980s, establishing foundations in Central and Eastern Europe. In 1984, he signed an agreement with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences that helped establish the Soros Foundation in Budapest. The Open Society Institute was created in the United States in 1993, and the network later adopted the name Open Society Foundations.

The name reflects philosopher Karl Popper’s 1945 book The Open Society and Its Enemies, which influenced Soros’s political and philanthropic thinking. The foundations fund projects involving justice, education, public health, independent media and accountable government, although their political activities have made them controversial in some countries.

A common mistake is to treat the organization as a company founded by another technology billionaire. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are associated with the Gates Foundation and major philanthropic giving, but Soros is the canonical founder of OSF.