Who is George Soros - billionaire whom BJP linked with Rahul Gandhi’s US visit?

George Soros is a Hungarian-born US investor, who founded the Open Society Foundation- which supports civil society groups in upholding “freedom and democracy".

Amid political row over the case against Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya for sharing a video ‘mocking’ Rahul Gandhi on social media, the saffron party doubled down on its allegations against the Congress leader over his recent visit to the United States, which they linked to the controversial billionaire George Soros.

Hungarian-born US investor and philanthropist George Soros. (AFP)

The flashpoint between BJP-Congress comes as Malviya was booked by the Karnataka police on Wednesday under various sections 153(A), 120(B), 505(2) and 34 of the IPC for “promoting enmity between different groups social groups” and “doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony” and conspiracy.” Reacting to the action, the BJP charged the Congress party for abuse of power to "suppress the truth" and Union minister Smriti Irani said the party was "in receipt of information with regards to an FIR against a position taken by the BJP with regards to Rahul Gandhi's US visit.”

During a press conference on Wednesday, Irani alleged that Rahul Gandhi, during his US visit taken on May 30, "hobnobbed" with people having suspicious credentials, including close aides of billionaire investor George Soros, who wants to “destabilise" the democratically elected government in India.

Who is George Soros?

1)A vocal critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Soros recently created a controversy during the 2023 Munich Security Conference when he said he expected a “democratic revival” in India, making a reference to the Gautam Adani Group-Hindenburg crisis, in which the US short seller alleged business malpractices by the industrial conglomerate.

2) With a net worth of about $8.5 billion, Soros is the founder of the Open Society Foundation. The organisation supports civil society groups around the world to advance “freedom and democracy.” He has been repeatedly slammed by the BJP over attempting to intervene in “India's democratic processes.”

3) The 92-year-old billionaire was born in Hungary in 1930 and lived through the Nazi occupation of 1944–1945. Soros hails from a Jewish family and moved to London in 1947. There, he worked part time as a railway porter and a night-club waiter to fund his education at the London School of Economics, the Open Society's website states.

4) He emigrated to the US in 1956 and launched his own hedge fund in 1973 and later became one of the most successful investors in the history of the US.

5) Among his other endeavours, Soros is also known for his infamous wager against the British pound in 1992. He helped to force the currency’s withdrawal from the exchange-rate system that preceded the establishment of the euro. Soros made a staggering $1 billion in profits from his huge short positions as the currency crashed in what became known as Black Wednesday.