George Soros

Born in 1930 in Budapest, Hungary, George Soros worked for several Wall Street firms before setting up his own private investment concern in 1973 that eventually became the Quantum Fund, one of the first hedge funds. Hugely successful, he was the first American to earn $1 billion in one year. He has also been a major philanthropist since the 1970s. In 1984, he established the Open Society Foundations, funding initiatives around the world to advance justice, education, public health, business development, and independent media. Updated 2007