Fact check: False claims about George Soros

George Soros is a billionaire philanthropist and founder of Open Society Foundations. He has been the target of multiple conspiracy theories and misinformation on social media.

Open Society Foundations told Fact Checkers that the claims made toward Soros in these posts are "false" and "do a disservice to the very bedrock of our democracy, as enshrined in the First Amendment."

Soros is not a former Nazi:

Reuters debunked a false claim that a photograph shows a young Soros in a Nazi uniform. During the time Nazis were active, Soros would not have met the age requirements to be in the Schutzstaffel. Soros and his family were Hungarian Jews who lived in Budapest during the war, disguising their identities for safety. In 1947 at the age of 17, Soros moved to London to attend university.

By the time Soros was 17, the fall of Nazi Germany had already happened. Soros could not possibly have been involved in the Nazi party which was active between 1920-1945. He is also a Hungarian Jew, further disproving this theory.

Soros never swore to “destroy the USA”. Fact Checkers found no evidence of Soros ever saying this. 

An older version of the quote attributes it to a Newsweek interview but there is no evidence Soros said this in their archive. One article quotes Steve Bannon comparing politics to war, saying, “They fight, look at George Soros and these other NGOs...they destroy you.” The article also states that, according to Bannon, Soros threatened to “destroy him personally.”

Soros does not “own” ANTIFA and Black Lives Matter.

A spokesperson for Open Society Foundations told Reuters via email: “We proudly support organizations that promote civic engagement and champion the right of all Americans to petition their government for redress of grievances. Those protesting the death of Mr. Floyd and police brutality across the nation do so out of a deep and abiding concern for country; they don't do so for pay from these foundations or any other, as some cynics claim.”

Black Lives Matter is a largely horizontal, grassroots, global organization (  bit.ly/373z22H  ). Its co-founders, Opal Tometi, Patrisse Cullors, and Alicia Garza started the movement in 2013, after the death of Trayvon Martin. The co-founders recently told the New Yorker that Black Lives Matter “has always been somewhat decentralized” and operates in a horizontal manner: “We have always said the power goes on in the local chapter because they know what is going on”. 

The organization recently set up a $12 million grant to help organizations fighting institutional racism, after an upsurge in donations amid the current protests. Beyoncé and Prince are among the celebrities who have donated to Black Lives Matter in previous years.

Open Society Foundations donates to groups worldwide. Some of their previous donations - including to Black Lives Matter and Planned Parenthood - have been subject to controversy in the U.S. It is unclear if the foundation has donated to Black Lives Matter again in the last month.

Antifa, short for “anti-fascist,” is an amorphous movement whose adherents oppose people or groups they consider authoritarian or racist, often using aggressive tactics, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which monitors extremists. Horizontal in nature and largely lacking official organization, it is unclear how Antifa is funded, if at all.

Soros did not pay for protesters after Trump’s election

Following Trump’s 2016 election win, some far-right claims suggested actors including Soros funded the ‘Not My President’ protests. Open Society Foundations denied paying these protesters in any way.

Soros has been mistakenly accused of sponsoring protests after Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court appointment and protests against racism in Ferguson, Missouri.

Open Society Foundations recently explained in a tweet: “We do not pay protesters. Neither does our founder George Soros. Claims that we do serve to delegitimize those who are exercising their Constitutionally-protected right to protest peacefully and petition their government for redress of grievances.”

Verdict

False. Conspiracy theories about George Soros visible in this post are unfounded.

This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.