Paul Soros became a multi-millionaire by designing bulk ports for large cargo ships to load and unload, revolutionizing world shipping. But his wealth paled in comparison with that of his younger brother George, one of the world’s richest men. Naturally reticent, Paul became known as “the invisible Soros.”
Between the Nazis and the Soviets, Soros almost didn’t make it out of his native Hungary alive, said The New York Times. As a young man, he and his wealthy Jewish family “survived a year of terror” in occupied Budapest, posing as Christians to avoid being deported or killed. But when Soviet forces defeated the Germans, they accused Paul of being an SS officer and forced him to march east to be tried as a prisoner of war. Soros managed to escape and returned to Budapest. A naturally talented sportsman, he skied competitively for Hungary and later became Austria’s No. 2 tennis player. In 1948, he immigrated to the U.S. on a student visa, escaping Soviet clutches for good.
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