Philanthropist bids adieu

last updated 8 January 2015

Moscow

After lavishing nearly $1 billion on Russia over the last 15 years, American financier George Soros said this week he was ending his philanthropy there to concentrate on the U.S. The Hungarian-born currency trader funded dozens of programs in Russia to develop a free, independent media during the transition from communism. “Perestroika gave us freedom of speech,” said Russian journalist Alexei Pankin, “while Soros gave us the tools to realize that freedom.” Soros said he would now concentrate on promoting media diversity in the U.S. “The fight for an open society now has to be fought there,” he said. “It sets the tone, it calls the tune.”