Billionaire and major left-wing donor George Soros will direct $130 million in funding from his Open Society Foundations to cities across the globe impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Open Society Foundations made its announcement in a press release Thursday, saying that it will be “pushing back against government encroachment on political freedoms,” in addition to its philanthropic causes. (RELATED: FLASHBACK: Jan. 21: Fauci Says Coronavirus ‘Not A Major Threat’ To U.S.)
“Half of Open Society’s initial COVID-19 response will go toward the United States, which has so far suffered the largest number of confirmed deaths, and where systemic inequality will have profound global consequences in the years to come,” the organization wrote.
The Open Society Foundations’ donations will include $37 million in relief for New York City, which has become the world’s epicenter for the pandemic. (RELATED: NYC Adds Nearly 4,000 People Who Never Tested Positive To Coronavirus Death Tolls)
Billionaire investor George Soros speaks to the audience at the Schumpeter Award in Vienna, Austria June 21, 2019. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
“The scale of this pandemic has laid bare the fault lines and injustices of our world,” Soros said in the organization’s press release.
Soros added that he sees the pandemic as an “opportunity” to create a stronger social safety net for the poor and disadvantaged.
“We missed the opportunity to create a more just economy after the financial crisis of 2008 and provide a social safety net for the workers who are the heart of our societies,” he said. “Today, we must change direction and ask ourselves: What kind of world will emerge from this catastrophe, and what can we do to make it a better one?”