After Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, urging RICO charges against George Soros and the Open Society Foundations (OSF), several outlets reported the call; there is no indication of formal charges by DOJ at this time. OSF rejected the allegations. In any case, this is a reason to take a closer look at the OSF and understand its influence.
Snapshot (what OSF is)
- Type: Global philanthropic network (a group of U.S. private foundations and affiliated national/regional foundations). Mission: “open society” values—democratic practice, human rights, rule of law (Sources: opensocietyfoundations.org).
- Assets / scale: ~$25 billion in assets (2025); $1.7B total expenditures in 2023; more than $23B spent since inception. 2,350+ grants in 100+ countries in 2023 (Sources: opensocietyfoundations.org+2opensocietyfoundations.org+2)
- gLeadership: Founder George Soros; Alex (Alexander) Soros, Chair of the Board (since 2023); Binaifer Nowrojee, President (from 2024) (Sources: opensocietyfoundations.org+1,AP News).
- Geography & structure: Works in the U.S., Africa, Europe & Central Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, MENA, and Asia-Pacific. In 2018, OSF moved its international hub from Budapest to Berlin amid Hungary’s “Stop Soros” crackdown (Sources: opensocietyfoundations.org+1,Reuters).
How big is OSF vs other U.S. foundations?
By assets, OSF sits in the top tier of American private foundations—below Gates and Lilly, roughly alongside HHMI, and above Ford.
| Foundation (USA) | Latest Assets / Net Assets | Recent Annual Giving/Spend | Focus (very short) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lilly Endowment | ~$80B assets (12/2024) | $2.244B grants paid (2024) | Religion, community development, education (Sources: Lilly Endowment+1) |
| Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | $77.2B endowment (12/2024) | $8.0B charitable support (2024) | Global health, development, U.S. education (Sources: gatesfoundation.org). |
| Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) | $25.6B consolidated net assets (FY2024) | (research operations; not strictly grant-only) | Biomedical research & science education. (Sources: hhmi.org). |
| Open Society Foundations (OSF) | ~$25B assets (2025) | $1.7B expenditures (2023) | Democracy, human rights, justice, civic participation (Sources: opensocietyfoundations.org+1). |
| Ford Foundation | $14.9B net assets; $17.5B total assets (12/2024) | $1.00B total expenses (2024) | Social justice, inequality, creativity & free expression (Sources: Ford Foundation). |
Takeaway: OSF is one of the largest private foundations in the U.S. by assets (top 5–6), with spending levels that put it among the most active global grantmakers, though still far below Gates in annual outlays (Sources: opensocietyfoundations.org+1gatesfoundation.org,Lilly Endowment).
Read our report on the RICO allegations.
Where OSF sits politically
- Self-description: Promotes rights-based liberal democracy and pluralism; grants to civil society groups on justice reform, media freedom, minority rights, migration, and elections (Sources: opensocietyfoundations.org).
- Independent characterizations: Frequently described as liberal/progressive in orientation due to program priorities and grantee mix; a regular target of conservative critics. (Example classification: “Left-biased.”) (Sources: Media Bias/Fact Check).
- Regulatory/political friction: High-profile clashes with populist governments (notably Hungary), culminating in OSF’s 2018 relocation from Budapest to Berlin; parts of the “Stop Soros” package were later struck down by the EU’s top court (Sources: opensocietyfoundations.org,justiceinitiative.org).
Analyst’s view
- Scale & resiliency. With ~$25B in assets and a multi-continent footprint, OSF’s program capacity is structurally significant and unlikely to be materially altered by short-term political attacks alone.
- Concentration risk & governance. OSF is closely linked to the Soros family’s leadership and capital. That creates clear strategic coherence but also reputational concentration risk in polarized environments—something the 2023–2024 restructuring and new presidency aim to professionalize.
- Competitive set. In a philanthropy landscape where Lilly and Gates dominate by assets/spend, OSF’s edge is its policy-adjacent civil-society focus across 100+ countries—distinct from the predominantly scientific/health portfolios of HHMI and Gates.
- Political classification. Fairly described as progressive/liberal philanthropy; it funds nonpartisan rule-of-law and rights work but its portfolio aligns with the center-left. That alignment explains both its influence in democracy/justice spaces and the recurring backlash from nationalist or conservative actors.
Key data (quick table)
| Item | OSF Data |
|---|---|
| Domain | www.opensocietyfoundations.org |
| Assets (most recent stated) | ~$25B (2025) |
| Total expenditures since inception | $23B+ |
| 2023 expenditures | $1.7B |
| 2023 grants & reach | 2,350+ grants; 100+ countries |
| Leadership | Founder George Soros; Chair Alex Soros; President Binaifer Nowrojee |
| Notable structural events | 2018 move from Budapest to Berlin amid “Stop Soros” crackdown; EU later struck parts of the law. |
Note on sources: OSF’s asset figure, spend history, grants volume and geography are drawn from OSF’s official site; comparison figures for peer foundations come from each organization’s audited statements or official fact sheets (Sources: opensocietyfoundations.org+2opensocietyfoundations.org+2,gatesfoundation.org,Lilly Endowment,hhmi.org,Ford Foundation).
