published25. May 2022, 00:29
At this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, billionaire George Soros warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could be the start of a new world war. In addition, the war throws Europe back by milestones – also in terms of combating climate change.
His personal fortune is estimated at $8.5 billion.
AFP
Hungarian-born US investor and philanthropist George Soros addresses the assembly on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on May 24, 2022. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)
AFP
At this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, billionaire and philanthropist George Soros warned of the consequences of the Ukraine war. He warned that issues affecting all of humanity – such as fighting pandemics, climate change and maintaining global institutions – are “taking a back seat” because of the Ukraine war and as a consequence, “civilization may not survive”.
At the congress, the 91-year-old US investor of Hungarian origin called the “repressive regime” of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping the “greatest threat to open society”.
Harsh criticism of China’s zero-Covid policy
Both heads of state made “horrible mistakes,” Soros said. Putin wants to be “welcomed as a liberator” in Ukraine, and Xi Jinping is sticking to a zero-Covid policy that is impossible to maintain. The prolonged lockdown in China would disrupt supply chains, which would push up global inflation, which in turn could trigger a global depression, Soros said.
At previous World Economic Forum events, Soros had already used the international attention to express criticism. In January 2020, he spoke of a possible Facebook conspiracy to re-elect Donald Trump – without evidence. In 2019 he warned of the “deadly danger” of Chinese repression through artificial intelligence – he picked up this topic again in his speech on Tuesday. “AI is particularly good at developing control tools that support repressive regimes and threaten open societies,” he said.
The Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor also spoke of his organization, which funds groups working for social justice, democracy, human rights and progressive politics. He is said to have personal wealth of $8.5 billion.
(sys)