'Travesty': Elon Musk blasts Biden for awarding Presidential Medal to George Soros

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Saturday slammed US President Joe Biden for awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to billionaire philanthropist George Soros. Musk described the decision as a "travesty". "A travesty that Biden is giving Soros the Medal of Freedom," he wrote on X. 

In November 2023, Musk accused Soros of actions that “erode the fabric of society". “George Soros is the top contributor to the Democratic Party; the second was Sam Bankman-Fried. In my opinion, George Soros fundamentally hates humanity. He is doing things that erode the fabric of society, getting DAs elected that won't do their jobs. He is doing things in other countries also."  

On Saturday, Biden honored 19 individuals with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, including Soros and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. According to the White House, Soros was recognized for his contributions to “strengthening democracy, human rights, education, and social justice” through his global initiatives.  

Noted economist Sanjeev Sanyal also reacted, saying since Soros funds virtually all the democracy, freedom, and other global rankings, "this must qualify as an outburst of democracy and freedom."

Soros, who amassed his wealth as a celebrated hedge fund manager, is famously known as the man who "broke the Bank of England" by shorting the British pound in 1992, reportedly profiting $1 billion. Through his Open Society Foundations, Soros has directed billions to causes promoting democracy and addressing nationalism worldwide, but his efforts have sparked significant controversy.  

The billionaire has been accused of funding regime-change movements in various countries. The governments and rival groups have labeled his organisations "agents of chaos" for allegedly destabilising the European Union through mass migration and supporting Arab Spring protest groups. Soros has also been suspected of involvement in efforts to oust Russian President Vladimir Putin.  

In India, Soros has drawn criticism for openly targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During a 2020 World Economic Forum speech in Davos, Soros pledged $1 billion to fund a university network to "tackle the spread of nationalism." In the same speech, he criticised Modi, then US President Donald Trump, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.  

"The biggest and most frightening setback occurred in India, where a democratically elected Narendra Modi is creating a Hindu nationalist state, imposing punitive measures on Kashmir, a semi-autonomous Muslim region, and threatening to deprive millions of Muslims of their citizenship,” Soros said at the time.  

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar hit back at Soros, calling him 'dangerous'. "He is old, rich, opinionated, and dangerous, because what happens is, when such people and such views and such organisations - they actually invest resources in shaping narratives," Jaishankar said in a response to a question about Soros. He said India's voters decided "how the country should run". "It worries us. We are a country that went through colonialism, we know the dangers of what happens when there’s outside interference."