George Soros has $712 million in these 3 stocks

George Soros is one of the most well-known billionaires, with his name recognition comparable to that of Warren Buffett. He's mostly known for his philanthropy and promotion of an open society. Soros grew up in a Jewish family and survived the Holocaust by concealing identities and later fleeing Hungary altogether.

He worked as a railway porter and a nightclub waiter while studying philosophy at the London School of Economics (LSE). There, he was influenced by Karl Popper's concept of the "open society". He moved to the U.S. in 1956 and started working in finance. He gained significant recognition on Wall Street after his $10 billion short against the British pound in 1992, netting him a $1 billion profit.

His investment philosophy mainly centers on reflexivity. It is the idea that market participants' perceptions and actions can shape economic outcomes. In turn, this leads to self-reinforcement. He tests the market with small investments initially and then scales his investments as they gain steam.

George Soros joined merchant banks in London and New York. He launched his first hedge fund in 1969, called Double Eagle. He then launched the Quantum Fund, his flagship investment vehicle. It is through this fund that he earned fame in 1992. He also founded the Open Society Foundations and donated over $32 billion to promote democracy and human rights.

Soros Fund Management is his current investment vehicle. It was founded in 1970 and has since turned into a family office that manages $28 billion in assets. It is also the principal asset manager for the Open Society Foundations.

• AUM (13F): $6.7 billion.
• Number of holdings: 189.
• Q1 2025 performance: -0.3%.
• 3-year annualized return (top 20 holdings weighted): -5.61%.

• George Soros has aggressively bought AZN stock since Q1 2024, and the company has seen strengthening financials.
• It has a solid pipeline with profits surging by 33.8% in Q1 2025.
• AZN stock comes with a 3.02% dividend yield.
• George Soros has 3.01% of his portfolio in AZN stock, worth $201.57 million. His holdings here have been reduced by 13.1%.

• First Solar specializes in thin-film solar technology. It allows for lower costs and higher scalability.
• The company has the largest solar manufacturing footprint in the Western Hemisphere.
• George Soros started buying FSLR stock all the way back in 2009, but has sold and bought it many times since.
• George Soros now has 3.02% of his portfolio in FSLR call options, with a market value of $202.29 million. This is a new trade made in Q1 this year.

• Smurfit WestRock is an Irish company that sells corrugated and paper-based packaging.
• It was known as Smurfit Kappa but merged with WestRock last year to form Smurfit WestRock.
• SW stock is only up 1.77% in the past year, but it comes with a 3.66% dividend yield.
• George Soros has 4.61% of his portfolio in this stock, with a market value of $308.78 million. His holdings here have been trimmed by 2.75%.

George Soros' stake in Smurfit WestRock started out when both companies merged. This is an opportunistic investment that Soros likely sees playing out well over the long run. Soros also likes companies with tangible, physical assets.

Soros' fund has been making opportunistic and event-driven bets. These haven't been as successful in recent years, but recent buys could still pay off big.