One
of the world’s richest men and the president and chairman of his own hedge
fund, Soros Fund Management. In December, 2002, he was convicted of insider
trading by a French court and fined $2.3 million, which prosecutors said was
the amount of his profit. His conviction stemmed from a plan to takeover
Société Générale during 1987 when it was being privatized. The court ruled that
Soros had access to inside information, though Soros said he would appeal his
conviction.
Soros is well known
for selling the British pound in the early 1990s when it became clear that it
was overvalued. He is also notable for his philanthropy, which includes
donating money to various educational and charitable enterprises, many of which
are in Eastern Europe.