George Soros interview

Coffee Club Newsletter ©
Volume 18, No. 45 - July 14, 2008

Any similarity to persons actually living or events actually happening is coincidental.

TR: Good afternoon. Are you George Soros?
GS: Who let you in?
TR: I’m sorry, I thought you knew….
GS: You look Republican. This apartment is not open to Republicans.
TR: I’m neither Republican nor Democrat.
GS: You’re one of those scary Independents then.
TR: I’m just a photographer.
GS: Where’s your camera?
TR: It’s broken.
GS: What’s that under your arm?
TR: It’s my tape recorder.
GS: It’s rather bulky for a tape recorder.
TR: I bought it in 1967.
GS: No wonder. You know, 1967 is when I made my first million.
TR: May I come in?
GS: Let me get the butler to come open the door.
TR: Why don’t you open it yourself?
GS: My servants do that sort of thing.
TR: Ok, I can wait.
GS: There, now you may come inside. Sit over by the fireplace where we can see you.
TR: We?
GS: You speak French.
TR: Yes.
GS: I speak four languages, including Esperanto – Hungarian, Russian, and English.
TR: English is good.
GS: Did you know I broke the Bank of England?
TR: I heard, yes.
GS: It was accidental but people gave me credit for it.
TR: You are the author of many books.
GS: …and many speeches, essays, and magazine articles.
TR: Do you consider yourself an influential man?
GS: What do you think? I brought down the Soviet Union.
TR: I thought Gorbachev did that.
GS: No, no - I financed the opposition that put all the pressure on the poor man – pressure from all sides. It didn’t just happen – someone had to pay for it. No matter what anybody says, people don’t risk their lives for nothing.
TR: So you bankrolled the leaders of all the opposition movements?
GS: Not just me, there were others.
TR: …co-conspirators?
GS: That sounds like something a Republican would say. Reagan knew what I was up to. He was behind me all the way.
TR: Can I print that?
GS: No. Let’s play it safe.
TR: Ok. Can we discuss the Open Society Institute?
GS: Sure, the OSI is one of my favorite projects.
TR: Some people say it’s not as open to public scrutiny as its mission statement purports it to be.
GS: Stulta Respublikano perfidulo.
TR: What?
GS: You don’t speak Esperanto?
TR: No.
GS: Everyone should speak Esperanto.
TR: Why?
GS: Because that’s what I speak – it’s my favorite language – so mellifluous and sweet. It’s the language of the future.
TR: Do your children speak it?
GS: Only when they don’t want any eavesdroppers to understand what they’re saying.
TR: What are the chances?
GS: Well, around the world, only 748 people speak it fluently and most of them live in Lithuania. Unfortunately, my father miscalculated. He ordered forty million Esperanto dictionaries printed. He thought it would be the universal language by 2004. He had this gift for speculating about things – maybe time will prove him right still.
TR: Or, it may become extinct.
GS: No, no, no. As long as books exist, it will not be forgotten - just like me.
TR: What will happen to your projects after you’re gone?
GS: I’m not going anywhere.
TR: I meant after you die.
GS: I don’t believe in death.
TR: But, you’ll be seventy eight next month.
GS: Well, I could be eighteen or one hundred ninety – it’s all the same to me. I still don’t believe I’m going to die. OSI is financing a top secret technology project. That’s all I’m going to say on the subject.
TR: Ok, I’ll take your word for it.
GS: You’re talking about the best investor who ever lived. I can’t die. Read my books.
TR: How about Warren Buffett?
GS: He’s a beginner. You’re comparing a rock to a diamond.
TR: What is your secret?
GS: Smart speculation.
TR: Making smart guesses?
GS: Absolutely - multiplying my money by guessing what something is going to be worth tomorrow - like oil for instance. I play poker with the world economy.
TR: You sound like a Republican.
GS: Jen amikino timema, in the world of finance, there are no political parties.
TR: Gracias Mr. Soros.