Magyar News, 1993. szeptember-1994. augusztus (4. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1994-02-01 / 6. szám

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH 2 MILLION DOLLARS A DAY?

I remember an old joke. Somebody asked a very rich man of how he started his 'ortune. The rich man told his story that he was practically penniless. He only had 50 cents in his pocket, that is what he invested, and with that he built a financial empire. The curious person kept on questioning. “What did you do with 50 cents to grow into your great wealth?” The rich man continued his story. He bought a sheet of paper, an envelope and a 29 cent stamp. He sent a letter to his father.

Well not every fortune was made this way. In the case I want to talk about has similarities. There is the 50 cents, but this wasn’t spent on a letter to ask for more money. This was spent on a cup of coffee at Loin’s comer in London. We are talking about George Soros who was studying at the School of Economics and at that moment was really down to his last pennies. As he said there is one way from that rock bottom and that is up. This cup of coffee must have put him in the right frame of mind. I myself also had a cup of coffee at the same place, but it probably was made of a different bean.

George Soros was bom in Hungary. During the war he and his family had false identification papers and had a hiding place in the basement This way as a Jewish family they survived the Nazis and the Germans. After the war at the age of 14 he went to England as a post war refugee. He didn’t want to experience the hardship of the Soviet occupation. Soros worked as a house painter and a waiter, did his studying and was constantly broke. In 1956 he came to the United States and for years worked at a brokerage firm at Wall Street in New York. Then he opened up his own business. Recently he visited some friends in Hungary, living on Lupa Sziget, and they asked him what does he actually do. Soros told them that he plays Monopoly, like in the old days when they were young, but now he does it for real.

And for real he does it. Soros is considered the greatest speculator and investor who ever lived. In one currency deal he made a billion dollars. This past year his income was S650 million. For us it is difficult to comprehend this amount of money, so let me break it down. He made $5,000.00 every minute. Well S5,000.00 is easy to understand. I must confess that it is the minute I can’t sort out. Come to think of it, I have trouble with the days too. I was told that George Soros made $2 million every day. One of his employees made $100 million last year.

What does George Soros do with all that money? He said, he doesn ’ t have a problem earning the money. He has a problem of spending it prudently so that the people and not the governments benefit from it He gave $25 million to Macedonia, $50 million to Bosnia (the greatest humanitarian donation ever given), $100 million to science in Russia, and $700 million to Eastern Europe, including Hungary.

Do we benefit from it here, locally? Yes. Just remember those outstanding groups of singers and musicians, world renowned ones, who visited us in recent years. With their performances they helped us retain our Hungarian heritage. But there are many other activities like student exchanges, bringing over teachers to leant and experience the life here. He is helping business people to find their way in a new economic

Fairfield High School enhances the Christmas festivities with a magnificent concert every year. It is called the S pectrum Concert because it is a show of all music activities going on in the school from the orchestra to the jazz band, from chamber singers to the chorus. Very few of the students have the opportunity to show their talent with a solo performance. This year we were very proud because the two solos were done by Hungarian students. Reka

setting. Soros has foundations in 23 countries to serve the purpose of the above.

At the age of 63 George Soros has proven two miracles. One is to rise to the top on his own. The other is to help people for their own benefit without expecting financial reward or anything in return.

George Soros knows how to make $2 million a day and he also knows how to give

ltaway’ Joseph F. Balogh

Leszay, from Fairfield, sang a song. Tamas Beer from Tatabanya, attending school here in the Sister-City program, played the trumpet. Both performances were truly on a professional level.

In many leading roles in stage performances we continuously come across Julia Fulop. Recently she played in The Crucible at the Regina Quick Center.

Congratulations are due to all three and we wish them success for their future.

THE BULL OF HORTOBÁGY

Among the exhibited pictures is" the Bull of Hortobágy."

VOICE AND TRUMPET ON THE TOP

An internationally known painter and printmaker, Gabor Peterdi, an American Hungarian artist from our area is having a

one-man show through January. It is at Art/ Place Gallery in Southport. Peterdi is the son of a well known Hungarian writer.