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Soros' CIO to start own hedge fund with $2 billion

August 04, 2015 at 01:46 pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Scott Bessent, who has been overseeing George Soros' $30 billion fortune for the last four years and whom some consider Soros' protege, will leave at the end of 2015 to start his own hedge-fund firm.

Bessent is forming Key Square Group with a $2 billion investment from Soros, according to a memo sent on Tuesday to employees of Soros Fund Management, where he serves as chief investment officer.

"Over the past four years, Scott has managed the firm's assets with skill and dedication," Robert Soros, George's son, said in the memo reviewed by Reuters. "He has decided to start his own venture because of the constraints involved in working with a family office structure, which prevent him from raising outside capital."

Bessent has spent much of his career managing money for Soros, overseeing his European investments for about eight years in the 1990s, and returning to the firm in late 2011.

"Scott will continue to advise SFM on an informal basis and remains close to George Soros and the Soros family," Robert Soros said in his memo. "Upon Scott's departure, the firm's investment strategy and asset allocation will be managed by the existing committees established by Scott and myself, which already play an active role in both processes."

(Reporting by Jennifer Ablan; Editing by Richard Chang)

By Jennifer Ablan

George Soros

George Soros lived the Hungary’s Nazi occupation. With Jewish origin, he was forced to change his name in 1936 (György Schwartz). He escapes from communist regime in 1947, and he arrives in Great Britain. In London he follows the philosopher anti communist Karl Kopper’s courses at London School of Economics. In 1956 he emigrated to United States with one objective in mind: to win half million dollars. Mission completed, in 2011 his fortune amounted to $14,5 billion and he was the 46th richest man in the world, according to Forbes.

When he had arrived in New York he founded his first investment fund The Soros Fund, which will be the first stone of Soros’ financial empire. In 1973 he founded Quantum Fund with Jim Rogers. For ten years this fund will break all records in terms of gains.

The most of people know him during the great depression of 1992. He speculated on sterling’s fall, and he caused important fluctuations such as the British currency was forced out of the monetary system. This bet allowed him to earn a billion in one night and he was called as “the man who broken the Bank of England”.

He is also a philanthropist. With Open Society Institute which group together twenty foundations with a goal to defend human rights and promote democratic governance. George Soros describes himself as a “stateless head of state”. Since 1984, thanks to his foundations he distributed more than $ 8 billion to various humanitarian causes in 70 countries around the world.

The man, who wanted to be a philosopher, thanks to his foundation he participates in the transformation of society. The speculator has become the destroyer of excessive liberalism.

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Soros Fund Management LLC Soros Fund Management LLC Investment ManagersFinance Soros Fund Management LLC (SFM) is a privately-held investment management firm now structured as a family office, but which was once a hedge fund manager. The firm was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in New York City. SFM serves as principal investment adviser to a group of funds managed for the benefit of Soros family cl fsients.	Founder
Open Society Foundations Open Society Foundations Investment Trusts/Mutual FundsMiscellaneous The Open Society Institute works to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. To achieve its mission, OSI seeks to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. On a local level, OSI implements a range of initiatives to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, OSI builds alliances across borders and continents on issues such as corruption and freedom of information. OSI places a high priority on protecting and improving the lives of people in marginalized communities. Investor and philanthropist George Soros in 1993 created OSI as a private operating and grantmaking foundation to support his foundations in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Those foundations were established, starting in 1984, to help countries make the transition from communism. OSI has expanded the activities of the Soros foundations network to encompass the United States and more than 60 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Each Soros foundation relies on the expertise of boards composed of eminent citizens who determine individual agendas based on local priorities.	Founder

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