Hedge fund billionaire, George Soros, is well-known for his leftist political activism around the globe, but you might be surprised to learn that he was one of the top political donors in Texas in the 2016 election cycle. Mr. Soros made no political donations in Texas during the primary season, but catapulted himself into the top ten individual donors during the general election by giving $1,456,600.oo. He is the only avowed Democrat in the top ten and the only non-Texan on the list.

Here’s an overview of Mr. Soros’ giving in the last election cycle:

*George Soros – A Closer Look*
Total Donations	$1,456,600
Total Number of Donations	10
Average Donation Amount	$145,660
Donations to Republicans	$0
Donations to Democrats	$0
Donations to Texas House Candidates	$0
Percentage of Donations to Texas House Candidates	0%
Donations to Texas Senate Candidates	$0
Percentage of Donations to Texas Senate Candidates	0%
Donations to Statewide Candidates	$0
Percentage of Donations to Statewide Candidates	0%
Donations to Advocacy Groups	$1,456,600
Percentage of Donations to Advocacy Groups	100%

Key takeaways from Mr. Soro’s giving:

Most interesting donation:

The most interesting thing about Mr. Soros’ donations is not the who but the where and the why. At first glance it seems odd that a Hungarian-born New York hedge fund manager would be one of Texas’ top political players and the top donor to the Texas Democrat Party. On further reflection, it makes perfect sense. Texas is a conservative leader on all fronts – particularly those Mr. Soros cares about deeply, including criminal justice reform, deportation of illegal aliens, and privatization of prisons, not to mention that Texas’ electoral college votes are the lynchpin to any Republican presidential victory. After all, “As Texas goes, so goes the nation.”

Our A Closer Look series provides a breakdown of a particular donor’s giving habits within Texas politics. We specifically analyze to whom money is given and when, providing context so citizens can determine the motivation behind the donor’s giving. Stay tuned for the next installment.