George Soros transferring New York property empire over to trusted advisers: Sources

After handing over the reins of his powerful Open Society Foundations to his son, George Soros has quietly been transferring parts of his property empire over to one of his most trusted advisers , according to records seen by The Post.

The 94-year-old reclusive ex-banker and philanthropist, worth $25 billion, has transferred seven properties over to Judy Blum of Soros Fund Management within the last year, according to the records.

Soros has amassed an impressive portfolio of at least 11 houses and properties in Katonah, an affluent suburb of New York City in Westchester County.

However, locals claim Soros is “like a ghost” as he has never seen in or around the town.

“He never participates in the community and never visits the local restaurants. He has chefs who deliver him food. He is now wheelchair-bound,” one resident told The Post.

Another added: “He is not really a part of the community, despite living here for so long.”

Soros first purchased a property in Katonah in 1993, according to records obtained by The Post.

Soros’ main full-time $10 million home is a restored 19th-century country house featuring nine bedrooms, nine bathrooms and 10,000 square feet of living space which he bought in 1996 from “Jurassic Park” author Michael Crichton.

Since then he has steadily bought up neighboring properties and plots of land around his main home.

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As a map produced by The Post shows by 2024 Soros had built up his holdings with several parcels of land on Cantitoe Street, totaling over 115 acres, and several more properties on Girdle Ridge Drive.

Blum has worked for Soros for over 30 years, according to her Linkedin profile and is also listed as one of the heads of his charity endeavors .

Soros already transferred the majority of his philanthropic empire over to his son, Alex Soros, 38, in June 2023, including control of the Open Society Foundations which Soros runs in numerous countries. Those organizations fund radical leftists and a campus agitators such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) who were behind college campus protests last year.

The transfer of Soros’ property in the area where he has lived, largely in seclusion, since the ’90s is the most significant sign yet that he is winding down his interests and getting his assets and estate in order, which sources say is very common for someone of his age.

Estate and probate law attorney Arash Sadat of MSD Lawyers told The Post: “It’s not unusual to put all properties in the care of a financial manager, especially for older people.

“Handing over control of the estate’s assets to a third party allows the property owner to make sure that assets are properly managed.

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“Putting properties in the care of someone else could be part of the owner’s pre-existing end-of-life plans or could be a decision that was made recently.”

Another estate lawyer, Paul Koenigsberg from Koenigsberg & Associates, agreed.

He added: “As a person advances in age it’s best to have a fresher mind take care of their finances for them.

“It might also be a signal that the individual is preparing for the eventual transfer of his properties to his named heirs after his death.”

Reps for Soros declined a request for comment. In addition to his properties in upstate New York, he billionaire also owns a house in The Hamptons and his business interests also own multiple properties in Europe.

In Katonah, Soros’ name is also connected to the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts , though how much of a stake he holds in that remains a mystery.

Soros’ main property boasts landscaping akin to a botanical garden, a tree-lined driveway, a nine-stall stable, fenced paddocks and even a caretaker’s cottage. Yet, for all its grandeur, it is a place of seclusion.

Few get to see it — and when guests do privacy concerns are paramount, according to the local chatter.

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“Every time he throws a big party, he shuts the Wi-Fi down so no one can take [or send] pictures [through the internet],” several sources recalled to The Post.

Soros was last pictured in June and August in photos apparently taken in his home and uploaded to social media by Alex — the most public and outspoken of his five children. The younger Soros, 38, is engaged to former Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin, 48, whose first husband is Anthony Weiner.

Some say that Soros became more private after an explosive device was found in his Katonah mailbox in 2018 by an employee. According to the New York Times , which first reported the story, bomb squad technicians were able to “proactively” detonate the device and it didn’t explode on its own.

The town and neighboring Bedford are filled with other celebrities. Blake Lively and Ralph Lauren are also known to frequent the area, blending in with the locals at places like the Blue Dolphin Diner, a community staple since 1987.

With a population of about 1,900, Katonah is not a town which craves the spotlight. The town’s mix of privacy, natural beauty, and proximity to New York City make it a unique refuge for the elite.

“Even Ralph Lauren, who has a home here and owns several properties, does not have a store here. It’s getting back to basics with sophistication. It’s family time. It’s nature time,” says Melissa Marcogliese, a local real estate agent with Compass.

That privacy extends to everyone, including Soros. “People here aren’t interested in celebrity,” she adds.

“Anybody that lives here, whether they are a well-known author, entertainer, or financier, can have a normal experience. Their children can have a normal experience in public or private schools.”

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