President Joe Biden presented the US' highest civilian award to controversial philanthropist George Soros, along with 18 others, for their contributions to America and the world.
Reacting to the award, Tesla CEO Elon Musk criticised Biden and called it a "travesty".
"A travesty that Biden is giving Soros the Medal of Freedom," Musk wrote on X.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavours.
According to an official White House statement, Soros, an investor and founder of the Open Society Foundations, was recognised for his global initiatives to "strengthen democracy, human rights, education and social justice."
Controversial legacy of Soros
Born in 1930 to a Jewish family in Hungary, Soros escaped Nazi occupation o build a life of freedom for himself. By founding Open Society Foundations, Soros spent billions on promoting democratic values, human rights, and social causes across the world.
Soros's involvement in politics has raised lot of eyebrows in the past. He has been accused of influencing regime changes, and funding movements such as the Arab Spring as well.
Recently, Soros's name popped up linking to controversies relating to the Adani Group in India. In 2023, US short-seller firm Hindenburg released a report alleging business tycoon Gautam Adani improperly used tax havens and flagged concerns about high debt levels at the company.
The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) alleged that the Adani Group used opaque Mauritius-based funds to channel investments into its companies. Soros's Open Society Foundations is a donor to OCCRP.
Also, this is not the first time Musk has said something against Soros. Last year, Musk slammed Soros by stating that he "hates humanity". He had also compared Soros to the Marvel character Magneto, fictional Holocaust survior with powers and controversial worldview.
