Washington: While the world reeled from a week of violent riots, political killings and missile strikes between Israel and Iran, a grand wedding in the Hamptons captured attention in the United States. It was described as a “political royal wedding” — the union of Alex Soros and Huma Abedin.
Alex Soros is the son of billionaire George Soros, a longtime donor to the Democratic Party and a figure often criticized by conservatives. Huma Abedin is best known for her years as a close aide to Hillary Clinton and her past marriage to former congressman Anthony Weiner, who made headlines for multiple sexting scandals before their separation in 2016.
According to the New York Times, “Held on Saturday at Mr. Soros’s estate in Water Mill, NY, the wedding drew private jets and Clinton aides galore in a rare concentration of wealth and power.”
The guest list read like a who’s who of American political and cultural elites:
“Beyond the couple’s families, the guest list included Mrs. Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton; former Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff; Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic minority leaders from New York; former Speaker Nancy Pelosi; celebrities like Nicky Hilton Rothschild; cultural figures like the Vogue editor Anna Wintour; longtime Clinton friends like the San Francisco power broker Susie Tompkins Buell; and foreign dignitaries like the prime minister of Albania, Edi Rama.”
The Times also noted that musical group Boyz II Men performed at the wedding. Guests enjoyed an extravagant menu featuring “truffle agnolotti, chilled English pea soup and an American Wagyu bavette and grilled prawns.”
Lavish wedding amid crises
Despite the grandeur, the newspaper pointed out the stark contrast between this celebration and serious global issues — including violent protests in the US, the killing of a Minnesota lawmaker, and escalating warfare between Israel and Iran. Alex Soros now leads the Open Society Foundations, which was founded by his 94-year-old father. Over the years, the foundation has donated $32 billion to causes around the world, based on the senior Soros’s wealth.
The Times described Alex as “one of the donor world’s most intriguing figures.” However, New York Magazine earlier painted a different picture, suggesting that Alex enjoys public attention and social media more than quietly influencing politics, as his father once did.
The Soros-Abedin relationship had already drawn public interest due to Abedin’s past with Weiner. But the wedding also offered a meaningful symbol of unity: a smaller ceremony was held on Friday to honor both Abedin’s Muslim background and Soros’s Jewish roots. According to the Times, “a rabbi and an imam both officiated,” blending traditions from two faiths that have often seen conflict throughout history.
