Individual donations to 527 organizations (2001 to 2010)
George Soros: $32.5 million
Koch Brothers: $1.5 million

Individual donations to federal candidates, parties and political action committees (1989 to 2010)
Koch Brothers: $2.58 million 1.29 ea
George Soros: $1.74 million

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Soros:"I have always harboured an exaggerated view of my self-importance. To put it bluntly, I fancied myself as some kind of god or an economic reformer like Keynes, or, even better, like Einstein. My sense of reality was strong enough to make me realise that these expectations were excessive, and I kept them hidden as a guilty secret. This was a source of considerable unhappiness through much of my adult life. As I made my way in the world, reality came close enough to my fantasy to allow me to admit my secret, at least to myself. Needless to say, I feel much happier as a result."

"It is a sort of disease when you consider yourself some kind of god, the creator of everything, but I feel comfortable about it now since I began to live it out."

"I've come to the conclusion that one can do a lot more about the issues I care about by changing the government than by pushing the issues."

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For the richest hedge fund managers, 2009 was the best year ever.

Appaloosa Management chief David Tepper, who bet on the recovery of banks and the debt of bailed-out US insurer AIG, earned the biggest payouts with $4.36 billion in 2009, a record for the sector.

US financier George Soros, the head of Soros Fund Management, took the second spot with $3.6 billion.