Presidential Medal of Freedom Awarded to Hamptonites George Soros, Ralph Lauren

President Joe Biden bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s top civilian honor — to billionaire philanthropist George Soros and fashion designer Ralph Lauren, both of whom have homes in the Hamptons.

The duo were among 19 people who received the medal during a ceremony at the White House on Jan. 4. Soros is a Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor and Democratic megadonor. Lauren is the first fashion designer to receive the award.

“He has influenced culture, business, and philanthropy, notably in the fight against cancer and the preservation of the Star-Spangled Banner,” the White House said of Lauren, adding that he “redefined the fashion industry with a lifestyle brand that embodies timeless elegance and American tradition.”

The White House said Biden selected the latest honorees because they have made “exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.”

Others who received the high honors this month were former First Lady Hillary Clinton, U2 frontman Bono, conservationist Jane Goodall, and actor Denzel Washington. So did another fashion icon, Anna Wintour, who owns a sprawling estate in Mastic.

Soros, who founded the Open Society Foundations, did not attend the ceremony in person, but his son Alex Soros received the award in his place.

The Biden administration said that “through his network of foundations, partners and projects in more than 120 countries, Soros has focused on global initiatives that strengthen democracy, human rights, education, and social justice.”

Soros owns an estate in Southampton where he proposed to his third wife in 2012. Ralph Lauren has several stores across the Hamptons, where he is often seen driving his high-end sportscars, and has owned a compound in Montauk for decades.