I know. But if he were planning some catastrophic event to tank our markets, he'd be selling his stocks, not keeping 5/6ths of his fund betting to the upside.
Soros is simply undertaking a partial hedge of his position. As you note, the hedge will only last until roughly the expiration date of the options, at which point (or before) he will undoubtedly adjust his position again.
Keep in mind also that we are only being afforded a look at ONE of his numerous portfolios. I will continue to ignore this current Soros "story"; until and unless we somehow learn a lot more about Soros' FULL set of machinations, any trading activity whatever that is taken on the basis of this current "revelation" is nothing other than gambling, certainly not investing.
It's very disturbing to see the claptrap that is posted here about stocks, and Soros, and ESPECIALLY options.