Tesla CEO and close aide to President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk, joined the wave of online trolling directed at billionaire George Soros, following US President Joe Biden's decision to award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the US. 
Musk&rsquo;s meme post comparing Soros to a Star Wars villain has quickly gained traction across social media.
The meme depicts Soros as Sheev Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious, from the Star Wars saga. In the film series, Palpatine appears as a kind, democratic ruler while secretly plotting to take control of the galaxy as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Musk&rsquo;s meme suggested that Soros might similarly be hiding his true motives while presenting himself as a philanthropist, with the caption, &ldquo;George Soros looking quite good here. Must be the lighting&rdquo;.
The post added a layer of humour, which sparked widespread attention.
The trolling came after President Biden named Soros as one of the 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Saturday. The White House lauded Soros for his contributions to global democracy, human rights, education, and social justice through his Open Society Foundations. Other recipients included former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, football legend Lionel Messi, and actors Michael J Fox and Denzel Washington.
Musk&rsquo;s comments are just the latest in a series of controversies surrounding Soros. The billionaire investor and philanthropist has long been a target of criticism, particularly from conservative figures.
In addition to the online uproar in the US, Soros has been at the centre of a political storm in India. During the Winter Session of Parliament in December, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President JP Nadda accused the Congress of being linked to Soros and his organizations. He alleged that they were being used as tools by foreign forces to destabilize India. Nadda specifically referenced Congress leader Sonia Gandhi&rsquo;s alleged connections to Soros-funded initiatives.
However, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge swiftly dismissed these claims as baseless, accusing the BJP of trying to distract from critical socio-economic issues facing the country. The spat led to several adjournments in both houses of Parliament.
&mdash;IANS
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January 5, 2025 | 15:59 IST