Elon Musk posted a meme that joked about the death of billionaire George Soros, a 94-year-old Democratic donor, following several celebrity deaths.
The tech CEO shared an image of the Grim Reaper looking for Soros in a claw-grabber game on Sunday, days after the deaths of Hulk Hogan and Ozzy Osbourne.
Newsweek contacted Musk for comment through the Tesla press office and the Soros Economic Development Fund via email.
Why It Matters
Musk has long criticized Soros. Earlier this year, he compared Soros to the Star Wars villain Darth Sidious. In 2023, Musk said Soros “hated humanity,” and that “he wants to erode the very fabric of civilization.”
Soros regularly draws ire from conservative commentators for his prolific support of Democratic politicians and progressive causes.
What To Know
On Sunday, Musk shared an image of the Grim Reaper at a claw-grabbing game with the caption: “Oh no no no … first Ozzy now the Hulk? Is George Soros even in this damn thing?”
The meme recharacterizes a long-standing joke in left-wing circles about Henry Kissinger that would reemerge each time a prominent celebrity died. The meme fell out of use in 2023 when Kissinger died.
In right-wing circles, the meme has reemerged with Soros at the center.
Comparisons between Soros and Musk have increased as Musk has stepped up his political activism and support of Republicans over the past two years. Both billionaires use their wealth to back political causes they believe in and have become symbols of ire to campaigners on the opposite side of the aisle.
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In December, following Musk’s involvement in Donald Trump‘s successful presidential campaign, Musk addressed suggestions that he was a Soros-like figure in conservative politics.
“I guess someone’s got to be the George Soros on the right,” Musk said. “I mean, I’d call myself George Soros of the center, I think.”
He continued: “We obviously need to have just the basics. As President Trump rightly said, what we need is the restoration of common sense.
“We want safe cities, we want secure borders, sensible spending, freedom of speech, respect for the Constitution. If that’s George Soros of the right, that’s me.”
On July 22, Osbourne, the Black Sabbath front man, died at the age of 76. On July 24, WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan died at 71.
What People Are Saying
Elon Musk wrote on X on January 7: “Soros really was a genius at arbitrage, whether finance or politics. He also figured out how to take a small amount of private funding and leverage that into massive government funding. Brilliant. I just wish he loved, rather than hated, humanity.”
What Happens Next
Musk, who left his role as head of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency in May and has since had a public falling out with Trump, has announced plans to create a new “America Party” after Republicans passed the debt-increasing One Big Beautiful Bill Act earlier this month.
