Who does Old Major represent in real life?

Old Major in George Orwell's "Animal Farm" represents Karl Marx, the philosopher and revolutionary whose ideas inspired the communist movement. His vision of a society free from oppression and exploitation reflects Marx's theories about class struggle and the need for a proletarian revolution. Additionally, Old Major's ideals can also be seen as a critique of the leaders of the Russian Revolution, particularly Lenin, who initially embraced Marxist principles but later betrayed them.