Basically, I should be able select the chart in excel, run the macro, the macro will open a new instance of PowerPoint, insert a new chart (with the same chart type as the one in excel) and update the ppt chart backend data with the data from the excel chart
Hope this was clear. Any support would be appreciated!
All content I found online only suggests code for copy-pasting with (a) link to excel or (b) an embedded chart
(a) doesn't work because user should be able to edit chart
(b) doesn't work because user should not have access to full excel file and will also increase size of ppt
Apologies if I have missed an existing solution here.
Adding my sample code that can paste as well as embed...
Sub ExportSelectedChart()
    Dim pptApp As PowerPoint.Application
    Dim pptPres As PowerPoint.Presentation
    Dim pptSlide As PowerPoint.Slide
    Dim Chrt As ChartObject
    'Set Chrt = ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet1").ChartObjects(1)
    If TypeName(Selection) = "ChartArea" Then
        Set pptApp = New PowerPoint.Application
        pptApp.Visible = True
        Set pptPres = pptApp.Presentations.Add
        Set pptSlide = pptPres.Slides.Add(1, ppLayoutBlank)
        Set Chrt = Selection.Parent.Parent
        Chrt.Copy
        'Pastes Chart - But linked to source excel
        'PPTSlide.Shapes.Paste
        'Pastes Embedded Chart - But includes full excel file and size
        pptApp.CommandBars.ExecuteMso ("PasteExcelChartSourceFormatting")
    Else
        MsgBox "Please select a chart in Excel before running this macro.", vbExclamation
    End If
End Sub