Tesla owner and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, has stirred controversy on social media after changing his display name on X to “Kekius Maximus.”
The billionaire, who also shares close ties with US President-Elect Donald Trump, provided no explanation for the change or the accompanying profile image, which features Pepe the Frog—a character linked to internet memes and sometimes associated with far-right groups.
The unexpected move has had immediate financial repercussions, as the value of a memecoin bearing the same name surged dramatically.
While Musk has previously influenced cryptocurrency markets through his posts, there is no confirmation of his involvement with this particular coin.
“Kekius” appears to reference the gaming slang “kek,” akin to “laugh out loud,” which has gained associations with the alt-right in recent years. Intriguingly, “kek” is also tied to the Egyptian deity of darkness, who is often depicted with a frog’s head.
The addition of “Maximus” evokes imagery of heroism, drawing parallels to the character Maximus Decimus Meridius from the film Gladiator.
Musk’s new profile picture has added to the mystery, as it features Pepe the Frog dressed as a Roman soldier, holding what appears to be a game console.
culled from franktalknow.com