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Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has stirred intrigue after changing his name to “Kekius Maximus” on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Musk, who is also known for his close ties to US President-Elect Donald Trump, has not provided an explanation for his new name or profile picture, which features Pepe the Frog—a controversial meme associated with far-right groups.
The name change has caused a stir in the cryptocurrency world, causing a sharp increase in the value of a memecoin— a cryptocurrency inspired by internet memes— that shares the same name as Musk’s new alias. While Musk has previously influenced the prices of various cryptocurrencies with his social media posts, it is unclear if he is connected to this specific memecoin.
The name “Kekius” appears to be a Latinized form of “kek,” a term popularized by gamers as an expression of laughter, but it is now often linked to alt-right communities. The word “Kek” also refers to the ancient Egyptian god of darkness, typically depicted with the head of a frog.
The “Maximus” part of Musk’s new name may be a reference to the character Maximus Decimus Meridius, played by Russell Crowe in the movie Gladiator. Musk’s new profile image shows Pepe dressed in Roman military attire, holding what appears to be a game console.
