Musk changed his name to X, which seems to be an allusion to cryptocurrencies. However, it also included symbols associated with the far right.
Elon Musk caused a stir last week when he changed the name of his X profile to 'Kekius Maximus', causing fans and critics to question the name.
The right-wing tech mogul, who has some 210 million followers on the platform, changed his profile picture to a gladiator-themed image of Pepe the Frog.
Musk, a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, has not explained the move, but several clues may shed light on the change.
Hate group related
Musk's latest online persona has sparked speculation, with some saying he's a combination of Pepe the Frog and Maximus Decimus Meridius, played by Russell Crowe in the movie. gladiator. The New York Post reports that his new profile picture shows Pepe the Frog in golden armor holding a video game controller.
Pepe the Frog was originally a harmless cartoon. boys club The comic series became controversial during the 2016 US presidential election due to its association with white supremacists and the alt-right. The Anti-Defamation League called it “the alt-right's favorite meme” and even called it a hate symbol.
“Alt-right” (abbreviation for “alternative right”) refers to a far-right political and ideological movement in the United States.
However, some internet regulars dismissed these claims and claimed that the relationship with Pepe was misunderstood.
Meme coins soar amid mask mystery
According to the BBC, the name change sent tremors through the crypto world, causing the value of Memecoin, a digital currency of the same name inspired by internet memes, to soar.
Musk has previously influenced the price of cryptocurrencies through his social media posts, but it was unclear whether he was connected to the meme coin.
Apparently “Kekius” is the Latin version of “kek”, a term similar to “LOL” (lol). The term became popular among gamers, but is now more often associated with the alt-right community.
“Kek” is also the name of the ancient Egyptian god of darkness, who is sometimes depicted with a frog's head.
Kekius Maximus will soon reach level 80 in Hardcore PoE pic.twitter.com/Cg5ttuqjvX
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 31, 2024
While changing his name and photo, Musk shared a meme of Pepe the Frog touching a rock with “80” carved into it. The caption reads, “Kekius Maximus will soon reach level 80 in Hardcore PoE.”
The Independent reported that “PoE” is likely a reference to the video game “Path of Exile 2,” which Musk has previously said he plays.
Musk also shared a post on December 13, 2024 that included the phrase “Cecius Maximus.” Musk has since changed his name back to Elon Musk.
Cecius Maximus 😂 https://t.co/YFD03tpa8O
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 14, 2024
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