Musk changed his name on X, which seems to hint at a cryptocurrency. However, it also featured symbols associated with the far right.
Elon Musk caused a stir last week when he changed his X profile name to “Kekius Maximus,” leaving fans and critics buzzing with questions.
The right-wing tech mogul, who has nearly 210 million followers on the platform, also swapped his profile picture to a gladiator-themed image of Pepe the Frog.
While Musk, a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, hasn’t explained the move, a few clues might shed light on the change.
Hate group associations
Musk’s latest online persona has sparked speculation, with some suggesting it blends elements of Pepe the Frog and Maximus Decimus Meridius, Russell Crowe’s character in Gladiator. His new profile picture shows Pepe the Frog dressed in golden armour, holding a video game controller, The New York Post reported.
Pepe the Frog, originally a harmless cartoon from the Boy’s Club comic series, became controversially linked to white supremacists and the alt-right during the 2016 US presidential election. The Anti-Defamation League even labelled it a hate symbol, calling it the “Alt-right’s favourite meme”.
The “Alt-right” (short for “alternative right”) refers to a far-right political and ideological movement in the US.
However, some internet regulars have dismissed these claims, maintaining that Pepe’s associations have been misinterpreted.
Memecoin soars amid Musk mystery
According to the BBC, the name change has shaken up the cryptocurrency world, causing the value of a memecoin – an internet meme-inspired digital currency with the same name – to soar.
While Musk has previously impacted crypto prices through his social media posts, it was unclear whether he was connected to this memecoin.
“Kekius” seems to be a Latin-inspired version of “kek,” a term similar to “LOL” (laugh out loud). The term became popular among gamers but is now often linked to alt-right communities.
“Kek” is also the name of an ancient Egyptian god of darkness, sometimes portrayed 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
As he changed his name and photo, Musk shared a meme of Pepe the Frog touching a rock with an “80” engraved into it. The caption reads: “Kekius Maximus will soon reach level 80 in hardcore PoE.”
The Independent reported that “PoE” likely refers to Path of Exile 2, a video game Musk has previously said he plays.
Musk also shared a post with the phrase “Kekius Maximus” on 13 December 2024. He has since changed his name back to Elon Musk.
Kekius Maximus 😂 https://t.co/YFD03tpa8O
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 14, 2024
