Elon Musk recently changed his profile name on X to “Kekius Maximus,” sparking widespread intrigue among his 210 million followers. Along with the name change, he updated his profile picture to feature “Pepe the Frog” dressed in gladiator armor and holding what appears to be a gaming console. While Musk has not provided a clear explanation for the change, he has left clues that have led to much speculation.
The new name, “Kekius Maximus,” appears to be a combination of Pepe the Frog and Russell Crowe’s iconic Gladiator character, Maximus. The use of Pepe, a character from the comic series Boy’s Club, which was controversially linked to the alt-right during the 2016 election, further fuels the speculation. The Anti-Defamation League even labeled Pepe as a hate symbol, though Musk and many internet users reject this association.
Brothers in Arms pic.twitter.com/vIZ8ADrXbo
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 31, 2024
Musk hinted at the reason for his name change by posting that “Kekius Maximus will soon reach level 80 in hardcore PoE,” referring to the game Path of Exile 2, which Musk is known to play. The name also shares similarities with the “Kekius Maximus” memecoin, which saw a massive surge in value by over 900% following Musk’s name change. This has sparked rumors that Musk may have some involvement with the coin, given his previous influence on cryptocurrency markets, particularly Dogecoin.
The name “Kekius” itself is likely a reference to the term “kek,” a phrase used by gamers similar to “lol,” and is also connected to the alt-right. Additionally, “Kek” was an ancient Egyptian god of darkness, often depicted with a frog’s head, which ties into the imagery Musk selected.
This blend of gaming, mythology, and internet culture has sparked curiosity about Musk’s motivations behind the change. However, Musk later reverted the profile picture back to his usual image.
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