Last week, world’s richest man Elon Musk made his presence felt on his social media platform X when he changed his name to ‘Kekius Maximus’ and updated his profile picture to Pepe the Frog, often considered as a meme that is associated with far-right groups. The move has triggered a wave to speculate on hundreds of different communities — especially in the cryptocurrency world.
It was no surprise that in revealing a new image Musk, who has long been a leading player in both technology and finance, did not immediately explain his name change or the new image. But the reaction was almost immediate: cryptocurrency markets responded quickly and the value of a memecoin called “Kek” hit the roof. The idea of memecoins is digital currencies based on internet memes, with Musk having a long track record of moving crypto prices through his social media shenanigans. However, it is unclear if he has any hand over this memecoin directly.
‘Kekius’ appears to be a take on ‘Kek,’ an internet slang term for ‘laugh out loud’ that sprang to prominence in gaming circles and is now often associated with alt right culture. Also interesting in this sense is that ‘Kek’ also is an old Egyptian god of darkness, as pictured, so with the frog head; a somewhat symbolism in the meme, the Pepe the Frog meme. However, it is likely a reference to the memorable film Gladiator character known as ‘Maximus Decimus Meridius’.
It’s Roman military attire with what appears to be a games console in Musk’s updated profile image, with Pepe kneeling beside it. The bizarre amalgamation of pop culture references, epic myth, and meme iconography has left many confused as to what Musk is trying to achieve, or if he’s just having fun with it.
