Musk Leaves the Internet Baffled with His ‘Kekius Maximus’ Persona

WASHINGTON, Jan 1 — Elon Musk embraced the title “Kekius Maximus” on X yesterday, igniting speculation among his 210 million followers regarding his enigmatic new username that combines elements of an alt-right emblem, a memecoin, and the protagonist from the film Gladiator.

Musk, the head of Tesla and SpaceX and a close ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, also updated his profile image to one of “Pepe the Frog,” a well-known comic figure, dressed in ancient Roman garb and grasping a video game controller.

In true Musk style, the billionaire technology magnate and proprietor of X — previously Twitter — provided no clarification regarding the new username and image, yet this action triggered immediate consequences.

The alteration unsettled the cryptocurrency sector, causing the worth of a memecoin — a digital currency inspired by an internet meme — sharing the same name to surge dramatically.

It also prompted online detectives to seek explanations: Was the alteration merely for amusement? Was there a concealed meaning? Was this yet another veiled initiative to energize the crypto markets? More concerning, was it a subtle acknowledgment to online hate groups?

Musk and X did not promptly respond to AFP’s inquiry for comments.

His new username seems to be a fusion of “Maximus Decimus Meridius” — a Roman general portrayed by Russell Crowe in the 2000 blockbuster Gladiator — and “kek,” a term favored among the alt-right and internet trolls serving as a variant of “LOL,” or laugh out loud.

“Kek” also refers to a “virtual white nationalist deity,” as per the nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Center, who further stated that Roman male representations have been utilized by white nationalist organizations like Identity Evropa.

Pepe the Frog started as a comic figure from the Boy’s Club comic series, but during Trump’s initial presidential campaign, it became linked with the alt-right and white supremacist movements, with the Anti-Defamation League labeling it a “hate symbol.”

“The majority of instances of Pepe the Frog have been, and remain, non-bigoted,” the ADL noted on its website.

Nonetheless, as it spread widely online, the meme focused on “racist, antisemitic, or other bigoted themes,” the ADL added.

‘Hate is not a jest’

“Manipulators can distort anything to signal an acknowledgment to a subculture of online hatred while feigning ignorance,” the SPLC observed.

“The adoption of the meme and name reflects the ongoing online environment that maintains hateful ideas are merely jokes. Hate is not a jest.”

Prior to altering his username, Musk teased on X: “Kekius Maximus will shortly attain level 80 in hardcore PoE.”

PoE seems to refer to the popular Path of Exile 2 video game.

The billionaire is known to engage in this game, describing it as a “hall-of-famer” earlier this month in a post on X.

Following Musk’s handle switch, the memecoin Kekius Maximus’s value skyrocketed by over 900 percent as of last night, according to the site CoinGecko.

The memecoin was trading at less than one-fifth of a dollar at around 0030 GMT.

In prior instances, Musk has caused crypto prices to fluctuate dramatically with his social media remarks, but it was unclear whether he has any stake in this specific memecoin.

The billionaire, an advisor to the upcoming Trump administration, has been selected to oversee the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with the responsibility of lowering government expenditures.

Musk’s profile on X has become increasingly impactful — and has frequently faced criticism for propagating misinformation — since his acquisition of the platform for US$44 billion (RM196.7 billion) in 2022. — AFP