Elon Musk's New Username 'Kekius Maximus' Stirs Controversy, Raises Concerns Over Alt-Right Symbolism

Shortly after the update, Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, also changed his profile picture to a modified image of "Pepe the Frog" — a popular cartoon character.

Elon Musk changed his X username to "Kekius Maximus" on Tuesday, sparking curiosity and speculation among his 210 million followers. The new handle, which some believe to be a combination of an alt-right symbol, a meme coin, and a reference to a Roman general in the movie Gladiator, quickly became a talking point.

Musk, known for his cryptic posts, did not provide an explanation for the change, leaving fans and critics alike to ponder its significance.

The update also saw Musk, who is the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, altering his profile picture to a modified image of "Pepe the Frog" — a popular cartoon character. In this new image, Pepe is dressed in ancient Roman attire and seen holding a video game joystick. This image choice further fueled speculation about the deeper meanings behind Musk's actions.

The timing was noteworthy, as it coincided with a dramatic surge in the value of a memecoin — a type of cryptocurrency inspired by internet memes. The coin, named after Musk's new handle, skyrocketed by 900% following the update.

While Musk's involvement in this specific coin is unclear, his past posts have had an impact on the prices of various cryptocurrencies.

This drastic move led many to question whether Musk's username change was merely a jest, or if it carried a more serious message. Was this an attempt to influence the crypto market, or a subtle reference to online hate groups? Some internet users expressed concern over the potential associations, as Musk's new handle and image appeared to reference elements tied to alt-right culture.

"Kek" is a term commonly used by internet trolls and some far-right groups, often as a variation of "LOL" (laughing out loud). The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has linked "Kek" to a "virtual white nationalist god," which raised further alarms about the possible implications of Musk's choice.

Additionally, Roman symbols have been used by white nationalist groups such as Identity Evropa, which further fueled suspicion.

The character "Pepe the Frog," once a benign cartoon from the Boy's Club comic series, has also been adopted by far-right communities, especially during Donald Trump's first presidential campaign. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has even designated Pepe a "hate symbol" due to its frequent use in racist and anti-Semitic contexts, despite many non-bigoted uses of the character.

The SPLC commented that while manipulators often claim ignorance when using symbols like Pepe or "Kek," these actions could be seen as a way to normalize hate while pretending it's just a joke. They stressed that "Hate is not a joke."

Before switching to "Kekius Maximus," Musk teased his followers with a cryptic post: "Kekius Maximus will soon reach level 80 in hardcore PoE," which many interpreted as a reference to the popular online video game Path of Exile 2. Musk is known to be an avid player of the game, having previously called it a "hall-of-famer" in an earlier post.

The coin linked to Musk's new username surged by 900% shortly after the change, according to data from CoinGecko. It was trading at less than one-fifth of a dollar around 0030 GMT but has since seen significant gains. In the past, Musk has made waves in the crypto world with his social media posts, though it remains unclear whether he had any direct role in the sudden increase in value of this particular memecoin.

Musk's presence on X has grown significantly since he purchased the platform for $44 billion in 2022, and his account has become a hub for both praise and criticism. While some view him as a trailblazer, others argue that his influence can sometimes amplify misinformation and controversy.

Whether Musk's new moniker is just another playful post or something more provocative remains to be seen. However, it's clear that Musk's presence on X continues to have a significant impact, especially in the worlds of cryptocurrency and online culture.