Musk flummoxes internet with 'Kekius Maximus' persona

NEW YORK

Elon Musk has adopted the moniker "Kekius Maximus" on X, sparking speculation among his 210 million followers about his mysterious new handle that is a mash-up of an alt-right symbol, a memecoin, and the lead character of the movie "Gladiator."

Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and a confidant of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, also replaced his profile picture with one of "Pepe the Frog," a popular cartoon character, wearing ancient Roman attire and holding a video game joystick.

In typical Musk fashion, the billionaire tech mogul and owner of X offered no explanation about the new username and avatar, but the move triggered immediate ripple effects.

The change roiled the cryptocurrency world, sending the value of a memecoin, a digital currency inspired by an internet meme, with the same name skyrocketing.

It also sent internet sleuths hunting for answers: was the name change just for the laughs? Was there a hidden message? Was this another thinly-disguised attempt to jolt the crypto markets?

His new handle appears to be a blend of "Maximus Decimus Meridius" -- a Roman general played by Russell Crowe in the 2000 smash hit "Gladiator" -- and "kek," an expression popular among the alt-right and internet trolls that is used as a variation of "LOL," or laugh out loud.

Pepe the Frog was originally a cartoon character from the "Boy's Club" comic series.

In the wake of Musk's handle change, the memecoin Kekius Maximus's value soared by more than 1,600 percent as of Dec. 31 evening.

In the past, Musk has sent crypto prices on a rollercoaster ride with his social media commentary, but it was not immediately clear if he has any involvement in this particular memecoin.