Tech billionaire Elon Musk has made a splash on social media by changing his name and profile picture on the platform X, which was formerly known as Twitter. He’s now calling himself “Kekius Maximus” and has chosen to use the popular meme character “Pepe the Frog” as his avatar. In this new image, Pepe is dressed as a warrior and appears to be holding a video game controller.
So, who exactly is Kekius Maximus?
This name belongs to a new cryptocurrency, or memecoin, that has recently gained a lot of attention. After Musk’s name change, the value of Kekius Maximus (often shortened to KEKIUS) skyrocketed, rising over 500 percent within just a few hours. The character is inspired by a lesser-known meme that combines the iconic Pepe the Frog with a character named Maximus from the movie Gladiator.
Kekius Maximus has quickly gained popularity in the world of cryptocurrencies, attracting numerous investors and fans. Alongside KEKIUS, other similar Kekius-themed memecoins have also experienced significant increases in value, with some rising over 200 percent shortly after their launch.
As for why Musk decided to use this name, he hasn’t given an official reason. However, he has shared several posts on X commenting on his new avatar, with one post reading, “Imagine you’re a journalist who’s writing about Elon on X and it goes: ‘Elon Musk, aka Kekius Maximus on X.’” Musk shared this with the caption, “This will be priceless,” hinting at his playful intent behind the change.
In other news, OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, recently opened up about his strained relationship with co-founder Elon Musk, who heads SpaceX, Starlink, and X. Describing their dynamic as "complicated," Altman didn't hold back, labeling Musk as a "bully" in a recent interview with The Free Press. The rivalry between these two powerhouses in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector continues to influence public discussions about the future of AI and its implications.
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