Elon Musk has changed his name on X to Kekius Maximus.

The tech billionaire, known for his eccentric persona, updated his name on Monday, setting off a wave of speculation and amusement among his 161 million followers.  

This is not the first time Mr Musk has tweaked his X profile. In January 2023, he temporarily renamed himself ‘Mr Tweet’.

Mr Musk’s new handle references Kek, a term originating from gaming culture and later associated with certain online communities.

Maximus possibly references the protagonist in the movie ‘Gladiator’. 

Mr Musk also updated his profile picture to Pepe the Frog dressed in Roman armour, a meme character appropriated by various internet groups.

The move has already inspired thousands of memes, with users debating whether it’s a subtle joke or a nod to internet subcultures.  

Tesla Owners Silicon Valley joined in on the fun, posting a meme featuring Pepe the Frog in Roman armour alongside a caption, declaring “I am Kekius Maximus, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X, servant to the vision of human progress.

“Father of many innovations, husband to the idea of interplanetary life. And I will achieve my goals in this era or the next.”  

The light-hearted post caught Mr Musk’s attention, and he reposted it.