Elon Musk changed his X account name in Harry Bōlz on Tuesday and marked the second time he hired this alias. The billionaire had briefly used the same handle in April 2023. His last stunt only comes a few hours after reports appeared that a consortium of investors guided by the Musk has explained an attempt to take control of OpenAi.
The 53-year-old, who heads the head Department of Efficiency of the Government (Doge), is currently making cuts on several federal agencies in an attempt to reduce government spending.
What does Harry Bōlz mean?
Musk probably used the name as a game on words, referring to the snake term ‘hairy balls’. Although the reason behind his latest name change remains unclear, Musk previously explained the joke in a tweet in 2023.
Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and owner of X (formerly Twitter), is known for his unpredictable and often humorous online behavior. Among his many peculiarities is a habit to change his display name on the platform, sometimes as a joke and other times as a cryptic wink to internet culture. Although Musk has changed his name several times, two remarkable cases stand out – his short use of “Harry Bōlz” in April 2023 and “Kekius Maximus” in December 2024.
April 2023: The incident ‘Harry Bōlz’
In April 2023, Musk changed his display name on X to “Harry Bōlz.” At the time, the reasoning behind this movement was not immediately clear. However, it was generally interpreted as a joke, which played on the phonetic resemblance to ‘hairy balls’, a hose term that is often used in internet humor.
Musk is no stranger to words and internet memes, who often deals with online jokes and trolls. His use of “Harry Bōlz” fits well in his typical approach to social media, where he likes to post light -hearted and sometimes controversial content. This name change also followed a period of increased attention on the management of Musk of X, because he had taken over the platform at the end of 2022 and had made various major changes, including dismissal and policy updates.
Although Musk did not give a detailed explanation for the name change at the time, he later spoke it in a tweet, and confirmed that it was indeed a joke. The name was short -lived, because Musk quickly returned to his usual viewer name.
December 2024: ‘Kekius Maximus’ and Internet subcultures
On December 31, 2024, Musk again changed his display name, this time in “Kekius Maximus”. In addition to the name change, he updated his profile photo to an image of Pepe, the frog dressed like a Roman gladiator.
The term “Kekius Maximus” is a reference to “KEK”, a term that is popular in online gaming and internet meme culture. From World of Warcraft, “Kek” was associated with internet communities, in particular involved in political memes and satire. The name “Maximus” is a reference to the ancient Roman culture, which calls the title of a powerful general or emperor.
By using “Kekius Maximus”, Musk made a playful nod to these internet subcultures. The movement led to discussion among his followers, as some saw it as a light joke, while others speculated that Musk joins certain meme-driven online movements. His use of Pepe de Kikker, a character used on a large scale in memes in various communities, added another interpretation layer to his display change.
Why does Musk change his name on X / Twitter?
The tendency of Musk to change his display name on X is aimed at his broader online persona. He has often embraced internet culture, meme -humor and trolls and used X as a platform to deal with his followers in an informal and often unpredictable way. His name changes seem to serve multiple purposes:
- Humor and Entertainment – Much of Musk’s social media antics, including his name changes, seem intended to amuse both himself and his audience.
- Cultural references – He often uses online trends and memes, which demonstrates his consciousness of internet subcultures.
- Disruptive marketing – by generating discussions about his name changes, Musk keeps attention to his X profile and he maintains involvement with his audience.