Britta Pedersen/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
- Elon Musk changed his Twitter name to "Lorde Edge," sparking a new round of speculation on the reason why.
- It is unclear when he made the switch, but tweets by some users indicate Musk changed it Sunday evening.
- A closer look at the Tesla CEO's bio would also reveal a new location: it now says "Trollheim."
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Following a weekend of frenzy sparked by Elon Musk's poll on whether he should sell some of his Tesla stock (Twitter users said yes), another – yet just as controversial – occurrence happened next.
The billionaire changed his Twitter name to "Lorde Edge," sparking a new round of speculation on the reason why. It is unclear when he made the switch, but tweets by some users indicate Musk changed it Sunday evening.
Billy Markus, the creator of dogecoin, Sunday night said Musk's new user name is an anagram for "elder doge."
Markus, who on Twitter goes by Shibetoshi Nakamoto, posted a caveat four minutes after, saying "This doesn't mean it was intentional, but it is in fact an anagram."
Dogecoin spiked early Monday and is now trading 4.8% higher to $0.2792354. Also on Monday, a lorde edge meme coin called EDGELON shot up more than 200%.
Musk also called himself "The Dogefather" in a tweet ahead of his hosting gig for Saturday Night Live on May 8 this year.
However, some Twitter users also said Musk's new name could refer to "edgelord," an internet slang term for a person thirsty for attention or someone who exhibits a "sense of boldness or unconventionally" in his behavior, according to Merriam Webster.
Such a description may be accurate in describing Musk, who recently fired back at Sen. Ron Wyden's call for a billionaire tax with a vulgar tweet. In March 2020, Musk called the coronavirus panic "dumb" and months later said pronouns "suck."
A closer look at the Tesla CEO's bio would also reveal a new location: it now says "Trollheim."
The changes coincided with his Twitter poll on Saturday, when Musk asked his 62 million followers whether he should sell 10% of his Tesla stock, pointing to criticisms that unrealized gains are often viewed by the public as a means of tax avoidance.
After 24 hours, 3.5 million people voted in the poll. Around 57.9% were in favor of him selling the shares while 42.1% voted no.