Elon Musk said he changed his Twitter display name to Harry Bōlz in April 2023 because he hoped a media organization that took itself too seriously would write about it. It was a deliberate joke intended to attract coverage—not a new account or a formal rebrand.
What happened in April 2023?
Musk temporarily changed the display name on his existing Twitter account to Harry Bolz, then restored the original name. TechTimes reported the change on April 11, 2023, and quoted Musk’s explanation from an April 10 post: “Tbh, I’m just hoping a media org that takes itself way too seriously writes a story about Harry Bōlz.” TechTimes’ April 2023 report is the source for the event and quotation.
The distinction matters: the reporting describes a temporary display-name change, not a new account or a change to Musk’s identity. The phrase is a crude phonetic joke resembling “hairy balls,” as explained by Position: Everything.
Was it a joke or a real rebrand?
It was a joke. Musk’s quoted explanation directly says he hoped the alias would prompt a story. Claims that the change signaled a product launch or a deeper strategy are not established by the cited reporting.
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What happened when Musk reused the name in 2025?
Musk used the alias again in February 2025, then changed back to Elon Musk hours later. TheWrap reported that, after CNN discussed the alias, he posted, “Made them say my name.” That supports the view that media attention was part of the public joke, but it does not prove the specific reason he chose the alias in that later episode. TheWrap’s account of the 2025 episode reports the sequence and reaction.
The Atlantic placed the 2025 change amid Musk’s posts about USAID spending on circumcision programs and noted that he did not explain why he chose this particular alias then. The 2025 episode should therefore be kept separate from his explicit 2023 explanation: The Atlantic’s February 2025 coverage provides that context.
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How much attention did the 2023 post receive?
TechTimes reported that Musk’s April 10, 2023 post had over 11 million views, 75,000 likes, and 6,000 retweets. Those are figures reported by TechTimes in 2023, not independently verified analytics.
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