The 'Chinese Elon Musk' meme, featuring a man known as Yi Long Ma, first went viral on Douyin and TikTok in late 2021 due to his uncanny physical resemblance to the Tesla CEO. Often seen standing next to luxury cars and speaking in endearing, broken English, his signature catchphrases like 'I love you' and 'money' became instant sensations. While many online debated whether his appearance was the result of Deepfake technology, his fame reached its peak when the real Elon Musk acknowledged his 'Chinese twin' on social media. The meme is typically used to represent a budget or 'knock-off' version of something prestigious, or to satirize the eccentric nature of modern tech celebrity culture.