Barbecue Restaurant Boss In China Goes Viral For Looking Like Elon Musk

A barbecue stall owner in Tongchuan, Shaanxi, has recently gone viral for his uncanny resemblance to Elon Musk.

Clips of the stall owner, Ma, quickly spread across social media, racking up close to a million likes as netizens pointed out just how much he looked like the SpaceX founder.

According to reports, Ma co-owns the eatery, where he is mainly in charge of grilling meat skewers. He said he only found out he had gone viral after hearing it from others, and over the past few days, more than a dozen people have approached him for photos.

The best perk? Business at the stall has also been noticeably better than usual.

Ma said this isn't the first time people have told him he looks like Elon Musk, though previous comparisons never gained much attention as there were no photos of him circulating online.

As if the resemblance wasn't enough, the coincidence gets even funnier. His surname, Ma (马), is the same character used in the Chinese translation of Musk's surname, Ma Si Ke (马斯克).

Since going viral, Ma admitted the sudden attention has made him a little nervous. However, he also added that he is considering starting a social media account to see if he can build a following.

While he's still not quite sure what to make of his newfound fame, Ma said he's open to seeing where it might take him, including potential collaborations.

Ma’s viral videos have also sparked plenty of jokes online, with one netizen quipping: “Even the world’s richest man had to start from the bottom.”

Another suggested fully embracing his popularity, joking: “They should rename the shop to ‘SpaceX Barbecue’.”