MA-0026 · first seen 2017
Stonks
A deliberately misspelled word and a rising stock chart behind a stylised 3D character: the face of bad financial decisions.
- Status
- RisingClimbing 6% or more against the previous 90 days
- Trend score
- 57/100Estimated
- Change, 90 days
- +12%Estimated
- Peak
- 73Mar 2021
- Years active
- 7Index of 30 or more
- First seen
- 20172017
Popularity over time
Monthly attention from Jun 2017 to Oct 2026. Hover or tab through the chart for each month.
- First appearance
- Went viral
- Peak
Attention index, 0 to 100 on one scale for the whole archive. Estimated from each meme’s key dates, not measured.
About
The image, from 2017, pairs the word “stonks” with a 3D-rendered character known as Meme Man standing in front of an upward-trending stock market chart. The misspelling is the joke: a world where anything to do with money, however reckless, is a brilliant move.
It circulated for years among day traders on Twitter and Reddit as a reaction to jokes about bad investments. In January 2021, when Reddit users drove up GameStop’s share price, it became the image of the moment and reached a mainstream audience that had never heard of Meme Man.
Origin
A 2017 image featuring the 3D character Meme Man in front of a rising stock chart.
2017
Viralization
Circulated on Twitter and Reddit for years; the GameStop trading frenzy in January 2021 brought it to a mass audience.
January 2021
Peak
February 2021, in the weeks following the GameStop frenzy.
Mar 2021
Timeline
From the first post to where it stands today.
Origin
A deliberate typo
The image of Meme Man in front of a stock chart is posted with the caption “stonks”.
Early adoption
Day traders adopt it
Used as a reaction image on Twitter and Reddit for jokes about risky investments.
Viral
GameStop
Reddit traders push up GameStop’s share price and the image becomes the face of the story.
Peak
Mainstream
Newspapers and brands use the word and the picture.
Decline
A permanent word
The term outlives the image and enters everyday finance jokes.
Current
Still on the board
Resurfaces whenever markets do something unexpected.
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