Elon Musk and Zhao Changpeng were high school classmates? A "classic nostalgic photo" sparks heated discussion on the AI technology interactions and resonance between the two big figures.

Gate news, in the online world, a photo or a joke can often stir up unexpected waves. Recently, a "high school nostalgia photo" circulating on social media has sparked heated discussions, as the two young people in the photo bear an astonishing resemblance to Tesla founder Elon Musk and former Chinese billionaire Zhao Changpeng (CZ). This photo has not only gone viral on the internet but has also led to rumors that these two technology giants, who are now billionaires, were once high school classmates. What is going on here? Let's explore this "China-US brotherhood" that has sparked new interest due to the trading on social platform X (formerly Twitter).

1. The online debate sparked by nostalgic photos: A joke or reality?

(Source: X)

"Zhao Changpeng and Elon Musk returned to their high school days," this nostalgic photo under the caption instantly sparked heated discussions in the investment circle and on social media. This post was published in 2021 by an account called "Bitcoin Archive." Many netizens rushed to comment on X, speculating whether these two influential figures in big tech truly shared this unknown high school friendship. However, the original poster quickly clarified: "So many people are taking this seriously, it's just a joke; I don't even know who they are." This put an end to the mix-up surrounding the "high school classmates."

Although the person in the nostalgic photo is not Zhao Changpeng and Elon Musk himself, who would have thought that Zhao Changpeng from the Chinese circle and Elon Musk from the Western circle had the opportunity to intersect in the cryptocurrency and technology industry.

2. Interaction on the X platform: Technology resonance sparked by Grok AI

(Source: X)

The latest interaction between these two big tech giants took place on Musk's X platform. On June 21, 2025, former Chinese billionaire Zhao Changpeng (CZ) commented on his X account about how Elon Musk plans to utilize the upcoming Grok 3.5 iteration update.

Musk announced that the next version of the AI chatbot produced by his xAI startup will be called Grok 3.5, or possibly Grok 4. Under Musk's ideas and initiatives, the team plans to "rewrite the entire human knowledge base, adding missing information and deleting errors." This version of the AI robot will have "high-level reasoning" capabilities. Once this ambitious task is completed, they will retrain the latest version of Grok based on it. Musk stated that all AI foundational models are trained using "uncorrected data" that contains "too much garbage."

A user suggested that Musk name the new model Grok 4.20 instead of Grok 3.5 or Grok 4, which aligns with Musk's fondness for the number 420, a number also related to April 20th, International Dogecoin Day. Elon Musk is a well-known supporter of Dogecoin and a meme enthusiast. Earlier on Thursday, after SpaceX's Starship exploded during routine testing before launch, he posted a "Pepe the Frog" meme.

Zhao Changpeng referenced Musk's X post in a tweet and expressed his curiosity about how this plan to rewrite the entire human knowledge system would unfold. He reminded the community that much of knowledge consists of two key components: history and perspective. "Both have many versions, and both provoke intense debate," he said. This statement reflects Zhao Changpeng's profound contemplation on the nature of knowledge and indirectly affirms Musk's grand vision in the field of AI.

3. Zhao Changpeng's "Trading Rules": Consume rather than frequent buying and selling

In addition to his comments on Musk's AI project, Zhao Changpeng recently shared his personal "rules" for cryptocurrency trading. In a previous X post, he stated that some traders intentionally expose their trading volume and the leverage they use. He specifically commented on a tweet that tagged the controversial trader James Wynn, who is known for going long on Bitcoin with 20x leverage.

Zhao Changpeng referred to this behavior as "advertising and/or psychological games," adding that most traders he knows are reluctant to show their orders to the public. When asked about the scale of his trades, Zhao Changpeng responded that he almost never trades cryptocurrencies and spends most of his time consuming. He admitted that all of his capital and investments are held in cryptocurrencies. These remarks also reveal the former Chinese billionaire's long-term holding strategy for crypto assets rather than short-term trading.

IV. The Converging Paths of Big Tech: The Intersection of Crypto and AI

Although Zhao Changpeng and Musk were not high school classmates, this humorous photo unexpectedly reveals the intersection point of the two big tech giants in the contemporary wave of technology. One is a leading figure in the cryptocurrency field, while the other is an innovator in electric vehicles, space exploration, and artificial intelligence. They have each achieved tremendous success in different fields, yet now they interact in the digital space of the X platform due to their shared vision for future technology, especially AI.

Behind this "China-US brotherhood" is a microcosm of the global trend in technological development: cutting-edge technologies such as cryptocurrency, blockchain, and artificial intelligence are increasingly merging, shaping the future digital world together. Whether it's Zhao Changpeng's belief in decentralized finance or Musk's pursuit of general artificial intelligence, both reflect their shared conviction that technology can change the world.

Conclusion:

A joke about a nostalgic photo unexpectedly sparked an online interaction between two tech giants, Zhao Changpeng and Musk. Although they were not former classmates, their exchanges on the X platform, especially regarding Grok AI, genuinely reflected their resonance in technological innovation. From cryptocurrency to artificial intelligence, the developments in these cutting-edge fields are becoming increasingly intertwined, and for leading figures like Zhao Changpeng and Musk, each interaction may herald new directions in future technological advancements. This also reminds us that in the rapidly changing digital age, maintaining an open mindset and focusing on cross-disciplinary innovation and collaboration will be key to grasping future trends.