Stonks Meme Meaning & Origin
Everything you need to know about the Stonks meme: where it came from, what it means, and how to use it.
Origin
The Stonks meme features "Meme Man" (also known as "Surreal Meme Man"), a poorly rendered 3D head, standing in front of an upward-trending stock chart. The word "stonks" is a deliberate misspelling of "stocks." The Meme Man character originated from a 2017 Facebook group called "Special Meme Fresh," and the Stonks variant appeared on Reddit in 2017. The meme gained mainstream popularity in 2019-2020 during the rise of retail trading and the GameStop short squeeze. It perfectly captured the confidence of amateur investors making questionable financial decisions while believing they were financial geniuses. The inverse format "not stonks" shows a downward chart for bad financial decisions.
What Does the Stonks Meme Mean?
The Stonks meme sarcastically celebrates bad financial decisions as if they were brilliant moves. The poorly rendered 3D character combined with the misspelled word "stonks" conveys a false sense of financial sophistication. It is used to mock foolish spending, terrible investments, or any situation where someone loses money but acts like a genius.
When to Use the Stonks Meme
Use this meme when someone makes a questionable financial decision or any decision that seems profitable but clearly is not. The format also works for non-financial "investments" of time, effort, or resources that backfire. "Not stonks" (with a downward chart) is used when things go obviously wrong.