Musk,who said he’s the first person with Asperger’s to host the show,was asked repeatedly during the “Weekend Update” segment to explain what Dogecoin is. After reciting multiple facts about the cryptocurrency in the character of a financial expert,he was asked if Dogecoin was a “hustle.” He responded,“yeah,it’s a hustle.”
Musk,49,is the world’s second-richest person with a net worth of $US183.9 billion ($234.2 billion),according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He had helped drive the coin to new heights on Friday and Saturday after tweeting a picture of himself and a Shiba Inu,the dog breed that lends its image to the altcoin,on the set of the NBC show.
Dogecoin,a cryptocurrency that started as a joke in 2013,has surged more than 16,000 per cent in the past year,according to CoinGecko. Musk has been among its biggest boosters,along with Mark Cuban,Snoop Dogg and Gene Simmons. Dogecoin traders around the world organised watch parties for theSNL episode.
An earlier Dogecoin reference came during the opening monologue where his mother,Maye Musk,joined him on stage. The author and model said she was excited about her Mother’s Day gift,and she hoped it’s not Dogecoin -- to which he said,“it is.”
In the character of the financial expert,Musk also called Dogecoin “the future of currency,it’s an unstoppable financial vehicle that’s going to take over the world.”