| NOTICE! Chill guy was the January 2025 Meme of the Month. |
| “ | That feeling when you're just a chill guy. | ” |
| A phrase commonly associated with this meme | ||
| “ | He’s a chill guy that lowkey don’t give a fuck. | ” |
| The original Twitter/X post | ||
"Chill guy" is a digital artwork and internet meme first posted by artist Phillip Banks on Twitter on October 4, 2023. The artwork consists of an anthropomorphic dog wearing a grey sweater, blue jeans, and red sneakers, giving off a "chill" expression by smirking with his hands in his pockets. While the artwork had some success after publishing, it only became viral about a year later on August 30, 2024, when a user on TikTok created an edit with the artwork, combining it with other popular memes at the time. In the following days, similar memes gained tens of millions of views, attracting the attention of larger corporations including the Atlanta Hawks and AMC Theatres, who used the artwork in their promotions. The artwork became viral a second time on November 20, 2024, primarily on TikTok, inspiring the meme coin $CHILLGUY which rapidly rose to a market cap of $488 million, driven in part by a post by Salvadorian president Nayib Bukele on Twitter in support of the coin. The resulting popularity of the coin and unauthorized use of the artwork for commercial gain led Banks to copyright the artwork and issue takedowns of "unauthorized merchandise and shitcoins" trying to make a profit, not including fanart or brands using it in the trends. Following the announcement, the coin dropped to about half of what it was worth, and Banks was subsequently doxxed, prompting him to set his Twitter account to private to avoid further harassment. According to some media outlets, the meme likely resonated online as it was regarded as a playful but relatable piece which encourages people to seek self-help, remain stress-free, and approach life with a "laid-back attitude".