France: EDF ironizes on an infox of the rapper Gims and is enthroned “official supplier of the pharaohs

EDF reacted with humor to an unfounded claim by the rapper Gims, according to which the Egyptians had electricity since antiquity thanks to the pyramids. In an advertisement in Le Parisien, EDF declared: "EDF, official supplier to the Pharaohs since 2000 BC". In 2017 EDF had launched a campaign, "We owe you more than light"...

Share:

The French electricity company EDF has ironized Thursday on an abracadabra theory relayed by the rapper Gims, according to which the Egyptians would have had electricity since the Antiquity, in a communication operation on the tone of the humor.

“EDF, official supplier to the pharaohs since 2000 BC”, the energy company claimed in a full-page advertisement published Thursday in the daily newspaper Le Parisien, with two large pyramids in the picture. “No, Mr. Gims, not at all. But we are sure that if electricity had existed in the time of the pharaohs, they would have chosen us”, adds EDF in this communication operation.

Deconstructing a misconception

“As a rational and scientific brand, for us, the idea was to deconstruct misconceptions with humor,” said EDF management, contacted by AFP. This “wink” also allows EDF “to address a young audience”, this communication operation was also declined on Twitter, Instagram and SnapChat, said the same source.

In a video interview of more than an hour and a half to the YouTube channel Oui Hustle posted on March 22, which has accumulated several hundred thousand views, the Congolese singer took up an ancient claim that the Egyptians had an electrical system from ancient times thanks to the pyramids. Three weeks later, on April 13, the singer released his latest track Hernan Cortes, named after the Spanish conquistador, on his YouTube channel. As an illustration, an image of pyramids, topped with a golden capital and near a pylon, cables and electrical cabinets.

An ancient and absurd theory

“At the time of the empire of Kush [appeared around 2.000 years before JC, NDLR], there was electricity. (…) The pyramids that we see there, at the top there is gold. Gold, it is the best conductor for electricity. They were damn antennas! People had electricity. People can’t understand that. The Egyptians, the science they had, it’s beyond comprehension, and historians know it!” advances the singer, followed by 3 million people on Instagram, and 11 million on Facebook as on YouTube.

This claim – unfounded – that Egypt had electricity long before it was invented in the 19th century, is far from new. In September 2018, it had already resurfaced in a video viewed more than 2.5 million times and entitled “the true mystery of the pyramids has finally been unraveled” which relayed this absurd theory of “power plants”.

Offshore drilling company Borr Drilling Limited announced the completion of an initial tranche issuance of 30 million ordinary shares out of the planned 50 million, raising $61.5mn towards the total goal of $102.5mn.
EDF announces a new internal organization with key executive appointments to enhance decision-making efficiency and expedite the revival of nuclear and hydroelectric projects central to its industrial strategy.
Rubis announces half-year results of its liquidity agreement managed by Exane BNP Paribas, totalling 241,328 shares exchanged for an aggregate amount of €6.5mn in the first half of 2025.
Chinese oil giant CNOOC Limited appoints Zhang Chuanjiang as chairman, entrusting this experienced engineer to head the group's board of directors, strategic committee, and sustainability committee from July 8.
PTT Oil and Retail Business announces a 46% increase in net profit for the first quarter of 2025, driven by regional expansion in its energy and non-energy activities, alongside an integrated ESG strategy.
Shell revises downward its forecasts for the second quarter of 2025, anticipating notably a decline in Integrated Gas and Upstream segments, impacted by reduced volumes and lower profitability in several major activities.
The Luxembourg-based group will handle engineering, procurement, commissioning and installation of flexible pipelines and umbilicals to link a new field to Egypt’s existing offshore infrastructure, with offshore work scheduled for 2026.
British firm Octopus Energy is considering a £10 billion spin-off of Kraken Technologies, involving an upcoming minority stake sale, and has initiated preliminary discussions with banks to oversee the strategic operation within the next year.
TotalEnergies acquires 50% of AES' renewable portfolio in the Dominican Republic following a previous purchase of 30% of similar assets in Puerto Rico, consolidating 1.5 GW of solar, wind, and battery storage capacities in the Caribbean.
Q ENERGY France secures a bank financing of €109 million arranged by BPCE Energeco to build four new energy production facilities, totalling 55 MW of wind and solar capacity by the end of 2024.
Shell announces amendment of two annual reports after notification by Ernst & Young of non-compliance with SEC auditor partner rotation rules; however, financial statements remain unchanged.
The Financial Superintendency of Colombia approves an amendment to Ecopetrol’s local bonds and commercial paper program, enabling issuance of sustainable, indexed, or in-kind repayable instruments.
ABO Energy is selling its subsidiary ABO Energy Hellas and an energy project portfolio of approximately 1.5 gigawatts to HELLENiQ ENERGY Holdings, thus refocusing its strategic resources towards other markets, notably Germany, without major financial impact anticipated for 2025.
Iberdrola announces a supplementary dividend of €0.409 per share for 2024 under the "Iberdrola Retribución Flexible" programme, bringing the total annual remuneration to €0.645 per share, representing a year-on-year increase of 15.6%.
BHP has signed contracts with COSCO Shipping to charter two ammonia-powered Newcastlemax bulk carriers, primarily for transporting iron ore between Western Australia and Northeast Asia starting from 2028.
CBAK Energy and Anker Innovations jointly launch a battery cell manufacturing facility in Malaysia, with a commercial potential estimated at $357 million, further strengthening their strategic partnership in the lithium-ion battery sector.
German energy group Badenova plans to invest $4.64 billion in its energy networks and capacity by 2050, including $232 million committed from 2025, according to the company's recently published annual financial results.
ORIX announces the sale of the majority of its stake in Greenko to AM Green Power and commits a new USD 731mn investment in the Luxembourg-based AMG holding, confirming its strategic repositioning in next-generation energy.
Invenergy seals four further contracts with Meta to supply nearly eight hundred megawatts of solar and wind power to the group’s data centres, lifting total cooperation between the two companies to one point eight gigawatts.
Pedro Azagra leaves his role as CEO of Avangrid to become CEO of Iberdrola, while Jose Antonio Miranda and Kimberly Harriman succeed him as CEO and Deputy CEO respectively of the American subsidiary.