Of all the eccentric qualities of Argentina's new president, the purported source of some of his political counsel is perhaps the most curious.
Javier Milei, who won more than 55 per cent of the votes in the South American country's recent election, is the owner of four mastiff dogs, all of whom were created in an American lab as genetic clones of his late pet Conan.
He has called the animals— named after three conservative economists, Milton, Murray, Robert and Lucas – the “best strategists in the world” and claimed his original dog gave him the mission of becoming Argentina's president.
He says he discovered this wish through the use of a psychic medium, which allowed him to speak to Conan.
While a fantastical notion, his beloved pet's dream did come true. Milei credited his “children with four paws” when he came first in Argentina's August primary.
But it wasn't just the dogs' unusual creation story that has fascinated his electorate and fuelled his speedy rise.
Argentina's new president is a man who has inspired countless comparisons.
He's been dubbed a mini-Donald Trump, an “adorable” Wolverine, and a cross between Boris Johnson and the doll Chucky.
In Argentina, he's known as El Loco, the Madman, and El Peluca, the Wig, in a nod to his unkempt hairdo.
With deep sideburns, a floppy haircut and a penchant for leather jackets, Javier Milei is known more for his eccentricities than as a politician ready to fix a crisis.
But he has promised to bring radical change to the South American nation, proposing to ditch the Argentinian peso for the US dollar, close the country's central bank and gut public spending.
Life in Argentina has been getting harder, with inflation soaring 142.7 per cent in October.
There is a strong desire for things to change, but will the politician who used to be a tantric sex coach be able to do as his fans beg of him and “make Argentina great again?”
The rise of Argentina's Trump
It's a story you may feel you've heard before. A proud “outsider” famous for his bombastic remarks and television persona turns anti-politician politician.
Milei has had a meteoric rise to Argentina's presidency since bursting onto the scene more than five years ago as an unconventional economist advocating against public spending.
He calls himself an anarcho capitalist, a strand of libertarianism that sees the state as a criminal organisation because it finances itself through taxes.
“You don't pay taxes voluntarily, you pay them at gunpoint,” he told the Economist.
But it was on television and radio where Milei built his brand, delivering anti-government screeds and aggressive taunts that won over viewers and drove up ratings.
He switched from commentator to politician in 2020, joining political party Avanza Libertad before adopting the techniques that made him a popular commentator in his campaign for the presidency.
Milei found a loyal following on social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, sometimes appearing in clips to explain his policies
Other times, his eccentric style is on display, like in one viral clip where he rips off sticky notes with the names of ministries he plans to remove, angrily shouting “out with you” in Spanish.
He has forgone traditional political advisers and instead surrounded himself with influential women who are set to be key players in his administration.
They include his sister Karina Milei, a woman Milei has credited as his “campaign architect” and nicknamed the boss, as well as Fátima Flórez, an actress and dancer who is in a relationship with the president-elect.
Just like his American idol, Donald Trump, Javier Milei has made some bold, and at times outlandish, promises.
He's called climate change a hoax, has pledged to ban abortion, and indicated his support for the private sale of human organs.
In a speech on Sunday, he also promised to “end the useless, parasitic, criminal political caste that is sinking this country”.
But it's his economic plans that have attracted the most attention
As part of his campaign, Milei was known for pulling out a chainsaw to illustrate his point about making deep cuts to government spending through privatisation and slashing social welfare.
He has pledged to limit the size of the state and have a fiscal balance by the end of 2024 through a “shock adjustment”.
If the proposals go ahead, it could mean very tough months ahead for the country.
“A fiscal balance is non-negotiable. The fiscal balance is not under debate. I will sack the minister who spends too much,” Milei said.
Argentina has suffered an economic decline for some time, but there is little evidence that the root causes of the crisis have been addressed.
Milei believes he is the man to get things done with the backing of Argentinians, though analysts have expressed doubts.
Milei wants to abolish the central bank
Milei surprised pundits last weekend when he won Argentina's election by 55 per cent, the highest a candidate has received since 1983.
Popular figures within the global far right welcomed his election victory, including Trump who wrote: “The whole world was watching! I am very proud of you. You will turn your country around and truly Make Argentina Great Again.”
Part of what made his success so notable is his lack of political experience and that he “doesn't have a team of people that know him”, says Dr Maria Victoria Murillo, the director of the Institute of Latin American Studies at Columbia University.
“I guess the anger against the government was stronger than the fear of the unknown,” she said.
Last weekend's vote was primarily of protest in anger at the current government and “not a endorsement of many of the policies that Milei has proposed, some of which are relatively extreme”, according to Mark Jones, chair in Latin American Studies and professor of political science at Rice University.
There are a few factors fuelling Argentina's discontent. The country's cost of living has skyrocketed to 30-year highs, fuelled by a long-running economic crisis and a global spike in inflation since the end of the pandemic.
Argentina routinely spends more than it collects in taxes, according to economists, and owes $US44 billion ($69.67 billion) to the International Monetary Fund.
Roughly four in 10 Argentinians are living in poverty and there are fears the economy may soon tip into recession as a result of a severe drought.
“It's this idea that we've tried the options we had, nobody has seemed to be able to solve the problems. Here comes this guy who talks with his dead dog, maybe he can do it,” Dr Murillo said.
Milei has promised to ‘burn down' the central bank and ditch the local currency, the Argentine peso.
He has argued successive Argentine governments have proven they can't be trusted with the ability to print money because they have used it to fund profligate spending.
