khufu was a pharaoh (or leader) of ancient egypt's old kingdom. he was the pharaoh of egypt from around 2589 to 2566 b.c.e . khufu was the second pharaoh of the fourth dynasty. he is also thought to be the one who built the great pyramid of giza, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. khufu's full name was "khnum-khufu" which means "the god khnum protects me."