Elon Musk Proposes $1 Billion Purchase and Renaming of Wikipedia to Dickipedia
Photo by Oberon Copeland @veryinformed.com on Unsplash
Tech billionaire Elon Musk stirred controversy in October 2023 by jokingly offering $1 billion to Wikipedia if it agreed to change its name to “Dickipedia”. Musk made the proposal in a series of tweets on his platform, X (formerly Twitter), claiming the new name would be “in the interests of accuracy.”
The proposal came as Wikipedia was running its annual fundraising campaign, asking users for donations to support its operations. Musk questioned why the Wikimedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia, requires so much funding, asserting that the site’s data could fit on a smartphone and implying that the organization may not need such large amounts of money to operate.
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales indirectly responded to Musk’s comments through a statement encouraging users to support the platform, emphasizing the importance of combating misinformation in today’s digital age. Wales highlighted that Wikipedia relies on donations to remain independent and free from corporate influence.
Musk’s remarks also reignited debates over the reliability of Wikipedia, with Musk criticizing its open-edit structure and contrasting it with X’s Community Notes feature, which he claimed offers better accountability.
Despite the humor behind Musk’s offer, it sheds light on larger questions about the funding models of nonprofit platforms and the role of wealthy individuals in influencing online spaces. Wikipedia has firmly declined Musk’s proposal and reiterated its commitment to user-driven, donation-funded operations.