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Elon Musk Eyes Wikipedia’s Future with $1 Billion Donation Offer

The suggestion to rename the website follows Elon Musk’s criticism of Wikimedia Foundation’s financial practices and its use of donations

Elon Musk Eyes Wikipedia’s Future with $1 Billion Donation Offer

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has once again sparked an online debate, this time about Wikipedia’s financial priorities and political leanings. The furore comes after the Tesla owner reiterated his $1bn offer to change the name of the popular online encyclopedia to ‘Dickipedia’. Known for his provocative statements on X, Musk has questioned Wikipedia’s reliance on donations and its overall funding model.

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The offer was originally made in October 2023 when Musk criticised the website’s financial practices, asking, “Have you ever wondered why the Wikimedia Foundation wants so much money? It certainly isn’t needed to operate Wikipedia. You can literally fit a copy of the entire text on your phone! So, what’s the money for?”

He followed up the tweet with a $1bn offer, on the condition the website would change its name for at least a year. The change would be “in the interests of accuracy”, Musk clarified.

Wikipedia, in response, said that the platform is “not for sale” as it is a non-profit organisation. The tech mogul has now reaffirmed that his offer “still stands”, on the same condition. In addition, Musk urged his followers to refrain from donating to Wikipedia after discovering that the foundation had allocated over $50mn from its 2023-24 budget of $177mn for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

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“Stop donating to ‘Wokepedia’ until they restore balance to their editing authority,” Musk said. His comments also highlighted concerns about Wikipedia’s alleged political bias. Studies have reportedly stated that the encyclopedia has a left-leaning bias with critics contending that the platform’s content is often edited to align with specific political agendas.

However, the Wikipedia Foundation justified that its spending makes up a significant portion of its programmatic goals.

The Twitter Way

Some observers have said that Musk’s intervention in Wikipedia’s operations could streamline its funding operations, while others are worried that his involvement could compromise the encyclopedia’s neutrality and community-driven model. As of now, Wikimedia Foundation has not responded to Musk’s latest remarks, but his comments have reignited discussions about the future of the world’s largest free encyclopedia.

This approach reflects the drill Musk used when he sought to acquire X. In January 2022, Musk started increasing his stake in the micro-blogging site. He then criticised the platform, saying “free speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you believe Twitter rigorously adhered to this principle?” In another tweet, he asked users whether the new platform is needed to promote free speech.

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In April 2022, former Twitter chief executive Parag Agrawal announced that Musk would join the company as a board member. The billionaire then started to suggest changes to the platform and ended up buying the company for $44bn in 2022. Since then, Musk has revamped the platform (rebranding it as X) and continues to introduce different features regularly.

Similarly, Musk who often uses his financial prowess to maintain his influence in business and politics, has offered a donation deal to Wikipedia on a condition and at the same time, has been a vocal critic of its funding model and alleged biases. But unlike X, Wikipedia operates as a non-profit organisation that could present significant legal and structural challenges to any potential acquisition.

Can Wikipedia Be Acquired?

Wikipedia cannot be sold or acquired for commercial purposes as the website is run by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit based in San Francisco whose mission is to create a free online encyclopedia that anyone can access and contribute to. Legally, if a non-profit winds down, its assets are distributed to another non-profit entity with a similar mission.

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Wikipedia also adheres to the principle ‘neutral point of view’, which requires contributors to present information fairly, proportionately and without bias. It provides specific guidelines on this, such as the page, ‘What Wikipedia Is Not: Wikipedia Is Not a Battleground’ to ensure that ideological differences are addressed constructively within its framework.

“The website is edited and maintained by contributors who do not work for monetary incentives. If the project were to veer away from its core values, this community-driven motivation would be at risk. The idea of signing a cheque to acquire Wikipedia is fundamentally incompatible with its structure and mission,” Pranav Bhaskar Tiwari, senior programme manager at The Dialogue told Outlook Business.

Ayush Jindal, an advocate at the Supreme Court, said it is a different scenario and Wikipedia cannot be sold in traditional sense. “The decision would rest totally with the board. Also, the name change may hurt the brand’s reputation and goes against what the board members and independent contributors are trying to create,” he said.   

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However, power billionaires can influence the board of trustees or Wikipedia, Jindal suggested. “Becoming a major donor, trying to join the board, proposing a collaborative project or by dominating the community discussions are some of the many ways available for Elon Musk to wield his influence on Wikipedia,” he added.

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