Elon Musk will donate $1 billion to Wikipedia but on one condition

Billionaire Elon Musk is agreeing to become one of the donors that Wikipedia says it so desperately wants. The SpaceX and Tesla chief posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he would give away a whopping $1 billion to the online encyclopedia. But he has one condition, and that condition is associated with Wikipedia’s cry for help despite not needing it. Known for his tongue-in-cheek humour, Musk urged Wikipedia to change its name to become eligible for his $1 billion. The name is ‘Dickipedia’. Obviously, Musk is pulling Wikipedia’s leg here and there is no way to tell if he will keep his promise if, by any chance, Wikipedia agrees on a whim. Also Read: Why Thousands Are Cancelling Netflix After Elon Musk’s Latest Tweet

Musk’s unwarranted dig at Wikipedia’s requests for donations — which sometimes include a personal note from the founder Jimmy Wales — may be cheeky but it is not malintent. Wikimedia, which owns Wikipedia online encyclopedia and other platforms, is already rolling in money, according to freelance journalist Andreas Kolbe who used to work as a co-editor-in-chief at Wikipedia’s community newspaper called The Signpost. He highlighted that Wikipedia already has enough treasury to stay afloat, in contrast to what it states in its prompts on the website. Also Read: Explainer: Wikipedia is rolling in money, so why does it need donations?

I will give them a billion dollars if they change their name to Dickipedia https://t.co/wxoHQdRICy

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 22, 2023

Wikimedia generated roughly $162 million in the fiscal year between June 2020 and June 2021 from donations and revenue, according to Statista. That is a lot more than what the company set aside as its 10-year goal five years ago. That rules out the part that Wikimedia — and Wikipedia — need your donations to run. So, why does Wikipedia’s parent company need your donations despite being rich? Kolbe said that this is because WMF wants to expand its business and boost its savings to fund new projects. Donations allow the company to direct its profits and savings towards a range of new projects. WMF is also launching a for-profit company, which would use the resources available to the company’s non-profit initiatives.

All of that is something Musk is aware of. “Have you 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!” he wrote, adding that “inquiring minds want to know” what the money is for. Thus, Musk’s conditional offer. The condition also requires Wikipedia to keep that name for at least a year. “I mean, I’m not a fool lol,” he said. Of course, the posts got the attention they deserved and put Wikipedia in a tough spot, especially when its incessant prompts on the website seemed to be working. The entire banter was interesting, but what would be more interesting? Wikipedia’s response. Let us wait for that if the platform is in a mood to give a reply.