Elon Musk Offers $1 Billion to Wikipedia in Challenge to Rename to “Dickipedia”

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Tech Billionaire Proposes Renaming Wikipedia to ‘Dickipedia’ in Exchange for Record Donation

In a recent social media spectacle, tech mogul Elon Musk, the visionary behind SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter), has playfully challenged Wikipedia to change its name to “Dickipedia” in exchange for a staggering $1 billion donation. Musk took to his favorite social media platform, X, to make the unexpected offer in response to Wikipedia’s annual donation appeal.

“I will give them a billion dollars if they change their name to Dickipedia,” Musk quipped, adding, “in the interests of accuracy.” He went on to humorously suggest that the new moniker must be retained for at least one year, remarking, “I’m not a fool lol.”

Musk’s challenge didn’t stop there. He also questioned the Wikimedia Foundation’s fundraising efforts, 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? Inquiring minds want to know…”

The entrepreneur’s social media antics caught the attention of Wikipedia editors who promptly issued a “community note” fact-checking Musk. They corrected him by revealing that in 2022, Wikimedia had $154 million in revenue, but expenses amounted to $145 million. Furthermore, they highlighted the vast amount of data and languages that the Wikimedia Foundation supports, dispelling the notion that operating Wikipedia is a small-scale endeavor.

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

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 22, 2023

This isn’t the first time Musk has engaged in a public spat with Wikipedia. In December 2022, he accused the platform of harboring a “non-trivial left-wing bias” when it considered deleting an article about Twitter files related to Hunter Biden’s laptop. The article in question is currently under review for possible deletion, with editors labeling it as a “nothing burger” and “not notable.” Musk used the incident to claim that Wikipedia, like the mainstream media, displays left-wing bias that hinders his agenda.

Elon Musk’s willingness to challenge the status quo and engage in playful exchanges on social media has become a hallmark of his online presence. With his latest offer of $1 billion to Wikipedia, he has once again sparked conversation and debate across the digital landscape.

Wikipedia, a trusted and widely-used source of information, has responded to Musk’s challenge with a screenshot of their homepage stating, “Wikipedia is not for sale” alongside a “personal appeal from Jimmy Wales,” the co-founder of Wikipedia. The fate of Musk’s billion-dollar challenge remains uncertain, but it has undoubtedly ignited discussions about the role of donations and funding for online platforms.

It remains to be seen whether the name “Dickipedia” will adorn the world’s beloved online encyclopedia for a year.