Perhaps the world of the internet is about to change forever as we know it. Why? Because Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of Tesla, X (formerly Twitter) and SpaceX, has revived a controversy that was thought to be extinct. He wants to buy Wikipedia for $1 billion if it changes its name.
Does Musk want to buy Wikipedia?
Musk doesn’t want to buy Wikipedia itself, but in a series of tweets on X, he has made it clear that he is still willing to donate $1,000 dollars if the company changes its name. What name does he want to be given? “Dickipedia” Yes, you read that right. “Dickipedia”
This comment came in response to a user named John’s Memes, who asked if the offer was still open. Musk immediately replied: “The offer is still open. Go on, do it…”, unleashing a wave of reactions on social media.
Why is Elon Musk making fun of Wikipedia?
Beyond Musk’s irreverent humour, his stance on Wikipedia has been increasingly critical. In November 2024, the tycoon asked his followers to stop donating to the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that runs Wikipedia.
The reason for his call for a boycott was that, according to him, the platform spends too much money on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Musk cited a graph showing that 29% of the foundation’s budget ($177 million for 2023-2024) was allocated to “equity” and “safety and inclusion” programs, something that, in his opinion, is an unnecessary waste.
Elon Musk and his relationship with information on the Internet
For whatever reason, Musk doesn’t really like users being able to search for information on the Internet, and in fact, this is not the first time Musk has attacked information platforms. Since he bought Twitter, which he renamed X, he has criticized the way in which information content is moderated and displayed on social networks (and he has moulded it to his liking, of course).
Now, his war is against Wikipedia because he considers that it is not a neutral space, but rather politically biased. For this reason, he has proposed radical changes, including this million-dollar offer for a name change that, evidently (we hope), Wikipedia will never accept.
How does Wikipedia respond?
So far, the Wikimedia Foundation has not responded directly to Musk’s latest offer. For its part, it continues to work under its usual model (donations from users who use it) without having to depend on a single donor.
Why is it important to guarantee free information?
Information is power, and if information is controlled by a single person, it runs the risk of being corrupted. Being informed (and being respected, for vulnerable groups or those at risk of exclusion) are also fundamental rights. When information on labour, social, and civil rights is available on the Internet in an accessible, accurate, and bias-free manner, inequality barriers are reduced. This allows anyone, regardless of their origin, identity, or condition, to understand what protections they have, what resources exist, and how they can assert their rights.
However, access to this information is not always easy. Information clutter, fake news, and the interests of certain groups can distort reality, generating confusion or fear in the people who most need guidance. It is therefore vital that trusted sources, such as non-profit organisations, independent media and educational platforms, continue to provide verifiable and easy-to-understand data.
So, it would not be very surprising if Musk wants to end up buying Wikipedia and shaping the Internet to his liking, just as happened with X, however, Wikimedia is not willing to agree with the tycoon and for now they will continue their work as they have until now.