Billionaire entrepreneur and Twitter enthusiast Elon Musk is back in the spotlight, this time with an audacious offer to donate a staggering $1 billion to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, in exchange for a unique name change. Known for his candid and sometimes controversial social media posts, Musk proposed that Wikipedia rebrand itself as “Dickipedia” in the “interests of accuracy.” This intriguing proposition comes on the heels of Musk’s recent takeover of Twitter, which was subsequently rebranded as “X.”
In response to Musk’s offer, a Twitter user encouraged Wikipedia to accept the proposal. Musk, always one to add a touch of humor, laid out a condition, stating, “@Wikipedia, Do it! You can always change it back after you collect.” He humorously added, “One-year minimum. I mean, I’m not a fool lol.”
Musk also shared a screenshot of Wikipedia’s homepage, which featured messages such as “Wikipedia is not for sale” and “a personal appeal from Jimmy Wales.” Musk questioned the need for such a substantial amount of funding by 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…”
This Twitter interaction quickly gained attention, amassing 9.9 million views and over a hundred thousand likes. While some users expressed skepticism about Wikipedia’s fundraising efforts, others lightheartedly suggested that Musk’s offer was contingent on the institution renaming itself in his honor.
Elon Musk’s penchant for making headlines with unconventional and often humorous social media posts is no secret. This isn’t the first time he has stirred public discussions. Previously, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales criticized Musk for complying with Turkish government requests to restrict content critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Musk’s decision to limit access to certain tweets rather than face a complete Twitter shutdown sparked a public exchange between the two prominent figures.
While the chances of Wikipedia adopting the name “Dickipedia” remain highly unlikely, Musk’s latest social media escapade has once again placed him at the center of public attention, demonstrating his proclivity for headline-grabbing moments.
