Elon Musk’s Unusual Proposal: $1 Billion Donation to Wikipedia if Name is Changed to This – News18
Curated By: Shaurya Sharma
Last Updated: October 23, 2023, 11:02 IST
San Francisco, California, USA
Elon Musk has a bizarre proposal for Wikipedia.
Elon Musk, in a series of posts on X, has proposed a $1 billion offer to Wikipedia in exchange for a name change. And it is truly bizarre.
Elon Musk remains a prominent figure in news headlines following his acquisition of X (formerly Twitter). His numerous decisions have brought about significant changes to the platform, including its rebranding to X and the removal of legacy checkmarks. Moreover, Musk continues to offer polarising advice.
Now, in a recent development, he has proposed a $1 billion offer to Wikipedia in exchange for a name change.
“I will give them a billion dollars if they change their name to Dickipedia,” Elon Musk posted on X. Musk added that this is “in the interests of accuracy.”
Musk was also quick to reply to X users who replied to Musk about the same. One user said, “@Wikipedia, Do it! You can always change it back after you collect (the money). To this, Musk replied, “One year minimum. I mean, I’m a not fool lol.”
The same day, Musk also acted inquisitive about why Wikipedia demands so much money from its readers. “Have you ever wondered why the Wikimedia Foundation wants so much money?”
He added, “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..”
Notably, this comes months after an exchange was observed between Musk and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales. In the recent past, Jimmy Wales took a dig at Musk for allegedly censoring the people who were critical of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Edrogan, and not allowing free speech.
With that said, it must be noted that Musk is known for his antics on X, and in the recent past Musk has made other peculiar remarks as well. For instance, Musk challenged Meta’s founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg for a cage match.
“Knock, knock … challenge accepted … open the door”. “Thought you might want some tea, so I brought the bags,” Musk said, tagging Mark Zuckerberg’s X account.
But evidently, Zuckerberg was quick to dismiss Musk’s claims after he replied to his comments on X’s rival—Meta’s Threads app. “I think we can all agree Elon isn’t serious and it’s time to move on. I offered a real date. Dana White offered to make this a legit competition for charity. Elon won’t confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead. If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. I’m going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously,” the Facebook founder wrote, and the cage match never happened.
Elon Musk, the prominent figure in the news, has made an unusual proposal to Wikipedia. In a series of posts on X, Musk offered a staggering $1 billion donation to Wikipedia in exchange for a name change. His proposed name, “Dickipedia,” he claims is “in the interests of accuracy.” Musk even engaged with users on X who suggested that Wikipedia should accept the offer.
This proposal comes after Musk questioned why Wikipedia requires such large sums of money from its readers. He argued that the amount is unnecessary for operating Wikipedia, as the entire text can fit on a phone. Musk’s offer to donate $1 billion has sparked intrigue and curiosity about the Wikimedia Foundation’s financial needs.
It is worth mentioning that Musk is known for his peculiar remarks and antics on X. In recent times, he even challenged Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Meta, to a cage match. However, Zuckerberg dismissed the challenge, emphasizing the need to focus on more serious matters.
Overall, Elon Musk’s proposal to donate $1 billion to Wikipedia in exchange for a name change has generated considerable attention and sparked discussions about the role and funding of the Wikimedia Foundation.
[Unique Perspective] Elon Musk’s proposal highlights his eccentricity and his willingness to make unconventional offers. While some may view his proposal as a playful gesture, it also brings forth important questions about funding and the financial sustainability of platforms like Wikipedia. This incident serves as a reminder of the immense influence and financial capabilities of individuals like Musk in shaping the digital landscape.
