Wikipedia has found an unlikely fundraising ally: Elon Musk.
In a new interview with The New York Times, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales said recent attacks by Musk and other right-wing figures have inadvertently boosted donations to the nonprofit encyclopedia. “That’s not my favorite way of raising money,” Wales admitted, “but the truth is, a lot of people are responding very negatively to that behavior.”
The controversy began earlier this month when Musk derided the site as “Wokipedia” on social media, accusing it of political bias and vowing to launch his own rival platform, “Grokipedia.” His remarks followed calls in August from Republican Representatives James Comer and Nancy Mace for a congressional investigation into Wikipedia’s alleged bias—claims Wales called “frankly absurd.”
While Musk’s criticism drew attention across right-wing media, it also sparked a wave of donations from supporters who viewed his comments as an attack on a trusted public resource. Wales said contributions spiked in the days following Musk’s remarks, underscoring the depth of public support for the platform’s mission of free and accessible knowledge.
For Wikipedia, which relies on small-dollar contributions rather than advertising or corporate sponsorships, the episode highlights both its cultural significance and its vulnerability in an increasingly polarized digital environment. Despite periodic flare-ups over political entries, studies consistently show that the site’s editorial standards and volunteer-based fact-checking remain among the most transparent on the internet.
Source: A.V. Club