Founder of Wikipedia: Jimmy Wales, Net Worth, History

Wikipedia is a free online content website founded by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger on January 15, 2001. It is managed by it is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, an American nonprofit organization. Articles on Wikipedia are created and edited by volunteers from around the world.

Founders of Wikipedia

Wikipedia articles are accessible by anyone and anyone around the globe can edit the info which will be updated after being verified by the Wikipedia publisher team. It is one of the largest and most popular general reference works on the internet.

Wikipedia articles cover a wide range of topics, from history and science to popular culture and current events. The content on Wikipedia is constantly updated and expanded by a community of editors who contribute their knowledge and expertise.

Founder of Wikipedia

Wikipedia was founded by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger on January 15, 2001. He was an American internet entrepreneur and the co-founder of Wikipedia, one of the world’s most popular and widely used online reference resources. He was born on August 7, 1966, in Huntsville, Alabama, USA.

Jimmy Wales – Founder Of Wikipedia

Jimmy Wales is best known for his role in the creation of Wikipedia, which he co-founded with Larry Sanger in 2001. Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that relies on the contributions of volunteers from around the world to create and edit its articles. Under Wales’ leadership, Wikipedia has grown into one of the most extensive reference sources on the internet, providing information on a wide range of topics in multiple languages.

He has also been involved in various other internet-related projects and organizations, including Wikia (which later became Fandom), a wiki hosting service, and the Wikimedia Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports Wikipedia and its sister projects.

• Background: Jimmy Donal Wales was born on August 7, 1966, in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. He studied finance at Auburn University and then earned a master’s degree in finance from the University of Alabama.

• Role in Wikipedia: Jimmy Wales co-founded Wikipedia and played an important role in its early growth and development. He introduced the concept of a free, user-edited online encyclopedia and played an active role in setting up its initial policies and guidelines.

Jimmy Wales Profile
Full Name	Jimmy Donal Wales
Date of birth	August 7, 1966
Net Worth in 2024	$1-2 Million
Awards	President’s Medal Dan David Prize UNESCO Niels Bohr Medal
Children	3
Nationality	American
Place of Birth	Huntsville, Alabama
Fields of Expertise	[“Technology”,”Finance”]
Institutions	Wikimedia, MIT, Guardian Media Group
Contributions	Wikipedia, Fandom

Jimmy Wales Net Worth in 2024

Jimmy Wales is known for his contribution in making Wikipedia world’s largest and trusted information source. Wikipedia’s main source of income is the donation given by the community around the world.

According to various sources and Wikipedia which has been founded by Jimmy Wales, his net worth is around US$ 1 million (not billion) during 2014 within two of sources.

Larry Sanger – Co Founder Of Wikipedia

Larry Sanger is co-founder of Wikipedia and American philosopher. He was born on July 16, 1968, in Bellevue, Washington, USA. Sanger played a significant role in the early development of Wikipedia and its predecessor, Nupedia.

In 2000, Sanger was hired by Jimmy Wales to work on Nupedia, an earlier attempt at creating a free online encyclopedia. Nupedia had a rigorous editorial process and was relatively slow in producing content. Larry Sanger proposed the idea of a wiki-based system to complement Nupedia, which would allow a broader community of volunteers to contribute. This idea led to the creation of Wikipedia in January 2001.

Sanger contributed to the development of Wikipedia’s early editorial policies and guidelines, and he served as the editor-in-chief of Nupedia. However, Sanger left Wikipedia in 2002 and became critical of its approach, particularly with regard to issues of quality and the use of real names. He later co-founded Citizendium, an online encyclopedia project that aimed to combine the open collaboration of a wiki with expert oversight and real-name verification.

• Background: Lawrence Mark Sanger was born on July 16, 1968, in Bellevue, Washington, USA. He pursued a Ph.D. in philosophy from Ohio State University and later became interested in epistemology, the study of knowledge and belief.

• Role in Wikipedia: Larry Sanger played a crucial role in the early days of Wikipedia. He was hired by Jimmy Wales to work on Nupedia, an earlier attempt at creating a free online encyclopedia. It was during this time that Sanger proposed the concept of a wiki-based encyclopedia, which would later become Wikipedia. He served as the editor-in-chief of Nupedia and Wikipedia.

History of Wikipedia

Wikipedia officially launched on January 15, 2001, as an English-language edition. The name “Wikipedia” combines “wiki” and “encyclopedia.” It started with a policy of “neutral point-of-view” and operated independently of Nupedia. The project’s growth was significant, with various language editions emerging in March 2001.

By 2007, the English Wikipedia became the largest encyclopedia in history. Over time, Wikipedia has expanded to include more than 61 million articles, drawing in 2 billion monthly visitors and seeing over 15 million monthly edits as of July 2024.

Here are the various stages in the history of Wikipedia which tells us the journey of Wikipedia to become one of the largest content platform in the world.

• Pre-Wikipedia (1990s): The concept of a freely accessible and editable online encyclopedia had been around for some time. Several earlier projects and encyclopedias served as precursors, including Nupedia, a web-based encyclopedia that was edited by experts but had a slow content creation process.

• Birth of Wikipedia (2001): Wikipedia was officially launched on January 15, 2001, by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger. It was intended to be a complementary project to Nupedia, allowing for a more open and rapid way of creating and editing encyclopedia articles.

• The Wiki Concept: Wikipedia’s key innovation was the use of a wiki, a collaborative website that allows users to create, edit, and link content easily. This approach democratized the process of content creation.

• Early Growth (2001-2003): In its early years, Wikipedia rapidly grew as a result of contributions from volunteers around the world. Articles on a wide range of topics were created, and the encyclopedia expanded.

• Challenges and Milestones (2003-2005): Wikipedia faced issues related to vandalism, accuracy, and quality control. However, it also celebrated its 100,000th article in January 2003 and introduced various language versions.

• Formal Organization (2003): The Wikimedia Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was established in June 2003 to provide organizational and financial support to Wikipedia and its sister projects. Jimmy Wales and other key figures played a role in its formation.

• Global Expansion (2005-2010): Wikipedia continued to grow and expand internationally, with numerous language versions. It became one of the most popular reference sources on the internet.

Achievements of Wikipedia

After the establishment of Wikipedia, It has covered a journey of becoming world’s largest internet information source. Wikipedia has achieved so many milestones in last 22 years. Here are some achievement that Wikipedia gain in the journey of 22 years.

1. Massive User Base: Wikipedia attracted 42.9 million unique visitors in January 2007, and by 2014, it received a huge eight billion page views every month.
2. Asteroid Named After Wikipedia: In January 2013, an asteroid was named “274301 Wikipedia” in recognition of Wikipedia’s impact on global knowledge sharing.
3. Wikipedia Monument: In October 2014, Wikipedia was honored with a physical monument, symbolizing its significance in the digital age.
4. Print Wikipedia: In July 2015, a project made 106 of Wikipedia’s 700-page volumes available as “Print Wikipedia,” highlighting the significance of its content.
5. Wikipedia on the Moon: In April 2019, a lunar lander carried a copy of the English Wikipedia to the Moon’s surface, showcasing its enduring legacy beyond Earth.
6. Global Ranking: As of December 2016, Wikipedia was ranked as the fifth most popular website globally, underscoring its worldwide reach.
7. Academic Impact: As of January 2024, English Wikipedia articles have been cited over 92,300 times in scholarly journals, attesting to their credibility and influence in academic research.

Wikipedia Founder – FAQs

1. Who is founder of Wikipedia?

Jimmy Wales is the founder of Wikipedia.

2. What is net worth of Jimmy Wales?

The net worth of Jimmy Wales in 2024 is $1-2 Million according to Wikipedia.

3. Who is the co founder of Wikipedia?

Larry Sanger is the co-founder of Wikipedia.

4. What is the net worth of Larry Sanger?

The net worth of Larry Sanger is $650 thousand according to Wikipedia.

5. Who is the CEO of Wikipedia now?

Maryana Iskander is the current CEO of Wikipedia.

6. How Wikipedia earns money?

Wikipedia earns money from donation given by community around the world.