Jimmy Wales#Role

Wales was born in Huntsville, Alabama, on August 7, 1966; however, his birth certificate lists his date of birth as August 8. His father, Jimmy Sr., was a grocery store manager, while his mother, Doris Ann ({{nee|Dudley}}), and his grandmother, Erma, ran the House of Learning,{{cite encyclopedia |last = Wilson |first = Claire M. |title = Jimmy Wales |url = http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2618 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of Alabama |archive-date = December 20, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191220034549/http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2618 |url-status = live }} a small private school in the tradition of the one-room schoolhouse, where Wales and his three siblings received their early education.

As a child, Wales enjoyed reading. When he was three years old, his mother bought a World Book Encyclopedia from a door-to-door salesman. As he grew up and learned to read, it became an object of reverence, but Wales soon discovered that the World Book had shortcomings: No matter how much was in it, there were many more things that were not. World Book sent out stickers for owners to paste on the pages to update the encyclopedia, and Wales was careful to put the stickers to work, stating, "I joke that I started as a kid revising the encyclopedia by stickering the one my mother bought."{{Cite news |first = Walter |last = Isaacson |url = https://www.thedailybeast.com/you-can-look-it-up-the-wikipedia-story |title = You Can Look It Up: The Wikipedia Story |work = The Daily Beast |date = October 19, 2014 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = June 13, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190613013448/https://www.thedailybeast.com/you-can-look-it-up-the-wikipedia-story |url-status = live }}

During an interview in 2005 with Brian Lamb, Wales described his childhood private school as a "Montessori-influenced philosophy of education", where he "spent lots of hours poring over the Britannica and World Book Encyclopedias". There were only four other children in Wales' grade, so the school combined the first- through fourth-grade students, and the fifth- through eighth-grade students. As an adult, Wales was sharply critical of the government's treatment of the school, citing the "constant interference and bureaucracy and very sort of snobby inspectors from the state" as a formative influence on his political philosophy.

After eighth grade, Wales attended Randolph School,Moore, Rebecca (January 7, 2013). "[https://discover.randolphschool.net/blog/k12/2013/01/07/wales Jimmy Wales '83: 'Information evangelist'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031005206/https://discover.randolphschool.net/blog/k12/2013/01/07/wales |date=October 31, 2018 }}", Randolph School. Retrieved August 12, 2014."[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01dc617 Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416035948/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01dc617 |date=April 16, 2015 }}". BBC Radio 4. March 18, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2014.{{cite web |title = Todd Chambers' answer to [Pictures or it didn't happen] what was jimmy wales' high school life like? |url = https://www.quora.com/Pictures-or-it-didnt-happen-what-was-jimmy-wales-high-school-life-like/answer/Todd-Rush-Chambers |publisher = Quora |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = August 10, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220810210538/https://www.quora.com/Pictures-or-it-didnt-happen-what-was-jimmy-wales-high-school-life-like/answer/Todd-Rush-Chambers |url-status = live }} a university-preparatory school in Huntsville, graduating at age 16. He said that the school was expensive for his family, but that "education was always a passion in my household ... you know, the very traditional approach to knowledge and learning and establishing that as a base for a good life." He received his bachelor's degree in finance from Auburn University in 1986. He began his Auburn education when he was 16 years old. He then entered the PhD finance program at the University of Alabama before leaving with a master's degree to enter the PhD finance program at Indiana University Bloomington. At the University of Alabama, he played Internet fantasy games and developed his interest in the web. He taught at both universities during his postgraduate studies but did not write the doctoral dissertation required for a PhD, something he ascribed to boredom.

File:Bomis-staff-summer-2000.jpg photographed in summer 2000. Wales is third from the left in the back row with Christine {{nowrap|Rohan{{hsp}}{{mdash}}{{hsp}}}}at the time Christine Wales, his second wife.]]

In 1994, Wales took a job with Chicago Options Associates, a futures and options trading firm in Chicago, Illinois. Wales has described himself as having been addicted to the Internet from an early stage, writing computer code during his leisure time. During his studies in Alabama, he had become an obsessive player of Multi-User Dungeons (MUDs)—a type of virtual role-playing game—and thereby experienced the potential of computer networks to foster large-scale collaborative projects.

Inspired by the successful initial public offering of Netscape in 1995, and having accumulated capital through "speculating on interest-rate and foreign-currency fluctuations", Wales decided to leave the realm of financial trading and became an Internet entrepreneur. In 1996, he and two partners founded Bomis, a web portal featuring user-generated webrings and, for a time, erotic photographs. Wales described it as a "guy-oriented search engine" with a market similar to that of Maxim magazine;{{cite magazine |last = Hansen |first = Evan |title = Wikipedia Founder Edits Own Bio |magazine = Wired |date = December 19, 2005 |url = https://www.wired.com/2005/12/wikipedia-founder-edits-own-bio/ |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = May 30, 2012 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20120530041136/http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2005/12/69880 |url-status = live }} the Bomis venture did not ultimately turn out to be successful.

{{Main|Nupedia}}

File:Nupedia logo.jpg's logo]]

Though Bomis had at the time struggled to make money, it provided Wales with the funding to pursue his greater passion, an online encyclopedia. While moderating an online discussion group devoted to the philosophy of Objectivism in the early 1990s, Wales had encountered Larry Sanger, a skeptic of the philosophy. The two had engaged in detailed debate on the subject on Wales' list and then on Sanger's, eventually meeting offline to continue the debate and becoming friends. Years later, after deciding to pursue his encyclopedia project and seeking a credentialed academic to lead it, Wales hired Sanger—who at that time was a doctoral student in philosophy at Ohio State University—to be its editor-in-chief, and in March 2000, Nupedia ("the free encyclopedia"), a peer-reviewed, open-content encyclopedia, was launched. The intent behind Nupedia was to have expert-written entries on a variety of topics and to sell advertising alongside the entries to make a profit. The project was characterized by an extensive peer-review process designed to make its articles of a quality comparable to that of professional encyclopedias.

{{blockquote|quote=The idea was to have thousands of volunteers writing articles for an online encyclopedia in all languages. Initially, we found ourselves organizing the work in a very top-down, structured, academic, old-fashioned way. It was no fun for the volunteer writers because we had a lot of academic peer review committees who would criticize articles and give feedback. It was like handing in an essay at grad school, and basically intimidating to participate in.|||sign=Jimmy Wales on the Nupedia project New Scientist, January 31, 2007}}

In an October 2009 speech, Wales recollected attempting to write a Nupedia article on Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert C. Merton, but being too intimidated to submit his first draft to the prestigious finance professors who were to peer review it. Wales characterized this as the moment he realized that the Nupedia model was not going to work.{{cite web |date = October 7, 2009 |title = The Future of Free Culture: Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia |url = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Vu69Ajtlk |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/X9Vu69Ajtlk |archive-date = December 21, 2021 |url-status = live |author = Yale University |via=YouTube |access-date = August 18, 2011 |time = 43:19 }}{{cbignore}}

In January 2001, Sanger was introduced to the concept of a wiki by extreme programming enthusiast Ben Kovitz after explaining to Kovitz the slow pace of growth Nupedia endured as a result of its onerous submission process. Kovitz suggested that adopting the wiki model would allow editors to contribute simultaneously and incrementally throughout the project, thus breaking Nupedia's bottleneck. Sanger was excited about the idea, and after he proposed it to Wales, they created the first Nupedia wiki on January 10, 2001. The wiki was initially intended as a collaborative project for the public to write articles that would then be reviewed for publication by Nupedia's expert volunteers. The majority of Nupedia's experts, however, wanted nothing to do with this project, fearing that mixing amateur content with professionally researched and edited material would compromise the integrity of Nupedia's information and damage the credibility of the encyclopedia. Despite this the wiki project, dubbed "Wikipedia" by Sanger, went live at a separate domain five days after its creation.

{{Main|History of Wikipedia}}

{{external media|width=210px|headerimage=210px|float=right

|video1 =[https://www.ted.com/talks/jimmy_wales_on_the_birth_of_wikipedia#t-650375 Jimmy Wales: The birth of Wikipedia], TED, 2005{{cite web |title = Jimmy Wales: The birth of Wikipedia |publisher = TED |date = July 2005 |url = https://www.ted.com/talks/jimmy_wales_on_the_birth_of_wikipedia#t-650375 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |last1 = Wales |first1 = Jimmy |archive-date = May 7, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190507124958/https://www.ted.com/talks/jimmy_wales_on_the_birth_of_wikipedia#t-650375 |url-status = live }}

|video2 =[https://www.c-span.org/video/?188855-1/qa-jimmy-wales Q&A interview with Jimmy Wales], C-SPAN, 2005

|video3=[//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pKIi3LuUBg Lecture Jimmy Wales: Understanding failure as a route to success], Maastricht University, 2015{{cite web |title = Lecture Jimmy Wales: Understanding failure as a route to success |publisher = Maastricht University on YouTube |date = January 2015 |url = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pKIi3LuUBg |access-date = December 26, 2017 |via = YouTube |archive-date = August 10, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220810210612/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pKIi3LuUBg |url-status = live }}

|video4=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diJp4zoQPqo Interview with Wales], Lex Fridman Podcast, 2023{{cite web |title=Jimmy Wales: Wikipedia - Lex Fridman Podcast #385 | date=June 18, 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diJp4zoQPqo |via=YouTube |publisher=Lex Fridman Podcast |access-date=September 2, 2023 |archive-date=August 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811144408/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diJp4zoQPqo |url-status=live }}

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Originally, Bomis planned to make Wikipedia a profitable business. Sanger initially saw Wikipedia primarily as a tool to aid Nupedia development. Wales feared that, at worst, it might produce "complete rubbish". To the surprise of Sanger and Wales, within a few days of launching, the number of articles on Wikipedia had outgrown that of Nupedia, and a small collective of editors had formed. It was Jimmy Wales, along with other people, who came up with the broader idea of an open-source, collaborative encyclopedia that would accept contributions from ordinary people.{{cite book |last = Sanger |first = Larry |editor1-last = DiBona |editor1-first = Chris |editor2-last = Cooper |editor2-first = Danese |editor3-last = Stone |editor3-first = Mark |chapter = The Early History of Nupedia and Wikipedia: A Memoir |title = Open Sources 2.0: The Continuing Evolution |chapter-url = {{GBurl|id=q9GnNrq3e5EC|p=312}} |date = November 1, 2005 |publisher = O'Reilly Media, Inc. |isbn = 978-0-596-00802-4 |page = [https://archive.org/details/opensources20con0000unse/page/312 312] |quote = To be clear, the idea of an open source, collaborative/encyclopedia, open to contribution by ordinary people, was entirely Jimmy's, not mine, and the funding was entirely by Bomis. I was merely a grateful employee; I thought I was very lucky to have a job like that land in my lap. Of course, other people had had the idea... |url = https://archive.org/details/opensources20con0000unse/page/312 }} Initially, neither Sanger nor Wales knew what to expect from the Wikipedia initiative. Many of the early contributors to the site were familiar with the model of the free culture movement, and, like Wales, many of them sympathized with the open-source movement.

Wales has said that he was initially so worried about the concept of open editing, where anyone can edit the encyclopedia, that he would awaken during the night and monitor what was being added.{{cite book |last1 = Tapscott |first1 = Don |last2 = Anthony D. |title = Wikinomics |page = 71 |year = 2008 |publisher = Penguin Group |isbn = 978-1-59184-231-6 |oclc = 263665459 }} Nonetheless, the cadre of early editors helped create a robust, self-regulating community that has proven conducive to the growth of the project. In a talk at SXSW in 2016, he recalled that he wrote the first words on Wikipedia: "Hello world", a phrase computer programmers often use to test new software.{{cite web |url = http://www.businessinsider.com/wikipedias-first-words-hello-world-2016-3 |title = The first words on Wikipedia were a nerdy programmer in-joke |website = Business Insider |date = March 13, 2016 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |last = Carson |first= Biz |archive-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171226182140/http://www.businessinsider.com/wikipedias-first-words-hello-world-2016-3 |url-status = live }}

Sanger developed Wikipedia in its early phase and guided the project. The broader idea he originally ascribes to other people, remarking in a 2005 memoir for Slashdot that "the idea of an open-source, collaborative encyclopedia, open to contribution by ordinary people, was entirely Jimmy's, not mine, and the funding was entirely by Bomis. Of course, other people had had the idea", adding, "the actual development of this encyclopedia was the task he gave me to work on." Sanger worked on and promoted both the Nupedia and Wikipedia projects until Bomis discontinued funding for his position in February 2002; Sanger resigned as editor-in-chief of Nupedia and as "chief organizer" of Wikipedia on March{{nbsp}}1 of that year. Early on, Bomis supplied the financial backing for Wikipedia, and entertained the notion of placing advertisements on Wikipedia before costs were reduced with Sanger's departure and plans for a non-profit foundation were advanced instead.

{{Further|History of Wikipedia#Early roles of Wales and Sanger}}

File:Geek Entertainment TV - Irina Slutsky and Jimmy Wales.png at SXSW 2006, taken from her program Geek Entertainment TV{{cite web |url = http://www.geekentertainment.tv/2006/03/24/sxsw2006-jimmy-wales-uber-wikipedian/ |title = SXSW2006: Jimmy Wales, Uber Wikipedian |last1 = Slutsky |first1 = Irina |author-link1 = Irina Slutsky |last2 = Codel |first2 = Eddie |date = March 24, 2006 |publisher = Geek Entertainment TV |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121222041408/http://www.geekentertainment.tv/2006/03/24/sxsw2006-jimmy-wales-uber-wikipedian/ |archive-date = December 22, 2012 |url-status = dead }}]]

Wales has said that he is the sole founder of Wikipedia, and has publicly disputed Sanger's designation as a co-founder. Sanger and Wales were identified as co-founders at least as early as September 2001 by The New York Times and as founders in Wikipedia's first press release in January 2002. In August of that year, Wales identified himself as "co-founder" of Wikipedia. Sanger assembled on his personal webpage an assortment of links that appear to confirm the status of Sanger and Wales as co-founders. For example, Sanger and Wales are historically cited or described in early news citations and press releases as co-founders. Wales was quoted by The Boston Globe as calling Sanger's statement "preposterous" in February 2006, and called "the whole debate" "silly" in an April 2009 interview. In 2013, Wales told The New York Times that the dispute is "the dumbest controversy in the history of the world".{{Cite news |last = Spence |first = Madeleine |date = August 1, 2021 |title = Larry Sanger: 'I wouldn't trust Wikipedia — and I helped to invent it' |newspaper = The Times |url = https://www.thetimes.com/uk/wales/article/larry-sanger-i-wouldnt-trust-wikipedia-and-i-helped-to-invent-it-cflrhmdhx |access-date = August 1, 2021 |issn = 0140-0460 |archive-date = August 1, 2021 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20210801095207/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/larry-sanger-i-wouldnt-trust-wikipedia-and-i-helped-to-invent-it-cflrhmdhx |url-status = live }}

In late 2005, Wales edited his biographical entry on the English Wikipedia. Writer Rogers Cadenhead drew attention to logs showing that in his edits to the page, Wales had removed references to Sanger as the co-founder of Wikipedia. Sanger commented that "having seen edits like this, it does seem that Jimmy is attempting to rewrite history. But this is a futile process because, in our brave new world of transparent activity and maximum communication, the truth will out." Wales was also observed to have modified references to Bomis in a way that was characterized as downplaying the sexual nature of some of his former company's products. Though Wales argued that his modifications were solely intended to improve the accuracy of the content, he apologized for editing his biography, a practice generally discouraged on Wikipedia.

In a 2004 interview with Slashdot, Wales outlined his vision for Wikipedia: "Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge. That's what we're doing." Although his formal designation is board member and chairman emeritus of the Wikimedia Foundation, Wales' social capital within the Wikipedia community has accorded him a status that has been characterized as benevolent dictator, constitutional monarch and spiritual leader. In two interviews with The Guardian in 2014, Wales elaborated on his role on Wikipedia. In the first interview, he said that while he "has always rejected" the term "benevolent dictator", he does refer to himself as the "constitutional monarch". In the second, he elaborated on his "constitutional monarch" designation, saying that, like Queen of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II, he has no real power.{{cite news |last = Cadwalladr |first = Carole |url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/07/jimmy-wales-wikipedia-interview |title = Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales: 'It's true, I'm not a billionaire. So?' – interview |newspaper = The Guardian |date = February 7, 2014 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = May 18, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190518034803/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/07/jimmy-wales-wikipedia-interview |url-status = live }} He was also the closest the project had to a spokesperson in its early years. The growth and prominence of Wikipedia made Wales an Internet celebrity. Although he had never traveled outside North America before the site's founding, his participation in the Wikipedia project has seen him flying internationally on a near-constant basis as its public face.

When Larry Sanger left Wikipedia, Wales' approach was different from Sanger's. Wales was fairly hands-off.{{cite book |last = Anderson |first = Jennifer Joline |page = 76 |title = Wikipedia: The Company and Its Founders |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=3Ql0ic5dTmgC&pg=PA76 |edition = 1st |publisher = Abdo Group |year = 2011 |isbn = 978-1-61714-812-5 |access-date = February 24, 2016 |archive-date = February 16, 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230216014625/https://books.google.com/books?id=3Ql0ic5dTmgC&pg=PA76 |url-status = live }} Despite involvement in other projects, Wales has denied intending to reduce his role within Wikipedia, telling The New York Times in 2008 that "Dialing down is not an option for me ... Not to be too dramatic about it, but, 'to create and distribute a free encyclopedia of the highest possible quality to every single person on the planet in their own language,' that's who I am. That's what I am doing. That's my life goal." In May 2010, the BBC reported that Wales had relinquished many of his technical privileges on Wikimedia Commons (a Wikipedia sister project that hosts much of its multimedia content) after criticism by the project's volunteer community over what they saw as Wales' hasty and undemocratic approach to deleting sexually explicit images he believed "appeal solely to prurient interests".

File:Wm2007 press 002.jpg Board of Trustees at Wikimania 2007]]

In mid-2003, Wales set up the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF), a non-profit organization founded in St. Petersburg, Florida, and later headquartered in San Francisco, California. All intellectual property rights and domain names about Wikipedia were moved to the new foundation, whose purpose is to support the encyclopedia and its sister projects. Wales has been a member of the Wikimedia Foundation's Board of Trustees since it was formed and was its official chairman from 2003 through 2006. Since 2006 he has been accorded the honorary title of chairman emeritus and holds the board-appointed "community founder's seat" that was installed in 2008.{{Cite web |url = https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Bylaws#ARTICLE_IV_-_THE_BOARD_OF_TRUSTEES |title = Wikimedia Foundation Bylaws |publisher= Wikimedia Foundation |date = August 5, 2008 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |quote = (F) Community Founder Trustee Position. The Board may appoint Jimmy Wales as Community Founder Trustee for a three-year term. The Board may reappoint Wales as Community Founder Trustee for successive three-year terms (without a term limit). In the event that Wales is not appointed as Community Founder Trustee, the position will remain vacant, and the Board shall not fill the vacancy. |archive-date = February 25, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170225172741/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Bylaws#ARTICLE_IV_-_THE_BOARD_OF_TRUSTEES |url-status = live }}{{Cite web |url = https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees#Structure |title = Board of Trustees |publisher= Wikimedia Foundation |access-date = December 26, 2017 |quote = Since 2008, the Board has seats for ten Trustees: one founder's seat (reserved for Jimmy Wales); two seats selected by the Wikimedia chapters and thematic organizations; three seats nominated by the Wikimedia community; and four seats appointed by the rest of the Board |archive-date = August 19, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170819202216/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees#Structure |url-status = live }} His work for the foundation, including his appearances to promote it at computer and educational conferences, has always been unpaid. Wales has often joked that donating Wikipedia to the foundation was both the "dumbest and the smartest" thing he had done. On one hand, he estimated that Wikipedia was worth {{US$|3}}{{nbsp}}billion but on the other hand, he weighed his belief that the donation made its success possible. In 2020, Wales said that "I view my role as being very much like the modern monarch of the UK: no real power, but the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, and the right to warn."{{Cite magazine |last = Garfield |first = Simon |date = October 20, 2020 |title = What We Know And Can Agree On: Wikipedia At 20 |url = https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/a34412278/wikipedia-at-20/ |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201020200836/https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/a34412278/wikipedia-at-20/ |archive-date = October 20, 2020 |access-date = February 16, 2021 |magazine = Esquire Magazine}}

Wales' association with the foundation has led to controversy. In March 2008, Wales was accused by former Wikimedia Foundation employee Danny Wool of misusing the foundation's funds for recreational purposes. Wool also stated that Wales had his Wikimedia credit card taken away in part because of his spending habits, a statement Wales denied. Then-chairperson of the foundation Florence Devouard and former foundation interim Executive Director Brad Patrick denied any wrongdoing by Wales or the foundation, saying that Wales accounted for every expense and that, for items for which he lacked receipts, he paid out of his pocket; in private, Devouard upbraided Wales for "constantly trying to rewrite the past".

Later in March 2008, former Novell computer scientist Jeff Merkey said that Wales had edited Merkey's Wikipedia entry to make it more favorable in return for donations to the Wikimedia Foundation, an allegation Wales dismissed as "nonsense". In early 2016, Wikipedia editors perceived the WMF's Knowledge Engine project as a conflict of interest for Wales, whose business Wikia might benefit from having the WMF spend a lot of money on research in respect to search. Wikia attempted to develop a search engine but it was closed in 2009.{{cite news |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160301082152/http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/02/head-of-wikimedia-foundation-resigns-as-tensions-with-editors-mount/ |archive-date = March 1, 2016 |url = https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/02/head-of-wikimedia-foundation-resigns-as-tensions-with-editors-mount/ |title = Wikimedia Foundation director resigns after uproar over "Knowledge Engine" |last = Mullin |first = Joe |date = February 29, 2016 |website = Ars Technica |url-status = dead }}

In 2004, Wales and then-fellow member of the WMF Board of Trustees Angela Beesley founded the for-profit company Wikia. Wikia is a wiki farm{{mdash}}a collection of individual wikis on different subjects, all hosted on the same website. It hosts some of the largest wikis outside Wikipedia, including Memory Alpha (devoted to Star Trek) and Wookieepedia (Star Wars). Another service offered by Wikia was Wikia Search, an open source search engine intended to challenge Google and introduce transparency and public dialogue about how it is created into the search engine's operations, but the project was abandoned in March 2009. Wales stepped down as Wikia CEO to be replaced by angel investor Gil Penchina, a former vice president and general manager at eBay, on June{{nbsp}}5, 2006. Penchina declared Wikia to have reached profitability in September 2009. In addition to his role at Wikia, Wales is a public speaker represented by the Harry Walker Agency. He has also participated in a celebrity endorsement campaign for the Swiss watchmaker Maurice Lacroix.{{cite news |last = Rębała |first = Monika |title = Król Encyklopedii |url = http://www.newsweek.pl/artykuly/krol-encyklopedii,70199,2 |access-date = July 5, 2011 |newspaper = Newsweek Polska |date = January 8, 2011 |language = pl |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110806081758/http://www.newsweek.pl/artykuly/krol-encyklopedii%2C70199%2C2 |archive-date = August 6, 2011 |url-status = dead }}

On November 4, 2011, Wales delivered an hour-long address at The Sage Gateshead in the United Kingdom to launch the 2011 Free Thinking Festival on BBC Radio Three.[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b016kgfd Jimmy Wales launches 2011 Free Thinking Festival] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124072626/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b016kgfd |date=November 24, 2020 }}, on BBC Radio Three November 4, 2011. His speech, which was entitled "The Future of the Internet", was largely devoted to Wikipedia. Twenty days later, on November 24, Wales appeared on the British topical debate television program Question Time.{{cite news |title = This week's panel |url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/question_time/9645839.stm |access-date = December 26, 2017 |work = Question Time |date = November 23, 2011 |archive-date = August 10, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220810210649/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/question_time/9645839.stm |url-status = live }}

In May 2012, it was reported that Wales was advising the UK government on how to make taxpayer-funded academic research available on the internet at no cost.{{cite news |title = Wikipedia founder to help in government's research scheme |last = Jha |first = Alok |url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/may/01/wikipedia-research-jimmy-wales-online |newspaper = The Guardian |date = May 1, 2012 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = January 14, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180114184428/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/may/01/wikipedia-research-jimmy-wales-online |url-status = live }} His role reportedly involved working as "an unpaid advisor on crowdsourcing and opening up policymaking", and advising the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and the UK research councils on distributing research.

In January 2014, it was announced that Wales had joined The People's Operator as co-chair of the mobile phone network.{{cite news |url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/jimmy-wales/10583554/Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-backs-viral-mobile-network-The-Peoples-Operator.html |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/jimmy-wales/10583554/Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-backs-viral-mobile-network-The-Peoples-Operator.html |archive-date = January 11, 2022 |url-access = subscription |url-status = live |title = Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales backs 'viral mobile network' The People's Operator |newspaper = The Daily Telegraph |date = January 20, 2014 |access-date = December 26, 2017 }}{{cbignore}} On March 21, 2014, Wales spoke on a panel at a Clinton Global Initiative University conference held at Arizona State University, along with John McCain, Saudi Arabian women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif and Harvard University student Shree Bose.{{cite web |url = http://www.cgiu.org/meetings/2014/agenda.asp?day=1 |title = CGI U 2014 Meeting Agenda |publisher = Clinton Global Initiative |date = March 21, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140323194545/http://www.cgiu.org/meetings/2014/agenda.asp?day=1 |archive-date = March 23, 2014 |access-date = March 23, 2014 |url-status = dead }} The topic of discussion was "the age of participation" and the ability of an increasingly large number of citizens to "express their own opinions, pursue their own educations, and launch their own enterprises." Wales exhorted young people to use social media to try to bring about societal change, and compared government suppression of the Internet to a human rights violation.{{cite news |last = Mak |first = Tim |url = http://washingtonexaminer.com/bill-clinton-defends-american-control-of-internet-domain-name-system/article/2546105 |title = Bill Clinton defends American control of Internet domain name system |newspaper = Washington Examiner |date = March 22, 2014 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = July 25, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180725184045/https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/bill-clinton-defends-american-control-of-internet-domain-name-system/article/2546105 |url-status = live }}

On May 26, 2014, Google appointed Wales to serve on a seven-member committee on privacy in response to Google v. Gonzalez, which led to Google's being inundated with requests to remove websites from their search results. Wales said he wanted the committee to be viewed as "a blue-ribbon panel" by lawmakers and for the committee to advise the lawmakers as well as Google.{{cite news |last = Fleischer |first = Lisa |url = https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/05/30/google-taps-wikipedias-wales-to-help-weigh-right-to-be-forgotten/ |title = Google Taps Wikipedia's Wales to Help Weigh "Right to Be Forgotten" |newspaper = The Wall Street Journal |date = May 30, 2014 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = July 9, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170709234808/https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/05/30/google-taps-wikipedias-wales-to-help-weigh-right-to-be-forgotten/ |url-status = live }}

In 2017, Wales announced that he was launching an online publication called WikiTribune, to fight fake news through a combination of professional journalists and volunteer contributors. Wales described it as "news by the people and for the people", and that it will be the "first time that professional journalists and citizen journalists will work side-by-side as equals writing stories as they happen, editing them live as they develop, and at all times backed by a community checking and rechecking all facts".{{cite news |url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/apr/25/wikipedia-founder-jimmy-wales-to-fight-fake-news-with-new-wikitribune-site |last = Hern |first = Alex |title = Wikipedia co-founder launches Wikitribune to eradicate fake news |newspaper = The Guardian |date = April 25, 2017 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = May 20, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170520003528/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/apr/25/wikipedia-founder-jimmy-wales-to-fight-fake-news-with-new-wikitribune-site |url-status = live }} In October 2019, Wales launched an ad-free social network, WT Social.{{cite news |title = Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales launches Twitter and Facebook rival |url = https://www.ft.com/content/9956ff9c-0622-11ea-a984-fbbacad9e7dd |access-date = November 16, 2019 |newspaper = Financial Times |archive-date = November 17, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191117081307/https://www.ft.com/content/9956ff9c-0622-11ea-a984-fbbacad9e7dd |url-status = live }}{{cite magazine |title = Want an Ad-Free Social Network? Wikipedia's Co-Founder Made One |url = https://uk.pcmag.com/mastodon/123604/want-an-ad-free-social-network-wikipedias-co-founder-made-one |access-date = November 16, 2019 |magazine = PCMag |date = November 15, 2019 |archive-date = November 16, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191116010503/https://uk.pcmag.com/mastodon/123604/want-an-ad-free-social-network-wikipedias-co-founder-made-one |url-status = live }}

The Jimmy Wales Foundation for Freedom of Expression is a UK-based charity established by Wales to fight against human rights violations in the field of freedom of expression.{{cite news |last1 = Smith |first1 = Charlie |date = September 4, 2015 |title = Jimmy Wales on Censorship in China |website = HuffPost |url = http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-smith/jimmy-wales-on-censorship_b_8087400.html |access-date = March 8, 2017 |archive-date = March 22, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190322084555/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-smith/jimmy-wales-on-censorship_b_8087400.html |url-status = live }}{{cite news |title = Jimmy Wales wants Wikipedia to change the world, again |work = The Jerusalem Post |url = http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Tech/Jimmy-Wales-wants-Wikipedia-to-change-the-world-again-403592 |access-date = March 8, 2017 |archive-date = October 12, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191012102843/https://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Tech/Jimmy-Wales-wants-Wikipedia-to-change-the-world-again-403592 |url-status = live }}{{cite news |date = October 21, 2016 |title = Wikipedia founder joins worldwide chorus in support of Zunar |work = Free Malaysia Today |url = http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2016/10/21/wikipedia-founder-joins-worldwide-chorus-in-support-of-zunar/ |access-date = March 8, 2017 |archive-date = August 11, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170811103736/http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2016/10/21/wikipedia-founder-joins-worldwide-chorus-in-support-of-zunar/ |url-status = dead }} Wales founded the charity after receiving a prize from the leader of Dubai, which he felt he could not accept given the strict censorship laws there, but claims he was not allowed to give back. As of 2016, the charity's CEO is Orit Kopel.{{Cite news |last1 = Wales |first1 = Jimmy |last2 = Kopel |first2 = Orit |date = March 16, 2016 |title = Jimmy Wales: 'The world needs to ask: #whereisBassel?' |newspaper = The Guardian |url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2016/mar/16/jimmy-wales-the-world-needs-to-ask-whereisbassel |access-date = August 11, 2017 |issn = 0261-3077 |archive-date = September 18, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190918020326/https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2016/mar/16/jimmy-wales-the-world-needs-to-ask-whereisbassel |url-status = live }}

File:JimmyWalesJI5.jpg board meeting in June 2008]]

Wales has previously referred to himself as an Objectivist, referring to the philosophy of writer Ayn Rand in the mid-20th century that emphasizes reason, individualism, and capitalism. Wales first encountered the philosophy through reading Rand's novel The Fountainhead during his undergraduate period and, in 1992, founded an electronic mailing list devoted to "Moderated Discussion of Objectivist Philosophy". Though he has stated that the philosophy "colours everything I do and think", he has said, "I think I do a better job—than a lot of people who self-identify as Objectivists—of not pushing my point of view on other people."

File:2014-03-14 CeBIT Global Conferences, Jimmy Wales, Founder Wikipedia, (26) On stage showing the world for Wikipedia Zero (500 millions), while Brent Goff is still listening.jpg Global Conferences, Wikipedia Zero]]

When asked by Brian Lamb about Rand's influence on him in his appearance on C-SPAN's Q&A in September 2005, Wales cited integrity and "the virtue of independence" as personally important. When asked if he could trace "the Ayn Rand connection" to a personal political philosophy at the time of the interview, Wales labeled himself a libertarian, qualifying his remark by referring to the Libertarian Party as "lunatics", and citing "freedom, liberty, basically individual rights, that idea of dealing with other people in a manner that is not initiating force against them" as his guiding principles. In a 2014 tweet, he expressed support for open borders.{{cite tweet|user=jimmy_wales|number=429505544265560064|access-date=December 29, 2023|date=February 1, 2014|title=I believe in the elimination of borders and free commerce as a route to peace. Barriers necessarily imply violence.}}

An interview with Wales served as the cover feature of the June 2007 issue of the libertarian magazine Reason. In that profile, he described his political views as "center-right". In a 2011 interview with The Independent, he expressed sympathy with the Occupy Wall Street and Occupy London protesters, saying, "You don't have to be a socialist to say it's not right to take money from everybody and give it to a few rich people. That's not free enterprise."{{cite news |last = Dugan |first = Emily |url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/jimmy-wales-the-internets-shy-evangelist-2374679.html |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220609/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/jimmy-wales-the-internets-shy-evangelist-2374679.html |archive-date = June 9, 2022 |url-access = subscription |url-status = live |date = October 23, 2011 |title = Jimmy Wales: The internet's shy evangelist |newspaper = The Independent |access-date = December 26, 2017 }} Dan Hodges in The Daily Telegraph has described Wales as a "Labour sympathizer".Hodges, Dan, "[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/politics-blog/11607869/Why-did-Ed-Miliband-refuse-the-help-of-Jimmy-Wales.html Why did Ed Miliband refuse the help of Jimmy Wales?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929000430/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/politics-blog/11607869/Why-did-Ed-Miliband-refuse-the-help-of-Jimmy-Wales.html |date=September 29, 2018 }}", The Daily Telegraph (London), May 15, 2015. Retrieved December 26, 2017. In 2015, he offered to help Ed Miliband with the Labour Party's social media strategy, but Miliband turned him down. In 2015, Wales signed up as the committee chair for Democrat Lawrence Lessig's 2016 presidential campaign.{{cite web |url = https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/08/17/jimbo_wikipedia_wales_leads_lawrence_lessigs_presidential_push/ |title = Jimbo 'Wikipedia' Wales leads Lawrence Lessig's presidential push |website = The Register |date = August 17, 2015 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |author = Sharwood, Simon |archive-date = October 23, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171023133138/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/08/17/jimbo_wikipedia_wales_leads_lawrence_lessigs_presidential_push/ |url-status = live }} In 2016, Wales and eleven other business leaders signed on to an open letter to American voters urging them not to vote for Donald Trump in that year's presidential election.{{cite news |url = http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2016/10/07/why-joseph-kopser-11-other-national-business.html |title = Why Joseph Kopser, 11 other national business leaders oppose Donald Trump |work = Austin Business Journal |date = October 7, 2016 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |author = Barr, Greg |archive-date = May 6, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170506100527/http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2016/10/07/why-joseph-kopser-11-other-national-business.html |url-status = live }} In May 2017, Wales said on Quora that he is a centrist and a gradualist, and believes "that slow step-by-step change is better and more sustainable and allows us to test new things with a minimum of difficult disruption in society."{{Cite web |url = https://www.quora.com/Where-is-Jimmy-Wales-on-the-political-compass |title = Where is Jimmy Wales on the political compass? |publisher = Quora | access-date = September 2, 2018 |archive-date = August 10, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220810210625/https://www.quora.com/Where-is-Jimmy-Wales-on-the-political-compass |url-status = live }} In May 2022, Wales said that he did not identify with any particular political label.{{Cite magazine |last = Mangu-Ward |first = Katherine |date = April 28, 2022 |title = Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales Has Already Solved the Internet's Problems |url = https://reason.com/video/2022/04/28/wikipedias-jimmy-wales-has-already-solved-the-internets-problems/ |access-date = May 7, 2022 |magazine = Reason |archive-date = May 6, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220506225342/https://reason.com/video/2022/04/28/wikipedias-jimmy-wales-has-already-solved-the-internets-problems/ |url-status = live }} In May 2024, in the run-up to the 2024 United Kingdom general election, he was a joint signatory of a public letter of support for the UK Labour Party.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/28/uk-election-wikipedias-jimmy-wales-and-business-leaders-back-labour.html|title=More than 100 business leaders including Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales sign open letter backing Britain's center-left opposition|first=Jenni|last=Reid|date=May 28, 2024|website=CNBC}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckvv8qwl4y4o|title=General election: 121 business chiefs sign letter backing Labour|date=May 27, 2024|website=BBC News}}

File:Jimbo at Bengali Wikipedia 10th anniversary celebration gala event, Dhaka (03).JPG]]

Wales cites Austrian School economist Friedrich Hayek's essay, "The Use of Knowledge in Society", which he read as an undergraduate, as "central" to his thinking about "how to manage the Wikipedia project". Hayek argued that information is decentralized—that each individual only knows a small fraction of what is known collectively—and that as a result, decisions are best made by those with local knowledge, rather than by a central authority. Wales reconsidered Hayek's essay in the 1990s while reading about the open source movement, which advocated for the collective development and free distribution of software. He was particularly moved by "The Cathedral and the Bazaar", an essay which was later adapted into a book of the same name, by one of the founders of the movement, Eric S. Raymond, as it "opened [his] eyes to the possibilities of mass collaboration."

From his background in finance, and working as a futures and options trader, Wales developed an interest in game theory and the effect of incentives on human collaborative activity. He identifies this fascination as a significant basis for his developmental work on the Wikipedia project. He has rejected the notion that his role in promoting Wikipedia is altruistic, which he defines as "sacrificing your own values for others", and he states that the idea that "participating in a benevolent effort to share information is somehow destroying your own values makes no sense to me".

{{clear left}}

On May 14, 2014, Wales strongly reacted to the European Court of Justice (ECJ)'s ruling on the right of individuals to request the removal of information from Google's search results. He stated to the BBC that the ruling was "one of the most wide-sweeping internet censorship rulings that I've ever seen".{{cite news |last = Lee |first = Dave |url = https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27407017 |title = Google ruling 'astonishing', says Wikipedia founder Wales |agency = BBC News |date = May 14, 2014 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = September 13, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170913132334/http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27407017 |url-status = live }} In early June 2014, the TechCrunch media outlet interviewed Wales on the subject, as he had been invited by Google to join an advisory committee that the corporation had formed as an addition to the formal process that the ECJ requested from Google to manage such requests.{{cite news |last = Lomas |first = Natasha |title = Jimmy Wales Blasts Europe's "Right To Be Forgotten" Ruling As A "Terrible Danger" |url = https://techcrunch.com/2014/06/07/wales-on-right-to-be-forgotten/?ncid=tcdaily |newspaper = TechCrunch |publisher = AOL Inc |access-date = June 9, 2014 |date = June 8, 2014 |archive-date = June 12, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140612002627/http://techcrunch.com/2014/06/07/wales-on-right-to-be-forgotten/?ncid=tcdaily |url-status = live }}

The May 2014 ECJ ruling required swift action from Google to implement a process that allowed people to directly contact the corporation about the removal of information that they believe is outdated or irrelevant. Google's Larry Page stated that 30 percent of requests received by Google since the ruling was made were categorized as "other". Wales explained in email responses that he was contacted by Google on May 28, 2014, and "The remit of the committee is to hold public hearings and issue recommendations—not just to Google but to legislators and the public." When asked about his view on the ECJ's "right to be forgotten" ruling, Wales replied:

{{blockquote|quote=I think the decision will have no impact on people's right to privacy, because I don't regard truthful information in court records published by court order in a newspaper to be private information. If anything, the decision is likely to simply muddle the interesting philosophical questions and make it more difficult to make real progress on privacy issues. In the case of truthful, non-defamatory information obtained legally, I think there is no possibility of any defensible "right" to censor what other people are saying. It is important to avoid language like "data" because we aren't talking about "data"—we are talking about the suppression of knowledge.}}

Wales then provided further explanation, drawing a comparison with Wikipedia: "You do not have a right to use the law to prevent Wikipedia editors from writing truthful information, nor do you have a right to use the law to prevent Google from publishing truthful information." Wales concluded with an indication of his ideal outcome: "A part of the outcome should be the very strong implementation of a right to free speech in Europe—essentially the language of the First Amendment in the U.S."

File:Fake News versus Real Politics (39196356574).jpg in Davos]]

The January/February 2006 issue of Maximum PC reported that Wales refused to comply with a request from the People's Republic of China to censor "politically sensitive" Wikipedia articles—other corporate Internet companies, such as Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft, had already yielded to Chinese government pressure. Wales stated that he would rather see companies such as Google adhere to Wikipedia's policy of freedom of information.Maximum PC, 2006 holiday issue, p. 9, Future US, Inc., {{ISSN|1522-4279}} In 2010, Wales criticized whistle-blower website WikiLeaks and its editor-in-chief Julian Assange, saying that their publication of Afghan war documents "could be enough to get someone killed"; furthermore, he expressed irritation at their use of the name "wiki":{{cite news |last = Reynolds |first = Lindor |url = https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h88Z4oCWBfdZ_KGxXLSowK3RYUNw?docId=CNG.bf57684dba4b5bc4d7503b36b06a8e30.941 |title = Wikipedia co-founder slams Wikileaks |agency = Agence France-Presse |access-date = September 28, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101001172837/https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h88Z4oCWBfdZ_KGxXLSowK3RYUNw?docId=CNG.bf57684dba4b5bc4d7503b36b06a8e30.941 |archive-date = October 1, 2010 |url-status = dead }} "What they're doing is not really a wiki. The essence of wiki is a collaborative editing process".{{cite news |last = Burrell |first = Ian |title = Jimmy Wales: 'It's not about how many pages. It's about how good they are' |url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/jimmy-wales-its-not-about-how-many-pages-its-about-how-good-they-are-2164840.html |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220609/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/jimmy-wales-its-not-about-how-many-pages-its-about-how-good-they-are-2164840.html |archive-date = June 9, 2022 |url-access = subscription |url-status = live |access-date = April 13, 2019 |newspaper = The Independent |date = December 20, 2010 }}

On December 11, 2007, Wales testified before the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.{{cite web |date=December 11, 2007 |title=S. Hrg. 110-894 - E-Government 2.0: Improving Innovation, Collaboration, and Access |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CHRG-110shrg40507/CHRG-110shrg40507 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628215646/https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CHRG-110shrg40507/CHRG-110shrg40507 |archive-date=June 28, 2023 |access-date=June 28, 2023 |website=GovInfo.gov |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office}} He also submitted written testimony to the Senate Committee entitled "E-Government 2.0: Improving Innovation, Collaboration and Access".{{r|govinfo|pp=85-90}}

In 2012, the Home Secretary of the UK was petitioned by Wales regarding his opposition to the extradition of Richard O'Dwyer to the US.{{cite news |last = Ball |first = James |title = Wikipedia's founder calls for Richard O'Dwyer extradition to be stopped |url = https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jun/24/wikipedia-founder-richard-odwyer-extradition-stopped |newspaper = The Guardian |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = July 10, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170710053531/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jun/24/wikipedia-founder-richard-odwyer-extradition-stopped |url-status = live }} After an agreement was reached to avoid the extradition, Wales commented, "This is very exciting news, and I'm pleased to hear it ... What needs to happen next is a serious reconsideration of the U.K. extradition treaty that would allow this sort of nonsense in the first place."{{cite news |last1 = Davies |first1 = Lizzy |last2 = Ball |first2 = James |last3 = Bowcott |first3 = Owen |title = Wikipedia founder hails extradition deal with US and calls for law reform |url = https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/nov/28/wikipedia-extradiction-law-review-odwyer |newspaper = The Guardian |date = November 28, 2012 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171226235422/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/nov/28/wikipedia-extradiction-law-review-odwyer |url-status = live }}

In August 2013, Wales criticized UK Prime Minister David Cameron's plan for an Internet porn filter, saying that the idea was "ridiculous".{{cite news |url = http://www.xbiz.com/news/169017/wikipedia-gives-porn-a-break |publisher = XBIZ |date = September 17, 2013 |first = Lila |last = Gray |title = Wikipedia Gives Porn a Break |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = December 27, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171227121852/http://www.xbiz.com/news/169017/wikipedia-gives-porn-a-break |url-status = live }} In November 2013, Wales also commented on the Snowden affair, describing Edward Snowden as "a hero" whom history would judge "very favourably"; additionally, Wales said the US public "would have never approved [the] sweeping surveillance program [publicized by Snowden]", had they been informed or asked about it.{{cite news |last = Gabbatt |first = Adam |url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/25/edward-snowden-nsa-wikipedia-founder |title = Edward Snowden a 'hero' for NSA disclosures, Wikipedia founder says |date = November 25, 2013 |newspaper = The Guardian |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = March 29, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140329125030/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/25/edward-snowden-nsa-wikipedia-founder |url-status = live }}

During the Gamergate controversy in 2014, in response to an email from a computer science student claiming that Wikipedia has a "complete lack of any sort of attempt at neutrality regarding Gamergate", Wales allegedly wrote: "It is very difficult for me to buy into the notion that gamergate is 'really about ethics in journalism' when every single experience I have personally had with it involved pro-gg people insulting, threatening, doxxing, etc." and that the movement "has been permanently tarnished and highjacked [sic] by a handful of people who are not what you would hope."{{Cite web |last = Van Winkle |first = Dan |date = December 19, 2014 |title = Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales Not Taking Gamergate's Crap |url = https://www.themarysue.com/jimmy-wales-not-taking-gamergate-crap/ |access-date = February 16, 2021 |website = The Mary Sue |archive-date = March 3, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210303042151/https://www.themarysue.com/jimmy-wales-not-taking-gamergate-crap/ |url-status = live }} Wales defended his comments in response to backlash from supporters of Gamergate, saying that "it isn't about what I believe. Gg is famous for harassment. Stop and think about why."{{Cite web |last = Nissim |first = Mayer |date = December 20, 2014 |title = Jimmy Wales replies to GamerGate criticism |url = http://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/a617618/wikipedias-jimmy-wales-replies-to-gamergate-criticism/ |access-date = July 10, 2022 |publisher = Digital Spy |archive-date = July 10, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220710195142/https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/a617618/wikipedias-jimmy-wales-replies-to-gamergate-criticism/ |url-status = live }}

In November 2019, Wales accused Twitter of giving preferential treatment to high-profile figures such as Trump and Elon Musk for not banning or blocking them for their controversial statements.{{Cite news |last = Randerson |first = James |date = November 26, 2019 |title = Jimmy Wales: Twitter should ban Trump |url = https://www.politico.eu/article/jimmy-wales-twitter-should-ban-trump/ |access-date = April 19, 2021 |newspaper = Politico |archive-date = April 19, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210419203535/https://www.politico.eu/article/jimmy-wales-twitter-should-ban-trump/ |url-status = live }} In May 2020, Wales criticized Trump for threatening to regulate social media companies.{{Cite news |last = Srikanth |first = Chandra R. |date = May 28, 2020 |title = Donald Trump is a lunatic: Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales |newspaper = The Economic Times |url = https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/donald-trump-is-a-lunatic-wikipedia-co-founder-jimmy-wales/articleshow/76073253.cms |access-date = August 6, 2021 |archive-date = August 6, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210806232834/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/donald-trump-is-a-lunatic-wikipedia-co-founder-jimmy-wales/articleshow/76073253.cms |url-status = live }}

In September 2021, Wales said that Facebook and Twitter should combat misinformation and abuse on their platforms by deploying volunteer moderators to monitor controversial posts.{{Cite news |last = Milmo |first = Dan |date = September 23, 2021 |title = Facebook and Twitter 'should use volunteer moderators' says Wikipedia founder |url = https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/sep/23/facebook-and-twitter-should-use-volunteer-moderators-says-jimmy-wales |access-date = September 23, 2021 |newspaper = The Guardian |archive-date = September 23, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210923191046/https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/sep/23/facebook-and-twitter-should-use-volunteer-moderators-says-jimmy-wales |url-status = live }} In October 2021, Wales said that "Protecting strong encryption is essential for protecting the human rights of millions of people around the world."{{Cite news |last = Butcher |first = Mike |date = October 21, 2021 |title = Watch Edward Snowden launch Global Encryption Day, live today |url = https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/21/watch-edward-snowden-launch-global-encryption-day-live-today/ |access-date = October 24, 2021 |newspaper = TechCrunch |archive-date = August 10, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220810210704/https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/21/watch-edward-snowden-launch-global-encryption-day-live-today/ |url-status = live }}

In May 2022, in response to Elon Musk's proposed acquisition of Twitter, Wales said that "I think he's got some good and bad ideas, based on his public statements", adding that "On the other hand, Twitter in five years' time could be much better than it is today, or Twitter could be dead in five years' time, depending on the decisions he makes."{{Cite web |last = Wood |first = Tom |date = May 17, 2022 |title = Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales Says Twitter 'Could Be Dead In Five Years' Under Elon Musk's Leadership |url = https://www.ladbible.com/news/wikipedia-founder-says-twitter-could-be-dead-in-five-years-20220516 |access-date = May 28, 2022 |publisher = LADbible Group |archive-date = May 28, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220528103747/https://www.ladbible.com/news/wikipedia-founder-says-twitter-could-be-dead-in-five-years-20220516 |url-status = live }} During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wales stated on Wikipedia that the consensus in the mainstream media surrounding the lab leak theory seemed to have shifted from "this is highly unlikely, and only conspiracy theorists are pushing this narrative" to "this is one of the plausible hypotheses."{{Cite web |last = Ryan |first = Jackson |date = June 24, 2021 |title = Inside Wikipedia's endless war over the coronavirus lab leak theory |url = https://www.cnet.com/features/inside-wikipedias-endless-war-over-the-coronavirus-lab-leak-theory/ |access-date = June 27, 2021 |publisher = CNET |archive-date = June 27, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210627021622/https://www.cnet.com/features/inside-wikipedias-endless-war-over-the-coronavirus-lab-leak-theory/ |url-status = live }}

Wales has visited Israel over ten times. He has said that he is "a strong supporter of Israel". In 2015, he was awarded one of the Dan David Prizes, an international award of $1{{nbsp}}million given yearly at Tel Aviv University (10 percent of the prize goes to doctoral students). Wales was chosen for spearheading what the prize committee called the "information revolution."{{Cite news |last = Sales |first = Ben |title = Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales likes Israel but stays neutral |url = http://www.timesofisrael.com/wikipedia-founder-jimmy-wales-likes-israel-but-stays-neutral/ |access-date = November 21, 2021 |newspaper = The Times of Israel |archive-date = November 21, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211121032918/https://www.timesofisrael.com/wikipedia-founder-jimmy-wales-likes-israel-but-stays-neutral/ |url-status = live }}

File:Christine and Jimmy Wales.jpg

Wales has been married three times. At the age of 20, he married Pamela Green,{{cite news |last = Chozick |first = Amy |author-link = Amy Chozick |title = Jimmy Wales Is Not an Internet Billionaire |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/30/magazine/jimmy-wales-is-not-an-internet-billionaire.html |newspaper = The New York Times Magazine |date = June 30, 2013 |access-date = October 31, 2018 |archive-date = June 30, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130630200950/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/30/magazine/jimmy-wales-is-not-an-internet-billionaire.html |url-status = live }} a co-worker at a grocery store in Alabama. They divorced in 1993. He met his second wife, Christine Rohan, through a friend in Chicago while she worked as a steel trader for Mitsubishi. They were married in Monroe County, Florida, in March 1997,{{cite book |title = Jimmy Wales and Wikipedia |url = https://archive.org/details/jimmywaleswikipe0000meye |url-access = registration |publisher = Rosen Publishing |author = Meyer, Susan |year = 2013 |page = [https://archive.org/details/jimmywaleswikipe0000meye/page/27 27] |isbn = 978-1-4488-6912-1 }} and had a daughter before separating in 2008. Wales moved to San Diego in 1998, and after becoming disillusioned with the housing market there, moved in 2002 to St. Petersburg, Florida.

He had a brief relationship with Canadian conservative columnist Rachel Marsden in 2008 that began after Marsden contacted Wales about her Wikipedia biography. After accusations that Wales' relationship constituted a conflict of interest, he stated that there had been a relationship but that it was over and that it had not influenced any matters on Wikipedia, a statement Marsden disputed.

Wales married Kate Garvey at Wesley's Chapel in London on October 6, 2012.{{cite news |last = Donnelly |first = Laura |date = October 6, 2012 |title = Wiki wedding: Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales marries Tony Blair's former aide |newspaper = The Daily Telegraph |url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9591824/Wiki-wedding-Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-marries-Tony-Blairs-former-aide.html |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9591824/Wiki-wedding-Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-marries-Tony-Blairs-former-aide.html |archive-date = January 11, 2022 |url-access = subscription |url-status = live |access-date = December 26, 2017 }}{{cbignore}} Garvey is Tony Blair's former diary secretary; the couple met in Davos, Switzerland.{{cite news |title = Jimmy Wales: Mr Wikipedia on today's blackout |first = Danny |last = Smallman |url = http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-24028957-mr-wikipedia-on-todays-blackout-moving-to-london-and-marrying-a-blair-babe.do |newspaper = London Evening Standard |date = January 18, 2012 |access-date = January 19, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120120164932/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-24028957-mr-wikipedia-on-todays-blackout-moving-to-london-and-marrying-a-blair-babe.do |archive-date = January 20, 2012 |url-status = dead }} Wales has two daughters with Garvey in addition to his daughter with Rohan.{{Cite news |url = https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/technology/article/a-life-in-the-day-jimmy-wales-d9nc39bbb |title = A life in the day: Jimmy Wales |last = Jaffé-Pearce |first = Michèle |date = March 12, 2017 |newspaper = The Sunday Times |access-date = June 8, 2018 |issn = 0956-1382 |quote = He lives in west London with his third wife, Kate Garvey, a former aide to Tony Blair, and daughters Ada, 5, and Jemima, 3. Kira, 16, his daughter with his second wife, lives in Florida. |archive-date = June 12, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141744/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a-life-in-the-day-jimmy-wales-d9nc39bbb |url-status = live }} Wales is an atheist. In an interview with Big Think, he said his philosophy is firmly rooted in reason, and that he is a complete non-believer.{{cite news |title = Jimmy Wales |url = http://bigthink.com/videos/what-do-you-believe-25 |newspaper = Big Think |publisher = Big Think Media |access-date = December 26, 2017 |date = August 10, 2007 |quote = I'm a complete non-believer. |archive-date = November 11, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171111213839/http://bigthink.com/videos/what-do-you-believe-25 |url-status = live }}

Wales has lived in London since 2012,{{cite news |url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/wikipedia/9137339/Jimmy-Wales-Wikipedia-chief-to-advise-Whitehall-on-policy.html |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/wikipedia/9137339/Jimmy-Wales-Wikipedia-chief-to-advise-Whitehall-on-policy.html |archive-date = January 11, 2022 |url-access = subscription |url-status = live |title = Jimmy Wales: Wikipedia chief to advise Whitehall on policy |last = Hough |first = Stephen |date = March 11, 2012 |newspaper = The Daily Telegraph |access-date = December 26, 2017}}{{cbignore}} and became a British citizen in 2019.{{cite tweet |number=1173693309115686913 |user=jimmy_wales |title=I just became a UK citizen, quite happy about that. It occurs to me that perhaps a few MPs should actually take the "Life in the UK" test and study the manual! |first=Jimmy |last=Wales |date=September 16, 2019}} In 2021, on The Tim Ferriss Show podcast, he revealed that he secretly lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for one month after reading Ferriss's book The 4-Hour Workweek.{{Cite web |last = Jones |first = Stephen |date = September 6, 2021 |title = Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said he secretly lived in Argentina for a month after reading 'The 4-Hour Workweek' by Tim Ferriss |url = https://www.businessinsider.com/jimmy-wales-secretly-lived-argentina-tim-ferriss-4-hour-workweek-2021-9 |access-date = September 16, 2021 |website = Business Insider |archive-date = September 16, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210916202318/https://www.businessinsider.com/jimmy-wales-secretly-lived-argentina-tim-ferriss-4-hour-workweek-2021-9 |url-status = live }}

{{refbegin|30em}}

• {{cite journal |last = Brooks |first = Robert |author2-given = Jon |author2-surname = Corson |author3-given = Jimmy Donal |author3-surname = Wales |year = 1994 |ssrn = 5735 |title = The Pricing of Index Options When the Underlying Assets All Follow a Lognormal Diffusion |journal = Advances in Futures and Options Research |volume = 7 }}
• {{cite book |last = Wales |first = Jimmy |author2-given = Andrea |author2-surname = Weckerle |contribution = Foreword |title = Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom: How Online Social Networking Will Transform Your Life, Work and World |editor1-first = Matthew |editor1-last = Fraser |editor1-link = Matthew Fraser (journalist) |editor2-first = Soumitra |editor2-last = Dutta |editor2-link = Soumitra Dutta |publisher = Wiley |edition = 1st |date = December 31, 2008 |isbn = 978-0-470-74014-9 |oclc = 233939846 |url = https://archive.org/details/throwingsheepinb00fras |url-access = registration }}
• {{cite news |first = Jimmy |last = Wales |author2-given = Andrea |author2-surname = Weckerle |title = Commentary: Create a tech-friendly U.S. government |agency = CNN |date = January 8, 2009 |url = http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/07/wales.obama.cto/ |access-date = December 29, 2009 |archive-date = August 16, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110816141243/http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/07/wales.obama.cto/ |url-status = live }}
• {{cite book |last = Wales |first = Jimmy |author2-given = Andrea |author2-surname = Weckerle |contribution = Foreword |title = 33 Million People in the Room: How to Create, Influence, and Run a Successful Business with Social Networking |url = https://archive.org/details/33millionpeoplei0000powe |url-access = registration |editor1-first = Juliette |editor1-last = Powell |editor1-link = Juliette Powell |publisher = Financial Times Press |edition = 1st |date = February 10, 2009 |isbn = 978-0-13-715435-7 |oclc = 244066502 }}
• {{cite book |last = Wales |first = Jimmy |author2-given = Andrea |author2-surname = Weckerle |contribution = Foreword |title = Marketing to the Social Web: How Digital Customer Communities Build Your Business |editor1-first = Larry |editor1-last = Weber |editor1-link = Larry Weber |publisher = Wiley |edition = 2nd |date = March 3, 2009 |isbn = 978-0-470-41097-4 |oclc = 244060887 }}
• {{cite book |last = Wales |first = Jimmy |contribution = Foreword |title = The Wikipedia Revolution: How a Bunch of Nobodies Created the World's Greatest Encyclopedia |editor1-first = Andrew |editor1-last = Lih |editor1-link = Andrew Lih |publisher = Hyperion |edition = 1st |date = March 17, 2009 |isbn = 978-1-4013-0371-6 |oclc = 232977686 |title-link = The Wikipedia Revolution: How a Bunch of Nobodies Created the World's Greatest Encyclopedia }}
• {{cite journal |last = Wales |first = Jimmy |author2-given = Andrea |author2-surname = Weckerle |date = March 30, 2009 |url = http://www.aef.com/industry/news/data/2009/9014 |title = Most Define User-Generated Content Too Narrowly |journal = Advertising Age |volume = 80 |access-date = May 4, 2009 |archive-date = July 18, 2012 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20120718092151/http://www.aef.com/industry/news/data/2009/9014 |url-status = dead }}
• {{cite news |last = Wales |first = Jimmy |author2-given = Andrea |author2-surname = Weckerle |url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704107104574572101333074122 |title = Keep a Civil Cybertongue |date = December 28, 2009 |work = The Wall Street Journal |access-date = August 8, 2017 |archive-date = May 19, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170519001651/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704107104574572101333074122 |url-status = live }}
• {{cite journal |last1 = Mons |first1 = B. |author-link1 = Barend Mons |last2 = Ashburner |first2 = M. |author-link2 = Michael Ashburner |last3 = Chichester |first3 = C. |last4 = Van Mulligen |first4 = E. |last5 = Weeber |first5 = M. |last6 = Den Dunnen |first6 = J. |last7 = Van Ommen |first7 = G. J. |last8 = Musen |first8 = M. |last9 = Cockerill |first9 = M. |doi = 10.1186/gb-2008-9-5-r89|last10=Hermjakob|first10=H. |last11 = Mons |first11 = A. |last12 = Packer |first12 = A. |last13 = Pacheco |first13 = R. |last14 = Lewis |first14 = S. |author-link14 = Suzanna Lewis |last15 = Berkeley |first15 = A. |last16 = Melton |first16 = W. |last17 = Barris |first17 = N. |last18 = Wales |first18 = J. |author-link18 = Jimmy Wales |last19 = Meijssen |first19 = G.|last20=Moeller|first20=E.|author-link20=Erik Möller |last21 = Roes |first21 = P. |last22 = Borner |first22 = K. |last23 = Bairoch |first23 = A. |author-link23 = Amos Bairoch |title = Calling on a million minds for community annotation in WikiProteins |journal = Genome Biology |volume = 9 |issue = 5 |pages = R89 |year = 2008 |pmid = 18507872 |pmc = 2441475 |doi-access = free |issn = 1465-6906 }}

{{refend}}

File:293 GD-Preis 5524 crop.jpg Show]]

File:Maastricht-39e Diesviering in de St. Janskerk (Universiteit Maastricht) (37).JPG, 2015]]

File:Jimmy Wales Accepting the Dan David Prize.jpg at Tel Aviv University, 2015]]

• Wales is a former co-chair of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East 2008, and a former board member of Socialtext.
• He is a member of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School, the advisory board of the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence, and the board of directors at Creative Commons and Hunch.com.
• In 2006, Wales was listed in the "Scientists & Thinkers" section of the TIME 100 and number 12 in Forbes "The Web Celebs 25".
• Wales has also given a lecture in the Stuart Regen Visionary series at New Museum which "honors special individuals who have made major contributions to art and culture and are actively imagining a better future" and by the World Economic Forum as one of the Young Global Leaders of 2007.
• The 2008 Global Brand Icon of the Year Award, and on behalf of the Wikimedia project the Quadriga award of Werkstatt Deutschland for A Mission of Enlightenment.
• The 2009 Nokia Foundation annual award, the Business Process Award at the 7th Annual Innovation Awards and Summit by The Economist.
• In April 2011, Wales served on the jury of the Tribeca Film Festival, Wales has received a Pioneer Award, the Gottlieb Duttweiler Prize and the Leonardo European Corporate Learning Award{{cite web |url = http://www.leonardo-award.eu/content/e677/e678/e682/e683/e820/index_eng.html |title = "Dare to Share": From Individual to Collective Knowledge |language = de |publisher = Leonardo-award.eu |date = September 21, 2011 |access-date = July 3, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131214093506/http://www.leonardo-award.eu/content/e677/e678/e682/e683/e820/index_eng.html |archive-date = December 14, 2013 |url-status = dead }} in 2011,{{cite web |url = http://www.gdi.ch/en/Think-Tank/JIMMY-WALES-RECEIVES-THE-GOTTLIEB-DUTTWEILER-PRIZE |title = GD Prize 2011 |publisher = Gdi.ch |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171226234910/http://www.gdi.ch/en/Think-Tank/JIMMY-WALES-RECEIVES-THE-GOTTLIEB-DUTTWEILER-PRIZE |url-status = live }}Isobel Leybold-Johnson. "[http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/-knowledge-is-our-most-important-resource-/29339594 Knowledge is our most important resource] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170717142614/https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/-knowledge-is-our-most-important-resource-/29339594 |date=July 17, 2017 }}". Swissinfo January 27, 2011. Retrieved December 26, 2017. the Monaco Media Prize. Wales has also received honorary degrees from Knox College, Amherst College, Stevenson University, Argentina's Universidad Empresarial Siglo 21,{{cite web |url = http://www.21.edu.ar/identidad21-publicacion-ampliada.html?id=51 |title = Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, distinguished by UES 21 |date = December 16, 2009 |publisher = Universidad Empresarial Siglo 21 |access-date = May 10, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110531171759/http://www.21.edu.ar/identidad21-publicacion-ampliada.html?id=51 |archive-date = May 31, 2011 |url-status = dead }} and Russia's MIREA University.{{cite web |url = http://www.mirea.ru/ |title = Moscow State Technical University Website |author = MIREA |date = June 16, 2011 |quote = Rector prof. RAN AS Whitefish J. Wales handed a diploma and the mantle of Honorary Doctor Bauman MIREA. |access-date = June 22, 2011 |author-link = MIREA |archive-date = February 26, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210226170244/https://www.mirea.ru/ |url-status = live }}
• On December 5, 2013, Wales was awarded the UNESCO Niels Bohr Medal in Copenhagen, Denmark at a conference on "An Open World" to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Niels Bohr's atomic theory. His presentation on "Wikipedia, Democracy and the Internet" emphasized the need to expand Wikipedia into virtually all the languages of the world. The "Wikipedia Zero" initiative was beginning to prove successful in encouraging telecommunications companies to provide children in the developing world with free access to Wikipedia for educational purposes.{{cite web |url = http://bohr-conference2013.ku.dk/documents/programme_1.pdf/ |title = An Open World |publisher = University of Copenhagen |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131203050049/http://bohr-conference2013.ku.dk/documents/programme_1.pdf/ |archive-date = December 3, 2013 |url-status = dead }}{{cite news |url = http://news.ku.dk/all_news/2013/2013.10/free_exchange_of_information_can_avert_technological_threats/ |title = Niels Bohr Conference: Free exchange of information can avert technological threats |publisher = University of Copenhagen |date = October 24, 2013 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = October 18, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201018041730/https://news.ku.dk/all_news/2013/2013.10/free_exchange_of_information_can_avert_technological_threats/ |url-status = live }} Wales was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2013.{{cite news |url = http://www.cbsnews.com/news/aaron-swartz-among-inductees-to-internet-hall-of-fame/ |title = Aaron Swartz among inductees to Internet Hall of Fame |agency = CBS News |date = June 26, 2013 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |last = Ngak |first = Chenda |archive-date = August 22, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170822134818/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/aaron-swartz-among-inductees-to-internet-hall-of-fame/ |url-status = live }}
• In February 2014, Wales was named one of "25 Web Superstars" by The Daily Telegraph.{{cite news |last = Curtis |first = Sophie |url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet/10665375/25-years-of-the-World-Wide-Web-25-Web-superstars.html |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet/10665375/25-years-of-the-World-Wide-Web-25-Web-superstars.html |archive-date = January 11, 2022 |url-access = subscription |url-status = live |title = 25 years of the World Wide Web: 25 Web superstars |newspaper = The Daily Telegraph |date = February 28, 2014 |access-date = December 26, 2017 }}{{cbignore}} On May 17, 2014, Wales was awarded a Doctorate Honoris Causa by the Faculty of Communication Sciences of the {{lang|it|Università della Svizzera italiana|italic=no}} (USI Lugano, Switzerland).{{cite web |url = http://newmine.blogspot.ch/2014/05/jimmy-wales-doctor-honoris-causa-in.html |title = Jimmy Wales doctor honoris causa in Communication Sciences |publisher = ELearning + ETourism (blog of Lorenzo Cantoni, dean of the Faculty) |date = May 17, 2014 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |last1 = Cantoni |first1 = Lorenzo |archive-date = June 29, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170629225204/http://newmine.blogspot.ch/2014/05/jimmy-wales-doctor-honoris-causa-in.html |url-status = live }} On June 25, 2014, Wales received an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus at Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland.{{cite news |url = http://news.stv.tv/scotland/280548-scotland-tonight-wikipedia-founder-jimmy-wales-honoured-in-glasgow/ |title = Scotland Tonight: Wikipedia founder honoured in Glasgow |work = STV News |date = June 25, 2014 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140713090005/http://news.stv.tv/scotland/280548-scotland-tonight-wikipedia-founder-jimmy-wales-honoured-in-glasgow/ |archive-date = July 13, 2014 |url-status = dead }} On July 10, 2014, Wales received the UK Tech4Good Awards "Special Award" for establishing Wikipedia. He was one of eight winners in various categories meant to honor organizations and individuals who use digital technology to improve the lives of others.{{cite news |last = Smolaks |first = Max |url = http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/tech4good-awards-celebrate-digital-inclusion-148925 |title = Tech4Good Awards Celebrate Digital Inclusion |work = Tech Week Europe |date = July 11, 2014 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = October 22, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201022033319/https://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/tech4good-awards-celebrate-digital-inclusion-148925 |url-status = live }}{{cite web |url = http://www.tech4goodawards.com/winners-2014/ |title = Tech4Good Awards 2014 Winners |publisher = Tech4Good Awards |date = July 10, 2014 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = September 18, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200918093424/https://www.tech4goodawards.com/winners-2014/ |url-status = live }} In December 2014, Wales shared the inaugural $1{{nbsp}}million Mohammed bin Rashid Knowledge Award with World Wide Web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee.{{cite web |last = Shabandri |first = Muaz |date = December 8, 2014 |url = https://www.khaleejtimes.com/article/20141208/ARTICLE/312089863/1002 |title = Web inventor, Wiki co-founder share $1m Knowledge Award |work = khaleejtimes.com |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171226235451/https://www.khaleejtimes.com/article/20141208/ARTICLE/312089863/1002 |url-status = dead }}
• In January 2015, Maastricht University awarded a Doctorate Honoris Causa to Wales.{{cite web |title = Maastricht University awards honorary doctorates to Frans Timmermans and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales |url = http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/web/Main1/SiteWide/SiteWide11/MaastrichtUniversityAwardsHonoraryDoctoratesToFransTimmermansAndWikipediaFounderJimmyWales.htm |publisher = Maastricht University |access-date = November 23, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141224075637/http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/web/Main1/SiteWide/SiteWide11/MaastrichtUniversityAwardsHonoraryDoctoratesToFransTimmermansAndWikipediaFounderJimmyWales.htm |archive-date = December 24, 2014 |url-status = dead }} On April 25, 2015, Wales received the Common Wealth Award of Distinguished Service along with Jon Bon Jovi and Edward Norton.{{cite news |url = https://www.bonjovi.com/photos-from-the-36th-annual-common-wealth-awards/ |title = Photos from the 36th Annual Common Wealth Awards |work = bonjovi.com |date = March 20, 2015 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171226170436/https://www.bonjovi.com/photos-from-the-36th-annual-common-wealth-awards/ |archive-date = December 26, 2017 |url-status = dead }} On May 17, 2015, Wales received the Dan David Prize of $1{{nbsp}}million in the "Present" category (others won that amount for "Past" and "Future" contributions to society).{{cite news |title = Dan David Foundation to award three prizes of $1 million to six world renowned laureates |url = http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Dan-David-Foundation-to-award-three-prizes-of-1-million-to-six-world-renowned-laureates-390602 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |work = Jerusalem Post |date = February 11, 2015 |ref = DanDavid |archive-date = June 29, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170629165703/http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Dan-David-Foundation-to-award-three-prizes-of-1-million-to-six-world-renowned-laureates-390602 |url-status = live }} He was awarded the prize for "launching the world's largest online encyclopedia".{{cite news |title = Wikipedia co-founder, genome project leader among recipients of Dan David Prize |work = Jerusalem Post |url = http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Wikipedia-co-founder-genome-project-leader-among-recipients-of-Dan-David-Prize-403363 |first = Niv |last = Elis |date = February 10, 2015 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = June 29, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170629175025/http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Wikipedia-co-founder-genome-project-leader-among-recipients-of-Dan-David-Prize-403363 |url-status = live }}
• In January 2016, Wales, along with Baroness Rebuck, became a non-executive director of the Guardian Media Group.{{cite web |url = http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/content/wikipedias-jimmy-wales-and-gail-rebuck-join-guardian-media-group-board |title = Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales and Gail Rebuck join Guardian Media Group board |website = Press Gazette |date = January 27, 2016 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |author = Ponsford, Dominic |archive-date = May 1, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160501154518/http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/content/wikipedias-jimmy-wales-and-gail-rebuck-join-guardian-media-group-board |url-status = live }}{{Cite news |last = Sweney |first = Mark |date = January 27, 2016 |title = Baroness Rebuck and Jimmy Wales join Guardian Media Group board |url = http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jan/27/baroness-rebuck-jimmy-wales-guardian-media-group-board |access-date = April 3, 2022 |newspaper = The Guardian |archive-date = November 22, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211122084853/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jan/27/baroness-rebuck-jimmy-wales-guardian-media-group-board |url-status = live }} On February 2, 2016, he received a Doctorate Honoris Causa from the Université Catholique de Louvain.{{cite news |url = http://www.lavenir.net/cnt/dmf20160202_00774112/eduardo-suplicy-paola-vigano-et-jimmy-wales-faits-docteurs-honoris-causa-de-l-ucl |title = Eduardo Suplicy, Paola Vigano et Jimmy Wales faits Docteurs honoris causa de l'UCL |newspaper = L'Avenir |date = February 2, 2016 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |author = Belga |author-link = Belga (news agency) |archive-date = June 29, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170629131133/http://www.lavenir.net/cnt/dmf20160202_00774112/eduardo-suplicy-paola-vigano-et-jimmy-wales-faits-docteurs-honoris-causa-de-l-ucl |url-status = live }}{{cite web |url = https://www.rtbf.be/info/regions/detail_ucl-trois-penseurs-utopistes-pour-regler-les-problemes-belges?id=9203043 |title = UCL: Trois penseurs utopistes pour régler les problèmes belges? |publisher = RTBF |date = February 2, 2016 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |last = Schmitz |first= Bruno |archive-date = July 1, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170701203327/https://www.rtbf.be/info/regions/detail_ucl-trois-penseurs-utopistes-pour-regler-les-problemes-belges?id=9203043 |url-status = live }}
• In June 2016, during the opening ceremony on Wikimania 2016, Wales was awarded honorary citizenship of Esino Lario.{{cite news |title = Esino Lario, cittadinanza onoraria al "papà" di Wikipedia |trans-title = Esino Lario, honorary citizenship to the "father" of Wikipedia |newspaper = Il Giorno |language = Italian |date = June 24, 2016 |url = https://www.ilgiorno.it/lecco/cronaca/esinolario-cittadinanza-wikipedia-brexit-1.2286521 |access-date = November 22, 2022 |archive-date = November 22, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20221122012644/https://www.ilgiorno.it/lecco/cronaca/esinolario-cittadinanza-wikipedia-brexit-1.2286521 |url-status = live }}
• In September 2017, he was awarded the President's Medal of the British Academy "for facilitating the spread of information via his work creating and developing Wikipedia, the world's largest free online encyclopedia".{{cite web |title = From Wikipedia to Roman coins: British Academy recognises excellence in the humanities and social sciences |url = https://www.britac.ac.uk/news/wikipedia-roman-coins-british-academy-recognises-excellence-humanities-and-social-sciences |publisher = British Academy |date = September 27, 2017 |access-date = December 26, 2017 }}

• List of Wikipedia people
• User:Jimbo Wales, Wales' Wikipedia userpage

{{clear}}

{{Reflist|refs=

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{{cite news |title = Brain scan: The free-knowledge fundamentalist |url = http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11484062 |newspaper = The Economist |date = June 5, 2008 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = June 9, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080609025305/http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11484062 |url-status = live }}

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{{cite web |url = http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-9932493-52.html?tag=nefd.top |archive-url = https://archive.today/20121208124359/http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-9932493-52.html?tag=nefd.top |url-status = dead |archive-date = December 8, 2012 |title = Wikimedia Foundation restructures its board |publisher = CNET News |access-date = May 19, 2009 |date = April 30, 2008 |last = Terdiman |first = Daniel }}

{{cite magazine |last = Anderson |first = Chris |date = April 30, 2006 |url = https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1975813_1975844_1976488,00.html |title = Jimmy Wales: The (Proud) Amateur Who Created Wikipedia |magazine = Time |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = December 25, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181225091654/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1975813_1975844_1976488,00.html%20 |url-status = live }}

{{cite web |last = Kazek |first = Kelly |url = http://valdostadailytimes.com/entertainment/cnhinspopculture_story_223174601.html |archive-url = https://archive.today/20080320205344/http://valdostadailytimes.com/entertainment/cnhinspopculture_story_223174601.html |archive-date = March 20, 2008 |title = Geek to chic: Wikipedia founder a celebrity |date = August 11, 2006 |website = The News Courier |quote = Doris Wales's husband, Jimmy, wasn't sure what she was thinking when she bought a World Book Encyclopedia set from a traveling salesman in 1968. }}

{{cite news |title = Q&A: Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia founder |author = Lamb, Brian |author-link = Brian Lamb |url = http://www.c-span.org/video/?188855-1%2Fqa-jimmy-wales |work = C-SPAN |date = September 25, 2005 |access-date = October 31, 2006 |archive-date = October 6, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141006102435/http://www.c-span.org/video/?188855-1%2Fqa-jimmy-wales |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |url = http://www.randolphschool.net/alumni/welcome/profiles.asp?newsid=432566 |title = Jimmy Wales '83 |access-date = October 31, 2008 |last = Brown |first = David |date = December 11, 2007 |work = Alumni Profiles |publisher = Randolph School |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100418000631/http://www.randolphschool.net/alumni/welcome/profiles.asp?newsid=432566 |archive-date = April 18, 2010 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite news |last = Barnett |first = Cynthia |title = Wiki Mania |work = Florida Trend |volume = 48 |issue = 5 |page = 62 |date = September 2005 |url = http://www.floridatrend.com/issue/default.asp?a=5617&s=1&d=9/1/2005 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061017142949/http://www.floridatrend.com/issue/default.asp?a=5617&s=1&d=9%2F1%2F2005 |archive-date = October 17, 2006 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite magazine |last = Pink |first = Daniel H. |title = The Book Stops Here |magazine = Wired |volume = 13 |issue = 3 |date = March 13, 2005 |url = https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.03/wiki.html |access-date = October 31, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050304025027/http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.03/wiki.html |archive-date = March 4, 2005 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite news |last = Brennen |first = Jensen |title = Access for All |work = The Chronicle of Philanthropy |volume = 18 |issue = 18 |date = June 26, 2006 }}

{{cite news |last = Mangu-Ward |first = Katherine |title = Wikipedia and beyond: Jimmy Wales's sprawling vision |work = Reason |volume = 39 |issue = 2 |page = 21 |date = June 2007 |access-date = August 13, 2021 |url = https://reason.com/2007/05/30/wikipedia-and-beyond/ |archive-date = July 25, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210725210204/https://reason.com/2007/05/30/wikipedia-and-beyond/ |url-status = live }}

{{cite journal |last = Rosenzweig |first = Roy |author-link = Roy Rosenzweig |title = Can History Be Open Source? Wikipedia and the Future of the Past |journal = The Journal of American History |volume = 93 |issue = 1 |pages = 117–146 |date = June 2006 |url = http://chnm.gmu.edu/essays-on-history-new-media/essays/?essayid=42 |format = reprint |access-date = April 22, 2009 |doi = 10.2307/4486062 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100425130754/http://chnm.gmu.edu/essays-on-history-new-media/essays/?essayid=42 |archive-date = April 25, 2010 |url-status = dead |jstor = 4486062 }}

{{cite news |first = Liane |last = Gouthro |title = Building the world's biggest encyclopedia |url = http://archives.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/03/14/nupedia.idg/ |work = PC World |agency = CNN |date = March 14, 2000 |access-date = October 31, 2008 |archive-date = March 3, 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060303202446/http://archives.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/03/14/nupedia.idg/ |url-status = dead }}

{{cite news |first = Brian |last = Bergstein |author-link = Brian Bergstein |title = Sanger says he co-started Wikipedia |url = https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna17798723 |work = NBC News |agency = Associated Press |date = March 25, 2007 |access-date = March 26, 2007 |quote = The nascent Web encyclopedia Citizendium springs from Larry Sanger, a philosophy PhD who counts himself as a co-founder of Wikipedia, the site he now hopes to usurp. The claim does not seem particularly controversial—Sanger has long been cited as a co-founder. Yet the other founder, Jimmy Wales, is not happy about it. |archive-date = October 5, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131005002629/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/17798723/ |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |first = Tom |last = McNichol |title = Building a Wiki World |url = https://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2007/03/01/8401010/ |work = Business 2.0 |agency = CNN |date = May 1, 2007 |access-date = October 31, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070302072909/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2007/03/01/8401010/ |archive-date = March 2, 2007 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite news |last = Sidener |first = Jonathan |title = Everyone's encyclopedia |work = U-T San Diego |date = December 6, 2004 |page = C1 |url = http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041206/news_mz1b6encyclo.html |access-date = April 22, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090221005820/http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041206/news_mz1b6encyclo.html |archive-date = February 21, 2009 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite news |last = Getz |first = Arlene |title = In Search of an Online Utopia |work = Newsweek |publisher = MSNBC |date = February 1, 2007 |url = http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16926950/site/newsweek/ |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070418204627/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16926950/site/newsweek/ |archive-date = April 18, 2007 |access-date = October 31, 2008 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite news |last = Sanger |first = Larry |title = The Early History of Nupedia and Wikipedia: A Memoir |work = Slashdot |url = http://features.slashdot.org/story/05/04/18/164213/the-early-history-of-nupedia-and-wikipedia-a-memoir |date = April 18, 2005 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = May 24, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150524114402/http://features.slashdot.org/story/05/04/18/164213/the-early-history-of-nupedia-and-wikipedia-a-memoir |url-status = live }}

{{cite web |url = http://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_and_why_it_matters&oldid=149626 |last = Sanger |first = Larry |date = January 18, 2002 |title = What Wikipedia is and why it matters |website = Meta-Wiki |publisher = Wikimedia Foundation |access-date = October 31, 2008 |archive-date = January 1, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210101024003/https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_and_why_it_matters&oldid=149626 |url-status = live }}

{{cite web |last = Sanger |first = Larry |url = http://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=My_resignation--Larry_Sanger&oldid=23899 |title = My resignation – Larry Sanger |website = Meta-Wiki |publisher = Wikimedia Foundation |date = March 5, 2007 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = February 26, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210226005328/https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=My_resignation--Larry_Sanger&oldid=23899 |url-status = live }}

{{cite web |author-link = Daniel Terdiman |last = Terdiman |first = Daniel |date = January 6, 2006 |url = http://www.cnet.com/news/wikipedias-co-founder-eyes-a-digital-universe/ |title = Wikipedia's co-founder eyes a Digital Universe |publisher = CNET |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = July 9, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170709145827/https://www.cnet.com/news/wikipedias-co-founder-eyes-a-digital-universe/ |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |first = Seth |last = Finkelstein |url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2008/sep/25/wikipedia.internet |title = Wikipedia isn't about human potential, whatever Wales says |newspaper = The Guardian |date = September 25, 2008 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = December 26, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181226132800/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2008/sep/25/wikipedia.internet+ |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |first = Parmy |last = Olson |title = A New Kid on the Wiki Block |url = https://www.forbes.com/2006/10/18/sanger-wikipedia-citizendium-face-cx_po_1018autofacescan02.html |work = Forbes |date = October 18, 2006 |access-date = March 28, 2009 |archive-date = December 6, 2012 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20121206005058/http://www.forbes.com/2006/10/18/sanger-wikipedia-citizendium-face-cx_po_1018autofacescan02.html |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |last = Meyers |first = Peter |title = Fact-Driven? Collegial? This Site Wants You |work = The New York Times |date = September 20, 2001 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/20/technology/fact-driven-collegial-this-site-wants-you.html |access-date = August 8, 2015 |quote = I can start an article that will consist of one paragraph, and then a real expert will come along and add three paragraphs and clean up my one paragraph. |archive-date = April 15, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090415232001/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/20/technology/fact-driven-collegial-this-site-wants-you.html |url-status = live }} – Larry Sanger.

{{cite news |title = Free Encyclopedia Project, Wikipedia, Creates 20,000 Articles in a Year (Wikipedia 2002 Press release) |date = January 15, 2002 |publisher = Wikipedia |url = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Press_releases/January_2002 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = February 26, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210226222033/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Press_releases/January_2002 |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |first = Jimmy |last = Wales |title = 3apes open content web directory |work = Yahoo! Tech Groups forum post |publisher = WebCite |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090408184006/http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/xodp/message/1720 |url = http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/xodp/message/1720 |date = August 6, 2002 |access-date = April 3, 2009 |archive-date = April 8, 2009 |url-status = dead |quote = I'm Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Nupedia and Wikipedia, the open content encyclopedias. }}

{{cite web |url = http://www.larrysanger.org/roleinwp.html |title = My role in Wikipedia (links) |last = Sanger |first = Larry |publisher = larrysanger.org |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = March 12, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070312163901/http://www.larrysanger.org/roleinwp.html |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |last = Mehegan |first = David |title = Bias, sabotage haunt Wikipedia's free world |work = The Boston Globe |page = 4 |date = February 12, 2006 |url = http://boston.com/business/technology/articles/2006/02/12/bias_sabotage_haunt_wikipedias_free_world/?page=4 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = March 4, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062500/http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2006/02/12/bias_sabotage_haunt_wikipedias_free_world/?page=4 |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |first = William |last = Paoletto |url = http://www.bigoakinc.com/blog/interview-with-wikipedia-founder-jimmy-wales |title = Interview with Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales |publisher = Big Oak Blog |date = April 2, 2009 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = February 24, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210224171303/https://www.bigoakinc.com/blog/interview-with-wikipedia-founder-jimmy-wales/ |url-status = live }}

{{cite web |url = http://workbench.cadenhead.org/news/2828/wikipedia-founder-looks-out-number-1 |first = Rogers |last = Cadenhead |date = December 19, 2005 |access-date = October 31, 2008 |title = Wikipedia Founder Looks Out for Number 1 |publisher = cadenhead.org |archive-date = January 30, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210130192030/https://workbench.cadenhead.org/news/2828/wikipedia-founder-looks-out-number-1 |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |first = Dan |last = Mitchell |title = Insider Editing at Wikipedia |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/24/technology/insider-editing-at-wikipedia.html |newspaper = The New York Times |date = December 24, 2005 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = May 29, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150529192425/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/24/technology/insider-editing-at-wikipedia.html |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |first = Rhys |last = Blakely |date = December 20, 2005 |url = http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/business/industries/media/article2180198.ece |access-date = October 31, 2008 |title = Wikipedia founder edits himself |newspaper = The Times |archive-date = April 2, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150402162057/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/business/industries/media/article2180198.ece |url-status = dead }}

{{cite magazine |title = Know It All |first = Stacy |last = Schiff |author-link = Stacy Schiff |url = http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/07/31/060731fa_fact |magazine = The New Yorker |date = July 31, 2006 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = September 30, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140930011944/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/07/31/know-it-all |url-status = live }}^b "Even Wales has been caught airbrushing his Wikipedia entry—eighteen times in the past year. He is particularly sensitive about references to the porn traffic on his Web portal. 'Adult content' or 'glamour photography' are the terms that he prefers, though, as one user pointed out on the site, they are perhaps not the most precise way to describe lesbian strip-poker threesomes. (In January, Wales agreed to a compromise: 'erotic photography')."

{{cite news |last = Miller |first = Rob "Roblimo" |title = Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales Responds |publisher = Slashdot |url = http://interviews.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04%2F07%2F28%2F1351230 |date = July 28, 2004 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = November 8, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151108110204/http://interviews.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04%2F07%2F28%2F1351230 |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |last = Arendse |first = Ilse |title = MySpace will fail |url = http://www.news24.com/World/News/MySpace-will-fail-20070420 |work = News24 |date = April 20, 2007 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = July 2, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170702092223/http://www.news24.com/World/News/MySpace-will-fail-20070420 |url-status = live }}

{{Cite news |last = Cohen |first = Noam |date = March 17, 2008 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/17/technology/17wikipedia.html |title = Open-Source Troubles in Wiki World |work = The New York Times |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = October 29, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171029012643/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/17/technology/17wikipedia.html |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121815517776622597 |title = Wikipedians Leave Cyberspace, Meet in Egypt |work = The Wall Street Journal |access-date = December 26, 2017 |last = Gleick |first = James |date = August 8, 2008 |archive-date = November 6, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181106180219/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121815517776622597 |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |last = Twist |first = Jo |date = November 5, 2005 |url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4450052.stm |title = Open media to connect communities |work = BBC News |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = August 28, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170828133938/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4450052.stm |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2008%2F08%2F23%2FMNIJ12ETP4.DTL&tsp=1 |title = Wikimedia pegs future on education, not profit |agency = SFGate |access-date = May 19, 2009 |last = Cadelago |first = Chris |date = August 24, 2008 |archive-date = March 6, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120306184115/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2008%2F08%2F23%2FMNIJ12ETP4.DTL&tsp=1 |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/3399843/Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-goes-bananas.html |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/3399843/Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-goes-bananas.html |archive-date = January 11, 2022 |url-access = subscription |url-status = live |title = Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales goes bananas |newspaper = The Daily Telegraph |access-date = December 26, 2017 |date = November 7, 2008 |last = Neate |first = Rupert}}{{cbignore}}

{{cite web |url = https://wikimediafoundation.org/w/index.php?title=Board_of_Trustees&oldid=73 |title = Board of Trustees |publisher = wikimediafoundation.org |date = August 23, 2004 |author = Anthere [Florence Devouard] |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = January 12, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180112201633/https://wikimediafoundation.org/w/index.php?title=Board_of_Trustees&oldid=73 |url-status = live }}

{{cite journal |last = Marks |first = Paul |title = Interview with Jimmy Wales: Knowledge to the people |format = video |journal = New Scientist |url = https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19325896.300-interview-knowledge-to-the-people.html |volume = 193 |issue = 2589 |page = 44 |date = February 3, 2007 |access-date = October 31, 2008 |doi = 10.1016/S0262-4079(07)60293-0 |archive-date = December 21, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081221110615/http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19325896.300-interview-knowledge-to-the-people.html |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |last = Moses |first = Asher |date = March 5, 2008 |url = http://smh.com.au/news/biztech/wikipedia-head-accused-of-expenses-rort/2008/03/05/1204402516874.html |title = Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales accused of expenses rort |work = The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = October 18, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171018073100/http://www.smh.com.au/news/biztech/wikipedia-head-accused-of-expenses-rort/2008/03/05/1204402516874.html |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/more-woes-for-wikipedias-jimmy-wales/2008/03/11/1205125874243.html |title = More woes for Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales |date = March 11, 2008 |newspaper = The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date = December 26, 2017 |first = Asher |last = Moses |archive-date = June 24, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180624203020/https://www.smh.com.au/news/web/more-woes-for-wikipedias-jimmy-wales/2008/03/11/1205125874243.html |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7291382.stm |title = Wiki boss 'edited for donation' |date = March 12, 2008 |agency = BBC News |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = November 9, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201109001306/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7291382.stm |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |url = http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/whats_on/article2258521.ece |title = The arts online |newspaper = The Times |access-date = May 11, 2009 |last = Bjortomt |first = Olav |date = August 18, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080821221344/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/whats_on/article2258521.ece |archive-date = August 21, 2008 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite news |last = Deutschman |first = Alan |title = Why Is This Man Smiling? |url = http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/114/features-why-is-this-man-smiling.html |work = Fast Company |date = March 2007 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |quote = "Wales revealed that Wikia, his for-profit Silicon Valley startup, was working on Search Wikia, which he touted as "the search engine that changes everything ... Just as Wikipedia revolutionized how we think about knowledge and the encyclopedia, we have a chance now to revolutionize how we think about search." |archive-date = July 26, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120726141209/http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/114/features-why-is-this-man-smiling.html |url-status = live }}

Wales, Jimmy (March 31, 2009). "[http://blog.jimmywales.com/index.php/archives/2009/03/31/update-on-wikia/ Update on Wikia – doing more of what's working] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423113712/http://blog.jimmywales.com/index.php/archives/2009/03/31/update-on-wikia/ |date=April 23, 2009 }}". blog.jimmywales.com. Retrieved May 4, 2009.

{{cite news |title = Wikia taps eBay exec as CEO |work = San Francisco Business Times |url = https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2006/06/05/daily9.html |access-date = December 26, 2017 |date = June 5, 2006 |archive-date = November 8, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171108103001/https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2006/06/05/daily9.html |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |url = https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/09/09/wikia-hits-profit-target-early/ |title = Wikia Hits Profit Target Early |work = Digits |first = Andrew |last = LaVallee |date = September 9, 2009 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = November 26, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171126141814/https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/09/09/wikia-hits-profit-target-early/ |url-status = live }}

{{cite web |url = http://www.harrywalker.com/speakers/jimmy-wales/ |title = Jimmy Wales |publisher = harrywalker.com |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = March 5, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180305152108/http://www.harrywalker.com/speakers/jimmy-wales |url-status = live }}

{{cite web |url = http://www.harrywalker.com/bios/Wales_Jimmy.pdf |publisher = harrywalker.com |access-date = September 25, 2009 |title = Jimmy Wales (full biography) |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110311033948/http://www.harrywalker.com/bios/Wales_Jimmy.pdf |archive-date = March 11, 2011 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite web |url = http://www.wmagazine.com/celebrities/2008/09/jimmy_wales |last = Lipsky-Karasz |first = Alisa |title = Mr. Know-It-All |date = September 2008 |website = W magazine |access-date = October 31, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081120085740/http://www.wmagazine.com/celebrities/2008/09/jimmy_wales |archive-date = November 20, 2008 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite news |first = Ryan |last = Kim |title = Allegations swirl around Wikipedia's Wales |url = http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Allegations-swirl-around-Wikipedia-s-Wales-3225462.php |work = San Francisco Chronicle |date = March 5, 2007 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = November 22, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171122061911/http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Allegations-swirl-around-Wikipedia-s-Wales-3225462.php |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003525473_btwikipedia15.html |last = Smith |first = Wes |title = He's the "God-King," but you can call him Jimbo |date = January 15, 2007 |work = The Seattle Times |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = January 12, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120112033517/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003525473_btwikipedia15.html |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |last = Lewine |first = Edward |url = https://mobile.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/magazine/18wwln-domains-t.html |title = The Encyclopedist's Lair |date = November 18, 2007 |work = The New York Times |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171226235012/https://mobile.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/magazine/18wwln-domains-t.html |url-status = live }}^C "Greatest misconception about Wikipedia: We aren't democratic. Our readers edit the entries, but we're actually quite snobby. The core community appreciates when someone is knowledgeable, and thinks some people are idiots and shouldn't be writing."

{{cite news |url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canadian-pundit-wikipedia-founder-in-messy-breakup-1.729627 |agency = The Canadian Press |publisher = Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |title = Canadian pundit, Wikipedia founder in messy breakup |date = March 2, 2008 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = March 4, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080304021035/http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/03/02/marsden-breakup.html |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |last = Moses |first = Asher |url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/ex-takes-her-revenge-on-mr-wiki/2008/03/04/1204402405901.html |title = Ex takes her revenge on Mr Wikipedia |work = The Sydney Morning Herald |date = March 4, 2008 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = July 2, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170702212549/http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/ex-takes-her-revenge-on-mr-wiki/2008/03/04/1204402405901.html |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |last = Bergstein |first = Brian |author-link = Brian Bergstein |date = March 5, 2008 |url = https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2008-03-04-wikipedia-wales_N.htm |title = Wikipedia's Wales defends breakup, expenses |work = USA Today |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = April 23, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170423154426/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2008-03-04-wikipedia-wales_N.htm |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |url = https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/ms-marsdens-cyberspace-breakup-tit-for-tat-for-t-shirt/article960036/ |last = Agrell |first = Siri |title = Ms. Marsden's cyberspace breakup: tit-for-tat-for-T-shirt |work = The Globe and Mail |date = March 4, 2008 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = August 2, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200802181316/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/ms-marsdens-cyberspace-breakup-tit-for-tat-for-t-shirt/article960036/ |url-status = live }}

{{Cite news |last = Runciman |first = David |url = https://www.lrb.co.uk/v31/n10/david-runciman/like-boiling-a-frog |title = Like Boiling a Frog |journal = London Review of Books |pages = 14–16 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |date = May 28, 2009 |archive-date = October 11, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171011032733/https://www.lrb.co.uk/v31/n10/david-runciman/like-boiling-a-frog |url-status = live }}

{{cite web |last = Sirius |first = R.U. |url = http://www.10zenmonkeys.com/2007/01/29/wikipedia-jimmy-wales-rusirius-google-objectivism/ |title = Jimmy Wales Will Destroy Google |website = 10 Zen Monkeys |date = July 29, 2007 |access-date = October 31, 2008 |archive-date = February 14, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210214012054/http://www.10zenmonkeys.com/2007/01/29/wikipedia-jimmy-wales-rusirius-google-objectivism/ |url-status = live }}

{{cite journal |last = Cole |first = Bruce |author-link = Bruce Cole |title = Building a Community of Knowledge |journal = Humanities |date = March–April 2007 |volume = 28 |issue = 2 |pages = 6–14 |url = http://www.neh.gov/news/humanities/2007-03/Building_A_Community.htm |access-date = December 27, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100418152740/http://www.neh.gov/news/humanities/2007-03/Building_A_Community.htm |archive-date = April 18, 2010 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite press release |title = Jimmy Wales Joins Socialtext Board of Directors; Wikipedia Founder to Advise Leader in Enterprise Wiki Solutions |publisher = SocialText |date = October 3, 2005 |url = https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20051003006052/en/Jimmy-Wales-Joins-Socialtext-Board-Directors-Wikipedia |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171226234937/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20051003006052/en/Jimmy-Wales-Joins-Socialtext-Board-Directors-Wikipedia |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |last = Garlick |first = Mia |title = Creative Commons Adds Two New Board Members |date = March 30, 2006 |publisher = Creative Commons |access-date = October 31, 2008 |url = https://creativecommons.org/press-releases/entry/5840 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081222104046/http://creativecommons.org/press-releases/entry/5840 |archive-date = December 22, 2008 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite web |url = http://www.knox.edu/x12330.xml |title = Knox College Honorary Degrees |website = Knox College |access-date = October 31, 2008 |archive-date = September 2, 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060902200844/http://www.knox.edu/x12330.xml |url-status = dead }}

{{cite news |url = http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/14632 |title = EFF Honors Craigslist, Gigi Sohn, and Jimmy Wales with Pioneer Awards |date = April 28, 2006 |work = Kansas City infoZine News |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = May 18, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190518133242/http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/14632/ |url-status = live }}

{{cite web |url = http://cci.mit.edu/people_advisoryboard.html |title = People: Advisory board |website = MIT Center for Collective Intelligence |access-date = August 8, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150721235929/http://cci.mit.edu/people_advisoryboard.html |archive-date = July 21, 2015 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite news |url = https://www.forbes.com/2007/01/23/internet-fame-celebrity-tech-media-cx_de_06webceleb_0123intro.html |title = The Web Celeb 25 |first = David M. |last = Ewalt |date = January 23, 2007 |access-date = October 31, 2008 |work = Forbes |archive-date = June 29, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110629015424/http://www.forbes.com/2007/01/23/internet-fame-celebrity-tech-media-cx_de_06webceleb_0123intro.html |url-status = live }}

{{cite web |title = Stuart Regen Visionaries Series: Jimmy Wales |url = http://www.newmuseum.org/events/438 |publisher = New Museum |access-date = April 6, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101222115648/http://newmuseum.org/events/438 |archive-date = December 22, 2010 |url-status = dead }}

• {{cite web |title = Wikipedia founder James Wales at New Museum as 2010 Stuart Regen Visionary |url = http://www.flashartonline.com/interno.php?pagina=news_det&id=714&det=ok&title=Wikipedia-founder-James-Wales-at-New-Museum-as-2010-Stuart-Regen-Visionary |website = Flash Art |access-date = April 6, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110711005223/http://www.flashartonline.com/interno.php?pagina=news_det&id=714&det=ok&title=Wikipedia-founder-James-Wales-at-New-Museum-as-2010-Stuart-Regen-Visionary |archive-date = July 11, 2011 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite news |url = http://icommonssummit.org/speakers/2008/04/jimmy-wales.html |title = Speakers: Jimmy Wales |publisher = iCommonsSummit.org |year = 2008 |access-date = October 31, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080520112212/http://icommonssummit.org/speakers/2008/04/jimmy-wales.html |archive-date = May 20, 2008 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite web |url = http://www.weforum.org/en/events/ArchivedEvents/WorldEconomicForumontheMiddleEast2008/index.htm |title = World Economic Forum on the Middle East 2008 |publisher = World Economic Forum |access-date = May 12, 2009 |date = May 18–20, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090430031241/http://www.weforum.org/en/events/ArchivedEvents/WorldEconomicForumontheMiddleEast2008/index.htm |archive-date = April 30, 2009 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite news |url = http://www.mattbaily.ca/news/2008/09/14/corum-jimmy-wales-global-brand-icon-of-the-year-award/ |title = Corum announces Jimmy Wales as The Global Brand Icon of the Year Award |publisher = MattBaily.ca |date = September 14, 2008 |access-date = October 31, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081224214551/http://www.mattbaily.ca/news/2008/09/14/corum-jimmy-wales-global-brand-icon-of-the-year-award/ |archive-date = December 24, 2008 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite web |url = http://www.moreintelligentlife.com/story/peter-gabriel |website = Intelligent Life |publisher = The Economist Group |title = Peter Gabriel: Rocker, Human-Rights Advocate |access-date = October 20, 2009 |first = James |last = Woodall |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091010195005/http://moreintelligentlife.com/story/peter-gabriel |archive-date = October 10, 2009 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite news |url = http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displayStory.cfm?story_id=10676339 |title = The Economist Innovation Awards and Summit |newspaper = The Economist |date = October 30, 2008 |access-date = November 8, 2008 |archive-date = November 8, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081108033625/http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displayStory.cfm?story_id=10676339 |url-status = live }}

{{cite web |url = http://www.nokia.com/press/press-releases/showpressrelease?newsid=1352595 |title = Nokia Foundation awards the founder of Wikipedia |publisher = Nokia |date = November 4, 2009 |access-date = November 5, 2009 |archive-date = November 21, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091121102151/http://www.nokia.com/press/press-releases/showpressrelease?newsid=1352595 |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/wikipedia/6589487/Jimmy-Wales-interview-Wikipedia-is-focusing-on-accuracy.html |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/wikipedia/6589487/Jimmy-Wales-interview-Wikipedia-is-focusing-on-accuracy.html |archive-date = January 11, 2022 |url-access = subscription |url-status = live |title = Jimmy Wales interview: Wikipedia is focusing on accuracy |date = November 17, 2009 |first = Emma |last = Barnett |newspaper = The Daily Telegraph |access-date = December 26, 2017 }}{{cbignore}}

{{cite web |url = http://blog.jimmywales.com/2009/12/07/whats-new-for-me-hunch/ |title = What's new for me: Hunch |first = Jimmy |last = Wales |date = December 7, 2009 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |publisher = blog.jimmywales.com |archive-date = December 8, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091208231456/http://blog.jimmywales.com/2009/12/07/whats-new-for-me-hunch/ |url-status = live }}

"[https://www.amherst.edu/aboutamherst/news/news_releases/2010/04/node/191455 Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales, Poet Mary Jo Salter, Nobel Laureate Paul Nurse Among Eight to Be Honored at Amherst Commencement] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715035804/https://www.amherst.edu/aboutamherst/news/news_releases/2010/04/node/191455 |date=July 15, 2014 }}", amherst.edu, April 20, 2010. Retrieved May 23, 2010.

{{cite news |url = https://www.nytimes.com/info/wikipedia/ |first = Noam |last = Cohen |work = The New York Times |title = Wikipedia |access-date = January 19, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091124063423/http://www.nytimes.com/info/wikipedia/ |archive-date = November 24, 2009 |url-status = dead }}

{{harvp|Poe|2006|p=88}}: "In 1996, Wales and two partners founded a Web directory called Bomis. [...] Wales focused on the bottom-up strategy using Web rings, and it worked. Bomis users built hundreds of rings—on cars, computers, sports, and especially 'babes' (e.g., the Anna Kournikova Web ring), effectively creating an index of the 'laddie' Web. Instead of helping all users find all content, Bomis found itself positioned as the Playboy of the Internet, helping guys find guy stuff."

{{harvp|Poe|2006|p=91}}: "The wiki [technology] quickly gained a devoted following within the software community. And there it remained until January 2001, when Sanger had dinner with an old friend named Ben Kovitz. [...] Over tacos that night, Sanger explained his concerns about Nupedia's lack of progress, the root cause of which was its serial editorial system. [...] Kovitz brought up the wiki and sketched out 'wiki magic,' the mysterious process by which communities with common interests work to improve wiki pages by incremental contributions. If it worked for the rambunctious hacker culture of programming, Kovitz said, it could work for any online collaborative project. The wiki could break the Nupedia bottleneck by permitting volunteers to work simultaneously all over the project. [...] Wales and Sanger created the first Nupedia wiki on January 10, 2001. The initial purpose was to get the public to add entries that would then be "fed into the Nupedia process" of authorization."

{{harvp|Poe|2006|p=93}}: "Wales, though, was a businessman. He wanted to build a free encyclopedia, and Wikipedia offered a very rapid and economically efficient means to that end. The articles flooded in, many were good, and they cost him almost nothing. [...] In 2003, Wales [decided to] diminish his own authority by transferring Wikipedia and all of its assets to the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation, whose sole purpose is to set general policy for Wikipedia and its allied projects. [...] Wales's benign rule has allowed Wikipedia to do what it does best: grow. The numbers are staggering."

{{cite web |url = http://stevensonnewsroom.org/2010/05/25/wales/ |title = Wikipedia Co-Founder Jimmy Wales Receives Honorary Degree from Stevenson University |publisher = Stevenson University |date = May 25, 2010 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://archive.today/20130705025724/http://stevensonnewsroom.org/2010/05/25/wales/ |archive-date = July 5, 2013 }}

{{cite web |url = http://www.dw.com/en/wikipedia-founder-great-ideas-come-from-different-places/a-2648396 |title = Wikipedia Founder: 'Great Ideas Come From Different Places' |publisher = Deutsche Welle |access-date = December 26, 2017 |date = June 28, 2007 |last1 = Welle (Www.Dw.Com) |first1 = Deutsche |archive-date = June 25, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180625022208/http://www.dw.com/en/wikipedia-founder-great-ideas-come-from-different-places/a-2648396 |url-status = live }}

{{cite web |url = http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2891&iArticleId=3807453 |title = Wikipedia rules |website = Independent Online |access-date = May 30, 2010 |date = April 29, 2007 |last = Pillay |first = Terence |archive-url = https://archive.today/20130114043906/http://www.iol.co.za/scitech?iSectionId=2891&iArticleId=3807453 |archive-date = January 14, 2013 |url-status = dead }}

{{cite news |url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10104946 |publisher = BBC News (British Broadcasting Corporation) |date = May 10, 2010 |access-date = March 15, 2010 |title = Wikimedia pornography row deepens as Wales cedes rights |archive-date = November 30, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101130150909/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10104946 |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |url = https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2011/feb/19/interview-jimmy-wales-wikipedia |title = The Saturday interview: Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales |first = Aida |last = Edemariam |newspaper = The Guardian |date = February 19, 2011 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |archive-date = December 16, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171216201201/https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2011/feb/19/interview-jimmy-wales-wikipedia |url-status = live }}

{{cite news |url = https://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/04/18/tribeca-film-jury-includes-cast-of-actors-directors/ |newspaper = The Wall Street Journal |title = Tribeca Film Festival Names Actors, Directors to Its Jury |date = April 18, 2011 |access-date = December 26, 2017 |first = Aaron |last = Rutkoff |archive-date = May 19, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170519003637/https://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/04/18/tribeca-film-jury-includes-cast-of-actors-directors/ |url-status = live }}

}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite journal |last = Poe |first = Marshall |author-link = Marshall Poe |title = The Hive |journal = The Atlantic Monthly |volume = 298 |issue = 2 |date = September 2006 |pages = 86–94 |url = https://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200609/wikipedia |access-date = February 29, 2008 |archive-date = July 4, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080704202107/http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200609/wikipedia/ |url-status = live }}

{{refend}}

{{refbegin}}

• "[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/wikipedia-jimmy-wales-morley-safer-60-minutes-2/ Wikimania: Meet the Wikipedians. Those "persnickety," techy types who keep your favorite Internet information website brimming with data]." 60 Minutes: Morley Safer interviewing Jimmy Wales. First aired on April 5, 2015. Rebroadcast on July 26, 2015.
• {{cite web |url = https://www.ted.com/talks/jimmy_wales_on_the_birth_of_wikipedia |title = The birth of Wikipedia – Jimmy Wales recalls how he assembled "a ragtag band of volunteers," gave them tools for collaborating and created Wikipedia, the self-organizing, self-correcting, never-finished online encyclopedia |publisher = TED talks |date = July 2005 |last1 = Wales |first1 = Jimmy }}
• [http://www.onbeing.org/program/jimmy-wales-the-sum-of-all-human-knowledge/8916 On Being w/Krista Tippett] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170109203631/http://www.onbeing.org/program/jimmy-wales-the-sum-of-all-human-knowledge/8916 |date=January 9, 2017 }}; Jimmy Wales – The Sum of All Human Knowledge (broadcast WAMU American University) September 11, 2016
• "[https://www.newsweek.com/2019/12/20/wikipedia-jimmy-wales-facebook-artificial-intelligence-1476534.html Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales is Taking on Facebook and the Dangers Lurking in the Rise of Artificial Intelligence]", by Fred Guterl, Newsweek, December 12, 2019.

{{refend}}

{{Sister project links|Jimmy Wales|v=no|wikt=no|b=no|voy=no|s=Author:Jimmy Donal Wales|d=Q181|m=Jimbo Wales}}

• {{Official website}}
• {{IMDb name}}
• {{Charlie Rose guest|3804}}
• {{C-SPAN|1015974}}
• {{TED speaker}}
• {{self-reference link|User:Jimbo Wales|Wikipedia userpage (User:Jimbo Wales)}}
• [http://community.fandom.com/wiki/User:Jimbo_Wales Wikia userpage (User:Jimbo Wales)]
• {{cite web |last = Roberts |first = Russ |title = Wales on Wikipedia |url = http://www.econtalk.org/archives/_featuring/jimmy_wales/ |website = EconTalk |publisher = Library of Economics and Liberty |author-link = Russ Roberts |date = March 9, 2009 }}
• {{self-reference link|Wikipedia:Role of Jimmy Wales}}{{dash}} Wales' role in the English Wikipedia as described by its editors
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20240919102721/https://www.thedailybeast.com/you-can-look-it-up-the-wikipedia-story You can look it up: The Wikipedia story (archived)] – Excerpt from the 2014 book The Innovators by Walter Isaacson
• {{cite web |last1 = Wales |first1 = Jimmy |title = How Wikipedia Works |url = https://www.cato.org/multimedia/cato-daily-podcast/how-wikipedia-works |website = cato.org |publisher = Cato Institute |date = December 9, 2016 |quote = Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, discusses the site, how it's treated by governments, and how it's fueled by its users. }}

{{Wikipediahistory}}

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