Jimmy Wales

Co-founder of Wikipedia who democratized global knowledge access through collaborative online encyclopedia.

Jimmy Wales (born 1966) transformed information sharing by launching Wikipedia in 2001—now the world's largest crowdsourced knowledge platform with over 55 million articles in 300+ languages. Unlike traditional encyclopedias, Wales insisted on free access and open editing, challenging academic elitism.

His radical 'neutral point of view' policy created a new model for consensus-building in the digital age. Despite early criticisms about accuracy, studies show Wikipedia's reliability rivals Encyclopedia Britannica. Wales' 2013 TED Talk details how volunteer collaboration outcompeted Microsoft's Encarta.

Beyond Wikipedia, Wales launched WT Social in 2019—an ad-free social network combating misinformation. He advocates for internet freedom through the Wikimedia Foundation, donating 90% of his speaking fees to keep Wikipedia non-profit.

In 2021, he pioneered Wikipedia Zero, providing free mobile access to students in developing nations. Wales' vision continues shaping global digital literacy initiatives.