Elon Musk says he will give Wikipedia $1 billion if it agrees to rude name change

Billionaire Elon Musk has offered to give Wikipedia a significant chunk of change - if it agrees to his eyebrow-raising demand.

The Space X founder declared he would give the free online encyclopaedia $1 billion if it agrees to change its name.

But believe it or not, he doesn't want to swap its moniker to Muskipedia - it's something much more ridiculous.

As you may have noticed, Wikipedia is constantly looking from donations from readers to keep the website afloat.

When you're looking up your favourite celebrity or browsing the history of the Cold War, there's no doubt that you have been interrupted by a plea for cash.

The site is run by a team of hard-working volunteers, who help fact-check and keep the site up to date, among other things.

Chesnot/Getty Images

They even rigorously translate articles into different languages so the pages are accessible to readers across the globe.

But no matter where you live, you are probably greeted by a message asking for a few quid when you click on Wikipedia.

It typically calls on users to donate some money to make sure the site can keep 'thriving for years to come', or some similar fundraising jargon.

Musk has now decided to make the encyclopaedia a 'stiff and firm' offer to hopefully get rid of the constant appeals for cash.

The world's richest man promised to reach his hand into his pockets if the company complys with his quite frankly childish request.

KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images

In a tweet, he wrote: "I will give them a billion dollars if they change their name to D**kipedia."

Before he promised to get out his cheque book, he had shared a screenshot of a 'personal appeal' from Wikipedia's co-founder Jimmy Wales asking for donations.

The tech tycoon posted the image alongside a snooze emoji, suggesting he is tired of his reading being interrupted.

He also shared a number of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, questioning why Wikipedia was always looking for financial support.

Musk asked: "Have you ever wondered why the Wikimedia Foundation wants so much money?

"It certainly isn’t needed to operate Wikipedia. You can literally fit a copy of the entire text on your phone!

"So, what’s the money for? Inquiring minds want to know..."

It turns out his burning question has actually already been answered, which a quick Google search would have told him.

Wikimedia spokesperson Samantha Lien previously told The Washington Post: "Based on guidance from the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees, our reserve amounts to one year of operating budget.

“If there were circumstances that affected our ability to raise those funds during that period, we could end up in an urgent situation — the reserve is a safety net to protect Wikipedia against such a possibility.”

In other words, Wikipedia wants to have a decent amount of cash on standby incase its financial well suddenly runs dry.

Seen as though it's one of the few websites on the internet that's ad-free, it needs to make money somehow.

I for one would be sad to see Wikipedia go. Where else am I going to double check what year the Spice Girls split?

Topics: Technology, Elon Musk, Money, News

Olivia Burke

Olivia is a journalist at LADbible Group with more than five years of experience and has worked for a number of top publishers, including News UK. She also enjoys writing food reviews (as well as the eating part). She is a stereotypical reality TV addict, but still finds time for a serious documentary.

@livburke_