Jimmy Wales Net Worth - Pulptastic

May 2024 · 4 minute read

What is Jimmy Wales’ New Worth and Salary?

Jimmy Wales is an American-British Internet entrepreneur who co-founded Wikipedia and Wikia. He has a net worth of $1.5 million and was named one of “The 100 Most Influential People in the World” by Time.

If Wikipedia accepted banner ads, it could be worth over $10 billion, but Jimmy has no regrets about making it a non-profit. In a 2013 interview with the New York Times, he said, “It rarely crosses my mind… There are car dealers in Ohio who have more money than I’ll ever have, and their jobs are much, much less interesting than mine.”

Jimmy Wales Has Never Received Salary from Wikimedia Foundation

According to a 2019 tweet by Jimmy Wales, the co-founder of Wikipedia, he has never received any salary from the Wikimedia Foundation throughout the organization’s history.

This information sets him apart from other tech billionaires who have made their fortunes from their companies. Despite this, Wales has an estimated net worth of $1 million. He has attributed his wealth to his roles as an advisor and board member for various startups and his involvement in cryptocurrency.

Wales has also been praised for his philanthropic efforts, particularly his work with the Wikimedia Foundation, which aims to provide free access to knowledge for people around the world.

Early Life and Education

Jimmy Wales was born in Huntsville, Alabama on August 7, 1966. His parents, Jimmy Sr. and Doris Ann, instilled a love for education in their children. Wales attended the private school his mother ran called the House of Learning, where he developed a passion for reading and encyclopedias. After eighth grade, he attended Randolph school, a preparatory school that was expensive for his family. He graduated at the age of 16 and earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Auburn University in 1986. Wales then began a PhD program at the University of Alabama but transferred to Indiana University. Despite teaching at both universities during his postgraduate studies, he never completed his dissertation.

Jimmy Wales: Founder of Wikipedia and Internet Activist

Jimmy Wales began his career in finance but left to co-found Bomis, a web portal and “guy-oriented search engine” in 1996. This venture gave him the time to pursue another idea – an online encyclopedia. In 2000, he launched Nupedia, which aimed to be a peer-reviewed, open-content encyclopedia. However, the submission and review process was slow, and Larry Sanger suggested the wiki model, resulting in the creation of Wikipedia.

While Sanger was the early editor-in-chief, Wales set up the Wikipedia Foundation in 2003 and founded the for-profit company, Wikia, in 2004. Wales has also become involved in politics, testifying before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs on Internet technology and advocating for Internet freedom and privacy.

Wales has received numerous awards and accolades, including two honorary degrees and the President’s Medal of the British Academy for his work on developing Wikipedia.

Jimmy Wales’ Marital Life and Personal Interests

Jimmy Wales has been married three times. His first marriage was to Pamela Green when he was 20 years old, but they divorced in 1993. His second wife was Christine Rohan, whom he met while working in Chicago. They got married in Florida in 1997 and had a daughter together, but they separated in 2008. In the same year, Wales had a controversial relationship with conservative columnist Rachel Marsden, which was seen as a conflict of interest because he had contacted her regarding her Wikipedia biography. Wales married Kate Garvey in London in 2012, and they have two daughters together.

Aside from his personal life, Wales has personal interests in cooking and philosophy. He considers himself an Objectivist and an atheist. He was influenced by economist Friedrich Hayek’s essay, “The Use of Knowledge in Society,” when creating Wikipedia and deciding how it should operate. He is also a fan of Ayn Rand and describes his political views as center-right.

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