Jimmy Wales: Difference between revisions
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{{SHORTDESC: American Entrepreneur and Co-founder of Wikipedia}} | |||
{{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
| name = Jimmy Wales | | name = Jimmy Wales | ||
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== Career == | == Career == | ||
On January 15, 2001, with [[Larry Sanger]] and others, Wales started Wikipedia. Wikipedia is a free, [[open content]] encyclopedia. It grew and became popular very quickly. As Wikipedia became known to the public, he became the project’s promoter and [[spokesperson]]. He is often called a co-founder of Wikipedia, though he has argued against the "co-" part. He said he was the only founder.<ref name="Brian Bergstein">{{cite | On January 15, 2001, with [[Larry Sanger]] and others, Wales started Wikipedia. Wikipedia is a free, [[open content]] encyclopedia. It grew and became popular very quickly. As Wikipedia became known to the public, he became the project’s promoter and [[spokesperson]]. He is often called a co-founder of Wikipedia, though he has argued against the "co-" part. He said he was the only founder.<ref name="Brian Bergstein">{{cite web | ||
|first=Brian | |first=Brian | ||
|last=Bergstein | |last=Bergstein | ||
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|date=March 25, 2007 | |date=March 25, 2007 | ||
|accessdate=March 26, 2007 | |accessdate=March 26, 2007 | ||
|quote=The nascent Web encyclopedia Citizendium springs from Larry Sanger, a philosophy Ph.D. 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.}}</ref><ref name="Parmy Olson">{{cite | |quote=The nascent Web encyclopedia Citizendium springs from Larry Sanger, a philosophy Ph.D. 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.}}</ref><ref name="Parmy Olson">{{cite web | ||
|first=Parmy | |first=Parmy | ||
|last=Olson | |last=Olson | ||
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== References == | == References == | ||
{{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
[[Category:Entrepreneurs]] | |||
Latest revision as of 12:00, 31 December 2024
| Jimmy Wales | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Jimmy Wales in 2006, The founder of Wikipedia. | |
| Birthday | August 7, 1966 |
| Birthplace | Alabama, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Children(s) | 1 |
| Known for | Wikipedia co founding |
| Notable Works | Wikipedia |
| Website | https://jimmywales.com |
Jimmy Donal "Jimbo" Wales; born August 7, 1966[1] [2] [3] [4] is an American-born British Internet entrepreneur. He is one of the people who started Wikipedia and Wikia.[5] "The Wikipedia project was founded in January 2001 by Internet entrepreneur Jimmy Wales and philosopher Larry Sanger," quoted from the April 25, 2004 first-ever press release issued by the Wikimedia Foundation.[6][7]
Wales was born in Huntsville, Alabama, United States. There, he went to Randolph School. He then earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in finance. In 1996, he and two partners started Bomis. Bomis was an Internet portal with entertainment and adult content. The company gave money for Nupedia (2000–2003) and, after that, Wikipedia.
Personal life
Wales has been married three times. He also has three children. Jimmy is of Jewish ancestry[8][9] When he was 20, Wales married Pam. Pam was a worker at a store in Alabama. He met his second wife, Christine Rohan, through a friend in Chicago.They had a daughter before their marriage ended. Wales moved to San Diego in 1998.
In 2002, he moved again to Florida.[10] In 2007, he still lived there.[11] As of 2012 he lives in London, England.[12] In 2012, Wales married Kate Garvey, a government worker for Tony Blair.[13] Wales has three daughters: one with Rohan and two with Garvey.[14]
Wales says that he follows the ideas of Objectivism. He also says that he is a libertarian to some extent, meaning that he thinks people should be allowed to do whatever they want so long as they do not hurt others.
Career
On January 15, 2001, with Larry Sanger and others, Wales started Wikipedia. Wikipedia is a free, open content encyclopedia. It grew and became popular very quickly. As Wikipedia became known to the public, he became the project’s promoter and spokesperson. He is often called a co-founder of Wikipedia, though he has argued against the "co-" part. He said he was the only founder.[15][16]
Wales is on the Board of Trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation. In 2004, he co-founded Wikia, a wiki-hosting service which tries to make money. In 2015, Wales started the Jimmy Wales Foundation for freedom of expression, to try to help bloggers or internet activists who are in prison.[17]
References
- ↑ Jimmy Wales's benevolent Wikipedia wisdom
- ↑ Jimmy Wales Monroe, Florida's County Clerk website (Marriage License Database).
- ↑ Current Biography Yearbook H. W. Wilson.
- ↑ Marquis Who's Who.
- ↑ Wikipedia: 50 languages, 1/2 million articles Wikimedia Foundation.
- ↑ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Wikipedia.
- ↑ Brain scan: The free-knowledge fundamentalist
- ↑ Q & A
- ↑ Jimmy Wales: Celebrities: Wmagazine.com
- ↑ Business & Technology: He's the "God-King," but you can call him Jimbo
- ↑ Jimmy Wales - Wikipedia - New York Times
- ↑ Jimmy Wales: Wikipedia chief to advise Whitehall on policy
- ↑ Wiki wedding: Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales marries Tony Blair's former aide
- ↑ A life in the day: Jimmy Wales
- ↑ Sanger says he co-started Wikipedia MSNBC.
- ↑ A New Kid On The Wiki Block
- ↑ Jimmy Wales wants Wikipedia to change the world, again