Elon Musk criticized the Wikimedia Foundation for allocating over $50 million to ‘Equity’ and ‘Safety and Inclusion’ initiatives.
Elon Musk has called on internet users to boycott Wikipedia, citing its substantial spending on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO expressed his disapproval of Wikipedia’s financial report, which revealed that over $50 million—nearly one-third of its $177 million 2023-2024 budget—was dedicated to DEI initiatives like ‘Equity’ and ‘Safety and Inclusion.’
Wikipedia relies heavily on donations, with over 90% of its funding coming from this source. Responding to the report on X, Musk urged, “Stop donating to Wokepedia until they restore balance to their editing authority.”
Musk further criticized Wikipedia’s DEI spending, calling it “sucks” for allocating $50 million to these efforts.
DEI practices, aimed at fostering workplace diversity, have drawn criticism from conservatives who allege reverse discrimination and undermining of merit-based systems. Recently, several large corporations, including Boeing, Ford, Nissan, and Walmart, have reduced their DEI investments.
Wikipedia maintains that it’s addressing barriers to knowledge caused by racial inequality, aiming to bridge the gender gap and ensure fair representation. It also cited efforts to “defend our people and projects against disinformation and harmful government regulation” and other “external threats.”
Musk has a history of criticizing Wikipedia, previously labeling it “broken.”
In October, he argued that Wikipedia unfairly portrays President-elect Donald Trump (whom Musk supported) as a “fascist,” alleging the platform is controlled by far-left activists.
That same month, Musk offered Wikipedia $1 billion to change its name to ‘Dickipedia’ for a year, accusing it of bias.
Last year, Larry Sanger, Wikipedia’s co-founder, claimed that the platform serves as a tool of “control” for US intelligence, furthering the agenda of the left-liberal establishment.
Wikipedia, however, insists it upholds core principles, including neutrality, verifiability, and balance in its information.