'Defund until': Elon Musk slams Wikipedia over 'Nazi salute' claim

Elon Musk criticises Wikipedia for labelling his gesture as a 'Nazi salute', calling for defunding until balance is restored. Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales defends the platform

Elon Musk has expressed outrage after his Wikipedia page described a gesture he made on Monday as a ‘Nazi salute’. The tech billionaire criticised the free online encyclopedia after it referred to his actions at a rally at the Capital One Arena as “a Nazi salute or fascist salute”, a description Musk strongly denies. 

“Defund Wikipedia until balance is restored!” Musk posted in reply to a criticism of Wikipedia's mention of political extremism.

Taking aim at Wikipedia co-founders Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, Musk suggested that the site had aligned itself with left-wing media, which is often referred to as “legacy media” by the MAGA movement. “Since legacy media propaganda is considered a ‘valid’ source by Wikipedia, it naturally simply becomes an extension of legacy media propaganda!” Musk wrote on X. 

The world’s richest man, who has become part of President Donald Trump’s circle, followed up with a call to “Defund Wikipedia until [the] balance is restored!” 

Musk’s remarks prompted a strong response from Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales, who rejected Musk’s claims of bias. Wales defended the site in a repost of Musk’s comments, writing, “I think Elon is unhappy that Wikipedia is not for sale. I hope his campaign to defund us results in lots of donations from people who care about the truth. If Elon wanted to help, he'd be encouraging kind and thoughtful intellectual people he agrees with to engage.” 

Wikipedia, a free platform, relies heavily on donations. Musk had previously joked about donating $1 billion to the site if it changed its name to 'Dickipedia'. 

A Wikipedia Foundation spokesperson told Newsweek, “Every day, Wikipedia is viewed by millions of people around the world seeking information on topics that affect their lives and shape their decisions. Thanks to the contributions of a global community of hundreds of thousands of volunteer editors, Wikipedia continues to be a reliable, trusted resource for all.” 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also accused Musk of “supporting extreme Right positions” following the gesture, while speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Musk has previously shown support for Germany's far-right AfD party.

In the controversial clip, Musk is seen slapping his right hand over his heart, extending his arm dramatically while making a pointed gesture. He repeats this with his palm down and fingers together, while addressing the crowd, saying, “My heart goes out to you.” 

Musk has denied the accusations, calling the comparison “dirty tricks”. He also posted, “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks” and described the “everyone is Hitler” attack as “so tired”. 

Previously, Musk had urged his followers to stop donating to the Wikimedia Foundation over concerns about its spending on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. His call followed a post on X in which he suggested, “Stop donating to Wokepedia until they restore balance to their editing authority,” in response to a comment from the right-wing account ‘Libs of TikTok’. 

This controversy comes just after Musk's offer to donate $1 billion to Wikipedia on the condition that it change its name to ‘Dickipedia’.