Jimmy Wales
Co-founder of Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia
- Age
- 60 yrs
- Birthday in 275 days
- Works listed
- 2
- Website, Book
- Honours
- 3
- Most recent 2015
- Profile views
- 0
- 0 followers
Jimmy Wales is an American-British internet entrepreneur who co-founded Wikipedia with Larry Sanger in 2001. Wikipedia became one of the most visited websites in the world, written by volunteers. He also founded the Wikimedia Foundation and co-founded Wikia, now Fandom.
Biography
Background
Wales grew up in Huntsville, where his mother and grandmother ran a small school. He studied finance at Auburn and the University of Alabama and worked as a futures trader in Chicago.
Nupedia to Wikipedia
In 2000 he founded Nupedia, an expert-written online encyclopedia, with Larry Sanger as editor. Progress was slow, so in January 2001 they launched Wikipedia, using wiki software that let anyone edit. It grew explosively.
Wikimedia
In 2003 Wales created the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation to run Wikipedia without advertising. He remains a board member and public face of the project.
Other ventures
He co-founded Wikia (Fandom) in 2004, and launched WikiTribune, a news site. He moved to London and holds British citizenship. His book The Seven Rules of Trust was published in 2025.
Timeline
-
1966
Born in Huntsville, Alabama, United States
-
2000
Founds Nupedia
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2001
Launches Wikipedia with Larry Sanger
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2003
Wikimedia Foundation
-
2004
Co-founds Wikia
-
2006
Named in Time’s 100 most influential people
-
2017
Launches WikiTribune
-
2025
The Seven Rules of Trust
Notable works
-
2001
Wikipedia Website
With Larry Sanger.
-
2025
The Seven Rules of Trust Book
Awards and honours
-
EFF Pioneer Award
2006
-
Gottlieb Duttweiler Prize
2011
-
Dan David Prize
2015
Did you know?
-
1
Wikipedia is maintained almost entirely by volunteers.
-
2
He has said he was inspired by reading encyclopedias as a child.
-
3
English Wikipedia has more than six million articles.
Connections
Related people
Frequently asked
Who is Jimmy Wales?
Jimmy Wales is an American-British internet entrepreneur who co-founded Wikipedia with Larry Sanger in 2001. Wikipedia became one of the most visited websites in the world, written by volunteers. He also founded the Wikimedia Foundation and co-founded Wikia, now Fandom.
How old is Jimmy Wales?
Jimmy Wales is 60 years old, born on 7 August 1966 in Huntsville, Alabama, United States.
Where is Jimmy Wales from?
Jimmy Wales was born in Huntsville, Alabama, United States.
What is Jimmy Wales known for?
Jimmy Wales is best known for Co-founding Wikipedia (2001); Wikimedia Foundation; Fandom (Wikia).
What awards has Jimmy Wales received?
Notable honours include EFF Pioneer Award (2006), Gottlieb Duttweiler Prize (2011), Dan David Prize (2015).
References
- Jimmy Wales — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Jimmy Wales — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Jimmy Wales — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Jimmy Wales — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Jimmy Wales — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Official website. jimmywales.com. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Jimmy Wales (Q181) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Jimmy Wales”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Jimmy Wales.” TrackFame, last updated 4 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/jimmy-wales
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