Jimmy Wales

Jimmy Wales, born on August seventh, nineteen sixty-six, in Huntsville, Alabama, is a prominent American internet entrepreneur and former financial trader. He is widely recognized for co-founding Wikipedia, the nonprofit free encyclopedia that revolutionized access to information, as well as Fandom, a for-profit wiki hosting service. Wales has also contributed to various projects including Bomis, Nupedia, WikiTribune, and Trust Café.

Wales's academic journey began at Randolph School, followed by finance degrees from Auburn University and the University of Alabama. While pursuing graduate studies, he taught at two universities but opted to leave before completing his PhD to delve into the finance sector, eventually becoming the chief research officer at Chicago Options Associates.

In nineteen ninety-six, Wales co-founded Bomis, which provided funding for Nupedia, a free peer-reviewed encyclopedia that operated from two thousand to two thousand three. On January fifteenth, two thousand one, he, along with Larry Sanger and others, launched Wikipedia, which experienced rapid growth. Wales emerged as the public face and promoter of the platform, although he has occasionally disputed Sanger's contributions, asserting his status as the sole founder.

Wales has been an integral part of the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees since its inception, holding the board-appointed