Wikipedia owner responds after Elon Musk offers $1 billion to change their name

It doesn't look like Wikipedia will be changing it's name anytime soon.

The free online encyclopaedia is currently asking for donations to fund the site and, with this in mind, multibillionaire Elon Musk said he'd give them some money.

But it came with a catch - he wanted the site to rename its as 'D*ckipedia'.

Sharing a screenshot of a message on the Wikipedia site saying 'Wikipedia is not for sale', Musk shared a yawn-face emoji.

He then reposted his own tweet with the statement: "I will give them a billion dollars if they change their name to D*ckipedia."

Musk added that he wants a cow and poop emoji also added to his Wikipedia page.

As to why he wants it changed to 'D*ckipedia', the 52-year-old argued it's 'in the interests of accuracy'.

In light of his offer, it appears as if founder Jimmy Wales has responded to it.

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In a message on Wikipedia's site titled 'Wikipedia: not beholden to anyone but you', Wales said: "We're sorry to interrupt, but it's Tuesday, October 24, and time will soon run out to help us in today's short fundraiser.

"I ask you to reflect on the number of times you visited Wikipedia in the past year, the value you got from it, and whether you're able to give $3 to the Wikimedia Foundation."

Elsewhere the statement, Wales said: "It's hard to know what to trust online these days. Disinformation and scammers are everywhere."

Following his offer yesterday, Musk appeared to make a dig at the site as he questioned why it's always looking for donations.

"Have you ever wondered why the Wikimedia Foundation wants so much money?" the tech billionaire asked.

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"It certainly isn’t needed to operate Wikipedia. You can literally fit a copy of the entire text on your phone!

"So, what’s the money for? Inquiring minds want to know..."

Despite often asking for donations, Wikipedia has always denied being strapped for cash.

"Based on guidance from the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees, our reserve amounts to one year of operating budget," Samantha Lien, a spokeswoman for the Wikimedia Foundation previously told The Washington Post.

"If there were circumstances that affected our ability to raise those funds during that period, we could end up in an urgent situation - the reserve is a safety net to protect Wikipedia against such a possibility.”