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Brief Profile

Jimmy Wales is a American-British Internet entrepreneur best known for founding Wikipedia.org, as well as other wiki-related organizations, including the charitable organization Wikimedia Foundation, and the forprofit company Fandom. His debut book entitled 'The Seven Rules of Trust' was published simultaneously by Bloomsbury in the UK and Crown Currency in the US on the 28th October 2025.

Wales received his Bachelor's degree in finance from Auburn University and his Master's in finance from University of Alabama. He was appointed a fellow of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2005 and in 2006, he joined the Board of Directors of the non-profit organization Creative Commons.

In 2001, Wales started Wikipedia.org, the online encyclopedia that anyone can edit and today Wikipedia and its sister projects are among the top five most visited sites on the web. In mid-2003, Wales set up the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization based in St. Petersburg, Florida, to support Wikipedia.org.

In 2007, The World Economic Forum recognized Wales as one of the "Young Global Leaders." In addition, Wales received the "Time 100 Award" in 2006, as he was named one of the world's most influential people. In 2013, he was awarded the UNESCO Niels Bohr Medal in Copenhagen.

Statement

Which measures are crucial to broaden access to education and foster diverse talent?

"I have always believed that access to knowledge should not depend on privilege, geography or background — it should be open, trustworthy and useful to as many people as possible. That is why I see IU International University of Applied Sciences as an important example of how higher education can become more democratic: flexible, digital and focused on helping people actually succeed. In the age of generative AI, universities have an even greater responsibility to teach students how to use technology critically, confidently and responsibly. IU's approach is compelling because it combines broad access with future-oriented teaching and a clear focus on student outcomes. In a world where trust, knowledge and digital competence matter more than ever, institutions like IU are playing a very important role."

Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia