
Elon Musk has attacked Wikipedia and encouraged its defunding after a description of his recent salute, seen by some as a Nazi salute, appeared on the encyclopedic website.
The billionaire raised eyebrows Monday with his gesticulation at a Trump inauguration event. Thanking a crowd for returning Trump to the White House, Musk tapped the left side of his chest with his right hand and then extended his arm with his palm open. He then turned around to the crowd behind him and did it again.
Within hours of Donald Trump taking the oath of office, billionaire Elon Musk gave the Nazi salute during his speech at an inauguration rally.
It was not an accident or a mistake, he did it twice.
Way to go America 🤦🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/5NjaU5xF1w
— Gabe Sanchez (@iamgabesanchez) January 20, 2025
Musk has denied that his gesture was meant to be a Nazi salute.
As of Wednesday, both Musk’s biographical Wikipedia page as well as the page on the “Nazi salute” mention the episode.
On Tuesday, Musk reposted what appeared to be part of that Wikipedia entry, although the wording found on Wikipedia as of Wednesday was slightly different.
What Wikipedia says about Elon Musk’s “nazi salute”
The reposted text read: “In his speech during the second Trump inauguration, Musk twice extended his right arm towards the crowd in an upward angle. The gesture was compared to a Nazi salute or fascist salute. Musk denied any meaning behind the gesture”.
Since legacy media propaganda is considered a “valid” source by Wikipedia, it naturally simply becomes an extension of legacy media propaganda! https://t.co/lwQlM51FRX
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2025
The fight pits two of the internet’s best-known tech giants against each other – and highlights the starkly different ethos behind Musk’s X social media site and Wikipedia, founded by American entrepreneur Jimmy Wales.
Musk attacks legacy media
Alongside the repost, Musk attacked both Wikipedia and the news media, another favorite target, suggesting that each is a purveyor of disinformation.
“Since legacy media propaganda is considered a ‘valid’ source by Wikipedia, it naturally simply becomes an extension of legacy media propaganda!” Musk wrote. He additionally called on his supporters to “defund” Wikipedia.
Trolling Musk for his 2022 purchase of X for US$44 billion, the founder of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales shot back that: “I think Elon is unhappy that Wikipedia is not for sale”.
Wales asked Musk whether there was “anything you consider inaccurate in that description?” and added that it wasn’t propaganda but “fact. Every element of it”.
Founded on January 15, 2001, the Wikipedia website started in English but within two months had already launched in German and Swedish. It is now available in hundreds of languages.
“I would say the decline of trust in journalism and politics is quite severe, which then, in some cases, translates into people feeling more angry and lost,” Wales told Intelligencer.
But among the Wikipedia community, he said: “We just plug away, trying to be neutral, trying to be clear”.