Bloomberg Talks: "Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales Talks New Book"

Date: October 27, 2025
Guest: Jimmy Wales (Founder, Wikipedia)
Host(s): Bloomberg Host & Co-host

Episode Overview

In this episode, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales discusses his new book, The Seven Rules of Trust: A Blueprint for Building Things that Last. The conversation dives into how Wikipedia has maintained trust in a time when the concept seems to be eroding online and in the media, exploring Wikipedia's unique approach to reliability, neutrality, and independence. Wales offers insights into trust-building—both within Wikipedia’s community and as lessons broadly applicable to media and society.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Genesis of "The Seven Rules of Trust"

• Jimmy Wales shares the motivation behind his book: "It was a couple years ago… just started and it's obviously turned out to be quite timely as have a lot of issues around trust in society. And…let's get back to a society of trust."
  (00:45)

Why Trust Works on Wikipedia

• The importance of purpose:

  • Wales attributes Wikipedia’s relative trustworthiness to its singular, clear purpose: "One of the seven rules of trust…is purpose. Like Wikipedia has a very simple purpose, which is to build an encyclopedia…all our decisions around that and the rules about participation…and that's very different from social media, where there isn't a clear purpose other than free speech and openness…"
    (01:42)
  • This clarity of mission keeps the Wikipedia community focused and avoids the toxicity that rewards outrage on other platforms.

• Notable Quote:

  • "Thank goodness our headlines are so boring. There's no clickbait. You know, it's like the article on Thomas Jefferson's called Thomas Jefferson… it does what it says on the tin…"
    (02:21)

Defining and Determining Facts on Wikipedia

• Old-fashioned reliability:
  • Wikipedia relies on "reliable sources – academic research or quality newspapers… really old fashioned."
    (03:09)
  • Wales emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between trustworthy sources and those without editorial rigor:
    • "The idea that we should treat… the New England Journal of Medicine as the same as social media influence online is obviously just wrong."
      (03:23)
  • "Sources really matter. Like having a good quality source is, is what it's all about."
    (03:42)

The Crisis of Trust in Broader Media

• Partisan pressures and financial shifts:
  • Wales notes how commercial pressures have led many outlets to serve niche audiences, sacrificing neutrality, and thus contributing to audience polarization:
    • "A lot of the media, in response to the changing and very difficult financial model for journalism, they've chased after really partisan audiences… sometimes you read something and… I'm not sure I got both sides of the story there."
      (03:59)
  • He compares media in the UK (Guardian vs. Telegraph) as examples of left- and right-leaning quality journalism, noting that the fullest picture often comes from somewhere in between.

Transparency and Editorial Neutrality

• Lessons from Wikipedia for traditional media:
  • Transparency about the editing process and impartiality can build trust:
    • "One of the things that Wikipedia does that's kind of odd is we'll have… at the top of a page, 'The neutrality of this article has been disputed.'… I kind of wish sometimes the New York Times would put a banner up… journalism is quite hard… so a little more transparency is always good."
      (05:59–06:13)

Wikipedia’s Independence and Funding

• Unique funding model:
  • Wales explains how financial independence contributes to Wikipedia's credibility:
    • "We aren't funded by governments… funded by people giving their $20. And that makes a big difference for our intellectual independence."
      (06:50)
• On pressure to change entries:
  • He recounts occasional requests from public figures wanting changes but downplays outside pressure:
    • "People often are like, 'well, you know, my Wikipedia entry…' just send us an email… That's all fine in general. No, and actually, we're very…" (06:35–06:47)
• Fundraising anecdotes:
  • Wales jokes about the famous donation drives ("I've gotten a lot of messages from you"), maintains that Wikipedia’s funding is solid but always cautious, and mentions a spike due to Elon Musk’s social media activity:
    • "Recently…I don't know, Elon tweeted, defund Wikipedia, I think about $5 million that day."
      (07:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the uniqueness of Wikipedia:

  • "When people want facts, that's what people want from Wikipedia. They don't want clickbait." (03:20)

• On media bias and the search for truth:

  • "You read one [newspaper] and…then I go read the other and I'm like, yeah, you probably should have been somewhere in the middle, both of you. And it would have been…a better story…" (04:30)

• On transparency in journalism:

  • "Pretending to be perfection all the time, people see through that." (06:13)

• On Wikipedia’s crowdfunding model:

  • "We aren't funded by governments… funded by people giving their $20. And that makes a big difference for our intellectual independence." (06:50)

• Humorous fundraising anecdote:

  • "Elon tweeted, defund Wikipedia, I think about $5 million that day. So you can text Elon." (07:45)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------| | 00:45 | Genesis of "The Seven Rules of Trust" | | 01:42 | Why Trust Works on Wikipedia | | 03:09 | How Wikipedia Defines and Determines Facts | | 03:59 | The Crisis of Trust in Media | | 05:59 | Transparency in Editing and Media Neutrality | | 06:35 | External Pressure to Edit Wikipedia Entries | | 07:28 | Fundraising and Independence | | 07:45 | The Elon Musk fundraising anecdote |

Conclusion

This engaging conversation with Jimmy Wales spotlights Wikipedia's unique culture of trust and community-led editorial integrity—a sharp contrast to current trends in media and online discourse. Wales's new book offers not just a blueprint for Wikipedia, but suggestions for anyone interested in building reliable, lasting institutions in society. Listeners walk away with a sense of optimism, practical wisdom, and memorable candid moments from one of the internet’s foundational builders.