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Jimmy Wales Walks Out of Podcast Over Question on 'Founder' Versus 'Co‑Founder'

The flashpoint reflects a years‑old rift over founding credit alongside Sanger’s later claims of bias.

Overview

  • Footage from German podcast Jung & Naiv shows Wales ending the interview roughly 45–48 seconds after host Tilo Jung pressed him to clarify his title.
  • Wales replied, “I don’t care. It’s the dumbest question in the world,” before saying, “I’ve answered your question four times… I’m done,” and leaving.
  • Wikipedia launched in 2001 with Larry Sanger’s early involvement, and Sanger departed in 2002 after which he has criticized the site’s neutrality.
  • Reporting notes that early 2000s press materials described Wales and Sanger as co‑founders, even as Wales has disputed that framing at times.
  • The clip spread widely on social media, and Wales had previously dismissed the founder‑credit question as unimportant in a 2023 Lex Fridman interview.