Wikipedia’s financial growth reflects the global value placed on free knowledge. Operated by the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation, the platform relies almost entirely on individual donations. Early funding was minimal, but as Wikipedia’s audience expanded, annual revenue steadily increased, reaching more than $200 million in recent years. These contributions, gathered from millions of small donors, add up to several billions of dollars over the platform’s lifetime.
Because Wikimedia is a nonprofit organization, its revenue isn't considered profit. Instead, the funds support essential operations: maintaining servers, hiring staff, improving software and providing grants to volunteer communities. Some revenue also comes from investments and Wikimedia Enterprise, which offers paid services to large organizations that use Wikipedia’s data extensively.
Wikipedia’s sustained funding demonstrates the world’s commitment to keeping reliable, open knowledge accessible to everyone without paywalls or advertising distractions.
