Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Sunday, Jul 06, 2025

Wikipedia creator's computer and NFT up for auction at Christie's

Fancy treating yourself with the first historical modification of a Wikipedia page? It's now possible… as an NFT.

Who wants to own a piece of Internet history?

The personal computer used by Wikipedia creator Jimmy Wales when he launched the site 20 years ago, is being auctioned by Christie's alongside a non-fungible token, or NFT, of the front page of the popular site.

Presented at the auction house’s New York headquarters in Rockefeller Center, the computer is a Strawberry iMac, "his personal computer, which he used for development and research at the time of the site's launch on January 15, 2001," the company said in a statement.


The second lot is an NFT "created by Jimmy Wales and which recreates what Wikipedia looked like when he set it up and launched its first page, with the words +Hello world+," Peter Klarnet, a specialist in books and manuscripts at Christie's, told AFP.

“I think he [Wales] has just been inspired by what he's seeing going on in this whole NFT space, and very much it reminds him of the early days of the open-source movement that created Wikipedia,” Klarnet said.

“Now we're seeing digital autonomous organisations on the rise and that very much reminds him of the collective effort that has created and has maintained Wikipedia.”

The NFT, presented in a JPEG format, will be interactive, with the buyer able to edit the page, "which can be reset with a timer to revert to its original state," Christie's said.

NFT "very much reminds him of the early days of the open-source movement that created Wikipedia," Peter Klarnet, a specialist in books and manuscripts at Christie's, said.


Who wants to buy a Wikipedia NFT?


Launched several years ago, NFTs have made their mark in 2021 with the term even being named "word of the year" by the Collins dictionary.

In March, Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey auctioned off the very first tweet, "I just created my twttr account," for $2.9 million as an NFT.

Like the tweet, the sale of the first edition of Wikipedia is expected to fetch "hundreds of thousands of dollars" according to Klarnet.

Some of the proceeds from the sales will help fund Wales's WT Social project, a "non-toxic alternative" social media network that uses an advertising-free model.

A Strawberry iMac owned by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales is displayed during a press preview before the upcoming Christie's Luxury Week auction, New York, December 3, 2021.


According to Christie’s, looking back on how much Wikipedia has grown in 20 years, Wales said he sees the site as the realisation of many of the ideals of early internet pioneers.

‘When most people first saw the internet they didn't think: “Great, I can get dog food delivered to my house!” They thought: “Wow, this is amazing, human minds can connect all around the world. We can get information, we can share our knowledge,” said Klarnet.

“And Wikipedia is really all about that. It is still realising that dream, if not perfectly — we're not finished yet and we've got a lot of work to do. But for many people, I think that was the original passion and hope for the internet”.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
×