In Search of an Online Utopia

You say that you currently have an estimated 7 billion page views a month, and that they’re doubling every three to four months. How much money are you making?

I’m not making money. We’re structured as a nonprofit, and we get donations that are usually in the $50-$100 range. I’ve also managed to get larger donors to offer matching gifts.

You’ve always said that you made enough from your work as a futures and options trader to live comfortably. Still, don’t you have any regrets about not cashing in from Wikipedia?

I’ve often said that it was either the dumbest thing or the smartest thing I ever did. But I’m proud of what I did. I feel that creating this [Wikipedia] community is something culturally important.

Did you expect Wikipedia to get this big?

I knew it was a big idea, but I didn’t think it would get so big so fast.