Jimmy Wales was ranked 12th by Forbes magazine in its first annual Web Celeb 25 list and named one of TIME Magazine's TIME 100 most influential people. Wales created the first open-source online encyclopedia truly by the people and for the people. Wikipedia's articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world, and nearly all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the Internet. Having steadily risen in popularity since its inception, Wikipedia currently ranks among the top 10 most-visited Web sites worldwide.
In May 2008, Jimmy Wales cochaired the annual World Economic Forum on the Middle East, the foremost global gathering of political, business, and cultural leaders. In 2007, the World Economic Forum recognized Wales as one of its Young Global Leaders. This prestigious award acknowledges the top 250 young leaders across the world for their professional accomplishments, their commitment to society, and their potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world. In an address to the forum, Wales declared that the Internet will act as a catalyst in the promotion of democracy: "We do not hear much from everyday people; the Internet can change that. It is going to change political dynamics.”
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