Virtually anyone can edit an entry on Wikipedia, the popular online encyclopedia. But its founder is finding it is not so easy to cover his tracks after a messy breakup with a TV personality and a dustup over his expenses began playing out on the web.

It is not the first time that Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia’s de facto leader, has found his behaviour questioned— especially since no subject appears too arcane for dissection by Wikipedia’s passionate community of users. The latest episodes, however, reverberated beyond the usual die-hards.

A former lover— political pundit Rachel Marsden— let out steamy and embarrassing online chats with Wales, and dumped his clothes on eBay. Wales, 41, also became the subject of an eyebrow-raising blog entry by Danny Wool, who until last year worked for the nonprofit, donor-supported Wikimedia Foundation that runs the encyclopedia.

Wool wrote that Wales had asked the foundation to reimburse him for costly items like a $1,300 dinner for four at a Florida steakhouse. Wool alleged that at one point Wales was short on receipts for $30,000 in expenses before settling the matter with the foundation’s lawyer and paying the organisation $7,000.

Wool added that Wales’ foundation credit card was taken away in 2006.

Wales denied that, saying in an interview over instant message that it was his own decision to stop seeking reimbursements even for business travel for the foundation, where he is “chairman emeritus” and one of seven board members.

Wales, a former options trader who started Wikipedia in 2001, would not comment on other specifics of Wool’s charges.

... contd.