Alexandra Elbakyan

Date of Birth: November 6, 1988

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Biography

Alexandra Asanovna Elbakyan, born on November 6, 1988, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, is a renowned computer programmer, researcher, and activist best known for founding Sci-Hub, an online repository providing free access to millions of research papers and articles. Her work has had a profound impact on the academic community, challenging the traditional publishing models and advocating for open access to scientific knowledge. Elbakyan’s journey began with her studies in computer science at Kazakh National Technical University. She later expanded her expertise in neuroscience at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. Her activism has led her to be both celebrated and condemned, with publishers like Elsevier pursuing legal actions against her. Despite these challenges, Elbakyan remains a prominent figure in the fight for information freedom.

5 Interesting Facts about Alexandra Elbakyan

1. Alexandra Elbakyan founded Sci-Hub in 2011, which now provides access to over 84 million research papers.

2. She has been dubbed “The Robin Hood of Science” for her efforts to make scientific knowledge freely available.

3. In 2016, Nature included her in their list of the 10 people who mattered in science that year.

4. Elbakyan was inspired by the works of Aaron Swartz, an internet activist who also fought for open access.

5. Despite multiple lawsuits and court orders against her, Sci-Hub continues to operate and grow its repository.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Alexandra Elbakyan

1. “The scientific community should not be dependent on the commercial interests of publishers.”

2. “If you want to help science, you need to make it open and accessible to everyone.”

3. “Knowledge is not a commodity, it is a right.”

4. “The current publishing system is fundamentally broken and needs to be reformed.”

5. “Sci-Hub is a tool for the democratization of knowledge.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

While detailed financial information is not publicly available, Alexandra Elbakyan is known more for her contributions to open access than for personal wealth. Estimates of her net worth are not readily available due to the nature of her work and legal challenges.