Maxwell Zeff Becomes Wikipedia's Unofficial Evan Spiegel for a Week

The Unbelievable Mix-Up

For one week, Maxwell Zeff, a twenty-something technology reporter, found himself inadvertently cast as the CEO of Snap, Evan Spiegel. Known for his reporting on tech companies, Zeff was shocked when his photo appeared on Spiegel's Wikipedia page, creating a humorous yet confusing narrative.

How It All Began

The saga started on a Sunday when an anonymous user, Artem G, uploaded Zeff's photo to Spiegel's page, suggesting it was a 'newer photo'. Zeff was alerted to the mix-up when he came across a social media post noting, "that doesn’t look like Evan Spiegel" alongside a screenshot of his Wikipedia entry. Amused, he tweeted about the incident, clarifying, "Very flattering but that is indeed me, and not the CEO of Snap."

The Ripple Effect

As the week progressed, the confusion escalated. Friends and coworkers began reaching out to Zeff in disbelief, asking questions like, "Why are you Evan Spiegel?" The bizarre situation prompted Zeff to explore the origins of this unwarranted assumption.

A brief investigation revealed the initial change was made by user Artem G, who had been determined to keep Zeff's photo in place despite attempts from others to revert it back to the correct image. The persistence displayed by this user piqued Zeff’s interest, leading him further down the rabbit hole of Wikipedia's editing culture.

Who is Artem G?

Zeff discovered that Artem G was a prolific Wikipedia editor, having made numerous contributions across a variety of topics before settling on Zeff’s image. Curious if Artem G could be someone he knew, Zeff even contacted an old colleague with the same name for clarification, but received no definitive answers.

A Response from Evan Spiegel

To unravel this peculiar episode, Zeff ultimately reached out to Evan Spiegel himself. Spiegel's response was lighthearted; he mentioned he hadn’t noticed the change but was amused by it, stating, "I'm quite happy to leave it up if that's alright with you. I do see some similarities."

The entire encounter left Zeff pondering whether he could be known as Wikipedia’s unofficial Evan Spiegel, leading to a blend of bizarre confusion and unexpected fame.