Sam Altman and Elon Musk Clash Over OpenAI, Trade Billion-Dollar Offers

Elon Musk recently made a $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI, but Sam Altman rejected the offer and instead proposed purchasing X (formerly Twitter) for $9.74 billion. This exchange intensified their ongoing rivalry, with Musk responding by calling Altman a “swindler” and sharing an old video mocking him. The dispute has further fueled tensions over the future of OpenAI, as the organization shifts from a non-profit to a for-profit model to attract necessary funding for AI development—despite Musk’s skepticism about its financial stability.

Sam Altman and Elon Musk Clash Over OpenAI, Trade Billion-Dollar Offers

OpenAI, co-founded by Sam Altman and Elon Musk in 2015, is now at the center of a heated dispute between the two tech moguls. Musk recently made a $97.4 billion bid to take over the non-profit organization that oversees OpenAI, escalating the ongoing rivalry between him and Altman over the company’s future.

Altman swiftly rejected Musk’s offer and countered with a proposal to buy X (formerly Twitter) for $9.74 billion—just a fraction of Musk’s bid for OpenAI—highlighting the platform’s decline in value. Musk had originally acquired X for $44 billion in 2022.

The exchange didn’t stop there. Musk responded by calling Altman a “swindler” and posted an old video in which a senator questions Altman about his earnings, to which he replies, “no.” The video was captioned “Scam Altman.”

This latest clash follows a controversy last month when former U.S. President Donald Trump announced the $500 billion Stargate project, a collaboration between OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle to develop AI infrastructure. Musk cast doubt on the project’s financial backing, claiming SoftBank had secured less than $10 billion. In response, Altman dismissed Musk’s concerns and invited him to visit the first site, which was already under development. He remarked, “This is great for the country. I realize what is great for the country isn’t always what’s optimal for your companies, but in your new role, I hope you’ll mostly put us first.”

Amid these tensions, OpenAI is working to transition from a non-profit to a for-profit entity, arguing that the shift is necessary to secure the capital required for advancing its AI models.