Tech Industry Drama Escalates: Musk vs. Altman
Tech industry drama escalated over the weekend as Elon Musk reportedly led a group of investors in offering $97.4 billion to buy out OpenAI and return it to a nonprofit structure.
However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman promptly dismissed the proposal in a manner that has set social media abuzz.
Altman’s response? A simple but pointed: “No thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.”
Musk’s Offer to Reclaim OpenAI
Elon Musk, one of OpenAI’s original co-founders, has been vocal about his concerns regarding the company’s direction.
After leaving in 2018, he frequently criticized OpenAI’s shift toward a for-profit model, arguing that it contradicts the original mission of making AI advancements available for the benefit of humanity.
Now, Musk appears to want full control of OpenAI to steer it back to what he considers its ethical roots. His $97.4 billion bid, backed by a group of high-net-worth investors, was a bold move to reclaim the AI research lab that has since become one of the most influential players in artificial intelligence, largely due to ChatGPT and its groundbreaking AI models.
However, Altman’s swift rejection made it clear that OpenAI is not for sale.
Altman’s Twitter Jab & the Growing Rivalry
Altman’s response—offering to buy Twitter (now X) for $9.74 billion—was widely seen as a sarcastic jab at Musk, who purchased the platform in 2022 for $44 billion, only to see its value plummet amid controversial policy changes, massive layoffs, and declining ad revenue.
The comment also plays into the ongoing rivalry between Musk and Altman. The two have sparred over AI ethics, leadership styles, and corporate responsibility. Musk’s departure from OpenAI was largely fueled by disagreements over the direction of AI research and governance. In response, Musk later founded his own AI startup, xAI, to compete directly with OpenAI and other players like Google’s DeepMind and Anthropic.
Musk didn’t take Altman’s quip lightly. In response, he lashed out on X, referring to the OpenAI CEO as “Scam Altman” and a “swindler.” These attacks add to Musk’s previous accusations that OpenAI is no longer transparent and is “effectively controlled by Microsoft.”
What’s Next?
Despite the heated exchange, Altman’s rejection signals that OpenAI remains committed to its current course. The company continues to push forward with advanced AI development, deep partnerships with Microsoft, and expanded commercial applications for its technology.
Musk, on the other hand, remains a wildcard. Whether he will continue his efforts to take over OpenAI, double down on xAI, or shift focus remains to be seen. For now, the tech world watches as two of the industry’s biggest names engage in one of the most public and intense AI rivalries of recent years.
