Billionaire CEOs Elon Musk and Sam Altman engage in a public dispute over the future of AI, with Musk making a nearly $100 billion offer to buy OpenAI’s non-profit arm.
Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been engaged in a public dispute with Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, over the past year. The feud has escalated into a full-blown battle between the two tech giants, with Musk making a nearly $100 billion offer to buy OpenAI’s non-profit arm.
The Early Days of OpenAI
In 2015, ‘advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return.’ However, Musk‘s involvement with OpenAI was short-lived, and he left the board of directors in 2018.
The Stargate Joint Venture
In January 2025, President ‘by far the leading expert’ in generative AI. However, Musk questioned the legitimacy of the project, calling it ‘fake’ and saying that it had not secured the required financing.
Sam Altman is an American entrepreneur and business executive.
He is best known as the CEO of Lattice, a work operating system for high-growth companies.
Previously, he was the president of Y Combinator, a well-known startup accelerator.
Altman has been involved in various other ventures, including OpenAI, where he served as the chairman of the board.
He is also a prominent figure in the tech industry, known for his insights and opinions on entrepreneurship and innovation.
The Feud Escalates
In January 2025, ‘swindler’ and a ‘liar.’ The feud continued to escalate, with both parties engaging in name-calling and personal attacks.
Elon Musk is a renowned entrepreneur, inventor, and business magnate.
Born in 1971 in Pretoria, South Africa, he developed an interest in computing and programming at the age of 12.
Musk co-founded his first company, Zip2, which was later acquired by Compaq for $307 million.
He then co-founded X.com, which eventually became PayPal.
In 2002, Musk sold PayPal to eBay for $1.5 billion.
He went on to found SpaceX, aiming to reduce space transportation costs and enable the colonization of Mars.
Musk also co-founded Tesla, Inc., revolutionizing the electric vehicle industry.
His innovative ventures have made him one of the most successful entrepreneurs in history.
Musk’s Offer to Buy OpenAI
On February 10, 2025, Musk made a nearly $100 billion offer to buy OpenAI’s non-profit arm. However, ‘not for sale.’ The bid was seen as an attempt by Musk to slow down OpenAI’s progress and gain control over the company.
The Background of the Feud
The feud between Musk and Altman is part of a larger AI arms race between OpenAI and xAI, with other competitors including Alphabet parent Google, Facebook parent Meta, and the Amazon-backed startup Anthropic. Microsoft is OpenAI’s most notable investor, injecting about $14 billion in the company over the last five years.
Conclusion
The feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altman has been ongoing for months, with both parties engaging in personal attacks and name-calling. The dispute has escalated into a full-blown battle between the two tech giants, with Musk making a nearly $100 billion offer to buy OpenAI’s non-profit arm. The outcome of this feud remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the future of AI will be shaped by the actions of these two billionaire CEOs.
The AI arms race refers to the global competition among nations and organizations to develop and acquire advanced artificial intelligence capabilities.
This has led to significant investments in AI research and development, with many countries establishing dedicated AI initiatives.
The US, China, and Russia are among the leading players in this field.
Experts warn that an unregulated AI arms race could lead to unintended consequences, such as increased cyber threats and destabilization of global security.
