Elon Musk, leading a group of investors, has made an unsolicited offer to purchase the nonprofit controlling OpenAI for nearly $100 billion. The bid, valued at $97.4 billion, comes with Musk's intention to return OpenAI to being “the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was.” Therefore, Musk is looking to reshape the company's mission.
Altman’s Rejection and Response
However, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, swiftly rejected Musk’s offer in a mocking manner on Musk’s social media platform, X. He wrote, “No thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.” This remark referenced Musk’s 2022 acquisition of Twitter, which has seen a significant drop in valuation.
no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want
— Sam Altman (@sama) February 10, 2025
In response, Musk didn’t hold back. He called Altman a “Swindler” in the comment section, followed by a video of Altman with the caption “Scam Altman.”
Scam Altman
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 10, 2025
pic.twitter.com/j9EXIqBZ8u
The Ongoing Feud Between Musk and Altman
The conflict between Musk and Altman has been growing for years. Initially, Musk was a co-founder of OpenAI but later became one of its critics. He accused Altman of focusing more on profits than on the ethical development of AI. In 2023, the rivalry intensified when Musk launched xAI, his own AI startup, to rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Moreover, in 2024, Musk took legal action against OpenAI, criticizing its collaboration with Microsoft. Their clash further escalated in 2025 when Altman and former U.S. President Trump announced the $500 billion Stargate AI project. While Trump praised Altman’s leadership, Musk dismissed the project as financially questionable and personally attacked Altman on X. As a result, Altman responded by questioning Musk’s intentions, deepening the public and politically charged conflict.