In the last 24 hours, the ongoing feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, co-founders of OpenAI, has intensified. Musk, leading a consortium of investors, has proposed a $97.4 billion acquisition of OpenAI, a powerhouse in artificial intelligence known for developing ChatGPT.

However, Altman swiftly declined the proposal, exacerbating a long-standing rivalry concerning the future of AI.

During an interview on February 11, 2025, at the Paris AI Action Summit, Altman characterized Musk’s bid as an attempt to undermine OpenAI’s progress. He stated, “Elon tries all sorts of things for a long time. This is the latest — you know, this week’s episode. I think he’s probably just trying to slow us down.”

“I wish he would just compete by building a better product,” says Sam Altman regarding Elon Musk.
“I feel for the guy… I don’t think he’s, like, a happy person.”

In response to Musk’s offer to take control of OpenAI’s nonprofit entity, Altman quipped, “No thank you but we will buy Twitter for $97.4 billion if you want.”

The animosity can be traced back to 2018, when Musk exited OpenAI after a leadership struggle. The rivalry intensified as Musk launched his AI firm, xAI, in 2023 and began critiquing OpenAI for shifting its focus from a nonprofit to a profit-oriented model.

Musk’s criticisms have been followed by legal disputes, including lawsuits filed against OpenAI in 2024. Meanwhile, Altman defends the commercialization of AI research as necessary for funding innovation.