Musk and Altman clash on X as OpenAI rejects $97.4 billion takeover bid
Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reignited their long-standing feud on X after OpenAI dismissed a $97.4 billion unsolicited acquisition bid led by Musk. The proposal, which targeted OpenAI’s nonprofit arm, was submitted Monday and, if accepted, could have set the stage for a merger between Musk’s xAI and OpenAI.
Musk told The Wall Street Journal that his intent was to restore OpenAI to “the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was.”
Altman fires back
Altman wasted no time in ridiculing the offer, posting on X: “No thank you but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want,” a direct jab at Musk’s acquisition of the social media platform (formerly Twitter) for $44 billion in 2022, which has since seen a drastic decline in valuation.
Musk responded in kind, labeling the OpenAI chief a “Scam Altman” and a “swindler.”
In a subsequent Bloomberg interview, Altman dismissed Musk’s bid outright, stating that OpenAI is “not for sale” and characterizing the offer as just another attempt by Musk to disrupt OpenAI’s progress.
“This is just the latest in a series of tactics—many, many lawsuits, all sorts of other crazy stuff, and now this—to slow us down,” Altman said. He further took a personal jab at Musk, suggesting that the billionaire is driven by insecurity. “I don’t believe he is a happy person. His whole life comes from a position of insecurity—I feel for the guy.”
A long-standing feud
Musk and Altman’s relationship has been fraught with tension for years. Musk was an early supporter of OpenAI but parted ways with the company in 2019. Since then, OpenAI has transitioned to a for-profit model, securing billions in investments—most recently from SoftBank in a $40 billion funding round—sparking criticism from Musk that the company has abandoned its original mission of prioritizing public good over profit.
Musk has previously taken legal action against Altman, OpenAI, and its then-biggest backer, Microsoft, filing a lawsuit in August of last year for alleged breach of contract. In November, he sought a preliminary injunction to prevent OpenAI from further transitioning to a for-profit model.
The latest acquisition bid and the ensuing verbal sparring on X is yet another show of the deep-seated animosity the two AI heavyweights harbor against each other and raises further questions about the future direction and control of OpenAI.
