Altman Brushes off Musk's Bid for OpenAI Control as Rocky Saga Hits Next Level

In a surprising turn of events, Elon Musk has offered to buy OpenAI for a staggering $97.4 billion, escalating the ongoing feud between the Tesla CEO and the AI company he co-founded. However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has swiftly dismissed the offer, leaving the future of the AI giant uncertain. Let's dive into the details of this high-stakes saga and explore the potential implications for both parties involved.



Musk's consortium, which includes his AI startup xAI and prominent investors such as Valor Equity Partners and Baron Capital, aims to revert OpenAI to its original charitable mission as a nonprofit research lab. In a statement, Musk's attorney Marc Toberoff emphasized the importance of ensuring that OpenAI's assets are used to further its original mission, stating that the offer is "to purchase all assets of OpenAI, Inc. with funds to be used exclusively to further OpenAI, Inc.'s original charitable mission."

However, Altman was quick to reject the offer, taking to Musk's social media platform X to post, "no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want." Musk responded with "swindler," further escalating the tension between the two tech titans.



The ongoing dispute between Musk and Altman stems from their differing visions for OpenAI's future. Musk, who resigned from the company's board in 2018, has long criticized OpenAI's partnership with Microsoft, alleging that it has abandoned its nonprofit roots and betrayed its founding aims. In a revised lawsuit, Musk accused OpenAI of forming a "monopoly" with Microsoft, actively trying to eliminate competitors such as xAI by extracting promises from investors not to fund them.

On the other hand, Altman has been pushing for OpenAI to transition from its nonprofit roots to a for-profit company, following billions of dollars in outside investment from Microsoft and others. This move has raised concerns from the United States Federal Trade Commission, which fears that Microsoft could extend its dominance in cloud computing into the booming AI market.

As the saga between Musk and Altman continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether Musk's offer will be reconsidered or if OpenAI will press ahead with its plans to become a for-profit company. The outcome of this high-stakes battle will not only shape the future of OpenAI but also have significant implications for the broader AI industry and the tech landscape as a whole.

In the meantime, investors and stakeholders alike will be closely watching the developments, eager to see how this rocky saga plays out and what it means for the future of AI innovation and competition.