Elon Musk’s $100 Billion Bid for ChatGPT and Sam Altman’s Bold Response
Elon Musk has made an astonishing offer—he’s leading a group of investors aiming to buy OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, for a staggering $97.4 billion. If the deal goes through, it could significantly reshape the future of artificial intelligence. Musk’s interest in OpenAI isn’t new, as he was one of its co-founders in 2015. However, his relationship with the company has soured over the years, leading to legal battles and public clashes with OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman.
The rift between Musk and Altman has been growing, with Musk previously accusing OpenAI of drifting away from its nonprofit roots. He believes the company, which was initially established to ensure AI benefits humanity, is now prioritizing profit over safety. OpenAI, which operates as a nonprofit with a for-profit arm, has seen tremendous financial success, climbing to an estimated valuation of $100 billion under Altman’s leadership. Musk argues that if OpenAI is indeed becoming a for-profit entity, it should compensate for what it’s taking from its nonprofit foundation—control over AI’s future.
Musk’s move isn’t just about reclaiming OpenAI’s original mission; it’s also a strategic effort to gain an edge in the AI industry. His own AI venture, X.AI, competes with OpenAI, making this potential acquisition a high-stakes power play. Musk’s lawyer, Marc Toberoff, has reinforced this sentiment, stating that Musk’s group wants to steer OpenAI back toward open-source, safety-focused development. But Altman wasted no time in responding. In a sharp and humorous tweet, he shot back, “No thanks, but we’ll buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.”
The rivalry between the two tech leaders has been ongoing, with Musk filing lawsuits against OpenAI, accusing it of prioritizing financial gain over responsible AI development. Interestingly, OpenAI recently released old emails from Musk, revealing that he had acknowledged the company’s need to generate revenue to sustain its AI ambitions—an ironic twist given his current legal stance. Musk initially dropped his lawsuit in mid-2024 but later launched a new case in August, alleging that OpenAI was pushing forward with artificial general intelligence (AGI) recklessly, solely for profit.
Beyond the legal drama, OpenAI has faced scrutiny from within. In late 2023, Altman was unexpectedly ousted by the OpenAI board, only to be reinstated shortly after. Some board members had raised concerns about the company’s rapid AI development pace, fearing it was compromising safety measures. Now, with Musk trying to take over OpenAI and Altman dismissing the offer with a clever counter, the battle for control over the future of AI is far from over. Whether this bid leads to a major industry shakeup or just another public feud remains to be seen.