Elon Musk and Sam Altman—two of the most prominent and influential figures in contemporary technology—have once again reignited their long history of public sparring, this time through a new exchange unfolding on Musk’s social media platform, X. Their rivalry, which has spanned years and transcended the boundaries of professional disagreement, traces its roots back to their early collaboration as co-founders of OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research organization that has since become a central player in the global AI race. While Altman continues to serve as OpenAI’s chief executive officer, Musk has long distanced himself from the company and repeatedly turned his platform and legal avenues into battlegrounds for criticism, accusation, and counterclaim.
The latest episode of their ongoing feud began when Altman posted a message he described as “a tale in three acts.” His post included a series of screenshots that together told an anecdote stretching from his initial enthusiasm about Tesla several years ago to his recent frustration. Altman revealed that back in 2018, he had reserved a Tesla Roadster—a second-generation version of the company’s high-performance electric sports car—by placing a $50,000 refundable deposit. Years later, after waiting far longer than anticipated, Altman decided to cancel the reservation and request a refund. To his disappointment, his email to Tesla reportedly bounced, prompting him to share the story publicly. Accompanying the images, Altman wrote that he had been genuinely excited about the car and completely understood that unexpected delays can happen in the business of engineering complex technology. Nevertheless, he added, waiting seven and a half years for a promised product had certainly tested his patience.
To provide context, Tesla’s second-generation Roadster had first been unveiled in November 2017 amid great fanfare, promised to deliver unprecedented performance metrics that would redefine electric sports cars. Yet, over the years, the release date had been continuously postponed as Musk and Tesla emphasized the need to refine its design and production. Recently, Musk reassured followers that a new version would finally be publicly revealed before the end of this year—a statement reflecting both Tesla’s ambition and its persistent delays.
In response to Altman’s post, Musk wasted no time in delivering a sharp retort. He replied with the pointed accusation, “You stole a nonprofit,” reviving a reproach he has aimed at Altman and OpenAI several times before. This phrase refers to Musk’s contention that OpenAI, which he once helped establish as a nonprofit dedicated to the safe and ethical advancement of artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity, has deviated from those founding ideals by establishing a complex for-profit structure. This accusation has not been restricted to social media quips—it has manifested in the form of formal lawsuits, public statements, and even Musk’s own reported takeover attempts. These efforts have aimed to challenge or slow OpenAI’s transformation into a profit-driven entity, though the company ultimately completed the restructuring process, leaving its nonprofit arm in control of the overarching for-profit public benefit corporation.
Adding to the competitive tension, Musk launched a rival artificial intelligence venture named xAI, which positions itself as an alternative approach to what he views as the increasingly commercialized AI landscape. Most recently, xAI has filed lawsuits against both OpenAI and Apple, alleging that the two technology giants have conspired in ways that could restrict competition. Altman, for his part, dismissed these allegations as “remarkable,” further implying that Musk himself has been known—or at least accused—of using his control of social media and other corporate assets to favor his own businesses while targeting competitors or individuals who fall from his favor.
After repeating his familiar critique of Altman and OpenAI, Musk returned once more to the central incident that sparked this particular interaction: the refund request. He accused Altman of presenting an incomplete account and added with a dose of sarcasm, “And you forgot to mention act four, where this issue was fixed and you received a refund within twenty-four hours. But that is in your nature.” Musk’s response implied that Altman’s portrayal of the situation may have intentionally omitted the resolution in order to cast Tesla—and by extension, Musk himself—in a more negative light.
Together, these exchanges represent more than just a clash of personalities. They encapsulate the complex relationship between two leaders who helped shape one of the most influential AI organizations in existence and continue to vie for dominance in overlapping spheres of technology and public discourse. What might appear at first glance as a trivial matter of a delayed refund has become another public front in an ongoing ideological and corporate rivalry—one that underscores how conflicts among industry leaders can influence not only their companies’ reputations but also public understanding of the technological age itself.
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