OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman and Tesla CEO Elon Musk have clashed online again. Longtime rivals, the two have traded barbs for days over delays in the Tesla Roadster's development and OpenAI's shift to a for-profit structure.
According to the two men's posts on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on the 3rd (local time), Altman on Oct. 30 posted a screenshot of a Tesla reservation confirmation email for the electric sports car Roadster and wrote that he was canceling his reservation, saying, "I waited more than seven years, but it took too long." He said he requested a refund of the $45,000 deposit he paid when he reserved in 2018, but added that a reply was not made due to a change of email address.
Musk shot back, "You stole a nonprofit." He was mocking the fact that OpenAI started as a nonprofit organization and later restructured into a form that combines profit and public interest. He also jeered, "You didn't mention that the issue was already resolved and you got a refund within 24 hours. That's your true nature."
Altman immediately countered, "I grew the OpenAI you abandoned into the world's largest nonprofit," adding, "You know that the current structure made that growth possible." He continued, "You wanted Tesla to acquire OpenAI, and you said our chances of success were 0%," adding, "Now that we both have good AI companies, let's stop fighting."
Musk joined as a co-founding member of OpenAI in 2015 but left the board in 2018 and disposed of all his equity. He later sued OpenAI, saying Altman broke the promise of "nonprofit operation" and shifted to profit-seeking. OpenAI countersued, calling it a "malicious act intended to hinder growth," and the legal battle between the two sides is set to go to a jury trial in March next year.