The relationship between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman soured after Musk left OpenAI’s first board of directors. In recent months, tensions have flared again over OpenAI’s proposed bylaw changes, leading to a legal battle between the two. In a recent interview, Altman didn’t hold back, calling Musk a “bully.”
Altman has acknowledged Musk’s crucial financial role in OpenAI’s early days. Speaking on The Free Press podcast, he said Musk “did a lot to help OpenAI in its early days.” However, he also said bluntly, “He’s clearly a bully, and he’s also someone who clearly likes to get into fights.”
Musk’s Way or Nothing
Altman described Musk as a “legendary entrepreneur” but said their conflict arises from OpenAI’s success under his leadership and its position as a direct rival to Musk’s xAI, which developed the Grok chatbot.
“I believe Elon would be happy about if he were in control of OpenAI,” the executive said. “He left when he thought we were on a trajectory to certainly fail, and also when we wouldn’t do something where he had total control over the company,” something Musk has subsequently tried to do at Tesla.
Musk’s departure signaled the beginning of xAI and its Grok chatbot, placing the companies in direct competition. OpenAI’s decision to transition from a nonprofit to a for-profit structure further deepened the rivalry.
In an open letter published Dec. 13, OpenAI stated, “His own words and actions speak for themselves—in 2017, Elon not only wanted but actually created a for-profit as OpenAI’s proposed new structure. When he didn’t get majority equity and full control, he walked away and told us we would fail.”
Extreme Competitiveness
Altman argued that Musk’s extreme competitiveness drives him to challenge anyone obstructing his goals. “Right now, it’s me. It’s been Bezos, Gates, Zuckerberg, and lots of others. Fundamentally, this is about OpenAI doing really well. Elon cares about doing really well.”
Musk’s past behavior supports this claim. He publicly clashed with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates after learning Gates had shorted Tesla stock. Musk has repeatedly mocked Gates over that decision.
The Colosseum in Rome nearly became the stage for an epic showdown between Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, sparked by the launch of Threads as a rival to X. The tension escalated when Zuckerberg showcased his MMA skills and physical fitness, accepting the challenge from the world’s richest man.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos hasn’t escaped Musk’s ire either. Competing with Bezos in the space race, Musk frequently criticized him and Blue Origin.
Musk’s influence has grown beyond the private sector. Now advising President-elect Donald Trump on regulations, Musk poses a greater challenge to Altman’s interests. Still, Altman remains skeptical about Musk’s capacity to abuse his influence. “I think there are people who will be jerks on Twitter but still won’t abuse the country’s systems,” Altman said during the interview.
Image | TechCrunch | Steve Jurvetson
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