Additional Coverage:
- Musk-led group of investors submit unsolicited bid of $97.4B to take over OpenAI: report (foxbusiness.com)
Local billionaire Elon Musk has reportedly offered a staggering $97.4 billion to take over OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company behind the popular chatbot ChatGPT. This bid further escalates Musk’s ongoing feud with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
The unsolicited offer was reportedly submitted to OpenAI’s board of directors earlier this week. It throws a wrench into Altman’s plans to transform OpenAI into a profitable company.
Altman is also reportedly involved in a massive infrastructure project called Stargate, a joint venture aiming to invest up to $500 billion in AI development.
The two tech leaders are currently battling in court over the future direction of OpenAI. The conflict spilled onto social media after news of the offer broke.
Altman responded to Musk on X, jokingly suggesting OpenAI might buy Twitter for a fraction of the price. Musk quickly retorted, calling Altman a “swindler.”
Musk co-founded OpenAI but severed ties in 2018 after failing to gain control. He has since expressed distrust of Altman’s leadership.
OpenAI was initially established as a non-profit in 2015 by both Musk and Altman. After Musk’s departure, Altman took the helm and the company created a for-profit subsidiary to attract investors.
Stargate, announced last month, involves OpenAI, Softbank, and Oracle collaborating to build U.S. data centers for AI development. Musk publicly questioned the project’s funding, claiming Softbank lacks the necessary capital.
This disagreement has fueled further online exchanges between the two. The situation continues to develop.