Timeline of a tech feud: Sam Altman and Elon Musk’s 10-year rivalry
The two Silicon Valley giants co-founded OpenAI in 2015, but their mutual animosity has only intensified since then
A decade ago, the list of co-founders of OpenAI — the company behind one of the largest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) to date — included two partners whose personalities have become central to one of the most shocking clashes in the world’s tech elite: Sam Altman and Elon Musk. The latest chapter in this saga is Musk’s offer to acquire the AI company. Here’s the timeline of their long-standing dispute, played out across social media, the courts, the stock market, and even within the halls of power at the White House.
The birth of OpenAI
In 2015, a dozen investors, including Sam Altman and Elon Musk, raised around a billion dollars to launch OpenAI. The mission was clear: to develop advances in neural networks and create the next step in artificial intelligence — an AI capable of responding to and learning from basic human interaction to perform a wide range of tasks, including creative ones. But it didn’t take long for differences to surface. Altman argued that the organization should remain non-profit, focused on using AI for the betterment of humanity. Meanwhile, Musk’s growing concerns about the direction of the company were becoming evident. Just two years later, just before the launch of ChatGPT, Musk began urging U.S. lawmakers to intervene and regulate AI, calling it one of the “existential risks” facing humanity.
Musk leaves the company
Musk, the billionaire owner of Tesla and SpaceX, believed that OpenAI was being influenced by other corporate interests and attempted to take control of the company. However, Altman and the other founders rejected his proposal. As a result, Musk exited OpenAI in February 2018 and withdrew his investment plan.
Continued criticism of OpenAI
Despite his departure — some sources suggest he was actually dismissed — Musk continued to keep a close eye on the company and didn’t hesitate to criticize it, taking aim at the very principles Altman championed: transparency. Musk told MIT Technology Review that “OpenAI should be more open.” He argued that the company was now based on a culture of secrecy and lacked the necessary security.
Musk buys Twitter, and ChatGPT is born
In October 2022, Musk acquired Twitter, removed its content moderation program, and used the platform for ideological proclamations — including ongoing attacks on the company he had once helped create. “OpenAI was started as open-source and non-profit. Neither are still true,” he posted on his new social media platform. Altman, in response, clarified that OpenAI was now a “limited profit corporation.” “We want to increase our ability to raise funds while continuing to fulfill our mission,” Altman explained, justifying the company’s new structure.
A month later, as the world awaited the launch of ChatGPT, Musk accused Altman of using Twitter’s data to train the AI chatbot.
The attempt to stop ChatGPT
The success of ChatGPT, with millions of downloads, has only fueled the growing rivalry between Musk’s and Altman’s companies. Musk accuses Altman of turning OpenAI into a “closed source, maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft,” he posted on X. “Not what I intended at all.”
Just two years ago, Musk signed a letter with 1,000 notable figures calling for a six-month moratorium on AI development to address the “profound risks of AI to society and humanity” and ensure “effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable.”
Public dispute and counteroffensive with xAI
Over the last decade, their public clashes have intensified, particularly after Musk’s acquisition of Twitter and its rebranding to X. Musk championed the platform as a space for “free speech absolutism,” to which Altman retorted, “Free speech absolutism on steroids.” In 2023, Musk launched xAI, his own AI company, to compete directly with OpenAI. Despite the rivalry, Altman, with a personality far removed from Musk’s, attempted to downplay the confrontation: “We have differences of opinion on some parts, but we both care about that and he wants to make sure we, the world, have the maximal chance at a good outcome.”
The rivalry reaches the courts
Attempts at reconciliation proved futile. In March 2024, Musk sued Altman and OpenAI, claiming the company had violated its founding principles and become “a closed-source de facto subsidiary of the largest technology company, Microsoft.” Although Musk later withdrew the suit, he filed another in August 2024, accusing OpenAI of “tricking” him into co-founding the company. He further accused OpenAI and Microsoft of creating a lucrative monopoly. In response, OpenAI filed its own complaint, accusing Musk of mounting a harassment campaign.
Jealousy of power
Musk’s financial and social media support for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has earned him the title of the new president’s “first buddy.” This year, he was rewarded with the position of head of the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk’s growing political influence has fueled animosity toward Altman, whom he now refers to as “Scam Altman.” Meanwhile, Trump has announced an alliance with OpenAI (under the Stargate project) to invest $500 billion. Musk swiftly downplayed the technological and financial capacity of the project. In response, Altman, as usual, kept it brief: “Wrong, as you surely know. Want to come visit the first site already under way?”
Final escalation
The long-standing and escalating feud reached its peak on Monday when a consortium led by Musk offered $97.4 billion to purchase the foundation that controls OpenAI. Altman, undeterred, responded on X: “No thank you but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.” Musk quickly fired back with a brief message: “Scam Altman.”
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