OpenAI remains independent as CEO Sam Altman rejects Elon Musk’s $97bn takeover bid, reaffirming the company’s commitment to its mission
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Elon Musk has been told a firm ‘No, thank you’ after offering a staggering $97 billion (£78.4bn) to buy OpenAI.
CEO Sam Altman made it clear that the AI giant is not for sale—and he didn’t stop there.
In a quick-witted reply on X (formerly Twitter), Altman shot back: “No thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.”
Speaking at the AI Action Summit in Paris, Altman doubled down, telling reporters: “We’re happy to buy Twitter, though.” It was a direct jab at Musk, whose chaotic takeover of Twitter (now X) has been widely criticised.
A feud years in the making
Musk and Altman’s rivalry goes back years. The two were co-founders of OpenAI in 2015, but Musk walked away from the board in 2018 after losing a power struggle over the company’s direction. Since then, he has repeatedly criticised OpenAI, claiming it has abandoned its original mission as a non-profit research lab for the public good.
Musk even sued OpenAI, arguing that it had become too commercial. Meanwhile, he launched his own AI company, xAI, to compete with ChatGPT and other OpenAI projects.
His latest takeover attempt was supposedly aimed at restoring OpenAI to a non-profit, but few in the tech world believe that was his true motive.
What’s next for OpenAI?
Altman is pressing ahead with plans to fully restructure OpenAI into a for-profit model, arguing that the shift is necessary to attract investment and keep developing cutting-edge AI.
When asked whether Musk’s latest legal and financial moves could slow things down, Altman remained unfazed: “The board will decide what to do. The non-profit will continue to play a strong role.”
Since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, OpenAI has been at the heart of the AI revolution. One thing is certain—Elon Musk won’t be running the show.
