This is the second time in less than 24 hours that OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman has rebuffed Musk’s $97.4 billion offer to seize control of the AI powerhouse and directly accuses the billionaire of trying to hold the progress of OpenAI back for competitive reasons.
“I think he’s probably just trying to slow us down.
He obviously is a competitor,” said Altman, who spoke in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Tuesday at the Paris AI Summit. “I wish he would just compete by building a better product, but I think there’s been a lot of tactics, many, many lawsuits, all sorts of other crazy stuff-now this.”
Altman and Musk were both co-founders of OpenAI, but Musk eventually left after clashing with the company’s leadership over its direction. Since then, he has launched his own AI venture, xAI, which directly competes with OpenAI’s advancements in artificial intelligence. In addition, Musk has sued OpenAI, claiming the company has deviated from its original mission of prioritizing humanity’s well-being over profit.
During the interview, Altman took a personal jab at Musk, remarking, “Probably his whole life is from a position of insecurity—I feel for the guy.” He also added that he doesn’t believe Musk is “a happy person
While Altman remains publicly opposed to Musk’s takeover, OpenAI’s board plays a key role in determining how seriously the bid will be considered. The nonprofit arm of OpenAI has governance authority over its for-profit division, meaning that any major acquisition bid would require board approval
One key player in this decision is Bret Taylor, OpenAI’s current chairman. Taylor, the former co-CEO of Salesforce Inc., took over in 2023 following a highly publicized leadership struggle between Altman and OpenAI’s former board members. Taylor also has a contentious history with Musk—he served as Twitter’s chairman when Musk made an unsolicited bid to acquire the social media giant before attempting to back out, only to be forced to proceed by a court ruling.
In response to Musk’s offer, Altman tweeted playfully on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday: “No thanks, but we’ll buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want
OpenAI stays focused on growth
But despite the sideshow of Musk’s attempt to take over, OpenAI is now in the middle of a major fundraising that might push its post-money valuation to an estimated $300 billion, according to Bloomberg. Back in October, it was valued at $157 billion
Altman reiterated that OpenAI would never sell its AI operations to anyone. “OpenAI is not for sale,” he said. “The OpenAI mission is not for sale
Musk’s attorney purportedly states that his offer is supported by xAI and a large group of well-known investors, which include Valor Equity Partners, Baron Capital, Atreides Management, Vy Capital, Joe Lonsdale’s 8VC, and media mogul Ari Emanuel through his investment fund. However, Altman and the existing leadership of OpenAI don’t budge
Since the internal shake-up, OpenAI has reconstituted its board to include high-profile members such as former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and investment banker Adebayo Ogunlesi. Summers is a highly respected economist and a paid contributor to Bloomberg TV
For now, Altman and his team are focusing on expanding OpenAI’s influence in the AI space, pushing forward with innovations while fending off Musk’s aggressive takeover attempts. As OpenAI continues to grow and evolve, it remains clear that Altman is unwilling to compromise its mission, even when faced with an offer from the world’s richest .
