Elon Musk-led group wants to buy OpenAI for $97.4 billion, Sam Altman hits back offering $9.74 billion for Twitter
A consortium led by Elon Musk and comprising venture firms such as Joe Lonsdale's 8VC, Valor Equity Partners, Baron Capital, Atreides Management, and Vy Capital, along with Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, has made an unsolicited $97.4 billion bid to take control of OpenAI.
The war of words between two of the most influential tech entrepreneurs of our times has escalated to an all-new level. Tesla CEO Elon Musk and OpenAI Co-founder Sam Altman, who had been at odds for some time, locked horns once again after the world's richest man brought together a group of investors to buy out the non-profit that controls the ChatGPT-maker.
CREDIT: REUTERS
Musk, friends want to buy OpenAI
A consortium led by Musk and comprising venture firms such as Joe Lonsdale's 8VC, Valor Equity Partners, Baron Capital, Atreides Management, and Vy Capital, along with Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, has reportedly made an unsolicited $97.4 billion bid to take control of OpenAI.
OpenAI's non-profit status
OpenAI, which was founded in 2015, is controlled by a non-profit led by Altman. However, recently, OpenAI proposed changing its status to that of a for-profit company. Musk, who was one of the co-founders of OpenAI, left the company in 2018 due to differences in its direction and to start his own AI venture.
CREDIT: REUTERS
What Musk said
Confirming the bid to buy OpenAI, which is also backed by Musk's AI company xAI, the world's richest man said in a statement: ¡°It's time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was. We will make sure that happens.¡±
Sam Altman's response
The unsolicited offer, however, did not go down well with Altman, who would become the biggest beneficiary if OpenAI transitions into a for-profit.
"No, thank you," Altman said on X.
CREDIT: REUTERS
Going one step further, Altman offered to buy Twitter for $9.74 billion, which Musk purchased for $44 billion.
"no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want," Altman said.
no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want
¡ª Sam Altman (@sama) February 10, 2025
Musk vs Altman
Musk, who responded to the post calling Altman a 'swindler,' also posted another video, referring to the OpenAI co-founder as 'Scam Altman'.
Scam Altman
¡ª Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 10, 2025
pic.twitter.com/j9EXIqBZ8u
The duo had also recently engaged in a war of words on X over Stargate, the $500 billion AI infrastructure project announced by Trump.
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Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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