OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has rejected Elon Musk’s $97.4 billion bid to acquire the ChatGPT maker. Reuters reported that Musk and a group of investors, including xAI, Baron Capital, Vy Capital, and 8VC, made the offer on Feb. 10.
Altman quickly responded on X, saying, “No thank you but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.” Musk originally bought Twitter, now X, for $44 billion in 2022.
Musk fired back by sharing a video of Altman’s 2023 testimony before Congress, captioning it “Scam Altman.” The two have been at odds over OpenAI’s direction, with Musk advocating for open-source AI while Altman focuses on commercial expansion.
Musk previously sued OpenAI and Altman, claiming they broke their nonprofit promises. Though he dropped the case after OpenAI released emails suggesting Musk knew a for-profit model was necessary, he remains determined to restore OpenAI’s original mission.
“If OpenAI wants to go fully for-profit, it must fairly compensate the charity for what it’s taking,” said Musk’s lawyer, Marc Toberoff.
OpenAI, valued at $157 billion last year, has secured major investments, including a reported $40 billion deal with SoftBank. The firm also plays a role in the $500 billion “Stargate” AI project announced by Donald Trump.
Musk’s investor group remains willing to raise their offer, signaling an ongoing battle for OpenAI’s future.
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