Musk and Altman Clash on Social Media After ChatGPT Co-Creator’s White House Appearance
Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, joined Trump in announcing the AI “Stargate” initiative, sparking a public dispute with Musk over funding and AI priorities.
SAN FRANCISCO — A heated exchange erupted on social media Thursday between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, two tech moguls known for their rival artificial intelligence efforts. The dispute intensified after Altman, CEO of OpenAI, was revealed as a key player in the Stargate project, an ambitious AI infrastructure initiative that President Donald Trump unveiled this week.
Musk ignited the tension with a post on X (formerly Twitter), criticizing the project’s financial backing. “They don’t actually have the money,” Musk claimed, referring to the Stargate initiative. He then singled out SoftBank, the primary investor in the project, asserting, “SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority,” though he did not provide further details.
Altman responded with a respectful tone, acknowledging Musk’s accomplishments but refuting his claim about SoftBank’s financial backing. “I genuinely respect your accomplishments and think you are the most inspiring entrepreneur of our time,” Altman wrote. However, he took issue with Musk's assertion, adding, "I realize what is great for the country isn’t always what’s optimal for your companies, but in your new role, I hope you’ll mostly put [America] first," punctuating his comment with an American flag emoji.
Trump weighed in on the conflict later, indirectly referencing Musk’s feud with Altman without naming him. "But I have certain hatreds of people, too," Trump said, alluding to Musk’s past criticisms of Altman and OpenAI.
The dispute has deeper roots, stemming from a lawsuit Musk filed over his involvement in OpenAI’s leadership. This latest flare-up was sparked by Trump’s announcement that OpenAI would play a central role in the $500 billion Stargate initiative, aimed at establishing the U.S. as a global leader in AI.
Musk escalated the argument by bringing up past remarks from Altman during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, where Altman seemed to criticize Trump’s politics. However, later that evening, Altman shared a post expressing his changed perspective on the president: “Watching @POTUS more carefully recently has really changed my perspective on him. I wish I had done more of my own thinking,” he wrote. “I’m not going to agree with him on everything, but I think he will be incredible for the country in many ways!”
The back-and-forth continued into Thursday morning, with Altman mocking Musk’s tweets, “just one more mean tweet and then maybe you’ll love yourself…”
This public sparring highlights the fierce competition within the tech industry, especially in the burgeoning AI sector, where both Musk and Altman are vying for dominance. As AI development becomes central to technological power and U.S. economic growth, these rivalries are taking on new significance.
For Musk, this conflict also underscores his complex relationship with Trump. As a top advisor to the president, Musk has a stake in AI development through his own company, X, which launched Grok in November to rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
The ongoing feud between Musk and Altman dates back several years, long before Musk’s political involvement and the explosion of AI technology. With AI becoming a key factor in driving U.S. innovation and economic growth, securing investments and partnerships in the space is critical. A Goldman Sachs report in June suggested that AI capital expenditure could exceed $1 trillion, underscoring the immense stakes in the battle for AI dominance.