OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has signaled a willingness to reconcile with Elon Musk, aiming to put their feud behind them and collaborate on the shared goal of achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI). The two tech leaders have a complex history—co-founding OpenAI together, only to become rivals in the race toward advanced AI.
Tensions resurfaced on Saturday in a social media spat over their past criticisms of Donald Trump. It began when Musk quoted a tweet from Y Combinator co-founder Paul Graham, stating, “Few have done more than Sam Altman to defeat Trump.” Altman responded: “we were both wrong, or at least i certainly was 🤷♂️ but that was from 2016 and this was from 2022.” He referred to a resurfaced tweet from Musk in 2022 that said, “I don’t hate the man (Donald Trump), but it’s time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset.”
Altman ultimately extended an olive branch, suggesting a truce—and maybe even renewed friendship.
“Anyway, see you next week, let’s be friends 🥺 👉👈 agi too important to let a lil feud get in the way,” he wrote.
Despite their differences, both Musk and Altman remain influential in U.S. AI policy. Musk, a close Trump ally, was recently appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) 🐶. Altman, meanwhile, has partnered with the government through the $500 billion Project Stargate 🛰️, focused on building critical AI infrastructure.
Elon Musk’s Ongoing Feud with OpenAI:
Though Musk left OpenAI in 2018, his criticism of the company intensified after the public launch of ChatGPT in late 2022. He took aim at OpenAI’s growing partnership with Microsoft, accusing it of becoming a “closed source, maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft.”
In response, Musk launched his own AI venture in 2023—xAI, which now operates Grok, a chatbot positioned as a direct competitor to ChatGPT.
Tensions escalated further as Musk filed multiple lawsuits against OpenAI, targeting its relationship with Microsoft and its evolving business model. His most recent legal action aimed to block OpenAI’s efforts to transition into a profit-driven structure.
Initially, OpenAI dismissed Musk as a rival acting out of competitive zeal. However, amid growing scrutiny from AI researchers, former employees, and several state attorneys general, the company was forced to reconsider its path. This week, OpenAI announced that although it will continue spinning off its for-profit arm as a public benefit corporation (PBC), ultimate control will remain with the original nonprofit.
