Elon Musk has launched an audacious $94.7 billion bid to take back control of OpenAI, reigniting his long-standing feud with CEO Sam Altman over the future of artificial intelligence.
A lawyer representing Musk and a consortium of investors submitted the offer to OpenAI’s board on Monday, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The billionaire, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015, stated that it’s time for the organization to return to its "open-source, safety-focused force for good" roots.
Elon bidding for OpenAI pic.twitter.com/BXQAiXKHvS
— High Yield Harry (@HighyieldHarry) February 10, 2025
“It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was,” Musk said in a statement. “We will make sure that happens.”
However, Altman wasted no time rejecting the offer, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to fire back at Musk in a sharp-witted response.
“No thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want,” Altman posted, mocking Musk’s tumultuous acquisition of the social media platform.
no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want
— Sam Altman (@sama) February 10, 2025
The move is the latest escalation in an ongoing power struggle between Musk and Altman, which has only intensified over the years. Musk was an original co-founder of OpenAI, but left the board in 2018 after an internal dispute over who should lead the company. Since then, Altman has steered OpenAI towards commercialization, creating a for-profit subsidiary in 2019 and planning further structural changes that have drawn Musk’s ire.
Tensions boiled over in September 2024, when reports surfaced that Altman was preparing to transform OpenAI into a public benefit corporation. Musk, who by then had launched his own AI firm, xAI, immediately filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the company of betraying its original mission in favor of profit. The lawsuit put Altman’s plans on hold and intensified their public feud.
As the Musk-Altman rivalry escalated yet again, social media exploded with reactions comparing the situation to high-profile rap beefs.
This is the tech and finance bro version of Kendrick vs Drake https://t.co/LSZZwP8EmY
— Boring_Business (@BoringBiz_) February 10, 2025
More entertaining than the Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/1bp3ZtZYZS
— Morning Brew ☕️ (@MorningBrew) February 10, 2025
this is Kendrick v. Drake for tech bros pic.twitter.com/WdyqULQP03
— spor (@sporadicalia) February 10, 2025
“Kendrick vs. Drake for people with six-figure salaries and undecorated apartments,” one user quipped.
Drake vs Kendrick...but in San Francisco 🥹 https://t.co/ApysbJvy1H
— Chad Dexter (@chad_dexter) February 10, 2025
Kendrick vs. Drake for people with 6 figure salaries and undecorated apartments pic.twitter.com/vL5AomBZjK
— cold 🥑 (@coldhealing) February 11, 2025
Another echoed the sentiment, calling it “Kendrick v. Drake for accredited investors.”
kendrick v drake for accredited investors
— Vivek Gopalan (@vvkgopalan) February 11, 2025
Others speculated on Musk’s next move, with one user posting, “I think if we push Elon far enough in this moment he will go on a full Yeezy tirade, if you get where I’m going.”
i think if we push Elon far enough in this moment he will go on a full yeezy tirade, if you get where I’m going
— albs — 3/staccs (@albfresco) February 10, 2025
Musk himself added to the chaos, sharing an image that read “Scam Altman” alongside a meme mocking OpenAI’s CEO.
Scam Altman
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 10, 2025
pic.twitter.com/j9EXIqBZ8u
Beyond the personal feud, Musk’s buyout bid raises major questions about the future of AI development. If successful, it would give him unprecedented control over the company he once helped build, positioning him as a dominant force in the race to commercialize artificial intelligence. However, Altman’s firm rejection suggests that OpenAI has no intention of backing down.
Meanwhile, OpenAI remains a central player in Project Stargate, a joint AI initiative with Oracle and SoftBank that promises to invest up to $500 billion in AI development. Musk’s aggressive takeover attempt could complicate OpenAI’s involvement in this initiative, adding another layer of intrigue to the battle for AI supremacy.
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