Sam Altman slams Elon Musk: 'I feel for him, don't think he's happy'

Sam Altman dismisses Elon Musk's $97.4 billion takeover bid, saying it's just another tactic to slow OpenAI down, adding, 'I feel for him. I don't think he's a happy person'

The ongoing tension between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk took a personal turn after Altman dismissed Musk’s $97.4 billion offer to buy OpenAI, and made sharp comments about the billionaire’s mindset.

 

In an interview with Bloomberg TV at the Paris AI Action Summit, Altman brushed off Musk’s takeover attempt, suggesting it was just another move to disrupt OpenAI’s progress. “Elon tries all sorts of things for a long time. This is the latest—you know, this week’s episode,” Altman said. “I think he’s probably just trying to slow us down.”

 

Then, when asked if Musk’s legal and business battles with OpenAI stemmed from insecurity, Altman said, “Probably his whole life is from a position of insecurity. I feel for the guy. I don’t think he’s, like, a happy person.”

 

Musk’s offer rejected

 

Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, led a group of investors in a $97.4 billion bid to acquire the company. If successful, the deal would have put him back in control of the AI firm he left in 2018.

 

But Altman and OpenAI’s board declined the offer, making it clear that OpenAI is not for sale.

 

Musk’s offer, however, could complicate OpenAI’s future restructuring plans. By putting a massive price tag on the company, Musk has set a new valuation benchmark, which may impact OpenAI’s next steps as it considers spinning off parts of its for-profit business.

 

A long-running rivalry 

This is just the latest clash between Altman and Musk, who have had a rocky relationship since Musk left OpenAI.

 

In 2024, Musk sued OpenAI twice, arguing that the company was prioritising profit over AI safety. OpenAI responded by publishing internal emails from Musk, which suggested he had previously supported the idea of making OpenAI a for-profit company to fund AI development. 

Altman, for his part, seems uninterested in Musk’s legal battles.

 

“I wish he would just compete by building a better product,” Altman said. “But I think there’s been a lot of tactics—many, many lawsuits, all sorts of other crazy stuff, now this. And we’ll try to just put our head down and keep working.”

 

What’s next for OpenAI?

 

Musk’s takeover bid complicates OpenAI. Because a nonprofit board controls the company, it doesn’t have to accept the highest financial offer. However, Musk’s valuation will likely influence future investment or restructuring decisions.

 

Altman, meanwhile, remains focused on AI development and isn’t worried about Musk’s growing influence in tech and politics, including his ties to Donald Trump’s White House. “Maybe I should [be concerned], but not particularly,” Altman said, adding, “I try to just wake up and think about how we’re going to make our technology better.”