Sam Altman Dismisses Elon Musk’s $97.4 Billion Bid for OpenAI

OpenAI CEO Takes a Jibe at Musk, Calls His Actions “Insecure” and “Unhappy”

Washington DC [US], February 12: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has dismissed Elon Musk’s reported $97.4 billion bid to acquire the AI startup’s assets, accusing the Tesla and SpaceX CEO of acting out of “insecurity” and attempting to “slow us down.”

Speaking at the Paris AI Summit in an interview with Bloomberg Television, Altman made sharp remarks about Musk’s alleged offer and personality. “Probably his whole life is from a position of insecurity. I feel for the guy. I don’t think he’s a happy person,” Altman said, as reported by multiple US outlets, including The New York Post and The Hill.

Altman Rejects Musk’s Offer, Calls It a “Tactic”

Musk, along with a group of investors, reportedly made an unsolicited $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI’s assets. However, Altman swiftly rejected the offer, reiterating that the company was “not for sale.”

“It’s another one of his tactics to try to mess with us,” Altman added. When asked what Musk wanted from the deal, he responded, “He’s probably just trying to slow us down.”

Following reports of the offer, Altman took to X (formerly Twitter) to mock Musk, writing, “No thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.” In response, Musk fired back, calling Altman a “swindler.”

Musk’s Investors and His Call for OpenAI’s Return to Open-Source

According to The New York Post, Musk’s legal team, led by attorney Marc Toberoff, confirmed that Musk had secured funding from several prominent investors, including venture firms such as Joe Lonsdale’s 8VC, Valor Equity Partners, Baron Capital, Atreides Management, and Vy Capital. Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel was also named among the backers.

Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but later parted ways with the company, has been vocal about his concerns regarding its direction. In a statement, he said, “It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was.”

OpenAI’s Soaring Valuation and Musk’s Disruptive Move

Musk’s unsolicited bid comes as OpenAI is reportedly finalizing a massive $40 billion funding deal, led by Japanese tech giant SoftBank, which would push its valuation to an estimated $300 billion. This would make OpenAI one of the most valuable private companies globally, alongside Musk’s SpaceX and ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok.

Reports suggest that OpenAI has not yet formally reviewed Musk’s bid, and it remains unclear whether Musk’s offer will impact the company’s ongoing funding negotiations.

The tension between Altman and Musk, both major figures in AI development, reflects a deeper battle over the future of artificial intelligence, its regulation, and its accessibility. Whether Musk’s bid is a serious attempt to regain control over OpenAI or simply a disruptive tactic, it has added another chapter to their ongoing rivalry.