Original Article by: techcrunch.com
At the AI Action Summit in Paris, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman brushed off Elon Musk’s $97.4 billion offer to acquire the company’s nonprofit arm, framing the move as a tactical effort to disrupt OpenAI’s momentum. Altman suggested Musk’s bid—reportedly made without prior negotiation—was driven by competitive rivalry, pointing to Musk’s own AI venture, xAI, which recently attracted billions in investor backing.
“When a competitor tries to buy your company, it’s not about collaboration—it’s about slowing you down,” Altman remarked during a panel discussion. He doubled down on his earlier public rejection of the proposal, emphasizing that OpenAI remains focused on its mission and has “zero interest” in entertaining Musk’s offer.
The tension between the two tech leaders has simmered for years. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 before exiting in 2018, has repeatedly criticized the organization’s pivot to a capped-profit structure and its multibillion-dollar partnership with Microsoft. Altman hinted that Musk’s criticisms—and now the acquisition bid—reflect deeper insecurities. “People who attack others’ work often do so out of unhappiness,” he said.
While OpenAI’s board has yet to formally address Musk’s proposal, board member Larry Summers confirmed in a Financial Times interview that no official discussions have taken place. “We’ve seen the headlines, but there’s been no outreach from Elon or his team,” Summers stated.
The clash underscores the high-stakes race in AI development. As OpenAI prepares to launch its next-generation models, Musk’s xAI is positioning itself as an open-source alternative, recently rolling out its Grok chatbot. Altman, however, remains unfazed. “Competition fuels innovation,” he said. “But we’re not here to play corporate games—we’re here to build the future responsibly.”
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