Musk Mocks OpenAI's Apple Deal; Altman Fires Back Hard
Elon Musk publicly ridiculed OpenAI's Apple partnership, but Sam Altman clapped back with a pointed jab about Musk's space datacenter pitch.
A public feud between Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman erupted anew this week after Musk took aim at OpenAI's high-profile partnership with Apple, drawing a sharp and personal counterattack from Altman that quickly ricocheted across social media.
Musk, who has a well-documented history of antagonism toward OpenAI — the AI company he co-founded and later departed — used his platform on X to mock the Apple deal, framing it as a target for ridicule rather than celebration. The specific nature of his criticism centered on OpenAI's arrangement with Apple, which has drawn significant industry attention as a major commercial milestone for the ChatGPT maker.
Read more Apple Accuses Ex-Engineer of Stealing Secrets for OpenAI →
Altman, however, was not content to let the swipe go unanswered. In a direct and pointed response, the OpenAI chief turned the spotlight back on Musk, reportedly telling him, "You're the one selling investors on space datacenters" — a line that landed as both a deflection and an accusation, suggesting Musk's own ventures involve pitches that could equally invite skepticism.
The exchange underscores the intensifying rivalry between the two tech titans, who are now competing interests in the artificial intelligence race. Musk launched his own AI venture, xAI, and has repeatedly challenged OpenAI's nonprofit origins and current business model through both public statements and ongoing litigation. The back-and-forth also reflects broader tensions in the AI industry as companies jostle for dominant partnerships with major consumer technology platforms like Apple.
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