The ongoing rivalry between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, two big names in tech, recently flared up again on X (formerly Twitter). This time, it was all about a congratulatory tweet.
Altman Congratulates Sacks, Musk Responds with Laughter
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, publicly congratulated David Sacks on his appointment as the Trump administration’s “White House AI and Crypto Czar.” Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, responded to Altman’s tweet with a laughing emoji. This seemingly simple reaction highlighted the ongoing tension between the two former allies.
The Underlying Tension
Analysts suggest the “friendly” congratulatory tweet masked a deeper conflict. The appointment of Sacks, given Musk’s influence, underscores this tension. Musk himself is set to lead the US Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.), aiming for significant federal spending cuts.
Altman’s Concerns About Musk’s Political Influence
Sam Altman has previously expressed concerns about Musk’s potential use of political influence against rivals. He stated that he believes Musk should act ethically, but that leveraging political power for business advantage would be “un-American” and wouldn’t be tolerated by the public.
From Partners to Rivals
Musk and Altman were once partners, co-founding OpenAI with others. However, their relationship soured, leading to Musk’s departure from OpenAI in 2018. Since then, Musk has become a harsh critic of OpenAI, accusing the company of abandoning its non-profit principles and engaging in anti-competitive practices to harm competitors like his own company, xAI. He even filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging collusion with Microsoft. Altman has denied these accusations, acknowledging xAI as a serious competitor. Despite their current animosity, Altman has admitted to still admiring Musk’s accomplishments.
