On February 10, 2025, a consortium led by Elon Musk proposed a $97.4 billion acquisition of OpenAI, aiming to revert the organization to its original non-profit mission. Musk’s attorney, Marc Toberoff, stated that the group seeks to restore OpenAI as “a safe and open-source-oriented organization.”
OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, promptly declined the offer, responding on Musk’s platform, X (formerly Twitter), with, “No thank you but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.” This retort highlights the ongoing tension between the two tech leaders.
Musk and Altman co-founded OpenAI in 2015 as a non-profit research lab focused on artificial intelligence. In 2019, OpenAI restructured, creating a for-profit subsidiary to attract external investments, leading to Musk’s departure from the board in 2018 due to differing visions for the organization’s future. Musk has since criticized OpenAI’s shift towards a profit-driven model, expressing concerns that it has strayed from its original open-source and safety-focused mission.
This recent acquisition offer intensifies the legal dispute between Musk and Altman over OpenAI’s direction. Musk has previously filed lawsuits against OpenAI, alleging that the organization has betrayed its founding aims as a non-profit research lab benefiting the public good. The court case continues, with a judge yet to decide on Musk’s request to block OpenAI’s profit-focused transition, despite acknowledging some validity in Musk’s claims.
