Elon Musk Leads $97.4 Billion Bid to Acquire OpenAI, Sam Altman Mocks the Offer

Washington DC, February 11, 2025: A consortium led by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has made a $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI’s assets, according to The New York Times. The offer, backed by investors including Vy Capital, Musk’s AI company xAI, and Hollywood power broker Ari Emanuel, is seen as Musk’s latest attempt to gain control over the artificial intelligence giant.

However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded with a mocking rejection. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Altman wrote:
“No thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.”

The exchange underscores the deep rivalry between Musk and Altman, who co-founded OpenAI together in 2015 but have since become fierce competitors. Musk has long criticized OpenAI for shifting from its original nonprofit mission to a for-profit structure.

While Musk is pushing for a takeover, OpenAI is close to finalizing a separate $40 billion funding deal led by SoftBank, which could push its valuation to $300 billion—making it one of the world’s most valuable private companies, alongside SpaceX and ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company).

The feud between Musk and OpenAI has escalated over time. In August 2024, Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing it of prioritizing profits over ethics. A U.S. federal judge ruled in January 2025 that parts of Musk’s lawsuit could proceed to trial, requiring him to testify.

Adding to the tension, former U.S. President Donald Trump recently announced a $500 billion AI investment project, Stargate, a joint venture between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank. Musk criticized the move, claiming, “They don’t actually have the money.” Altman responded by calling Musk “wrong” and inviting him to visit OpenAI’s Texas development site. Taking a swipe at Musk’s political connections, Altman added:
“This is great for the country. I realize what is great for the country isn’t always what’s optimal for your companies, but in your new role, I hope you’ll mostly put America first.”

With OpenAI’s valuation soaring, Musk’s aggressive takeover attempts, and political alliances shaping the AI landscape, the power struggle in artificial intelligence is only intensifying.