In a surprising move for Silicon Valley’s tech ecosystem, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has openly rejected a $97 billion bid from Elon Musk to acquire the AI company.
- Sam Altman rejected a $97 billion bid from Elon Musk to acquire OpenAI
- Elon Musk wants OpenAI to return to its open-source, safety-focused roots
- Altman rejected the offer and suggested buying Twitter for $9.74 billion instead
According to reports, a group of investors led by Elon Musk made a move to acquire the nonprofit entity earlier today.
Elon, who was originally part of the founding team of OpenAI before stepping down from its board in 2018, explained his intentions behind the acquisition saying, “It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was. We will make sure that happens,” a statement from Musk said.
In response to the bid, Altman took aim at Elon Musk, reigniting the war of words between two of the world’s richest people. Altman took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to reject the offer with a post, stating, “No thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.”
The rejection highlights the deep divide between the two tech moguls, with Musk advocating for a nonprofit approach focused on advancing human scientific discovery, while Altman wants to make his artificial intelligence company for-profit with the launch of products like ChatGPT.
The tech community and investors are keenly watching how this rejection might influence the trajectory of AI innovation and the strategic dynamics in the tech industry.
Stay tuned for further updates.
