The rivalry stretches beyond words. Altman has co-founded Merge Labs, a brain-computer interface startup set to challenge Musk’s Neuralink, valued at $9 billion.
Silicon Valley’s most closely watched feud is intensifying as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman takes aim at Elon Musk’s empire across multiple industries — from AI and social media to cars and even brain implants.
What began as a partnership in 2015, when the two men co-founded OpenAI, has devolved into lawsuits, insults, and direct competition. Musk has derided his former ally as “Scam Altman” and “Swindly Sam.” Altman countered that Musk “can’t be a happy person” and acts “from a position of insecurity.”
This week, after Musk threatened to sue Apple for favoring OpenAI in its App Store, Altman accused Musk of using X “to benefit himself and his own companies.” Musk fired back, calling Altman a liar.
The rivalry stretches beyond words. Altman has co-founded Merge Labs, a brain-computer interface startup set to challenge Musk’s Neuralink, valued at $9 billion. He is also pushing OpenAI into social media with plans for an “X-like” network, and partnering with Applied Intuition on AI-powered self-driving — a potential threat to Tesla’s ambitions.
Altman has also invested in space and mobility ventures that compete with SpaceX and Tesla. Meanwhile, Musk, 54, continues to champion xAI, his self-styled “anti-woke” AI startup.
Neither executive responded to requests for comment. But as one investor put it, “More competition is always good.”
Whether Musk or Altman would agree remains doubtful.