OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Rejects Musk’s Purchase Offer, Calls It a Delay Tactic

OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman has firmly stated that the company is “not for sale” and believes Elon Musk’s unsolicited bid is an attempt to slow down its progress. Altman made these comments during an interview with Bloomberg Television on the sidelines of an AI summit in Paris.

“I think he is probably just trying to slow us down. He obviously is a competitor,” Altman said. “I wish he would just compete by building a better product, but I think there’s been a lot of tactics, many, many lawsuits, all sorts of other crazy stuff, now this.”

The animosity between Musk and Altman has been long-standing, primarily due to Musk’s concerns that OpenAI is moving away from its not-for-profit founding principles. Altman previously dismissed a surprise $97.4 billion offer from a Musk-led group with a humorous remark: “No thank you but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.”

In the interview, Altman also criticized Musk, suggesting that his actions stem from a position of insecurity. “His whole life is probably from a position of insecurity,” Altman said.

Altman further clarified that the OpenAI board is exploring various options for the company’s future but emphasized that selling the AI operations is not under consideration. “OpenAI is not for sale. The OpenAI mission is not for sale,” he reiterated.

The news comes amidst ongoing tension between the two tech giants, highlighting the competitive landscape of the artificial intelligence industry.