Elon Musk and a group of investors have put forward a staggering $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Musk, who was one of OpenAI’s original founders but later parted ways, claims he wants to steer the company back to its founding principles—prioritizing AI safety and keeping it open-source. His offer reignites his long-standing feud with OpenAI’s current leadership.

However, Musk faces strong resistance from CEO Sam Altman, who wasted no time mocking the offer on Musk’s own social media platform, X. Altman quipped, "No thank you, but we’ll buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want," a pointed jab at Musk’s controversial $44 billion acquisition of Twitter in 2022, which later saw a significant drop in value.

Musk didn’t take the remark lightly. He fired back by calling Altman a "swindler" and later doubled down, posting a video of Altman with the caption "Scam Altman."

A Long-Standing Rivalry

The animosity between Musk and Altman is nothing new—it has been brewing for years. Musk, once an early supporter of OpenAI, has since become one of its fiercest critics, accusing Altman of prioritizing profit over ethical AI development. Their rivalry escalated in 2023 when Musk launched his own AI venture, xAI, to challenge OpenAI’s dominance. The tension deepened in 2024 when Musk sued OpenAI over its growing ties with Microsoft.

By 2025, their conflict reached new heights with the announcement of Stargate, a $500 billion AI initiative spearheaded by former U.S. President Donald Trump and Altman. While Trump praised Altman’s leadership, Musk was highly skeptical, dismissing the project as a poor financial decision. The rivalry turned even more personal and politically charged, with both figures openly questioning each other’s motives on social media.