Sam Altman and Elon Musk's AI Rivalry Reaches New Heights with $97 Billion Acquisition Offer

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The ongoing rivalry between Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Elon Musk has escalated as Musk's consortium recently proposed a staggering $97.4 billion to acquire the AI company. This dispute dates back to 2015 when Altman and Musk co-founded OpenAI with the aim of advancing artificial intelligence for humanitarian purposes. However, ideological differences soon emerged, with Musk raising concerns about AI’s unchecked power and regulatory needs. Musk departed the company in 2018 but has since criticized OpenAI's shift towards profit-driven practices.

Since then, both figures have clashed publicly, particularly following Musk's rebranding of Twitter to X and his launch of xAI to compete with OpenAI. Tensions intensified with Musk labeling Altman as “Scam Altman” after the acquisition offer, to which Altman humorously retorted, expressing interest in buying Twitter instead for $9.74 billion. This latest chapter underscores the deepening divides within Silicon Valley's elite over the future of AI, where Musk claims Altman's approach has morphed into a monopoly.

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