The rivalry between the two respected tech giants continues, evident in a congratulatory post that reignited the rift between the two former colleagues in AI tech. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk took aim at his rival, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, after the latter congratulated David Sachs on being nominated by US President-elect Donald Trump. “White House AI and the Crypto Czar.”
Elon Musk poked fun at Altman in an X post
Analysts said there was no love lost between the two tech titans, who previously collaborated on the development of OpenAI.
Altman recently posted on X congratulating David Sachs who was appointed by Trump to oversee the crafting of cryptocurrency regulations in the US.
Musk responded to the OpenAI executive’s laudatory post by a laughing emoji, It shows the SpaceX CEO mocking his rival.
What seems like an innocent post may have exposed the depth of the rift between Musk and Altman.
Beware of Musk’s political influence
While attending the New York Times’ DealBook Summit, Altman believed that Musk would not use his political influence to harm his rivals, saying, “I have every confidence that Elon will do the right thing.”
An OpenAI executive commented that it would be deeply “un-American” if Musk used his political power to hurt his competitors and advance his own business.
“I don’t think people will tolerate it,” Altman told Bloomberg.
Sachs’ appointment as Trump’s crypto czar shows the influence the SpaceX big boss has on the incoming administration.
Musk himself will be one of the heads of the United States Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which aims to reduce federal spending by $2 trillion.
former partner
Elon Musk and Sam Altman are co-founders of OpenAI along with other tech enthusiasts. However, things did not work out between the two tech giants leading to their fallout.
The SpaceX CEO left the creator of ChatGPT in 2018. Since leaving OpenAI, Musk has become a vocal critic of the top AI firm.
Elon Musk and Sam Altman (right). Credits: Marc Piasecki; Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Musk criticized OpenAI for reneging on its founding principles. He described the generative AI company as a for-profit firm that reverted to its non-profit foundation, implying that OpenAI defrauded its funders, the public and regulators.
Additionally, Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against an AI company for anticompetitive behavior that harmed its rivals such as xAI.
He argued that Altman and his group are colluding with Microsoft, its primary financier, to prevent xAI from advancing in the field.
Altman denied Musk’s allegations, saying he sees xAI as a “serious competitor.”
“I thought what Elon was doing was absolutely incredible to the world, and I have mixed feelings about him now, but I’m glad he exists,” Altman commented.
Featured image from NPR, chart from TradingView
