“Elon Musk helped us start OpenAI… now he runs a kind of clone…” Sam Altman recalls rivalry and friendship
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has opened up about his complex relationship with Elon Musk, co-founder of OpenAI and founder of xAI. Speaking in an interview with Tucker Carlson, Altman acknowledged Musk’s crucial role in helping start OpenAI in 2015, calling him “an incredible hero, a great jewel for humanity.” However, their professional and personal bond has since soured. Musk left OpenAI’s board in 2018, later criticizing the company and filing multiple lawsuits, while launching xAI, a direct competitor. Altman described Musk’s current approach as running “a kind of clone” of OpenAI, reflecting both rivalry and tension.
Elon Musk and OpenAI: founding, contributions, and early rift
