The rivalry between two respected tech giants continues, evident in a congratulatory message that may have sparked a rift between the two former AI allies. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk criticized his rival, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, after the latter congratulated David Sachs on his nomination by US President-elect Donald Trump as the “AI and cryptocurrency czar in the White House.”
Elon Musk mocks Altman in X Post
Analysts said there is no love lost between the two tech giants who were once allies in developing OpenAI.
Altman recently posted on X congratulating David Sachs who was appointed by Trump to oversee the drafting of cryptocurrency regulations in the United States.
Musk responded to the OpenAI CEO’s laudatory post with, laughter emoji, Which suggests that the SpaceX CEO is mocking his competitor.
What appears to be an innocent post may have revealed the depth of the rift between Musk and Altman.
Beware of the political influence of Musk
While attending the New York Times’ DealBook Summit, Altman believed Musk would not use his political influence to hurt his rivals, saying, “I strongly believe that Elon will do the right thing.”
The OpenAI CEO noted that if Musk used his political power to hurt his competitors and boost his business, it would be highly “un-American.”
“I don’t think people will tolerate that,” Altman told Bloomberg.
Sachs’ appointment as the Trump administration’s chief cryptocurrency officer shows the SpaceX chief’s significant influence on the incoming administration.
Musk himself will be one of the presidents of the United States Government Efficiency Department (DOGE), which aims to reduce federal spending by $2 trillion.
Former partners
Elon Musk and Sam Altman are the co-founders of OpenAI along with other technology enthusiasts. However, things did not go well between the two tech giants which led to their fallout.
The SpaceX CEO exited the maker of ChatGPT in 2018. Since leaving OpenAI, Musk has become an outspoken critic of the top AI producing company.
Elon Musk and Sam Altman (right). Credits: Marc Piasecki; Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Musk condemned OpenAI for backsliding on its founding principles. He portrayed the generative AI company as a for-profit company that had returned to its nonprofit foundation, adding that it meant OpenAI had deceived its funders, the public and regulators.
Moreover, Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against the artificial intelligence company for harming his competitors such as xAI by engaging in anti-competitive behavior.
He said Altman and his group are colluding with Microsoft, its main funder, to prevent XAI from making progress in this area.
Altman denied Musk’s accusations, saying they view XAI as a “serious competitor.”
“I thought what Elon was doing was absolutely incredible for the world, and I have different feelings about him now, but I’m glad he’s there,” Altman said.
Featured image from NPR, chart from TradingView