OpenAI rejects Musk's takeover bid
In recent weeks, a remarkable exchange of blows has unfolded between two titans of the technology industry: Elon Musk and Sam Altman. At the center of this conflict is OpenAI. Musk, once co-founder of OpenAI, made a takeover bid of 97.4 billion US dollars, which was unanimously rejected by the OpenAI Board of Directors.
Musk's takeover bid and the reactions
At the beginning of February, Elon Musk surprised the tech world with a takeover bid for OpenAI. This offer was firmly rejected by the company's Board of Directors. Bret Taylor, Chairman of the Board of Directors, stated on the X platform (formerly Twitter) that OpenAI was not for sale and described Musk's move as an attempt to disrupt the competition.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, was also critical of Musk's offer. At the AI Summit in Paris, he said: "I think he's probably just trying to slow us down." Altman urged Musk to compete by developing better products instead, rather than resorting to legal battles and other tactics.
Background of conflict
The tensions between Musk and Altman have a longer history. The two founded OpenAI together in 2015 as a non-profit organization with the aim of developing artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity. However, disagreements arose in 2019 when Musk proposed to take control of OpenAI, which was rejected by Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman. As a result, Musk left the company and later founded his own AI company, xAI.
Another point of contention is the restructuring of OpenAI. Originally founded as a non-profit organization, OpenAI changed to a "for-profit" model to attract investment and expand its mission. Musk sharply criticized this move and expressed both legal and financial concerns about the company's new direction.
Musk's strategies and investments
Parallel to his takeover attempts, Musk has made significant investments in expanding his own AI infrastructure. According to reports, xAI is building a second mega data center in Atlanta, equipped with state-of-the-art hardware worth 700 million US dollars. This center is intended to support the development and training of AI products and position xAI as a serious competitor to OpenAI.
The conflict between Elon Musk and Sam Altman reflects the dynamic and often turbulent developments in the field of artificial intelligence. While both visionaries have different approaches, it remains to be seen how this rivalry will impact the future of the AI landscape.
Sources:
Emma Cosgrove
Rob Price
Lauren Goode
