Elon Musk is making headlines with a bold $97.4 billion offer to purchase the nonprofit organization that oversees OpenAI. This move is the latest chapter in a long-standing, personal rivalry with OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman.
Musk’s investor group includes Vy Capital, his AI company Xai, and notable figures like Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel. Their discussions, however, remain confidential for now.
According to The Wall Street Journal, this offer has created quite a stir.
This bid is particularly intriguing because Musk was one of the founders of OpenAI nearly ten years ago. Yet, Altman has not shied away from addressing the offer directly, poking fun at Musk’s intentions.
In a tongue-in-cheek response on social media, Altman said, “No thank you, but we can buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you’re interested,” referencing Musk’s social platform.
Musk didn’t hold back, calling Altman a “swindler” in their exchange.
As for OpenAI, it has not yet encountered the bid, leaving its next steps unclear. Musk’s unsolicited proposal might throw a wrench in OpenAI’s plans to finalize a massive $40 billion fundraising effort aimed at nearly doubling its valuation.
This new funding round, primarily driven by Japan’s SoftBank, could value OpenAI at around $300 billion. If successful, it would establish OpenAI as one of the world’s most valuable private companies, alongside Musk’s SpaceX and TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance.
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