OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman recently shared a video of him driving a Koenigsegg Regera, one of the fanciest hypercars in the world, which drew criticism from Elon Musk. This incident has once again highlighted the ongoing tension between the two tech moguls.
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The Koenigsegg Regera is a limited edition hybrid sports car produced by the Swedish automaker Koenigsegg. The car’s price starts at $1.9 million and has sold for up to $3.7 million at auctions.
Elon Musk stokes controversy with pointed response
The video, which has received over 4 million views, has raised a lot of controversy about how the CEO of a non-profit organization can afford such an expensive item. One user on X (formerly Twitter) commented sarcastically, “Who would have thought a non-profit job pays so well? ”
Elon Musk responded when the video was posted by ‘Tesla Owners Silicon Valley’ with the comment, “OpenAI CEO driving one of the most expensive cars. How did OpenAI become a for-profit business when it was a non-profit?”
“Excellent question,” Musk replied, sparking more speculations on OpenAI’s objectives and sources of finance.
CEO @OpenAI driving one of the most expensive cars How did open AI become a for profit business when it was a non profit ? pic.twitter.com/5gfjKoGUQh
— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) July 10, 2024
Elon Musk and Sam Altman initiated OpenAI in 2015 with the help of other famous entrepreneurs and engineers. The initial goal of OpenAI was to bring AI to everyone, and the company was set up as a non-profit. However, in the year 2018, Musk stepped down while in February 2024, he sued OpenAI and Altman for deviating from the original non-profit vision.
Musk accused OpenAI of becoming a profit-making company backed by Microsoft, which was against the original idea. While Musk withdrew the lawsuit in June, his recent remarks indicate that the conflict remains unresolved.
Additionally, last month, Musk posted on X that if Apple introduces OpenAI in its products as the company has intended to do so, the products shall not be welcome in his various organizations. This was in response to Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president who was also listed in Musk’s lawsuit stating that ChatGPT would be integrated into Apple systems for iPhones, iPads and Mac computers.
Musk-Altman feud reignites over OpenAI’s direction
Musk and Altman have had a rather complex relationship over the years, with the two clashing on a number of occasions. Musk resigned from OpenAI’s board in 2018, which led to the first openly known disagreements regarding the vision and goals of the company. Musk has been quite outspoken on the issue of corporate interest in AI, noting that financial incentives may prove to be the main driver of the field and not its noble purpose of improving human life.
In contrast, Altman has defended OpenAI’s decision to seek substantial funding to accelerate AI research and development. This approach has enabled OpenAI to achieve great milestones in the field, but at the same time, the organization has faced criticism, including from Musk, who accused it of betraying the initial goals.