OpenAI claims it was Musk’s idea to make the start-up “for-profit” in scathing blog
OpenAI's CEO and co-founder Sam Altman is claiming that his once partner in crime Elon Musk was the one who first questioned if the AI start-up should be a for-profit company.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters | Photosince/Shutterstock
OpenAI's CEO and co-founder Sam Altman is claiming that his once partner in crime Elon Musk was the one who first questioned if the AI start-up should be a for-profit company.
Altman, who has been sued by Musk (more than once) over plans to make OpenAI a “for-profit” company, shot back at the world’s richest man in an OpenAI-attributed blog posted on the company’s website on Friday.
It’s the latest development in the long-time feud between the two tech moguls, with OpenAI trying to snatch the upper hand away from Musk, or at least gain some public support.
Musk filed suit against Altman and OpenAI in August in an attempt to block a “non-profit” to “for-profit” business model conversion from taking place, arguing that the ChatGPT-maker was putting profits ahead of the public good, in violation of the start-up’s contract provisions.
The ‘gotcha’ blog slams Musk for his apparent hypocrisy on the matter, presenting a collection of emails and text messages between Musk and Altman allegedly proving that Musk initially backed for-profit status before deciding to walk away from the company.
“Elon Musk’s latest legal filing against OpenAI marks his fourth attempt in less than a year to reframe his claims. However, his own words and actions speak for themselves,” the blog states.
Elon Musk wanted an OpenAI for-profit. https://t.co/wjDRN1ExX4
undefined OpenAI (@OpenAI) December 13, 2024
Last month, Musk had asked a California Judge to grant a preliminary injunction to block the conversion, most likely what triggered the seemingly excessive blog post.
OpenAI: ‘You can’t sue your way to AGI’
The blog, titled “Elon Musk wanted an OpenAI for-profit,” lays out a purported Altman-approved ‘Timeline of Events’ depicting a series of Musk-related milestones about the matter dating back to 2015, when the two originally founded the AI start-up.
The timeline appears to follow the company’s growth trajectory from its beginnings as a founded non-profit in November 2015, which Altman says Musk had questioned from the start.
Two years later in February, OpenAI said that “Elon demanded majority equity, absolute control, and to be CEO of the for-profit,” and when denied those demands, he chose to depart the company.
undefined OpenAI (@OpenAI) December 13, 2024
“In 2017, Elon not only wanted, but actually created, a for-profit as OpenAI’s proposed new structure,” it said. Musk resigned as co-chair of the company he helped create by February 2018.
“He walked away and told us we would fail,” the blog said.
OpenAI even went so far as to provide a screenshot from September 2017 of the company’s original online application for Articles of Incorporation filed in Delaware, showing its status as a profit-driven entity.
To note, as part of its proposed restructuring plan, the OpenAI non-profit would own a minority stake in the for-profit company.
Emphasizing its point, OpenAI’s timeline ends abruptly in March 2023, the date “Elon started his OpenAI competitor, xAI.”
The company further accused Musk of only pursuing action against them because of its success as one of the world’s leading AI research labs – now in direct competition with Musk’s xAI start-up.
The two rival companies are rushing to develop AGI, even though experts predict it is still years away from reality. AGI is a type of more advanced artificial intelligence that could essentially carry out any cognitive task or problem that a human can, possibly even better.
Redemption still possible
Still, the lengthy blog wasn't all bad, and at one point even praised the SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, The Boring Company, and X-owner for his success.
In fact, so successful, Forbes just labeled Musk the richest billionaire in the world on Thursday in its annual Real-Time Billionaires list. Altman, who was just declared a billionaire by Forbes in April, did not make the 'richest list' by a long shot.
“We have great respect for Elon’s accomplishments and gratitude for his early contributions to OpenAI, but he should be competing in the marketplace rather than the courtroom,” the blog said.
The company also stated it hopes that Musk shares its goal to keep the US as the global leader in AI, respect its mission to ensure AGI benefits all of humanity, and “uphold the values of innovation and free market competition that have driven his own success.”
Arguments on Musk's injunction bid have been scheduled for January 14th, 2025.
In other news on Friday, Altman said he would pledge a $1 million donation to Trump’s inaugural fund on Friday, just one day after fellow tech billionaires Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg announced their own million-dollar donations to the fund.
The donations are seen as the latest effort by big tech leaders to court the newly re-elected President in hopes of having some say in how the industry is governed over the next four years.
For those who'd like to read all the posted emails and text messages between the two tech moguls, have at it here.