In a bold and unwavering response, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has made it clear: OpenAI is not for sale—and especially not to Elon Musk. Speaking on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in Paris, Altman dismissed Musk’s staggering $97.4 billion bid as yet another attempt by the billionaire to exert control over the AI powerhouse.
Altman’s Response: A Firm "No" to Musk
When asked about the offer, Altman did not mince words. "There's been like versions of Elon trying to, you know, somehow take control of OpenAI for a long time, so, it's like, okay, here's this week's episode," he told Axios. The OpenAI CEO further emphasized that the company's mission is not for sale, particularly to a direct competitor who, in his words, "is not able to beat us in the market and instead is just trying to buy us with total disregard for the mission."Musk’s Offer: A Power Play or Genuine Interest?
The bid comes amid Musk’s ongoing legal battle with OpenAI, where he has repeatedly argued that the company has deviated from its original nonprofit mission—one he helped establish as a co-founder. This latest move appears to be yet another chapter in their increasingly heated rivalry over the future of artificial intelligence. Adding fuel to the fire, Altman cheekily responded to Musk’s offer with a post on X (formerly Twitter): "No thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want."
OpenAI’s Future: A Complex Restructuring Underway
Beyond the drama, OpenAI is in the midst of a significant restructuring process aimed at separating its booming commercial operations from its nonprofit board. Altman noted that OpenAI has not yet determined its valuation, adding that the press has largely misrepresented the board’s plans. "There's so much misreporting about what the board is planning to do here. I don't think the narrative in the press is accurate across the board," Altman stated, adding that OpenAI is working through complex structural decisions to secure its long-term mission.