Elon Musk has publicly criticized OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in a series of social media posts, comparing him to the manipulative “Game of Thrones” character Petyr Baelish, also known as “Little Finger.” The Tesla billionaire’s comments came in response to a viral post highlighting the recent exodus of key OpenAI executives, including former CTO Mira Murati, who announced her departure on Wednesday.
The post that triggered Musk’s response featured four photos showing Altman with former executives Murati, cofounder Greg Brockman, and cofounder Ilya Sutskever. Each image progressively removed one of the departed executives, symbolizing their exits from the company. Sutskever left OpenAI in May, while Brockman announced he would take a sabbatical in August, adding to concerns about leadership stability at the AI giant.
Musk’s criticism appears focused on OpenAI’s corporate transformation and Altman’s potential financial windfall. The SpaceX founder retweeted commentary questioning Altman’s earlier statements from a May podcast, where the OpenAI chief claimed he doesn’t need more money and said, “If I were to say I’m going to try and make a trillion dollars with OpenAI it would save a lot of conspiracy theories.” One user Musk amplified wrote, “What I personally don’t like is the snakey ways Sam is doing all this.”
The tension centers on OpenAI’s reported plans to restructure from its current “capped-profit” model into a full for-profit business. According to Bloomberg, OpenAI has discussed granting Altman a 7% equity stake in the company. With the ChatGPT maker reportedly seeking funding at a $150 billion valuation, Altman’s stake could be worth as much as $10.5 billion—a stark contrast to his public statements about not needing wealth.
OpenAI currently operates as a hybrid structure, having created OpenAI LP in 2019 as a for-profit and nonprofit combination. The company described this as allowing investors and employees to receive a “capped return” if it successfully achieved its mission of developing beneficial artificial general intelligence.
Musk’s ongoing legal battles with OpenAI add context to his criticism. He sued the company, Altman, and Brockman in March, accusing them of abandoning their nonprofit mission through their partnership with Microsoft. Though he dropped that lawsuit in June, Musk filed a fresh suit in August claiming Altman and Brockman “manipulated” him by exploiting his concerns about AI safety. OpenAI has dismissed Musk’s legal claims as “incoherent” and “contradictory.” Neither Musk nor OpenAI immediately responded to requests for comment.
Key Quotes
Sam Altman is Little Finger
Elon Musk wrote this on X (formerly Twitter), comparing the OpenAI CEO to the manipulative Game of Thrones character known for ruthless cunning. The comment reflects Musk’s view that Altman is acting deceptively regarding OpenAI’s transformation and his personal financial interests.
If I were to say I’m going to try and make a trillion dollars with OpenAI it would save a lot of conspiracy theories.
Sam Altman made this statement during a podcast in May, claiming he doesn’t need more money. Musk and critics are now highlighting this quote as potentially disingenuous given reports that Altman could receive a 7% equity stake worth $10.5 billion in OpenAI’s restructuring.
What I personally don’t like is the snakey ways Sam is doing all this.
This quote from an X user was retweeted by Musk, encapsulating the criticism that Altman is pursuing wealth and corporate transformation while publicly claiming altruistic motives. It reflects broader concerns about transparency in OpenAI’s evolution from nonprofit to for-profit entity.
Our Take
This escalating conflict reveals deeper fractures in the AI industry’s approach to balancing innovation with responsibility. Musk, despite his own commercial AI ventures through xAI, positions himself as a defender of OpenAI’s original nonprofit mission—a stance that appears both principled and self-serving given his competitive interests. The timing of his criticism, coinciding with multiple executive departures, suggests either genuine concern about OpenAI’s direction or strategic opportunism to damage a competitor’s reputation. What’s particularly significant is how this public drama exposes the inherent contradictions in “capped-profit” AI development models. OpenAI’s attempt to straddle nonprofit ideals and commercial success appears increasingly untenable as the company pursues massive valuations and equity distributions. The leadership exodus may indicate internal disagreements about this transformation, raising questions about whether OpenAI can maintain cohesion while fundamentally changing its corporate DNA. For the AI industry, this serves as a cautionary tale about mission drift and the challenges of maintaining founding principles amid commercial pressures.
Why This Matters
This public feud between two of AI’s most influential figures highlights critical tensions about the commercialization of artificial intelligence and the balance between profit motives and safety concerns. As OpenAI transitions from its nonprofit roots toward a traditional for-profit structure, questions arise about whether the company can maintain its stated mission of developing AI that benefits humanity.
The exodus of senior leadership—including the CTO and multiple cofounders—raises concerns about internal disagreements over OpenAI’s direction and governance. These departures come at a crucial moment as the company seeks massive funding and restructures its corporate model, potentially signaling deeper organizational challenges.
For the broader AI industry, this conflict illustrates the fundamental tension between rapid commercialization and responsible development. With OpenAI’s ChatGPT driving unprecedented AI adoption and competition intensifying among tech giants, the stakes for getting AI governance right have never been higher. Altman’s potential $10.5 billion windfall also raises questions about incentive structures in AI development and whether financial motivations might conflict with safety priorities—a concern that resonates across the entire sector as AI capabilities rapidly advance.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-diss-sam-altman-over-openais-high-profile-exits-2024-9