In 2015, Musk and Sam Altman co-founded OpenAI as a non-profit organization. However, Musk departed from the company in 2019, leaving Altman as the chief executive.
Since OpenAI revealed its intention to transition into a more profit-oriented company, Musk has been making efforts to regain influence over the organization, joining forces with other investors.
Musk expressed on the day of the bid: “It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was. We will make sure that happens.”
Toberoff stated: “As the co-founder of OpenAI and the most innovative and successful tech industry leader in history, Musk is the person best positioned to protect and grow OpenAI’s technology.”
In apparent reaction to Musk’s proposal, Altman took to Twitter, stating: “No thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.”
The offer is supported by xAI, Musk’s own AI company, along with investors like Valor Equity Partners and Baron Capital, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
This follows Musk initiating multiple legal actions against OpenAI, alleging that the organization has strayed from its original non-profit purpose to benefit humanity. These claims have been dismissed as ‘baseless’ by OpenAI’s spokesperson.
Toberoff commented: “If Sam Altman and the present OpenAI, Inc. Board of Directors are intent on becoming a fully for-profit corporation, it is vital that the charity be fairly compensated for what its leadership is taking away from it: control over the most transformative technology of our time.”
During the AI Summit in Paris on February 11, Altman told Sky News: “The board will decide what to do there […], the mission is really important and we’re totally focused on making sure we preserve that.
“The company is not for sale, neither is the mission.”