A group led by Elon Musk has made a $97.4 billion offer to take control of OpenAI, just months after he sued the artificial intelligence company.
Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but left in 2018. He has been critical of its move toward a for-profit model, arguing that the company has strayed from its original mission of open-source AI development.
In a statement, he said: “It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was.”
The bid is backed by xAI, Musk’s own AI company, and could lead to a merger if successful. However, the offer only targets the non-profit arm that controls OpenAI, not the entire operation.
Musk’s bid escalates tensions with CEO Sam Altman, who rejected the offer with a sarcastic post on X: “No thank you but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.”