'No, thank you, but we will buy Twitter,' OpenAI CEO rejects Musk's offer

Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence company OpenAI's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sam Altman, has dismissed a reported $97.4 billion takeover bid led by tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Altman informed employees that the company's board has no intention of considering Musk's proposal to acquire the nonprofit entity that oversees OpenAI.

According to media reports, Musk, along with his AI startup xAI and a consortium of investment firms, made the multi-billion-dollar offer to gain control of OpenAI. This move marks the latest chapter in the long-running feud between Musk and Altman. Both co-founded OpenAI in 2015, but disagreements over the company's leadership and direction led to Musk's departure.

Altman publicly rejected Musk's offer on X (formerly Twitter), responding with a sarcastic remark: "No thanks, but if you want, we'll buy Twitter from you for $9.74 billion." In response, Musk fired back by calling Altman a 'Scam Altman'.

Elon Musk has been a vocal critic of OpenAI, arguing that the company has strayed from its original mission as an open-source, nonprofit AI research organisation. After resigning from OpenAI's board in 2018, Musk later sued the company, claiming it prioritises profit over public interest. His legal team also alleged that he had contributed approximately $45 million in funding before his departure.

OpenAI's global significance skyrocketed in 2022 following the success of ChatGPT. This increased internal conflict, culminating in the board's decision to fire Sam Altman in late 2023. However, following significant backlash, he returned to lead OpenAI with a restructured leadership team.

Meanwhile, AI development has become a key focus for governments and corporations. In January, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a $500 billion infrastructure investment to accelerate AI advancements. This initiative has received backing from Japanese tech giant SoftBank, cloud computing firm Oracle, and OpenAI itself.

As AI competition heats up, the battle between Musk and OpenAI is expected to continue, further shaping the future of artificial intelligence.