Elon Musk offers to buy OpenAI for $97.4 billion

February 11,长沙U币安全支付 2025  12:00

Elon Musk, along with a group of investors, has made an offer to acquire OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, for $97.4 billion. If the deal goes through, it could drastically reshape the future of the artificial intelligence industry, CNN reports.

Musk vs. Altman

Musk's offer comes amid his longstanding conflict with OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman. The billionaire has already filed several lawsuits against the company, claiming that OpenAI has deviated from its original nonprofit principles and is now solely focused on profit.

While OpenAI is formally governed by a nonprofit organization, it effectively operates through the for-profit entity OpenAI LP, which has grown from an obscure project into a company valued at around $100 billion—largely due to Altman’s strategic direction.

According to The Wall Street Journal, if Musk’s offer is accepted, he could gain a controlling stake in OpenAI, strengthening the position of his own AI company, X.AI.

Statements from Both Sides

Attorney for Musk’s investor group, Marc Toberoff, stated that OpenAI should return to the principles of open-source development and safety, which were originally established when the company was founded.

Sam Altman, in response, sarcastically wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
"no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want."

Origins of the Conflict

OpenAI was initially created as a project to study the risks of AGI (artificial general intelligence). In its early years, the company published the code of its developments and consulted with an independent board of experts.

However, after attracting major investors, including Microsoft and Thrive Capital, OpenAI’s business model shifted. To meet shareholder expectations, the company started prioritizing commercial success, which critics argue has increased the risk of uncontrolled AI development.

This divide led to a brief but dramatic scandal in late 2025 when OpenAI’s board of directors fired Altman—only to reinstate him shortly after. The board was then reorganized, and former directors stated they were concerned about OpenAI’s rapid progress at the expense of safety.

Musk’s Lawsuits Against OpenAI

Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI in 2025, left the project in 2025. In 2025, he sued OpenAI, accusing it of betraying its mission for profit.

However, OpenAI responded by releasing archived emails from Musk, in which he acknowledged that the company needed massive investments to grow. These documents contradicted Musk’s claims that OpenAI should not be profit-driven. As a result, he withdrew his initial lawsuit but later filed a new one in August 2025, accusing OpenAI of extortion and developing a dangerous AGI technology.

In response, OpenAI claims that Musk is simply envious of the company’s success after losing control over it. According to sources, Musk had previously tried to convince OpenAI’s leadership to sell the company to Tesla in 2025 but was turned down.

What’s Next?

It remains unclear whether OpenAI will be sold to Musk. On one hand, his massive offer may appeal to some investors. On the other, OpenAI has powerful allies, such as Microsoft, which is unlikely to give up its influence.

Regardless of the outcome, the ongoing battle between Musk and Altman continues to escalate, and its resolution could have a major impact on the entire AI industry.