Elon Musk and a group of investors, including his AI company xAI, have offered nearly $100 billion to acquire OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.
The proposal, confirmed by Musk’s attorney on Monday, was formally submitted to OpenAI’s board.
If accepted, the deal could reshape the AI industry and escalate Musk’s ongoing legal disputes with OpenAI.
Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015, left the company’s board in 2018 following disagreements over its leadership and direction.
Since then, he has criticized OpenAI for moving away from its original non-profit mission and has filed multiple lawsuits, accusing the company of prioritizing profits over ethical AI development.
He has now proposed taking control of OpenAI to bring it back to its initial vision of open-source research.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman rejected the offer and responded on Musk’s social media platform X, jokingly suggesting that OpenAI would buy Twitter for $9.74 billion instead.
Their strained relationship has become more public in recent months, with Altman and Musk frequently clashing over AI development and business strategies.
The takeover bid is backed by major investment firms, including Baron Capital Group and Valor Management, along with Musk’s xAI.
However, OpenAI continues to operate as an independent company, focused on advancing AI technology.
It remains to be seen whether Musk will pursue further legal action or new strategies to influence OpenAI’s future.
