Elon Musk seized the moment after a jury sided with Sam Altman in the lawsuit that pitted the two former co‑founders against each other. Rather than file an appeal in silence, the Tesla and X chief launched a barrage of insults on the platform he owns, branding Altman a “scammer” multiple times over the weekend.
The verbal sparring was sparked by a separate legal development: Apple filed a suit against OpenAI, accusing the company of stealing hardware trade secrets. Musk responded almost instantly, tweeting, “Scam Altman strikes again …” and followed with a photo of Altman captioned, “I’m doing this because I love it,” adding his own jab that the remark meant “scamming.” The thread quickly amassed a cascade of emojis and further accusations.
Altman did not stay silent. He posted a reply that mocked Musk’s SpaceX plans for orbital data centers, calling the billionaire a “homeboy” who sells “public market investors on short‑term space datacenters.” The post garnered more than 11 million views. Musk answered that the first orbital data centers would launch next year and invited Altman to watch, “if your parole officer approves.”
Other X users joined the fray. A participant suggested Altman feared Apple; Altman retorted that he respected Apple as an “s‑tier company.” Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, weighed in with a sarcastic comment about the alleged trade‑secret theft, prompting Musk to fire back with a laughing emoji and a claim that OpenAI had “stolen an open source AI charity” before pilfering Apple’s phone technology.
The latest exchange revives a feud that dates back to 2015, when Musk and Altman co‑founded OpenAI as a nonprofit. Musk left the board in 2018 and, in 2024, sued the organization, alleging that Altman had betrayed its original mission by converting it into a for‑profit enterprise. A May jury verdict favored Altman, and Musk announced plans to appeal.
Beyond the social media showdown, the rivalry has taken on a corporate dimension. Musk has pushed his own AI model, Grok, into internal use at Tesla and SpaceX, citing lower token costs and asking employees for feedback. He later clarified that staff could continue using other models if they outperformed Grok, attempting to balance substance with spin.
Both camps launched flagship products this week. OpenAI unveiled GPT‑5.6 Sol, while SpaceX rolled out Grok 4.5. The timing aligns with OpenAI’s confidential filing for a public listing and SpaceX’s record‑breaking $75 billion debut fundraise, suggesting each side seeks to outshine the other in the market’s eyes.
Industry observers note that the dispute is less about the legal merits and more about narrative control. As both AI labs vie for the same customers, the public feud on X serves as a proxy battle for market confidence. The next chapter will likely be decided not in a courtroom but in the perception of investors and the broader tech community.
This article was written with the assistance of AI.
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