'He is a swindler...' says Elon Musk as he clashes with Sam Altman over Trump-backed $500 billion AI project

Sam Altman, Elon Musk

Elon Musk and Sam Altman are at odds once again, this time over the funding status of Stargate, a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative announced by US president Donald Trump.

The project, unveiled on the second day of Trump’s presidency, represents an ambitious collaboration between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, with promises of making the US a hub for AI innovation and infrastructure.

The latest disagreement began when Musk responded to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by OpenAI, which stated that the project would deploy $100 billion immediately. Musk, now a close advisor to Trump and founder of rival AI company xAI, countered the claim, alleging that SoftBank has “well under $10B secured” for Stargate.

Altman, OpenAI’s CEO and a key figure in the Stargate announcement, dismissed Musk’s remarks as inaccurate. “Wrong, as you surely know. Want to come visit the first site already under way?”

Altman in his post further took a pointed dig at Musk. “This is great for the country. I realize what is great for the country isn’t always what’s optimal for your companies, but in your new role, I hope you’ll mostly put America first,” said Altman in the tweet.

Musk in a reply to another post on X, called Altman a ‘swindler.

Musk and Altman already locked in a legal battle and head competing AI firms. Musk founded xAI after departing from OpenAI, as he was one of the founding members.

Meanwhile, Trump described Stargate as “the largest AI infrastructure project in history,” with plans to invest heavily in artificial general intelligence (AGI) and job creation over the next four years. However, Musk’s claims raise questions about the financial viability of the project.

When asked about Musk’s remarks, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, whose company has pledged $80 billion to AI development this year using OpenAI models, declined to comment directly. “All I know is, I’m good for my $80 billion,” Nadella said in an interview with CNBC.