OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to share his experience of waiting seven and a half years for a Tesla Roadster efund. In a post titled “a tale in three acts,” Altman shared screenshots of his email correspondence with Tesla, subtly highlighting the delay while drawing widespread attention online — and a quick response from Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Altman’s post and refund request
Altman’s post included three screenshots detailing his communication with Tesla. The first, dated 2018, confirmed his successful reservation of the second-generation Tesla Roadster, along with a $50,000 payment. The follow-up message, sent in 2025, showed Altman requesting to cancel the booking and receive a refund. However, the email bounced back as Tesla’s original contact address was inactive.
“I really was excited for the car! And I understand delays. But 7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait,” Altman wrote. The tone of the post, though polite, came across as a subtle jab at Tesla’s ongoing production delays for the Roadster — a car first unveiled in 2017 and yet to reach customers. Musk recently said a new version of the vehicle will be revealed by the end of 2025.
Musk’s response
Elon Musk soon replied to Altman’s post with a familiar criticism: “You stole a nonprofit,” referencing his long-standing claim that OpenAI abandoned its original nonprofit structure. In a follow-up message, Musk added, “And you forgot to mention act 4, where this issue was fixed and you received a refund within 24 hours.”
The exchange reignited tensions between the two former collaborators, whose professional relationship has since evolved into a public rivalry spanning artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and corporate values.
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