Musk vs Altman: Why Tesla owner called OpenAI co-founder 'Scam Altman'

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reignited his public feud with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman by calling him “Scam Altman” on X. The remark is the latest in a series of jabs over OpenAI’s transformation from a non-profit AI lab to a major commercial entity.

Musk’s post was a direct response to a video shared by X user Robert Wiblin. The clip compared earlier statements made by OpenAI co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman—promising openness and non-profit goals—with the company’s current practices. Wiblin’s post asked whether Altman and OpenAI can still be trusted with the development of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). Musk replied with two words: “SCAM Altman.”

The short response quickly gained attention, signalling Musk’s continued disapproval of OpenAI’s current leadership and strategy.

Elon Musk helped establish OpenAI in 2015 with the goal of building AGI for the benefit of humanity under a non-profit model. However, Musk exited the organisation in 2018 due to differences over its direction. He has since accused OpenAI of deviating from its founding mission, becoming a closed-source operation focused on profit and heavily aligned with Microsoft.

Musk has even taken legal action against OpenAI, claiming the company breached its original commitment and operates more like a for-profit venture than a public-focused research group.

In response to Musk’s public criticism, Sam Altman recently alleged that Musk misused his influence within the U.S. government to gain a competitive advantage. In a podcast interview, Altman said he once believed Musk would avoid such tactics but now regrets trusting him.

Altman framed Musk’s alleged actions as damaging not just to competitors but to the broader public interest.