Moneycontrol PRO
Outskill Genai
HomeTechnology'Your bullshit post got...', Elon Musk hits back at Sam Altman as he calls OpenAI CEO a liar

'Your bullshit post got...', Elon Musk hits back at Sam Altman as he calls OpenAI CEO a liar

The war of words between Elon Musk and Sam Altman has taken another swipe-filled turn. After Altman accused Musk of hypocrisy over Apple–OpenAI bias claims, Musk fired back.

August 12, 2025 / 18:48 IST
Sam Altman, Elon Musk

The public spat between two former OpenAI co-founders has intensified, with Elon Musk responding to Sam Altman’s pointed remarks about his business practices. Musk, never one to back down from a fight, accused Altman of dishonesty and claimed the OpenAI CEO’s posts are attracting more attention than his own, despite Musk’s vastly larger follower base.

“You got 3M views on your bullshit post, you liar, far more than I’ve received on many of mine, despite me having 50 times your follower count!” Musk wrote, in what reads like part frustration, part incredulity.

The exchange stems from Musk’s allegation that Apple is unfairly boosting OpenAI’s ChatGPT over rival AI tools, including his own xAI’s Grok, in the App Store rankings — something he called an “unequivocal antitrust violation.” Altman had countered by hinting at alleged manipulation by Musk on X to benefit his own ventures and hurt competitors, even suggesting “counter-discovery” in court could expose such practices.

Musk’s latest reply sidesteps the specifics of those allegations, instead zeroing in on Altman’s reach and public reception — perhaps implying the real platform bias is in Altman’s favour. The dig underscores a rivalry that’s grown increasingly personal since Musk’s acrimonious exit from OpenAI in 2018 and subsequent creation of xAI.

With Apple’s AI partnerships, OpenAI’s continued dominance in app charts, and Musk’s public threats of legal action still hanging in the air, the back-and-forth shows no signs of cooling.

Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day

MC Tech Desk Read the latest and trending tech news—stay updated on AI, gadgets, cybersecurity, software updates, smartphones, blockchain, space tech, and the future of innovation.
first published: Aug 12, 2025 06:47 pm

Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!

Subscribe to Tech Newsletters

  • On Saturdays

    Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.

  • Daily-Weekdays

    Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.

Advisory Alert: It has come to our attention that certain individuals are representing themselves as affiliates of Moneycontrol and soliciting funds on the false promise of assured returns on their investments. We wish to reiterate that Moneycontrol does not solicit funds from investors and neither does it promise any assured returns. In case you are approached by anyone making such claims, please write to us at grievanceofficer@nw18.com or call on 02268882347